Barbadian retailers witnessed a dramatic uptick in holiday shopping during the final days preceding Christmas, marking a significant shift from the cautious consumer behavior that characterized most of December. According to retail managers across Bridgetown, the delayed spending surge was primarily fueled by recent pay cycles and last-minute purchasing patterns that transformed the retail landscape in the week before the holiday.
Stacey Wharton, Operations Manager at Bridgetown Duty Free, reported a noticeable transformation in shopping activity beginning December 18th, coinciding with typical pay periods for Barbadian workers. “December commenced rather quietly, but we observed a substantial increase in business around the 18th, which aligned with most Barbadians’ payday,” Wharton noted. While activity experienced a minor dip following the initial surge, foot traffic notably intensified again from Tuesday through Christmas Eve.
Premium fragrances and cosmetics emerged as the season’s top performers, followed closely by designer leather accessories and children’s toys. Household items including curtains, bathroom mats, and tablecloths also experienced robust demand as consumers finalized their holiday preparations. The store’s complimentary gift-wrapping service proved particularly attractive to customers, necessitating the recruitment of 80-100 additional seasonal staff to manage increased volumes.
At FW Woolworth, Managing Director Martin Bryan characterized the season’s first half as “subdued,” with meaningful activity materializing only during the final shopping days. Bryan reported strong sales in toys, clothing, toiletry sets, perfumes, and gift-wrapping supplies, though he suggested overall traffic appeared diminished compared to previous years.
Supply chain complications emerged as a significant challenge across the retail sector. Hiranand Thani, proprietor of The Royal Shop, described an uneven season with fewer strong shopping days than typical years. “Our primary challenge this year involved securing inventory,” Thani explained. “For certain brands where we typically receive good supply, we encountered severe shortages. If we ordered five pieces of an item, we might receive only two.”
Thani attributed these shortages to international supply and shipping constraints affecting shipments from the United States and Asia, including complications arising from tariff structures affecting distribution channels.
Contrasting this narrative, Eddy Abed, Managing Director of Abeds, reported exceptionally strong performance across all three locations following months of strategic preparation. “Customer traffic became exceptionally robust over the past ten days,” Abed stated, describing demand as both “strong” and “sustained.” The retailer’s early operational planning, which began in November, and a nine-month procurement strategy helped mitigate supply chain disruptions affecting other retailers.
Despite the last-minute surge, several retailers remained cautious about declaring the season an outright success, with many opting to withhold year-over-year comparisons until completing comprehensive post-holiday analyses.