With just two shopping days to go before Christmas, supermarkets across the country are seeing a shift in consumers buying cheaper alcohol, turkey and ham—three items synonymous with the Yuletide season.
Supermarket owners have also noticed fewer customers in stores and a resultant significant drop in sales.
Daniel Austin, marketing manager of Xtra Foods chain, said there was a slight damper on sales at its Grand Bazaar and Chaguanas Main Road branches.
“There is no doubt about it, sales are down because people are watching their pockets and tightening their belts because of the lack of growth in the economy.”
He said overall, Xtra Foods suffered 20 per cent less sales this Christmas as opposed to 2015.
In the last few days, Austin said he has observed consumers buying less food items, while others have opted for cheaper or less expensive alcohol.
“What is strange people are buying more snacks.”
In assessing people’s buying patterns, Austin said in the area of alcohol, shoppers were going for White Oak rum at $79 a bottle and a foreign five-litre bottle wine for $120.
“They are buying more rum, cheaper wines and beers and less whisky for the holidays.”
Premium drinks such as vodka was not a hot seller, while premium scotch such as Johnnie Walker had seen a nose dive in sales, Austin said.
In the area of food, Austin said ham continued to catch the eye of customers.
Jenika Perez, a clerk at JTA Supermarket in San Fernando, said while they have seen a constant flow of customers, their supermarket was not “ram cram.”
Perez admitted that customers were buying cheaper hams and turkeys.
“The main one people grabbing is a three-pound ham for $100. We have never seen that before. In the past they would go for the biggest and most expensive ham to celebrate Christmas, but now they are going with what suits their pockets.”
Nadine Wilson, manager of Chung Kiu Supermarket, on Charlotte Street, Port-of-Spain, said, “Compared to last year, sales have been really slow. We are not seeing the usual flow of shoppers. I don’t know if it because of the crime in town.”
Wilson said from her observation people are buying cheaper alcohol as opposed to the premium drinks, while others have reduced the size of the baskets.
Karene Lopez, a clerk at Economy Supermarket, in Sangre Grande, said they were facing their worst Christmas in over 20 years, as sales have plummeted.
Lopez said she can only pray for a better and brighter 2017.