Christmas shopping trends change

‘Twas just weeks before Christmas, when all through the islands not a person was buying, not even a local, the stocks were all hung in the store with care, in hopes that customers soon would be there.

Dennis Pascal, owner of Cellular World said, “What we are noticing in the past few years is that people are getting closer and closer past the mid month and buying afterwards so it gets almost like last-minute shopping.” Mr. Pascal said it’s two weeks out from Christmas and he’s not seeing the shopping volume he would have seen in the past.

He said, ” In the past for example it used to be all the way in the end of November beginning of December people start buying and preparing and you know getting together buying phones and by mid month we are almost out of phone in December but he says even though shopping habits have changed the items on wish lists haven’t. He added, “Samsung units have a big demand, there is a request for apple every so often.”

Mr Pascal said he’s noticed that shoppers’ don’t like to take risks on new brands when shopping this time of year. He said, “Whenever there is a new brand, it’s always hard to get to those brands because they want to understand more about it whilst with the Samsung, they know the name, they know the same so they just buy it.”

But technology isn’t the only thing on many persons wish list this year, co-owner of Atlantic Kids Annette Scott said traditional toys are still a hot seller. She said, “Trending is unicorn; unicorns from backpacks, to bags, to manicure sets body scrubs for your tweens and even craft kits that they can make and keep for them selves.”

But even with the trend where it is, both business owners advise shoppers to get their gifts before they are out of sight. Mr. Pascal said he thinks shoppers are bargain hunting at the moment, but when it comes down to crunch time the gifts will go flying off the shelves.