A number of stores along the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling Road that had closed as a result of the lockdown brought on by the coronavirus pandemic have since reopened but business is far from normal with these stores doing fifty per cent or less of their normal sales.
According to Region Three Chairman Julius Faerber, for the time being the businesses in this area are to abide by the National Emergency Mea-sures and Curfew Order until further decisions are made by the relevant authorities. He added that aside from this, no other measures were put in place and advised that businesses operate as ordered. He admitted that there was not much else he could do since the world at large is being affected by the pandemic and it is now left up to the police to ensure that all orders are followed.
While stores, whether essential or non-essential, have reopened their doors to the public, about a third remain closed and those unable to pay their rent are out of business.
However, despite this, people were out and about but seemingly for their own personal business at the supermarkets, the post office, to pay their bills and/or passing through, on their way to get a speedboat across to the city. Every now and again, persons would wander into one of these stores but not always with the intention of purchasing anything.
Amanda’s Bridal Store is one of the most frequented stores in Vreed-en-Hoop but was not busy as usual when this newspaper visited. Several of the sales representatives not having not much else to do, chatted with each other, arranged the items on display, or paced the store.
The store’s general manager, Samuel Chandoo, explained that business has slowed significantly but mentioned that the store offers a delivery service to customers. However, though it was already the middle of the week, there had been no calls for deliveries and recently they have begun doing free deliveries.
Not considered to be providing an essential service, the store was one of many that were expected to shut up shop. Despite this restriction, Chandoo said that they tried to keep their doors open but could not do so without drawing the attention of the police, since the store is located obliquely opposite the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station.
They were fined but have not been charged.
Chandoo said that the financial situation of their employees had gotten bad, explaining that many of his staff live from pay cheque to pay cheque and have families to support. “We had workers that needed assistance. We assisted our employees with food hampers and money, however we could.”
The main branch of the business is located in Georgetown but despite being a smaller store with more customers, the manager noted that the City Council did not prevent the business from operating. After several run-ins with the police over the past two months, Chandoo said they were allowed to be open after pointing out that their employees depend solely on the business for their livelihoods. Presently, thirty persons are employed at the Vreed-en-Hoop branch but because of need for social distancing, the staff is being rotated. Owing to the reduction in sales, the store has suspended Sunday openings.
Meanwhile, another of the prominent businesses, Fat Boy’s Discount Store, reopened their doors some weeks ago. The owner of the hardware store didn’t say much except that staff is being rotated and that business is slow.
Owner of Vedo’s Variety Store, Brian Richardson, shared that following the National Emergency Measures and Curfew Order, the store was closed for a month though they were already selling essential products like sanitizers and over-the-counter drugs. Richardson explained that they were eventually allowed by the police to reopen after persisting in being open for business.
He too, shared that during the period they were closed they tried to provide hampers for employees in need. “We are not seeing the full amount of sales. Let’s say about two-thirds of sales we were getting before the pandemic. Of the seven years we’ve been in business, this is the worst,” the owner lamented.
Rose Padmore, the owner of Finches Pet Shop, is one of a number of business owners who rented stalls at Best Mall. “It’s slow, very slow. Business is between forty to fifty percent”, she said. The woman added that she was closed for the first two weeks as the police informed that hers was not an essential business. However, part of the order gives leeway for veterinary services and following closure for a couple of weeks, she has resumed her business.
The pet shop owner said she noticed that not long after she returned to operating her business, other businesses whether essential or non-essential, reopened for business also. She admitted that since business is slow, she isn’t always able to pay the rent for her business on time and would have to ask for an extension from the proprietor of the mall.
Another of the stalls in Best Mall is rented by VP Express Centre, a wholesale and retail stationery store owned by Avinash Dudhnauth. “Because of the pandemic situation and the elections, business is slow. Some days you do make it, some days you don’t. One day, we made barely five hundred dollars for the day and at the end of the week we [he and his wife], still have to find rent,” Dudhnauth said.
The man also owns a construction business which has also been experiencing a downturn but still manages to bring in more than the stationery business. There have been a number of occasions since the pandemic, he said, that he has had to take money out of the construction business and pour it into the stationery business.
To keep business running, VP Express Centre has been offering discounts on their printing service and stationery items. Owing to the reopening of school for examination students, Dudhnauth noted that they have seen a bit more sales as parents would come by to print lessons being sent on WhatsApp. The reopening of schools for now, has seen business move from bad to fair though he was unable to say how business would be affected after the end of these examinations. He reminded that apart from having to pay rent for both businesses, they have their own house bills among other expenses to take care of.
We trying
Godfrey Best is the owner of Best Mall. For someone who depends on the rent from persons renting his stalls, Best said that he “can’t even say that I am making it. Things are so bad but we trying.”
“Most people complying and as a landlord, I am trying to meet with the tenants along the way however we can. We normally flex because the bank also flex and would have reduce their interest and the late fee but the premium is still there. We would give the [small business owners] like a two week break after which we could collect half week rent and the other week we collect the entire week so as to keep people surviving as well as myself. It’s a worldwide thing and we all understand what’s going on. You not getting your full rent so you cannot meet your obligations but we trying,” Best said.
He pointed out that in addition to the setback of rent not being paid on time, he also has to deal with half of the persons who rented stalls, choosing to stop operating their businesses completely, several of which are beauty salons.
Though considered an essential service which has been seeing regular business, this newspaper spoke with supervisor, Fiona George, of Ram’s Super-market. They are considered one of the most prominent businesses when it comes to supermarkets, along the West Bank Demerara, West Coast Demerara and East Bank Essequibo. However, despite this, George said that persons though still shopping for their regular groceries, come in less. Customers would buy more necessary groceries and would shop once a month instead of twice or more a month as they would have in the past. Prior to the pandemic, George said, customers would splurge a bit by shopping for more non-essential items.
Their opening hours have also changed. They open from 7.30am to 4.30pm/5.pm. Before the pandemic they had two shifts a day as they would have opened in the evenings also and allowed for staff to be rotated, but owing to the curfew, the supermarket has only one shift, and use all of their staff during this time. They no longer do rotation.
Outside of a decline in sales as this article sought to highlight, what must be noted also, is that despite the measures put in place with regard to persons wearing masks and some stores having installed sinks and taps at the entrance of their stores for customers to use, staffers as well as customers were delinquent in this regard. Many customers were seen entering these stores without sanitising or washing their hands.
