By Fay Simmons

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

Merchants yesterday described Independence Day memorabilia sales as “steady” but said Bahamians appear to be preparing for a “very low key” holiday this Thursday.

Dr Cheryl Strachan, owner/operator of Beyond Flags told Tribune Business that sales are not comparable to the volume of merchandise sold during the country’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2023 but are becoming “more intense” as the holiday draws closer.

She suggested that the “low key” attitude among consumers could be due to the Government’s delay in placing decorations around the capital, which can help residents get into a festive mood.

“Every day it gets a little more intense, which means that we are keeping to our fashion of the last minute. Sales are not what they were for the 50th, but it’s steady. Everybody wanted to celebrate the 50th. This year is very low key,” said Dr Strachan.

“I don’t know if that’s because people were waiting for the Government to start putting decorations up, which they just started to do two or so weeks ago. They’ve put some flags and things up so now I guess people are starting to feel more festive”

Dr Strachan added that it is normal for consumers to shop for Independence Day items close to the holiday, as some are financially constrained and others already own Independence Day-related merchandise and come in at the last minute to replace items.

“It’s typical for things to pick up closer to the holiday. There’s a lot of different reasons. They’re waiting for their payday or trying to pay bills and see what’s left over. And also there are some people who still have stuff from last year or the year before that can be used. If they don’t find them, then they come and buy again,” said Dr Strachan.

She added that as Beyond Flags carries flags, souvenirs and other Independence Day-related merchandise all year-round, the company also benefits from local events and conferences. This activity has led to Independence Day becoming a busy season but not the most “aggressive” sales period of the year.

“We have our seasons for everything, but definitely flags and souvenirs, they are our core business, so any time of the year we have these items for customers to come and get. So sometimes it’s hard to say that there is an increase during independence,” said Dr Strachan.

“At certain times there are lots of conferences in the country, or there could be something else going on in the country and then we’ll get an uptick in sales. So, although independence can be a busy time for us, it’s kind of difficult to pinpoint this particular time as the most aggressive time for sales because we do it all year round.”