THE jolly season is long over... the hordes of customers that flocked shopping sites up until a month ago have fast disappeared. So, even with their attractive displays, stores are seeing far fewer consumers - the majority of whom are merely going after the 'essentials'.

For merchants, this is what is known as the 'tamarind season'... the slow season which sees a sharp decline in consumer spending. This period calls for much creativity among retailers to woo customers and effectively augment sales.

"You will find that at this time of the year customers need encouragement to shop," said Lisa Broderick, manager at Joseph's Department store in Ocho Rios. "Also stores generally restock in January, so a lot of stores have sale on the stocks from last year. Plus many merchants will have sale to attract the customers."

Another retailer who asked to remain anonymous agreed that "sale" is the magic word to offset the slowdown in shopping. "Just say the word 'sale' and customers will come running."

Thursday Life went on the streets to find out the different methods merchants are using to encourage customers. And true to their words, 'sale' seems to be the order of the day!
Broderick explains that Joseph's anniversary sale normally takes place in January, coinciding with the slow season and so customers can soon look forward to discounted items in that store.

At Lee's Fifth Avenue, Tropical Plaza, selected items have been marked down by as much as 70 per cent and will continue as long as stocks last, a representative at the store said.

Azan's in the Springs and Sovereign centre are continuing with their 'Discount Wednesdays' sale promotion, where customers are given a further 10 per cent discount on items already marked down each Wednesday while those customers who have a discount card (issued by the store to 2,000 customers for the year) are given a 15 per cent discount.

At Bashco, there is currently a one-month 'blow out' sale, with some items being marked down by as much as 50 per cent.

"We are increasing our advertising spend in January and are expecting a lot out of the 'Easy Own' credit facility," Gassan Azan, CEO of Bashco told Thursday Life, noting that sister store MegaMart is offering up to 70 per cent off selected items for the entire month of January.

"January is the month we try to clear out inventory," Azan said. "We have to try and keep the dollar flowing until Valentine's. We try to capitalise on all seasons."

Courts has been pushing its 'Red Hot Sale' where customers pay nothing down on discounted items. The sale began in the first week of January and will run until the first week in February. Singer, in the meanwhile, is holding a clearance sale on all items currently in store. That sale ends in another three days.

Appliance Traders Limited (ATL) is having a 'sizzler sale' on commercial food service items, and a water heater sale that runs until the end of January and have sweeten the latter deal with their 'dream rewards' promotion.

But while many retailers are busy seeking ways to pull customers to their stores, others, like some hardware merchants have little to worry about.

As one representative from Phil's Hardware pointed out: "January is not the slowest period for hardware, because you find that this is the time when people are doing light repairs on their homes. People who got Christmas money wait until January to spend it repairing their homes," she said. "Also you find that construction sites closed down couple weeks before Christmas and they start back in January."

Super Plus Home Store in Clock Tower Plaza, is also planning a grand New Year's sale. That promotion, the store said, will run until the end of January.

Jewellery stores are also getting in on the action. Royale Jewellers' Tropical Plaza and Kings Street branches, for example, have marked down some items by as much as 50 per cent. Several more jewellery stores say they were in the process of planning their sale promotions to last up to Valentine's Day.

But not all consumers have bought in on the 'tamarind season" perception.

As one consumer puts it, January is the perfect time to shop. "Many people don't realise that January is the perfect time to shop, you might not get the best of things but you get them cheap cheap! I always wait until January to get what I want," she said on anonymity.

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