Let the shopping begin
FOR the third consecutive year, Jamaicans will join tonight in the Observer’s celebration of Fashion’s Night Out (FNO), in what we hope will be the biggest spending spree of the event so far.
If the assumption is that consumer spending drives the economy, then all Jamaica stands to benefit from this grand sale which has, appropriately, been taken islandwide, as our merchants embraced the idea that sizeable discounts are in everybody’s favour.
In fact, we are very pleased to see that the range of discounts given last year were way above the previous year and, from the advertisements placed in our FNO supplements, the discounts are even more attractive this year.
Bit by bit, Jamaicans are losing their cynicism that every time that a store announces a sale, it was only after already jacking up the prices. Jamaica Observer’s celebration of Fashion’s Night is quickly gaining the kind of momentum that compares it with the major United States sale events — among them ‘Black Friday’, ‘July Fourth’, ‘Thanksgiving’ and ‘Macy’s One Day Sale’.
We do not have the data to show it, but we would not be surprised if, as happens in the big US sales, people would come from other countries to shop in Jamaica on Fashion’s Night Out. As the discounts grow larger, this is an inevitability in which all Jamaicans have a vested interest.
Our valuable readers will indulge us in paying tribute to our lifestyle editor, Mrs Novia McDonald-Whyte who was astute enough to grab a splendid idea from FNO in New York and Jamaicanise it in a way that the originators must themselves be happy to see. In fact, we hope that Mrs McDonald-Whyte’s genius could be replicated in other Caribbean islands, under her guidance and, naturally, with the agreement of the FNO organisers.
We said this last year and it holds for this year too: “If ever there was a justifiable case for cultural importation, this would have to be it. After all, in the global village that is today’s world, it is imperative that we take note and learn from other cultures with a view to improving our society and enhancing the democratic ideal which involves self-actualisation and entrepreneurship within a safe, stimulating environment.”
As the worldwide economic recession persists, we believe that the success of the past two years’ celebration of this concept will do much to combat the stagnation that we know is being experienced by our merchants.
The move to include all parishes in the FNO offers the retail industry the promise of greater opportunities to come. This is especially so within the context of the tourist resorts as retailers will be afforded a precious opportunity to create lasting links with the many visitors who we are sure will be impressed with our celebration of the event.
But it is important to note in this year three of the Jamaica Observer’s celebration of Fashion’s Night Out that the event has mushroomed well beyond our newspaper. FNO is a national event that brings vendors and consumers together in a way seen only at Christmastime.
It is perhaps no mere coincidence that FNO is coming in the wake of Jamaica’s superlative performance on the global stage at the 13th IAAF World Championships which ended last Sunday in Daegu, South Korea. It adds a most appropriate flavour to the celebration of our nine medals brought home by Mr Usain Bolt, Mrs Veronica Campbell Brown, Mr Yohan Blake and all our other heroic athletes and administrators.
Let the shopping begin!