PORT ANTONIO, Portland — Thousands of Portlanders flocked stores in Port Antonio last Thursday night as the resort town participated for the first time in the Jamaica Observer’s celebration of Fashion’s Night Out (FNO).

The five-hour shopping blitz, which started at 5:00 pm, saw consumers benefiting from discounts as high as 70 per cent.

A number of store owners reported brisk business in the first hour. Others said the event did not impact their businesses but welcomed it and said they would participate again.

Some retailers felt that the event, designed to stimulate the economy, was too close to the opening of the new school year, while others had no problem with the timing.

“People are coming in pretty good and more are coming in that wouldn’t normally come in. It has been very good,” said one retailer. “It is the beginning, and I hope next year will be better.”

One retailer who gave her name only as Audrey, and who operates a store on The Royal Mall, said: “It has been okay; another time would have been better as it is too close to back-to-school as I think it affects the spending.”

However, she said she would participate again next year.

Klassy Kasuals, which has been opened for two years, was one of the stores that got a lot of customers on the night.

“It has been good, not bad at all, the customers are enjoying it and it is the first we are having a sale, it has been a long time coming,” said the operator who gave her name only as Nicky.

“The timing was a little bad but the turnout has been good. (Yet) It could have been at the month end where people balance better, or a month after back-to-school. It has been a good evening,” she added.

Some operators provided refreshments for their shoppers and the police were out in full force. A few stores went beyond the 10:00 pm cut-off time to facilitate late shoppers.

Consumers generally welcomed the event, saying that they got good bargains. However, some said they would have preferred if it had not been staged so close to the reopening of school.