MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Business has often been better in seasons past.

However, a quick telephone poll of retailers in Mandeville, May Pen and Santa Cruz reflected quiet satisfaction with pre-Christmas sales.

“We have seen better days, but it was okay considering the state of the economy,” said a representative of Fontana Pharmacy in Mandeville who, like all the other responders, declined to be named.

House of Style (Mandeville), which had a Christmas sale, reported brisk business for its line of women’s clothing and footwear.

“It was good on Christmas Eve,” said a House of Style spokesperson. “Generally it could have been better, but you catch what you get,” she said.

In most cases, shopping built to a crescendo on Christmas Eve with thousands of people on the streets of the main towns until the early hours of Christmas morning.

In May Pen, a representative of appliance retailers Singer regretted that the store had to be closed by 8:30 pm on Christmas Eve because of its “location”.

She felt there was a “decline” in business on Christmas Eve compared to last year. However, she said “people were shopping with us… we did good business in the days leading up”.

In Santa Cruz, where vendors were allowed to take to the streets, one retailer in the Santa Cruz arcade said she declined the opportunity to go on the streets because “is too much stress”.

However, she said, while the mass of shoppers did not come her way, “business wasn’t bad but it could have been better”.