Christmas Has Arrived in
Costa Rica
While North Americans
today celebrate Labour
Day and thoughts of
Christmas is far, far
away until Thanksgiving
day at least (November
in the U.S and October
in Canada), Christmas is
here in Costa Rica and
at some stores has been
for for several weeks.
Toys and Christmas
decorations have
appeared in several
large department stores,
especially in the Aliss,
where it is offering a
huge discount on
purchases of Christmas
decorations.
The reason for the
forward thinking is that
a majority of the
articles sold for the
Christmas season are
brought in from China
and retailers have
brought in their
Christmas merchandise
early to avoid delays
and additional costs to
get their merchandise on
their store shelves fro
the season.
According to Carlos
Federspiel, president of
the Cámara Costarricense
de Comercio (Costa Rican
chamber of Commerce) and
operator of the
Universal stores,
explained that the
Chinese ports get
saturated during the
Christmas season as
seasonal merchandise
makes its way to world
markets.
To avoid delays and
additional costs to get
their merchandise on
time, Costa Rican
retailers have taken
preventive measures by
purchasing space for
their merchandise on
containers early,
explained Federspiel.
The Chamber president
added that the advantage
of bringing in Christmas
early also allows
retailers more time to
display their products.
A number of retailers
decided to put the
Christmas items on sale
rather that in storage.
Carlos Acuña, commercial
director for Toys
Mayoreo, said that his
stores will offer
discounts on 50% of his
Christmas merchandise.
At Universal, Marissia
de Federspieal said that
50% of her Christmas
merchandise is being
offered for sale now and
beginning next week
Christmas decorations
will be on display.
At Aliss, Ana Zambrano,
said that Christmas
decorations have been on
sale with a 30% to 50%
discount since the last
Saturday in August.
"Our customers have
asked for the Christmas
articles to be on the
shelves early and have
become a custom in our
stores for the last
three years", said
Zambrano.
Retailers are expecting
a boom Christmas season.
According to Carlos
Federspiel, the change
in the exchange rate
system last October has
kept the devaluation at
a slow pace for the
consumer and is helping
retailers.
For Elisa Rojas,
marketing manager at
Grupo El Roble - owners
of the Multiplaza malls
- this Christmas season
will be a rebound of the
past seasons.
Rojas added that
Christmas will arrive at
the Multiplaza Escazú
and Multiplaze del Este
a little late, at the
end of the month or
first week in October. |
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