NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The back-to-school shopping period was a “mixed bag” for the local retailer segment, with some retailers benefiting more due to the prominence of virtual learning resulting from COVID-19.
Pia Farmer, director of Custom Computers, told Eyewitness News: “We had a good response to the back-to-school VAT (value-added tax) holiday. The big sellers were the tablets and laptops, and there was a lot of demand for printers and accessories.
“Custom Computers was pleased to be able to supply high-quality tools for back-to-school and working at home, and our business deliveries increased, so The Bahamas is getting back to business.”
The tax holiday, which began on August 16, ended on Monday, which was the last day for retailers to sell items at a zero VAT rate.
The purpose of the tax relief measure was to make back-to-school shopping less expensive for parents while providing support to local businesses throughout The Bahamas.
Still, Tara Morley, the Bahamas Federation of Retailers co-president, told Eyewitness News: “The feedback I got was that it was not a strong back-to-school season.”
She noted that this was due in large part to the fact that many schools have opted not to return to full face-to-face instruction but have decided to remain virtual or offer a hybrid learning platform amid a surge in COVID cases.
James Wallace, owner and operator of the popular uniform supplier Janae’s Uniform Centre, told Eyewitness News last month that his business was seeing just 35 percent of pre-COVID-19 sales.
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