Another major shopping event planned for Nov 25-27
RETAILERS in St Andrew will be offering steep discounts come month end in a strategic move aimed at cashing in on shopping enthusiasts over the US Thanksgiving holiday.
Stores along Constant Spring Road will take part in the festivities, which will include music, photo opportunity sessions with Santa Claus and a store window dressing competition. The event, being staged under the theme “A Christmas Festival of Saving”, will be held from November 25th to 27th, intentionally commencing on the same day as Thanksgiving Day in the US.
Thanksgiving Day, which falls on the fourth Thursday in November each year, unofficially marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in the US. The Friday after Thanksgiving Day, popularly known as “Black Friday”, features steep discounts and attracts tourists across the world to the North American country. Michael Ammar Jr, an organiser of the event and proprietor of the Ammar’s clothing stores, said the rationale behind the move is to lure consumers — both those persons who usually go to the US to shop during that period and those who don’t — to the Constant Spring shopping district over the period, stimulating business activity early for the traditional Christmas shopping season
in Jamaica.
“The idea is to create the Jamaican alternative to Thanksgiving so Jamaicans don’t have to travel overseas,” he said, adding that the festival is aimed at “…getting a jump start to the Christmas shopping season and giving people the opportunity to do their early shopping.”
Activities kick off Thursday, November 25 with a tree-lighting ceremony, Christmas carols, Santa parade as well as a special guest appearance by Miss Jamaica Universe Yendi Phillipps. Friday and Saturday shoppers will enjoy extended shopping hours from 8:00am -8:00pm featuring massive all day discounts and ‘early bird specials’.
The major sponsors of the event are the Jamaica Observer, Digicel and the National Commercial Bank (NCB).
Charmaine Wright, NCB marketing manager, wealth and business, in explaining her organisation’s involvement, said: “Wherever NCB can help our credit card holders to get greater value, we are on board. In addition, we are helping our business customers to make more money. For NCB, come shop, come save is a win.”
Promotions for the event will start on November 12.