NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Christmas sales this year were similar to sales in 2021, according to The Bahamas Federation of Retailers (BFR), with a strong December start driving those results.
The Christmas season is the prime season for many retailers hoping to capitalize on the consumer rush leading up to the holiday, with many Bahamian retailers generating a significant portion of their annual sales revenue during the busy Christmas shopping period.
“The Bahamas Federation of Retailers members reported that Christmas sales were similar to 2021 sales,” said a BFR spokesperson.
“Many mentioned that the rainy weather closer to the days leading up to Christmas was a bit of an impediment to sales. However, most reported that December had started strongly thus resulting in sales that were comparable to last year, which was a fairly good year for retail in the Bahamas.”
The BFR spokesperson added: “Most members reported feeling positive about 2023 as it seems that tourism continues to recover and should either return to or exceed levels last seen in 2019, before the pandemic.
“Many reported being concerned about a possible recession in the USA in 2023, but also seemed confident that strong tourism numbers could overcome such recessionary forces. All in all, it was a positive season and the outlook for 2023 seemed to be positive as well.”