An initiative, which organizers say will enhance the country’s struggling economy has been launched in Dominica.
The event dubbed “Shop Dominica” is a weekend shopping experience with significant discounts from local businesses.
“Shop Dominica: Experience the Promotions” will be marketed to Dominicans and the French territories of Guadeloupe and Martinique, organizers say.
The event, planned for the weekend of August 24 to 26, 2012, is being organized through a partnership between the Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce (DAIC), the Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association (DHTA) and the Discover Dominica Authority (DDA).
The official launch took place on Friday morning.
Vice President of the Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association Nikima Royer said the event is opened to all businesses in Dominica. “All you have to do is decide, I am Jane Doe and I am offering a 15 percent discount during Shop Dominica and you are on,” she said at the launch. “Any and everybody involved in commerce can get involved and participate…the shop Dominica campaign is an opportunity for any individual, a business, a person who offers a service to offer a substantial discount.”
She said the whole purpose of the event is to stimulate the economy. “We are really trying to stimulate the economy, we need to get people out, to get them shopping,” Royer said.
She pointed out that the French Territories of Guadeloupe and Martinique are being targeted
“We need to reach visitors from our neighboring islands especially of Guadeloupe and Martinique as well as return visitors,” she noted.
Several businesses have already signed on including retail stores, restaurants, supermarkets and telecommunication companies.
The Discover Dominica Authority said a marketing plan has already been set up in the French territories for the three-day event.
good idea and congratulation to the organisers. let,s look at the bigger picture how did we get there under uwp things were so good but that doesn,t surprise me labour said all shall eat the only thing they didn,t say was what mush be “wosh”
24 to 26 august, a whole week before monthend, that’s when i squeezing my last $5. Should be 29th August to 1st september.
The disscounts are a good idea but here is an idea that would help the economy even more: one quarter out of the fiscal year where the govt agrees to drop all together or decrease the import duty on house hold goods. Or the govt can do a back to school tax break on school items. Or the govt can cut the vat and import duty for businesses that pay a certain amount annually.
Grate idea, However i would like to know hw am I going to know which supermarket for eg will be on board so i could go right there and buy or do I have to go in town ans ask around till I find a place is there a way to identify the place that has the discount for the three days because I dont think every one will want to take part on putting a discounts on their product.
Punctuations please.
This idea is not new, because Quinns has already begun this idea. Very often this store gives sales that make the shoppers go crazy. And mind, the products are quality stuff. Imagine Quinns had sales where each pair of shoes in the store cost $40EC! Which store in DA can beat that? At that time all shoppers go crazy. All you want to do is shop, shop, shop till you drop. Where ever the money is hidden the shoppers find it and spend it. That is what I call stimulating the economy. I just love this store. The service is excellent, and the owners are conscientious!
is Quinns in Roseau or Portsmouth ???
what we need is atleaast a week without VAT and see how much money companies and people will make.
That’s a good idea,but I think those good for nothing businessmen gonna take advantage of the situation.That weekend they will give us the discount but come the next day they might raise the price higher than what it was to make up for the discount.
So true.
Great Initiative Niki Royer from DHTA. You must be Director of Tourism, since DDA boss is blind all the time
Why can’t SOME Dominicans compliment someone without comparing them to someone else or making someone else look bad??
I notice that most people cannot be gracious just for the sake of it… a compliment to one person must end in someone else being put down?
They are stuck in a negative zone. So sad.
Good initiative but who gets paid by the 24th? Whitchurch introduced a Frequent Shoppers Card and Mid Month Madness and now they are playing all tricks to reward shoppers. I suspect the 4000 points adding up too quickly during Mid Month Madness. They always begin well but are not consistent.
I love the idea. Great for the economy and to give the shoppers more bang for their buck.
This is a good idea. But to me, the BEST time to have such a weekend, is month-end. That’s when we sometimes have a few dollars in hand to buy something.
what we need is a permanent price cut! and also for the government to cut down or remove some of those custom duties.. jeezzz a pair of jeans is almost $200 dollars. Our people can’t afford these things with our low incomes. Also, the people with business especially clothing stores have no sympathy or consideration as they want to become millionaires overnight..
My dear Passerby, I can understand what you are saying, but, it is not a question of becoming millionaires overnight, It is the price of the rest for commercial businesses. Landlords charge 3 to 4 thousand dollars and more rent for some business places, so the rent are passed down to the customers. This is not pleasant, but it has to be done. While the clothes are indeed expensive, we must understand that the tennant cannot sell the items cheap and go out of business. Rent control need to take action against the Landlords in Roseau and surroundings that overcharge people for houses.
Hope Government pay on the 24th.
Mi nuh understand it proper. Can someone explain it to me please?
brilliant idea, can`t wait
think the issue is bigger than they can see..
struggling economy……
best dose of medication, please do all possible to kick this dull and lazy labour regime out!
that will bring a spring and spark in many a lost mind in dominica!
I could not agree with you more than i do. Very well said.
Very good idea, please ask L’Express des iles to take its full part in this project and reduce price of the tickets to permit more french people to come to dca and spend a nice holiday spending their euro in the country in spite of leting all only for the sea company
Why not on a month-end though
The root problem is too high government fees on items brought in for sale. The fees and charges include; Port charge, tail gate charge, Custome duty, Custom service charge, environmental charge and the big one, Value added tax. By the time you pay all those charges and add your mark-up, the item is too expensive to sell. The government must look into reducing or eliminating some of those charges if we want to fix our economy. And for God’s sake: Check Domlec on their high electricity charges (almost half of which are government charges again).
What about some of those businesses that charging ‘tet-neg’ for items they buy cheap? When they say they have sale, they hiding all the good items, and putting the old dry-rot and pouwi stuff out on sale.
Agreed with you. The government is putting 6 charges on Dominicans.
Not only on items for sale, but bringing in a Tv. cause me 3 times as much as the price it was paid for.
Life will always be hard on us if someone does not bail us from these charges.
This is a wonderful initiative to boost the economy. The key to it however is offering good products. congratulations to the brainchild of this event.
The Shop Dominica campaing is a good idea. However, to be successful this must be an ongoing promotional activity. A one shot event will not work. There must be consistency with the promotion and everyone must be happy with the benefits, and the busiiness community must come onboard, to ensure its success and take ownership of the campaign.
I also hope that we guard against selling inferior products, (especially those substandard chines products and bootlegs/fake products in see in those chines stores in roseau and portsmouth) and, services to people or else this campain will fail.
I wish the campaign much success and i hope the good quality products and services offered will allow for repeat business and referrals.
I do hope this will assist duriing these hard economic times
Great Idea!
great idea nikima as always! doing good girl
Lord i hope i am not broke for those days.
Right! Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
Not a bad idea. At least we’re trying something.
agreed
Indeed! I give the DDA 101% for effort. Great vibes. All the best.
hmmm dda? u trying to give yvor nassief offspring credit man. is not dda is dhta that doing there thing,hmm,