April has begun, and the high season is soon coming to an end. After a start to the year marked by episodes of crime and twists and turns in the organization of major events in Saint Martin, Marigot's merchants have mixed feelings about the 2024-2025 season.
Kevin (merchant): Honestly, we're pretty happy with this past season. Many of our customers come from Guadeloupe and Martinique. They visit us every short break, and this allows us to have visitors throughout the year. Of course, it's mainly the big local events that bring us people, and thank goodness they were still going ahead this year!
Maria (shopkeeper): For me, it wasn't the best year. When I started working here in 2022, after Covid, customers flocked to the store! Back then, I would go home in the evening exhausted. Today, it's very quiet. And it gets a little quieter every year. The problem is that people are buying online now, and retailers can't compete with the slashed prices of fast-fashion brands.
Lili (shopkeeper): Every season, it's basically the same for me. There's not a big difference from one year to the next. I have my clientele, I have no complaints even though we've seen better. Obviously, in December, it's always more intense, so we sold well during that time. Other than that, the rhythm of my days is quite calm but stable. We do what we can!
Source: Faxinfo https://faxinfo.fr/en/micro-trottoir-quel-bilan-les-commercants-tirent-ils-de-la-saison-touristique/
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