With discounts of up to 70%, stores hope to recover sales in the second half of January

January is the month in which sales traditionally decline or “slightly weaken”, but this panorama has become more irregular due to the insecurity that now has the status of an internal armed conflict. In some stores, sales fell by up to 80%.

In these calculations of salespeople who work in shopping centers, there is even a decrease in the traffic of people to the store: from 1,000 people who regularly entered the store, after the intrusion of armed persons in TC television On January 9, there are not even 300 people.

The situation has already gone downhill. With figures from the Tax Administration (SRI), the Chamber of Industry of Guayaquil reports that between January and November 2023, sales of 204.383 million dollars were recorded nationwide, an increase of 3% compared to the same period in 2022. Although the sector exactly, trade at the national level in those months it recorded -1%. In 2023, it amounted to 91,406 million dollars, and in 2022, 92,088 million dollars.

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Little by little, the trade is reactivating – say the sellers – and with it the optimism that the second fifteen days of January will be better than the first fifteen days, and one of the strategies is to increase the discounts they usually give for that customs clearance. season. Now discounts range from 10% to 70%.

Since the weekend of January 13 and 14, sales have been reactivated little by little. And after the incidents in TC “The flow of people has decreased,” says Mall del Sol store advisor Antonio Túa. They reduced sales by up to 40%, and now they are trying to increase it with discounts of 30% and 50%, as well as promotions on websites and internal strategies that promote sales in the store and so that the customer knows the product.

Mall del Sol This Monday, it launched a Price Deflation discount campaign that will be valid until January 31 with offers ranging from 20% to 60%. “We are committed to the economic well-being of our clients and the community at large. This is our way of providing significant savings opportunities while creating an environment conducive to trade and economic growth,” comments Commercial Manager Sofia Naranjo.

For others, the drop in sales has reached 80% and they still notice the fear of customers due to uncertainty, but they are optimistic that the situation will improve as the days go by with promotions such as pay four items and get five.

The environment is similar in Riocentro North. Up to 50% discounts in the Love clothing and accessories store. Denisse Baquero, one of the saleswomen at the facility, says that there was indeed an impact on sales due to the situation last week, it was reduced by 50%. “Sales have fallen and only from fifteen days onwards there is an improvement. “They had to put a 50% discount in the store in order to increase sales.”

The manager of another clothing store says that “normally here we have an income of about 1000 people on a normal day, but these days it has decreased, we have come to the point where we don’t even have 300 people. People are going out, they are no longer accompanied by their families, and this has an impact, so until today this decline continues, but it is expected that in the coming days this traffic of people will start to recover.”

They have discounts from 30% to 70%, but also for the reactivation and recovery of pedestrian traffic, they have implemented a three-month grace period, and in addition, when they join a direct loan, they give a percentage discount.

In Riocentro Norte, discounts in different establishments range from 10% to 70% or promotions such as paying 50% on another item. “All products are 20 percent off,” says the saleswoman in the shoe store. Discounts in different stores in the Riocentro shopping centers will be available until January 28.

Meanwhile in San Marino Shopping they announced discounts of up to 60% on selected items. With free shipping until Sunday, January 21, an exclusive offer to Guayaquil.

From January 13 to 21 in City Mall They will also be offering discounts at various stores, such as Super Éxit, with discounts of 30% to 50% while supplies last. stock.

While the electrical fair is a suggestion of North Mall, as part of which, from January 18 to 21, they will offer discounts in various stores. And in South Mall From January 25 to 28, they will be promoting the ‘Total Renewal’ campaign, as part of which they are offering discounts in stores.