Stuffed animals, chocolates, flowers, accommodation, dinners, are some of the products that make up the wide range that the different businesses exhibit for Valentine’s Day, the first commercial date of 2022, in which they seek to continue with the economic recovery.
In shopping centers and supermarkets, the display of these products began at the end of last January. In a tour of a team from Diario EL UNIVERSO, the expectations generated by the date for establishments were confirmed.
For example, the Chiquimar store, in the Mall del Sol, started its Valentine’s product offers from the last week of January in order to increase its sales.
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Lisette Delgado, a local vendor, indicated that there is a wide range of products for customers, ranging from personalized jars with chocolates at $3.50 to stuffed animals and balloons with which combos of up to $40 can be put together.
The products alluding to the date were also taken from several Megamaxi hangers: towels, cushions, chocolates, candles and more.
Confectionery and chocolate sales businesses also have great expectations for the date. Henry Villegas, owner of Virmart Confectioneryexplained that the increase in chocolate sales in February is 5 to 1 compared to other months, with the best-known brands being the most requested, such as: Ferrero, Snicker, Noggy and Kinder bar, which are premium brands, although there are also demand for cheaper category chocolates.
“We have an increase of 500% and as a percentage of sales it is equivalent to 20% of monthly billing. And regarding the annual turnover is 3%. Our clients are the final consumers who buy as gifts, in addition to the decorators and people who make arrangements because we have good prices, for our volume purchases,” said Villegas, who stressed that this month they doubled the supply of chocolates and they estimate to sell double what was sold in 2019 and 2020.
Miguel Ángel González, president of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Ecuador and of the Chamber of Commerce of Guayaquil, says this date moved in February of last year $4.749 million in billing for trade sales at the national level. This was 7% below February 2019, the last pre-pandemic year.
Expectations for this year are high, said González, who hopes that businesses will be reactivated for Valentine’s Day.
Their forecasts point to the commercial sector, at the national level, selling $5.415 million in this month.
“This would represent an increase of 7% with pre-pandemic levels, and an increase of almost 15% with 2021. That is, this increase is driven by the economic recovery, the holiday and the holiday,” González said.
One of the segments hardest hit by the pandemic and which focuses its strategies on this date is the hotelier, which offers accommodation packages and buffet dinners for couples.
For example, the Hilton Colón promotes packages from $115 to $175 on its Instagram account, which include accommodation for two people and different extras that depend on the package and the amount to be paid.
The Sheraton Guayaquil Hotel offers lodging packages for Valentine’s Day in different types of rooms with special courtesies and decoration, indicated Verónica Yagual, hotel sales and marketing manager.
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“The price depends on the type of room and the additional ones, likewise there are accommodation packages with dinners included from $140 and up,” said Yagual, who with these promotions hopes to reach an occupancy rate above 80%, a usual percentage for this date.
The hotel entrepreneur Holbach Muñeton, president of the National Federation of Chambers of Tourism and vice president of the Ecuadorian Business Committee, He indicated that the hotel sector is going through a delicate situation, so they focus on launching offers for all upcoming business dates to recover, such as Valentine’s Day, Carnival and Easter.
He indicated that last January hotel occupancy fell to 20% or 30% compared to 49.8% with which it closed 2021, due to the pandemic.
“Last year the occupancy was recovering, but not the rate yet,” said Muñeton, who pointed out that the rate remains at 50% compared to 2019.
“We hope that since the contagion of COVID has decreased, people go out, in restaurants it has dropped 45%,” said the leader, who pointed out that the government’s decision to lower VAT from 12% to 8% on holidays gives him some opening to the tourism sector, but indicated that it would have been more interesting to use that 4% discount at times of low occupancy. “The holiday sells itself, but we respect the decisions,” he said.
On the other hand, another sector that sets its expectations on this date is the flower industry, especially in flower exports to 134 international destinations, which, however, has been affected by the lack of flights, due to country restrictions on entry. of passengers, which affects the operation of flights, where important volumes of flowers are transported; and due to COVID-19 infections of the crew, which forces the cancellation of flights.
Alejandro Martínez, president of the National Association of Producers and Exporters of Flowers of Ecuador (Expoflores)estimated that for this Valentine’s season around 28,385 tons of flowers will be exported by air and sea, but due to logistics problems, 2,500 tons will not be exported, which means $20 million, without counting the budget invested for production and flower care.
Valentine’s season started for the Ecuadorian flower, with good demand and logistical problems
The export by air is the main way of exporting flowers, around 435 cargo planes are required to cover the demand. Now, several farms have chosen to ship the cargo by sea.
“At the moment, approximately 26,000 boxes are exported daily, which means an increase of 21% in relation to 2021, however, this number is not reflected in dollars due to the low cost of the flower that had to come out the first weeks of production. January due to the lack of air spaces,” explained Martínez, who added that sales this season represent 30% of annual sales, with the United States being the main destination. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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