The Atuntaqui textile workers and merchants are betting on the last event of the sector this year: the Christmas Atuntaqui 2022 entrepreneurs expo, under the slogan ‘Let’s make this Christmas different, live the change, in us is the magic of being best friends and enjoy with family’.
This fair, which began on December 17 and will continue until the 25th of this month, is made up of a catwalk, crafts, tourism and culture, according to the organizers, who see this date as appropriate to reactivate economically.
A factory will be built in Atuntaqui to produce products that are currently imported
The pandemic, the national strikes and the recession that the world is experiencing have hit this productive sector, which drives the economic engine of Imbabura and generates the largest number of jobs in the north of the country.
“We are located in a strategic place that allows access to the perfect gift at Christmas,” said the directors of the Antonio Ante Textile Chamber, who did not want to miss the opportunity to open this commercial showcase to buyers from southern Colombia, north and center of the country.
These businesses are arranged in two sectors of the city: the textile area with 350 stores in the commercial center of the city; while handicrafts with 20 points of sale, on Julio Miguel Aguinaga avenue.
This Christmas fair has the particularity of selling pajamas, sweaters, caps, scarves, stockings with Christmas motifs, with affordable prices and the guaranteed quality of the clothing capital of Ecuador.
A pajama has a value of between $10 and $12, which in Quito or Guayaquil can reach a value of up to $28 and $30 in commercial chain stores. A sweater between $12 and $15, a Christmas hat or scarf from $2.
In Antonio Ante visitors can also find lingerie, quilts, sheets, blankets, jeans, and kitchen, bathroom and living room arrangements. For Jesús Vaca, president of the Federation of Artisans of Atuntaqui, this year the economic situation has been complex for the sector.
The catwalks that have been taking place at different times show the new trends, models, colors and collections for 2023, which captivate hundreds of visitors who have arrived since last Saturday, taking advantage of the favorable prices.
“One of the advantages when purchasing clothing is that the garments come out of our factories and we sell them in our warehouses, with no intermediaries or surcharges,” said Rolando López, mayor of this canton.
Nathaly Alvear, a municipal official, said that four fairs have been organized this year, closing the agenda with Christmas. On December 23, 24 and 25, the main avenues will be semi-pedestrian to facilitate the mobility of buyers.
For security, private guards have been hired and this week video surveillance cameras will be installed that are connected to ECU 911 in Ibarra, said Mayor Rolando López.
“The last strike did a lot of damage to the textile sector, since we were forced to close our businesses and paralyze production,” added Jesús Vaca, president of the Atuntaqui Craftsmen Federation.
In this city there are 2,000 micro and medium-sized companies, according to a survey carried out years ago by the municipality.
It is estimated that they generate more than 8,000 jobs, becoming the economic and productive engine of Imbabura.
The epicenter of fashion in Imbabura is in trouble and urgently needs to create alternatives to recover
Despite the difficulties this year, the textile mills do not lose faith and continue to bet on the fairs, which attract tourists from Pichincha, Carchi, Tungurahua and Guayas and from southern Colombia.
In January and February, they await the arrival of Colombian tourists who year after year visit Ecuador in these months for vacation plans and make a mandatory shopping stop in this northern city. (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
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