The President of the Suva Retailers Association, Vinay Kumar says some retailers are finding it difficult to survive as consumer spending is low and they have only seen some spikes like Diwali and Christmas last year and a very early Back to School in 2020.
Kumar says he can also confirm that some shops have had to close down due to a drop in sales and they could not keep paying high rent.
Kumar says cyclones Sarai and Tino dampened the spirits and affected businesses with lower sales, and February was also slower than expected due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
He says consumption remains low and this is affecting businesses and the economy as a whole.
Kumar says it started after the major National Budget cuts and while there were some spikes, the lows are really affecting businesses.
The Suva Retailers Association President also says the global slowdown of the economy is also affecting Fiji.
Kumar also says there is already a shortage of aluminum and glass in Fiji due to the closure of ports in China following the Coronavirus outbreak. He says people also know that a lot of retail items and raw materials are imported from China, and many Fijian businesses have been affected by this.
Kumar says everyone can hope for the best to see business growth but they are also realistic based on lower than expected consumer spending and delayed shipments from China.
