Trade: Orders Decline For Christmas And New Year

Already on the side of Great Together Surfaces Ltd. (GSR), Antonio Maurer, General Manager, says the stores will import less festive non-food products this year. He blames, among other things, competition and the opening of new shopping centers before the end of the year.

Same story on the side of Alain Tang, Tangs Way supermarket manager, Beau Bassin. He cites the economic environment locally and internationally. Added to this, the importer adds François Ip, competing vendors. The market for shoes, slippers, costume jewelery, handbags, tablecloths, tableware, thermos, clothing, and revivals of China, is already saturated, he said. This, he adds, is explained by the fact that credit facilities are granted to vendors by traders from the Chinese province of Guangzhou. Accordingly: "Maybe for the month of December, there will be an increase in imports, compared to previous months, but they will be lower than in 2011," said Francois Ip.

"This is the general trend in the trade," said for his part, Ian Ng, a manager of Sony World marketings. The store expects to reduce its imports of televisions and other consumer electronics and hi-fi this year, compared to 2011.

For Amil Emandin, president of the Professional Association of Freight Forwarders (APT), the reasons for this are manifold. He mentions that the dollar pushed prices as well as the rising cost of fuel affects freight. In addition, he notes, in Asia, which are placed a large portion of our orders, the cost of production is increasing. Not to mention the crisis in the Eurozone and the indebtedness of Mauritius, which may have an impact on imports, according Amil Emandin.

Other problems: rising unemployment rate, the downward revision of economic growth for 2012, and uncertainties persist because of the crisis. All this argues Renganaden Padayachy economist of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), could have an impact on confidence at the household level, which will postpone their purchases.

Even though, according to economist ICC, there are other factors that must be taken into account, which we do not know the effects on consumption for the moment. As the next budget, the Pay Research Bureau report and wage negotiations.

However, Kwet Cheong Li Kwong Ken, president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, is rather "optimistic" in order for the last quarter. "Merchants do not overstock. They know what to import. Some consumers may want to reuse festive products purchased last year. But firecrackers, I do not think there will be a drop in orders. Firecrackers, it is symbolic for the holiday season, "says Li Kwong Cheong Kwet Ken.