Sunday Shopping – Linstead Flea Market Hailed As A Good Idea
December 18, 2021There is something impressive happening at Linstead Transportation Centre in St. Catherine on Sundays throughout the festive season.
It is a flea-market, where people can buy several new and used items.
Christopher Angus, who has been manager of the centre since July, said he rented spaces inside the hub to vendors to help earn revenue.
According to him, the facility has been losing money because most public transport operators who should use it continue to shun it and are instead picking up and dropping off passengers illegally in the town.
“Basically, out of about 100 percent, about 10 percent of the vehicles are using the park. So we have to find ways to create revenues,” he told The Beacon.
He further stated that, since the flea-market started, the support from area residents has been increasing. “It is going quite well. Every Sunday we have more people coming in interested.”
Angus added that the location is safe and vendors have no need to be on the run from law enforcers.
People can also travel to the venue without having to contend with the congestion that is usually experienced on regular shopping days in Linstead town. “Everybody come in and say the centre is comfortable and there is no hustling and bustling on the road with cars and handcarts and all of those,” Angus noted.
He also explained that, inside the transportation hub, there is a lot of “walking space” between stalls in line with protocols aimed at helping to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. “The walking space between stalls is basically nine feet to 10 feet. So, it is a comfortable space,” Angus further commented.
He added that the initiative takes place only on Sundays because the transportation centre is usually closed on that day. “Instead of having the park closed on Sundays, we just came up with the idea to utilize Sundays to make some money,” Angus said.
In the meantime, vendors and shoppers who spoke with The Beacon lauded the initiative.
“My observation is that it is a very good idea; I was so enthused when I heard of it. However, from my observation, more people are looking than people who are spending,” said Marcia Garriques, who went to the venue to shop.
Her relative, Kereisha Garriques, commented: “It is a good idea. People have been coming and saying it is the best thing ever happen in Linstead. People come in here and spend.”
Vendors, including one who gave his name as ‘Brown Man’, joined in commending the management of the transportation centre for what he too described as a good idea.
He, along with other vendors, is optimistic that sales will improve on the other Sundays closer to Christmas and the New Year.
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