| Fizah HAB, Daniel Lim & Bahyiah Bakir |
BUSINESSES across the country are witnessing an increase in customer traffic, due to the ongoing Brunei Salebration, back-to-school shopping and the year-end bonus for civil servants.
Long queues were seen at ATMs and banks as early as dawn yesterday, as consumers swarmed bookshops and shopping centres, to buy school supplies for the new academic year of 2018.
Jahabat Sathik, a representative of Bismi Trading Sdn Bhd bookstore in Gadong, told the Bulletin, “We anticipated the year-end sale and final rush before the start of the school term by preparing our stocks in advance, especially textbooks and workbooks for primary and secondary levels, as well as basic school supplies.
“Bismi Trading bookstore is also one of those shops which accepts DANA coupons to purchase school supplies for orphaned students.
Many customers have exchanged these for textbooks, stationery and even footwear.”
In Belait, bookshops are also receiving a boost from both parents and students doing their last-minute shopping, before the start of the new school term on Tuesday next week.
One consumer, Yati, said that her daughter will be enrolling as a Year 1 student in the New Year, which is only four days away.
“I now have the time to buy the things that she needs, such as exercise books and stationery,” she said, adding that she was planning to set aside $500 for her daughter’s school essentials.
Other consumers expressed similar sentiments, with some having done their back-to-school shopping as early as November.
The Belait District is a short drive away from the neighbouring town of Miri, but many last-minute shoppers told the Bulletin that they preferred to spend their holidays at local attractions such as the Jerudong Park and the eco-corridor park, with family members.
The post Bookshops receive boost with year-end bonus appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.