A lady who bought two brand new shirts at $3 each and sandals at $8 said that the night bazaar is the best way to shop affordably.
“Where else can you buy very cheap clothes and sandals like this?” the lady asked, showing Variety her purchases.
Near the lighted fountain, Star Handicraft and Jewelry owner Tony Ashok was showing a customer a set of handmade jewelry which he designed.
At the next stall, a child was reverently inspecting a toy truck while his father waited for the child’s decision.
Lured by the mouthwatering aroma of lobster balls on wooden sticks and other snacks, people flocked outside the Gentle Brook Café where a table groaned under the weight of food items and drinks for sale.
Ashok said that opening a night bazaar could do a lot to lift the economic depression.
“I display hand-made jewelry and handicrafts at the street market in Garapan on Thursday but the new bazaar gives us a new avenue to sell our products,” Ashok said.
“We would like to urge everybody to come and take a look at our merchandise,” Ashok said.
He added that although they had to pay another fee for the night bazaar, he doesn’t mind as long as they can have extended hours to reach out to customers.
For Beth Directo, a store owner in Koblerville, the night bazaar is a wonderful development and a good chance for them to earn more.
“Times are hard nowadays and we welcome whatever ways there is to earn more,” Directo said.
She added that since she is a regular vendor in the International Flea Market, she only took a couple of hours’ rest, took home the items that are not suitable for the night market and went back to welcome the new batch of shoppers for the night bazaar.
The bestsellers in Directo’s stall are clothes and beauty products.
Majority of the stall owners and vendors had already been there for the day. They only freshened up their displays, added new stocks to attract more customers including tourists and got ready to face another phase of their business.
Connecting buyers and sellers
The bazaar opening night drew in a crowd of shoppers who browsed and bought products from various stalls.
Sotto said the bazaar will serve as the meeting place for sellers and buyers of jewelry, house wares and kitchen wares, electronic items, clothes, shoes, beauty products, books, toys, and everything else.
“Shoppers who could not make it to the early morning flea market at the Marianas Business Plaza every Saturday morning can now go to the night bazaar to shop,” Divine Sotto of International Flea Market said.
Some vendors who did not install booths just displayed their wares on the sidewalk but they attracted customers just the same.
The night bazaar which opened on Saturday night will now be a regular feature to enhance business development in the area.
“The night bazaar will supplement the street market in Garapan on Thursday nights, but the night bazaar will be focused more on souvenir items, and other dry goods,” Sotto said.
For now, food is exclusively sold by 360 Revolving Restaurant and Gentle Brook Café, restaurants that are housed in the building.
But Sotto said anybody who is interested to put up a stall and sell various items is welcome.
“We also welcome vendors who will sell used items just like the International Flea Market in the morning,” she said.
“Sales had been good so far for a first night,” Sotto said.
Over 40 regular vendors comprising of mixed ethnicities such as Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and locals occupy the stalls at the international flea each Saturday, and majority of them wanted to take part in the night bazaar, Sotto said.
She added that some of the vendors just wanted to dispose of too much stuff they had accumulated at home for very cheap prices, while others who are leaving island found the flea market as the most convenient way of selling their things.
The international flea market which was opened in Oct. 2008 was originally designed to operate for only about six months, but sales went up and more vendors joined the team. This prompted the organizers to keep on extending it until they expanded into the night bazaar.
“The economic recession is no hindrance for the customers to come and buy brand new or used products from the vendors,” Sotto said.
Providing entertainment for the opening night were the dancers from Uncle Ben’s Dream Academy.
Sotto said that they will provide entertainment from different groups for each Saturday.
The night bazaar opens from 5 to 9 p.m. For more information, contact Sotto at 234-7626.
