LEDRA Street saw a massive surge in business over the weekend, but not everyone got a share of the pie, and shopkeepers said it was too soon to say the street would return to its glory days.
The notion that business was booming on Ledra Street following last week’s opening of the checkpoint was only partially true, Greek Cypriot shopkeepers said yesterday.
According to them trade had been largely dependent on the type of business a vendor ran and had less to do with the huge flow of people flocking to the heart of Nicosia.
On the whole, however, shopkeepers said the opening was a positive move and the majority remained hopeful that a surge of people to the area would eventually mean a surge in business.
The Indian Shop, Terranova, Bata, Mistsingas, the Sock Shop, Heracles Ice Cream, Pahit Ice and Squeeze juice bar all said they had experienced a marked improvement in business from the previous weekend, with some reporting five times as many sales.
Even kiosks were overflowing with shoppers, as people stopped to buy chocolates, a newspaper or a packet of cigarettes.
Onlookers said restaurants, caf?s and ice-cream parlours benefited the most.
“You couldn’t get a table anywhere. It was simply heaving with people,” Maria Aristidou said.
Popular eateries like Il Forno and Chop’t were busy as always, but even less crowded spots saturated their turnaways.
“Since Thursday, business has escalated tenfold. At the weekend alone, we had five times more business than normal,” said Heraclis Vrontis, manager of Heraclis Ice Cream.
He said the majority of customers had been Greek Cypriot.
“We sold everything. Coffees, ice cream, food. It was very busy,” he said.
Vrontis said he was confident the opening of the checkpoint would boost businesses.
“I hope it also improves the area down here. Shops and caf?s all need improvement,” he said.
Everybody knew the image problems Ledra Street had suffered in recent years and expressed the hope that this would now change, he said.
“For so many years, the area has been left abandoned,” he said. “Now we are hoping old Nicosia will be improved in the way it deserves.”
A Pahit Ice employee experienced a similar boost, with sales trebling over the weekend.
“I don’t know if it’s the beginning and that its curiosity that is attracting people to the Street, but either way we’re happy,” she said.
An employee at the Indian shop also said sales had trebled over the weekend.
“A lot of people who came down to visit the checkpoint came in and everyone left with something. There were always people on a Sunday, but they tended not to come down this far. This weekend, the whole street was full,” she said.
The shop is located almost at the bottom of Ledra Street.
“For now, the opening has helped. Perhaps it’s because it’s something new and everyone is coming down. If it continues like this it’s good, but I don’t know if it will.”
The shop assistant said she believed everyone on the street was happy with their weekend takings.
“Normally, there are only this many people over Christmas. It’s very unusual for this time of year,” she aid.
But not everyone was happy. Mary Olympiou the owner of Grazioso, a shop specialising in underwear and blouses, was unimpressed.
“Restaurants and caf?s were overflowing with people and had a lot of work. Mostly, people came to see, not to shop, or at least not from our shop… We were hugely disappointed,” Olympiou said.
“People kept passing by but if I sold anything it was to regular customers… I’d hoped that with the opening it would help. But in our line of work it didn’t. I’ve heard the same from other colleagues that sell the same sort of things. Even tourists don’t buy clothes. They might possibly buy shoes, but they can get clothes in their own countries.”
Olympiou said eventually only caf?s, bars and restaurants would have any sort of business.
“Any place that sells food will work here. Eventually Ledra Street will be a place focused on recreational establishments. Only the odd cheap souvenir shop will also attract tourists,” she said.
People now preferred to shop at shopping centres and department stores closer to home.
“They’re not going to come here to shop for clothes and underwear. Business on the street is appalling and has been for months,” she added.
Bata manager Kira Christophorou confirmed Olympiou’s suspicions. She said the shoe store had noticed only a five per cent increase in business.
“I thought we would have more customers because there were just so many people down here and it wasn’t a reflection of how many people were outside. I still think we will eventually though. This weekend a lot of people were coming down to see the checkpoint. Many came in to look. Because they left without buying anything doesn’t mean they didn’t see something they liked and that they won’t be back.”
She added: “We have been waiting for the checkpoint to open a long time. Three shops closed down next to us in the past year and I expect them to open up again some time soon. Business has been very bad for a long time, but now I think things will start to pick up.”
Irene Mitsingas of Mitsingas said all four of their shoe shops had done very well.
“We are very happy,” she said. “We even opened two of our shops on Thursday that have been closed since 1974.”
Mitsingas said the two shops were located just after the post office near the checkpoint.
“Before 1974, they did very well and then we closed them down because they didn’t do any business. We kept renting the space, waiting for this day so that we could open them again.”
On Thursday, she said she had been down at the checkpoint at 6am.
“We were waiting to see the opening ceremony and to open our shops. It was an extremely emotional time,” she aid.
Mitsingas said she had no doubt that the opening would improve business for everyone.
“Yes people will go and shop in the north but they will also shop here,” she said, referring to some shopkeepers’ fears that they would lose business to cheaper outlets in occupied Nicosia.
“For years this was the busiest commercial street. We hope it becomes that way again.”
Mitsingas said: “Over the weekend we hadn’t seen that many people since we filled Onasagorou and Ledra Streets with snow about 12 years ago. It reminded me of that.
We didn’t even have this many people in the streets at Christmas… I think even if people aren’t shopping now, the fact that they are coming to the area means it’s only a matter of time. Besides it’s so much better to see the streets full than empty like there’s a curfew.”
St John manager Maria Kaplani agreed.
“We weren’t as busy all day Thursday and Friday or Saturday morning, but I don’t think this is the final outcome. The first few days it’s only natural the focus was going to be to go and see the checkpoint. I believe, hope, that this will bring more business to the area in time and eventually it will be better,” she said.
