By Amelia Cuesta
Editorial Staff, El Inmobiliario
SANTO DOMINGO.-If you ask me ten times, I'll answer you ten times. Just because you don't buy from me doesn't mean I'm going to speak badly of you. If you have a business, you have to know that the person who spends one peso and the person who spends two hundred are the same customer; you have to pay attention to everyone.
Heading south to north on Winston Churchill Avenue, after crossing Charles Sumner, beneath three large trees with bright green leaves and strong trunks, Cándido Santos sits comfortably with his collection of pines, pieces of wood, cones, table trees, spheres and more, overflowing with glitter and colors.
Santos is a native of Villa Altagracia, San Cristóbal. On the days he's not selling Christmas decorations, he sells fruits and vegetables. He started with his first sales point on Avenida México. Today, he's been on Churchill Avenue for 12 years, selling traditional charamicos (a type of sweet).
With the Christmas spirit already in the air in the capital, El Inmobiliario, a digital newspaper, visited this entrepreneur's business and shares with its readers the conversation held with the seller of one of the symbols of the most colorful and joyful time of the year.
How much do you sell during the Christmas season?
It depends on the event. People rent us out for their decorations, and some companies sell to us in bulk at a good price. We also rent out storage space and security for merchants who don't have a place to store their merchandise or someone to look after it. Of course, we always have some left over; we never sell everything.
Which items do you sell the most?
Our best-selling items are cones, large saplings, table plants, pieces of wood, and empty baskets. We have good prices; baskets start at 100 pesos and up.
What material are they made of?
The pine trees are olive trees, the cones are made of Chinese vine—a climbing plant—some call it Chinese trunk, we call it wire because it's hard. We use weeds that people have cut down because they damage their properties. The baskets are made of compressed cane fiber.
What are your working hours?
From 7 am to 7-8 pm, depending on the weather. As the season winds down, I stay later because many customers come in after the traffic jams.
When did the sale of charamicos begin?
We started on October 20th. I work with friends and freelancers. We have a security guard who watches over the merchandise; the baskets are kept covered with a tarp.
Do you have regular customers or are they new every day?
Thank God I have my regular clients, and yes, we have many new ones.
What do you like most about the Christmas season?
When you start going out with the charamicos, you see the joy of the end of the year, of Christmas. You feel motivated to go out, because of the lights, the different atmosphere; we're always among friends and customers who become friends.
