Christmas Sunday shopping got off to a relatively slow start this year, which some have credited to afternoon showers.{{more}}

Rains late Sunday afternoon seemed to have kept shoppers off the streets, and the doors of a number of business places closed.

However, some business operators told SEARCHLIGHT that they are optimistic that the shopping will pick up in the upcoming weeks.

One vendor, who was packing away his stock just after 6 p.m., said that he believed the rains were responsible for the poor turnout of persons on the streets of Kingstown, and the disappointing sales.

The vendor, who revealed that he would usually pack away at 9 p.m. or later in previous years, said he believed that had it not been for the rains, he would have had more sales.

A store owner in Middle Street, who admitted that business was slow on that day, shared this sentiment, but he too was confident of sales picking up.

There are 22 more shopping days before Christmas this year, with three Sundays remaining.(JJ)