Havana, Sep 5.- Young people, women entrepreneurs and representatives of the Ministries of Economy and Planning and Internal Trade discussed the management of garage sales in communities, with an economic and social impact in line with the principles of development local and the so-called solidarity economy in Cuba.
During the Workshop on sustainable development and good practices in garage sales, on August 30, at the NH Capri hotel in Havana, it was considered that this economic activity contributes to female empowerment, to the improvement of living conditions of the sectors disadvantaged, such as housewives and unemployed women, to social prevention and attention to vulnerabilities.
In this sense, the entrepreneurs were encouraged to establish differentiated prices for vulnerable people, students, the disabled and the elderly, to protect the environment and transmit educational messages in the places where they sell.
Organized by the Ministry of Economy and Planning, together with the Campaign for a Life Without Violence ¡Súmate!, the Ministry of Domestic Trade, the Caracol Chain of Stores, the Center for Psychological and Sociological Research (CIPS) and the women's entrepreneurship Boulevard Garage, in the event the regulations in force to carry out garage sales in the Caribbean nation were analyzed.
new stage
Anaelsy González, Communication specialist of the Ministry of Internal Trade, explained the particularities of Resolution 102/21, issued by that state entity on August 12, which repealed the 97 regulation of June of this year.
The regulation was updated and, as a result of a process of analysis, obstacles were eliminated, fundamentally, the granting of permits to carry out garage sales, self-employment licenses and the payment of taxes on personal income and sales.
Although at first the municipal governments had the mission of authorizing such sales, granting licenses for their practice, defining and disclosing the days on which they can be carried out, now they are only in charge of the latter.
According to the new resolution, the commercialization modality defined as retail and temporary can be carried out in garages, portals and other residential areas that do not obstruct traffic on sidewalks and roads.
It is allowed to sell household and personal items, used, pre-owned and new, as long as it is not in large quantities. The territorial authorities have the power to organize sales in parks and other common places.
In the aforementioned workshop, it was recognized that garage sales constitute a form of decent work and a circular economy, they enable commerce in the community as another way for the population to acquire goods and services, in addition to satisfying some of their needs.
Results
Social communicators Claudia Matos and Lisandra Roque, two of the representatives of the local enterprise Boulevard Garage, explained that this commercial modality has allowed them to put into practice some of the knowledge acquired at the university and that is related to positioning, marketing, market analysis and brands.
Although they began to market a few products, they currently have a patio full of merchandise such as recycled clothes and other merchandise that family, friends and part of their clientele bring them.
In their presentation they pointed out that this has been a learning process for several months in which they have been able to realize the needs of consumers and have visited other garage sales to assess what the competition is doing.
Thanks to the high quality/low price ratio of the products they offer, together with the attractive promotion in the digital space, these entrepreneurs have a high degree of customer loyalty.
They recommend the Boulevard Garage seal through their social networks. Those who repeat frequently are rewarded with gifts so that they feel well cared for. (2021)
