With the festive season fast approaching, several stores have already been transformed into that red, white and green ambiance that would put you in the Christmas spirit.
One of these stores is definitely Cata’s Shop, with its owner planning to give Guyanese the most memorable Christmas shopping experience.
But how it all started would amaze you to know.
Inspired by a trip to Colombia back in 2019, Lana Melendez noticed a unique set of stores that brought Christmas cheer to their customers well before December, and she felt inspired to bring this phenomenon to Guyana.
Lana Melendez, owner of Cata’s Shop
“I was on vacation, and I saw small shops in July in Colombia that had Christmas [items] already, and I was like ‘Wow, Christmas in July!’, and so that’s when this whole thing started. I said, ‘You know what, Guyana needs something like this’,” Melendez told <<Guyana Times>> on Saturday.
With a love for the Christmas holidays and motivation to cater to those who share these sentiments, Melendez, alongside her husband and mother, opened Cata’s Shop in October 2021, providing holiday decorations to customers looking to prepare their homes for the festive season.
“I told my husband, but he wasn’t keen on it…I told him I needed to do this. Even when we went shopping, he was like, ‘Lana, are you sure?’, and I said, ‘Yes!’, and he was like, ‘Okay, I’m with you if you know this is going to work’,” Melendez recalled.
“When he saw the people who started coming to the store, he said, ‘You really moved smartly; your first business and it was a smart move’,” Melendez continued.
Located at 17 Brickdam and Sendall Place, Georgetown, Cata’s Shop carries a range of Christmas-related items, from decorative balls and ornaments of all colours to bedroom sets, table runners, lights and wreaths.
“I also have customers whose homes I would go to decorate, but I don’t charge them. They have to buy everything from my store. They pick their colours, I advise them what to do, and that’s the next service I offer. For businesses, I normally charge a fee to do this,” Melendez said.
Christmas items on sale at Cata’s Shop
Though a store so esoteric in nature brings its fair share of challenges, the 46-year-old entrepreneur finds herself continuously learning to expand the business to keep afloat beyond just Christmas time.
“When I opened for Christmas, I had no negative [response], because people were amazed with the store. The pieces that I picked up were unique pieces, because when I shop, I make sure that I’m there to feel everything that I’m buying,” she said.
“So, I had no disadvantage when I opened. But after that, the following year, I had a lot of difficult challenges with picking the right items,” she said, noting that bringing in artificial flowers proved to be a difficult sell, as so many other stores carried the same.
Resistant to giving up the centrally-located space, Melendez decided to expand the store to provide items for other holidays throughout the year.
“After Christmas, you will have Valentine’s Day coming up, then Mother’s Day and Father’s Day; so that’s what I’m doing throughout the year,” she disclosed. “Now I decided to do a complete gift shop where you can come and find pieces for your family and friends. So, after Christmas, I’ll go straight to gifts again.”
Above all, Melendez seeks to keep her customers happy, and related that the reception she’s received has always been positive.
“I have special customers that will come in; like one customer [comes in] all the time. So, every year, I know I’m going to see my customers. I’ve never ever had any issues with customers. That’s one of my biggest priorities – to make sure when you walk in here, you walk out back happy,” Melendez said.
Offering deliveries and facilitating MMG payments, Cata’s Shop continues to grow, and persons interested are encouraged to visit the store or check its Facebook and Instagram pages.
