Martisor amulets sell worse this year

Vendors selling martisor amulets say the business is getting worse compared to last year. “This year the sales are much worse,” says Elena, seller of Moldovan March amulets, when asked by an Info/Prim Neo reporter. She sells the martisors near Gemenii store in Chisinau's downtown. Elena used sell amulets worth 1,500-2,500 lei a day last, but this year she says it's OK if she manages to sell martisors worth 500-600 lei a day. “Neither the ones selling costlier, nor the ones selling cheaper martisors are happy with their sales, and we ask for a markup of 20% over the price of raw materials we make the martisors from,” says Sergiu who came from the north of the country to sell martisors in Chisinau. Both the government and chronic poverty are blamed for the bad sales of martisors, the vendors say. “The people passive, seeming they have no occasion to rejoice. Poverty and the looming crisis cuts the wings of us all,” says Raisa. She sells the amulets making but 200 lei a day for herself. The vendors are also unhappy that the number of permits for selling martisors on street is limited, and they say this makes the police chase and fine them. The amulets cost from 1 leu to 20, but there pairs of up to 100 lei, too. The merits allowing to sell martisors ends on March 10.