The short business week has impacted street vendors and other small businesses that rely on daily sales to provide for their families.

The nation will be marking the Easter holidays this weekend. This means that Friday, Saturday and Monday are public holidays. 

Darren Ah Hao owns a small caravan stationed for decades at the Fugalei Bus Terminal from where he sells food items and candy. He said his business is only around the weekends when many private sector employees get paid.

"It will be a slow week for us vendors, not many of the things we sell are associated with Easter as customers shop in bigger establishments that have specific items that they need," said Mr Ah Hao.

"My small business requires simple items that people who travel by bus want to buy, like cigarettes and food items and I depend on those sales for my cash power and rent for the area here."

Malili Elise from Lauli'i has been fried pork buns for over 20 years. She competes with other pork bun sellers. She shared that stress selling her product is a challenge since she is trying to make use of the resources she bought.

"I never know how much I will make and how many people will be buying, I have young people who work for me so I have to pay them as well," she said.

"It is going to be hard for my business this week but I'm familiar with the effects it has had on me annually. Having to cut back business days makes less sales and that means less money. And with everything being expensive these days, I hope I make more money so I can make it through the long weekend.'' 

"Usually I would earn $30 a day, that is $150 a week from selling my snacks and soft drinks, but looks like having to miss Monday and Friday sales, I will be earning way less this week" stated one of the vendors named Leata Lima from Sogi.

An agricultural produce vendor, 50 year old Tala Su'a stated that some days he leaves for home empty-handed with no sales at all and Monday was one of those days. He has been in the vending business for more than 30 years.

"Today, I am selling rambutans instead of plantation crops, because my crops are a bit dried out due to the heat. I am hoping I could earn good money this week for my family expenditures in the long weekend ahead" says Mr Su'a.

Mr Su'a says during days like these he would sell some from his home in Faleasiu but unfortunately, there's less chance he would make any than he usually does in Apia. "It's not the same selling in Apia" he told Samoa Observer in an interview.

Some vendors hope Saturday will be a good day for sales. Normally town is flooded with shoppers on the weekend, so they hope sales will make up for Friday's loss of income.