Retailers make case for more shopping time

Some of the smaller supermarket operators across Barbados believe an extension in shopping hours and opening to business on Saturdays would ease congestion now caused by a narrow shopping window.

And even before Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced that the island-wide lockdown would be extended to February 28, some operators told Barbados TODAY, their business would face more pressure.

Mark Jordan, Store Manager at Channell Supermarket in Black Rock, said he understood Government “has a lot on its shoulders” and was trying to do the best it could, but it is tough.

“A lot of businesses are already struggling, trying to keep their head above the waters. Even though the days are short and we are operating from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. our sales are still positive, but that doesn’t mean it will happen for everybody. You still want to keep staff employed,” he explained.

He said as a result of the shorter operating hours for supermarkets, there seemed to be “a rush from time to time”, especially on Fridays.

Jordan said he would have preferred if the supermarkets were allowed to operate on Saturdays, explaining that there were some people who were unable to go to do their shopping during the week due to work or other reasons.

PM Mottley on Monday announced that shopping hours would remain unchanged. However, minimarts will now be allowed to open for the 8-4 shopping period from Mondays to Fridays.

However, comparing this year’s lockdown with last year’s, Jordan pointed out that with curbside pick-up and alphabet shopping in 2020 the supermarkets lost sales.

“You lose sales because customers prefer to come to the store to select those items they wish to have,” he said, adding that it was also taxing on the supermarket workers since they had to go “up and down” the aisles selecting items for the customers who ordered online.

Jordan is of the view that should the COVID-19 pandemic continue unabated for some time, operators in the retail space will have to make far-reaching changes including trimming employment numbers, in order to stay afloat.

“They have to come with new methods, different technology. If COVID should go on for another three or four years we can’t be in this condition doing things the same way. You have to make amendments. You may even need new legislation to rectify the problems and make it easier for business people. Rest assured business will not be the same,” he warned.

“You will have to come up with new ideas. You may want to reduce your inventory, the way you purchase, the number of staff members you have. You have to look at overheads in general. If you find there is a reduction in sales and you are not doing the same business as you used to, you have to look at your overheads,” he said.

With Channell supermarket still holding its own, Jordan said “for the time being” there were no plans on the cards to cut staff.

Sharon King, Manager of Montrose Supermarket in Christ Church, told Barbados TODAY that the supermarket has been busy since the lockdown started on February 3.

However, she said with Saturdays and Sundays being two of the better days for business, she would have preferred if they were allowed to open then.

She said when compared to last year “this lockdown is about the same” in terms of the number of people on a given day.

Stevenson Scantlebury, supervisor at Roxy Supermarket in Eagle Hall, St Michael, said he would have preferred that supermarkets were allowed to open on at least Saturdays.

“To be honest, down the road it [a lockdown] could be bad for business because if people aren’t working there won’t be any income to shop with, or to spend in general,” he said.

“If it was up to me, for car parts places I would open probably until 12 o’clock, hardware place until between 1 and 2 o’clock so we wouldn’t have that congestion on the road. Instead of having everybody shutdown at the same time I would try to stagger it,” he said.

He explained that while the current system seemed to be working to some extent, the alphabet system could be used instead while allowing supermarkets to open seven days a week.

“Everybody don’t want to go back to the alphabetical order but I believe that at some point you got to relook it because with the alphabetical order, in the beginning, it was crowded but after it settled down you would realize that business did fall off. But it is better to have less business than to be closed. So you have to think about ways to make it better,” he explained.

“For some people who are still working and getting paid on Friday afternoon they find it difficult to get into the supermarket which closes at 4 p.m. That causes congestion on Fridays, so you still need to look at that, even if you open until 1 o’clock on Saturdays to ease some of the tension,” he suggested.

Supermarket employees are among the approximately 20,000 frontline workers here who are to receive the vaccination soon.

The supermarket operators say they are yet to have that discussion with their staff members, but would be seeking to do so in the coming days.
(marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb)