The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

and YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Editor

Hardware stores yesterday said they were "swamped from 8am" as they opened for the first time in a month following the COVID-19 lockdown and emergency orders.

Brent Burrows, general manager of CBS Bahamas (Commonwealth Building Supplies), told Tribune Business: '"It was extremely busy, extremely busy. There was a lot of pent-up demand, and in our range of products we don't do much in housewares. I'm talking mainly building supplies.

"We were swamped from 8am this morning. When we got here the line was already formed. We were very organised, and only let in 20 persons at a time. It went very smoothly, and we had no issues at all."

He added that there were between 15-20 persons "consistently" queuing to access CBS Bahamas' store all day, with masks and social distancing policies fully enforced. "We've got a steady stream of traffic," Mr Burrows said. "A lot of people have been cooped up, waiting to do some repairs."

Praising the government for allowing home and hardware stores to open twice a week, he added that CBS Bahamas had elected not to open until the permitted 8pm as restocking would push this too close to the 9pm curfew and potentially make it difficult for staff to get home on time. It instead closed at 6pm.

Mr Burrows said the company had also launched its 35,000-product online store on Monday, with customers having the option to either pick-up or have their orders delivered to their home on Wednesdays and Fridays.

For those who elect to visit CBS Bahamas' physical store to pick up their orders, he explained that they are placed in a separate line. They then use a code provided when they purchase to pick up their order from a locker, thereby minimising any contact with staff and other customers.

"Some people are upset we cannot deliver all week, but I know the Chamber of Commerce is working very hard to get something together for all businesses on e-commerce and to get the government to do it," Mr Burrows said.

"I guess that will come some time down the road. It's not just us. It's a couple of companies. One is WHIM Automotive. One thing I can't understand is that the people delivering for us are the same people delivering for the food stores. They're independent contractors.

"We pointed this out to government, and said we're not going to be putting lots more people and vehicles on the street to do pick up and delivery. They can do us and the food stores at the same time."

Christopher Clarke, general manager of Twenty-first Century Hardware, added: "When we came in very early this [yesterday] morning to be open for 8am we met a line of about 35 persons just waiting for us to be open, and ever since we have had a line outside the building but we managed to maintain it to about seven person per average up to the mid-morning."

Anticipating that demand will be "not as bad" tomorrow, he added: "It is hard to say because now you are going into a lockdown, and so that might have an effect on it. Then it also depends on what is going to be said on Sunday."

Patricia Cleare, general manager of Screws and Fasteners World, said: "I met a line around the corner, and we are very busy but we are trying to manage."