By YOURI KEMP
Tribune Business Reporter
ykemp@tribunemedia.net
A major Bahamian retailer yesterday said it is now "close" to bringing back all 80 staff after the government gave permission for its sector to open up five days per week from 8am to 6pm.
Brent Burrows Jr, manager of e-commerce and online shopping with CBS Bahamas (Commonwealth Building Supplies), told Tribune Business that extending the opening days from three to five for his firm and other hardware/home, lumber and plumbing stores was "obviously a big improvement" as the prime minister moved to phase two of his economic re-opening strategy.
"We're close to bringing everybody back, and it's definitely the majority," he said. "We have more than 40 people back to work so far. Between the two divisions, which is the retail store and the service and installation side of things, most of the staff is back."
Whether CBS Bahamas opens back up to full store hours right away when the curfew and lockdown period end "depends on the demand", Mr Burrows added. He said business levels have been good over the last few days they have been open as persons start to get ready for hurricane season.
"If things were to continue with this trend then, yes, we will get back to our normal 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, as quickly as we can," Mr Burrows continued. "As of right now, just being able to open up 8am to 6pm is really only one shift, so that's not like we're able to bring the full complement of staff back just yet.
"Right now we are only 8am to 6pm for what they allow us, and then we also have the online shopping seven days a week with the delivery. We are not allowed to deliver on Sundays; it is just Monday through Friday, but people can shop online seven days a week and 24 hours a day.
"For our online platform we have been seeing a tremendous response, and a lot of that is that we make it so easy for people. You can place an order tonight or early tomorrow morning and you can get your package delivered to your doorstep by early tomorrow afternoon.
"So it has been a terrific response, and a lot of people are trying to avoid going into the public and crowded spaces. As far as I know we have more online product than anybody else right now. We're happy with the progress thus far and we're on the right track, and we are looking forward to finally getting the all-clear to resuming the two shifts and the seven days a week."
Karla Wells-Lisgaris, the Bahamas Light Industries Development Council's (BLIDC) vice-president, while praising the government's decision to allow manufacturers to re-open said most of its members were either "essential" services or had been granted exemptions to resume work.
"Most of our members were able to get exemptions, but I am sure it is going to have a positive impact for other manufacturers in the country who might not be members of the BLIDC," she added. "For some of our other members, there is a label producer and he got an exemption because he creates labels for different manufacturers that were essential, so even though off the bat he was non-essential, because he provided a service to an essential business he got an exemption."
Ms Wells-Lisgaris said other manufacturers were treated as "essential" because they were manufacturing face masks and face shields, adding that door and window suppliers were among those likely to benefit most from the loosening of restrictions and being allowed to operate five days per week.
However, with consumer demand and disposable incomes reduced in COVID-19's aftermath, she warned that not all staff may yet be recalled to full-time work.
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