The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Bahamian retailers yesterday warned that significant challenges remain despite the Prime Minister giving the go-ahead for “non-essential” stores to re-open following the Whit Monday holiday.

While relieved that they can resume in-store operations between 9am and 5pm on weekdays, merchants said they would not recall 100 percent of their pre-COVID-19 workforce until they were sure there is sufficient consumer demand.

And others revealed that sales will likely remain below pre-pandemic levels for some months to come due to issues such as having to permit fewer customers in the store in order to maintain social distancing and health protocols.

Tonya Deveaux, Universal Hair and Beauty Supplies’ general manager, told Tribune Business of the Government’s decision to move to Phase Three of its COVID-19 re-opening: “It’s good news. We are doing curb side now, so it would make things a little easier.

“We have to change nothing now aside from putting markers down on the ground, and putting an additional security guard in place to monitor how many people we allow into the store. We are going to put up some more hand sanitising stations.”

She added, though: “Because this has shortened our work day, as our general store hours are from 8am to 8pm, we won’t be able to bring everybody back to work initially. But we will bring back more than 50 percent of our staff.”

Unable to give a projection on how sales will perform once retailers open in-store on Tuesday, Ms Deveaux said: “We just have to wait and see, but you know the economy isn’t good for anyone, so obviously people aren’t shopping the way that they used to.””

The Prime Minister, in a House of Assembly statement that so-called “non-essential” retailers have been anticipating for weeks, said: “All non-essential storefront business operations on New Providence, Grand Bahama and Bimini - for example, furniture stores, clothing, shoes, jewellery, cosmetic and other miscellaneous retail stores - may resume business operations Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm with essential staff required to allow the business to function, but with physical distancing and sanitisation. This will become effective Tuesday, June 2.”

Lucy Burrows, general manager of Geoffrey Jones, said: “We’ve been opening up our store for the past week now and so far it has been pretty good.” She added that the COVID-19 lockdown and restrictions had cost the company at least 30 percent of its sales, and said the top-line may remain down for some time because she does not feel comfortable allowing customers to start full in-store browsing yet.

Ms Burrows added: “We have our protocol and our front door is locked, so everybody has to come in and you have to wait. Then, when you come in, you have to use the hand sanitiser and we have three computers, so only three customers allowed at a time.

The return to full in-store browsing is unlikely to happen before July, she said, and added: “Trying to get supplies now is becoming a challenge where the United States has been locked down themselves. We are going to have even more losses because I don’t have stock to sell. Our suppliers are working on it now, and it is just for them now to catch up.”