By Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporter
Customers purchase goods from the produce section of PriceSmart's Red Hills Road warehouse. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
MORE THAN a week after its grand opening, PriceSmart is expressing satisfaction at its Jamaican operation.
Country manager Charlie Hyde said that the shopping warehouse already has about 10,000 members. He expects that number to increase to approximately 12,000 by the end of April. While not quoting any specific sales figures, Mr. Hyde believes they have received a favourable response from the Jamaican shopping public in light of the US$10 million investment in the first of two proposed warehouses.
"The customers are great. They enjoy the facility, they definitely seem to enjoy the pricing and so far, everything that we hear has been positive. Some people have been in three or four times already," said Mr. Hyde.
He said that the rotisserie chicken, bakery and food service centre were some of the more popular attractions. He felt that Jamaicans are pleasantly surprised by the prices, especially when they compared the costs of other retailers.
When The Gleaner visited the warehouse at 111 Red Hills Road on Saturday around 10:45 a.m., there were a number of persons in the check-out lines; perhaps an indication of good business. The Gleaner spoke with a few customers who all expressed satisfaction with their shopping experience. "This is the second time that I am coming here and I find it quite reasonable. I am satisfied so far, and the beauty about it is that you can buy in big quantities," said one shopper.
GOOD PRICES, GOOD QUALITY
Another customer, Lara Lowe said, "So far, I think that the prices are really good and the quality of the products are higher than average." Ian Balfour, who was busy checking prices on some of the appliances, was impressed with the variety that the warehouse provides. "Compared to what we have, it is very pleasant because you can have one stop shopping." He also said that having so many items here would eliminate the time spent travelling to the United States to purchase the same items.
Mr. Hyde was pleased with the work of the staff. He felt that they had coped well in their first week though most were still in the learning stage. He pointed out that nearly half of the 150 employees were from the Kingston 19 and 20 areas.
PriceSmart Inc. is a volume-driven products and services provider that is based in San Diego. It has warehouses in Central America, Asia and the Caribbean.
