With shelves still rather barren, the new owners of City Markets have also closed two stores, further alientating some customers who have all but given up on the company.
Mark Finlayson, principal of Trans-Island Traders, the new majority owners of City Markets, is trying to put a postive spin on the fact that two of the 11 stores in the food chain have closed.
Finlayson, who ran the once venerable Solomon’s Mines into the ground, says the closure of the Oakes Field and Village Road stores are a “blessing in disguise.”
While admitting that their has been a sales loss from the closure of two locations, Finlayson says overall sales are up 20%. But that is in comparison to recent weeks when the company was basically on life support.
Fortunately, the self-described business tycoon says no employees will be laid off. Last year, there were months when employees at the Finlason-owned Solomon’s Mines went without receiving paychecks. Hopefully, that will not be repeated with City Markets employees.
The Trans-Island Traders principal says he plans to shift the employees from the closed stores to the Harbour Bay and Cable Beach locations where he intends to be open 24 hours a day.
Mr Finlayson has also talked about a $9 million restocking of the remaining City Markets stores. However a perusal of the shelves of the Cable Beach store yesterday showed many items out-of-stock and many shelves still barren.
