The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

and NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Reporters

Bahamian firms able to offer delivery and curb-side pick-up were yesterday “ecstatic” about resuming commerce after a six to seven-week shutdown during which many earned zero income.

Brent Burrows, general manager of CBS Bahamas (Commonwealth Building Supplies), told Tribune Business that the Prime Minister’s decision to move to Phase 1B of his COVID-19 economic re-opening strategy meant the retailer can offer products and services five days per week via its e-commerce platform.

“We’re ecstatic about that for our e-commerce platform that we have been trying to get approval for, and we’re ecstatic that we can deliver e-commerce and online shopping now five days a week now,” Mr Burrows said.

CBS Bahamas, as a home and hardware retailer, is also permitted to open in-store for two days per week on Wednesdays and Fridays. Mr Burrows added: “Demand on Wednesdays and Fridays when we are open is extremely high. Our website is doing quite well, so it is still busy. I don’t know how long it’s going to last but at least we are getting some money in the till.

“The website has been up and functional for three weeks now. Bear in mind we were only able to deliver on Wednesday and Friday’s up until Sunday evening, so it has been going well. We have partnered with a local company to do delivery, and we have been doing delivery ourselves, so it is going quite well.”

Multiple companies able to take orders over the internet or phone, and fulfill them either by delivery or pick-up where there is minimal interaction with consumers, were yesterday able to earn their first revenues in just over a month-and-a-half following the mid-March COVID-19 lockdown.

They were also able to recall numerous employees to work, thus giving those staff the first opportunity to earn in some six to seven weeks.

Jeffrey Beckles, the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation’s (BCCEC) chief executive, told Tribune Business that commercial activity was “very feverish” yesterday as consumers threw off the lockdown shackles to access products and services they had in some cases been unable to purchase for the lockdown’s duration.

“The pace was very feverish today,” he said. “A lot of consumers were busy getting access to stores and businesses, and a lot of merchants were happy to get started. I think we’ll see it settle down tomorrow [today]. The signs were that we had a lot of people out there in great numbers accessing services.

“The merchants who prepared for the inevitability of curb-side had an advantage because they were forward thinking and forward planning. In the coming days they will begin to refine things a bit more and be smoother in their operations. For the home and hardware stores doing pick-up and curb-side they’ll settle in and the flow will be more efficient.

“From the amount of people out and about today they had money to spend, which was a good sign. All things considered it was a good day; a decent day. We’re happy to see people were excited about it, but are reminding them to be mindful of health protocols because we don’t want to get out there and be too gung-ho. We still have a country to protect.”

Janice Major, owner of Floral Fantasia, which re-opened yesterday for phone and curb-side orders, said: “It is wonderful. Ninety-five percent of our customers always called in, except for peak periods like Mother’s Day and Valentine’s. We don’t have any orders yet, because we are just letting people know we are out there. We put advertisements on the radio and we What’s App’d all morning.

“We can’t get flowers in until Wednesday if we’re blessed. I am so happy we are open. We will have two days to work with but that is still a blessing. That is two more days that we would have gotten had this not happened.”

Ms Major added: “We are open from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. On this Mother’s Day we would have normally started delivering from yesterday, and we would have gotten our flowers in from Friday past.

“So now we are just getting permission from Florida to allow us to get flowers in, and we won’t get them in on the boat until Wednesday. We won’t unpack them until Thursday, so we have Thursday and Friday to work from 9am to 5pm. But I have gift baskets readily available, so we were able to deliver things from yesterday. We are the biggest game in town when it comes to gift baskets.”

Multiple businesses quickly let consumers know they have either re-opened or are now able to offer products/services five days per week. Wulff Road-based Builders Mall, which includes FYP, Tile King and The Paint Centre, messaged: “Builders Mall will be open for pick up and delivery starting May 4, 2020, from 8am to 5pm in accordance with Phase 1B.

“All customers doing curb side pick-up must call, e-mail or What’s App their orders in. When arriving at the store, park in a space and call the store to identify yourself and the parking space you are in and please stay in your vehicle.”

Freeport Jet Wash told customers: “We are very pleased to be able to offer you ‘curb side’ parts delivery as of May 4, and in-store service as of Tuesday, May 5.

“For curb side, we will call you when your order is ready and we will need your car license number for correct delivery to your vehicle. For walk-in, please wear your mask at all times, and we ask that you observe distancing rules. Thank you for your patience as we learn together how to work this new service.”