Created: Jun 20, 2024 08:00 AM
No assist: Maritza Sequeros, CEO of Hornburg Calypso
As Hornburg Calypso prepares to shut its clothes retailer, Benetton, on the finish of the month, the corporate’s head is lamenting a scarcity of assist from the Authorities.
“Native retailers must pay land tax, company tax and payroll tax,” mentioned Maritza Sequeros. “That could be a lot when you concentrate on sustainability.”
She pointed to the closure of Entrance Avenue final weekend for the King’s Birthday Parade for example of the Authorities’s lack of dedication to retail.
“The Authorities does capabilities on Saturdays closing all of Entrance Avenue, and parking, in order that Saturday customers can not store,” she mentioned.
“For the amount of shoppers we had been getting at Benetton, it simply was not sustainable.”
Benetton is the final of Calypso’s satellite tv for pc shops. There’s a “50 per cent off” sale on remaining Benetton merchandise from now till the doorways shut.
The closure of the Reid Avenue, Hamilton, outlet comes three years after Calypso absorbed its Max Mara, Voilà and Ladies’s Secret shops again into the primary store on Entrance Avenue.
“Bermuda retail has modified since I began at Calypso 30 years in the past,” Ms Sequeros mentioned.
In recent times, native retail has been hit onerous by prospects purchasing abroad through the web.
The most recent Retail Gross sales Index figures from the Division of Statistics present a fall in retail gross sales for the fifth consecutive month in December, in contrast with the corresponding month in 2022.
Information of Benetton’s native wind-up hit Fb with one individual commenting on Maj’s Listing: “I hate to see one other store closing. I desire to attempt issues on earlier than I purchase, moderately than purchasing on-line.”
One other shopper mentioned: “The difficulty was that not sufficient of us shopped there usually. If we need to maintain native outfitters open we have to spend cash in them.”
Calypso assistant purchaser and former Benetton supervisor ShaSha Fairly commented on the Fb group that the closure was inevitable, on condition that Benetton was closing lots of it shops worldwide.
“There are only a few bricks-and-mortar Benetton shops any extra,” she mentioned. “The wholesale value elevated which meant we needed to elevate our costs, which drew a number of complaints from prospects. Then there was the growing lease on that outdated constructing that wants work. Total, on-line is the most suitable choice for purchasing Benetton at this level.”
Ms Sequeros informed The Royal Gazette that Benetton had closed so lots of its shops in Europe, and that Calypso had been shopping for their Benetton merchandise from Mexico.
Nevertheless, she mentioned the primary Calypso retailer on Entrance Avenue nonetheless has a loyal following.
“It’s nonetheless highly regarded with vacationers,” she mentioned. “I’ve guests who come to see us yearly. We now have individuals who first got here to Bermuda on their honeymoon, and they’re now of their seventies and eighties.”
The constructing that homes Calypso at 45 Entrance Avenue has been up on the market for years.
“Individuals have come and checked out it,” Ms Sequeros mentioned. “So far as I’m conscious, nothing has come to fruition.”
Closing: the United Colours of Benetton retailer at 24 Reid Avenue, Hamilton, is owned by Hornburg Calypso (File {photograph})