Footsteps walks into the hustle and bustle of Stabroek Square

Footsteps walks into the hustle and bustle of Stabroek Square

Nestled in the heart of the busy Stabroek Market Square between mini bus conductors’ shouts of  “back road, front road and south”, the newest Footsteps Store has opened its doors. The company believes the prime location is best suited for its vision of reaching out more to all customers from all walks of life.

The three storey building which once housed the Salt and Pepper restaurant has been fully reconstructed and refurbished to mirror the Foot Steps brand and the comfort in shopping that the other two locations offer.

United Investments Incorporated is the parent company for the store and according to United Investments Director, Clairmont Cummings, the decision to add the Stabroek Square to its locations was an easy one.

In an exclusive interview with News Source, Cummings explained that the company has always wanted to get into the Stabroek Square area because it recognizes the potential for business development in the busy shopping district. He said “its a market we have been targeting for some time now and so when the opportunity presented itself, we jumped at it.”

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According to the Director, what he loves about the location is that it presents the opportunity to reach a much wider customer base from just about every part of the country at one central location.

The Stabroek Market Square is home to most of the public transportation parks and taxi hubs. Thousands of persons traverse the area daily while heading to work or coming to the city.

Work on the new location began just over six months ago when the company signed a long-term lease with the building’s owners.

Cummings said the opening of the new location is testament to the company’s belief in the local economy and its future.

The new store carries a number of brands in footwear and clothing for men women and children. Many of the brands are popular Brazilian and Latin American brands and they have found a growing level of support in Guyana, since the company introduced them a few years back.

“We believe strongly that the retail sector will grow with the economy and we believe that the market will continue to grow and we will continue to invest within the market. We see huge potential here and we would not have made such a huge investment if we did not believe in the local economy”, Cummings told News Source.

The investment in the new location is just over $10 Million and is considered small when compared to the investment made in the much larger United Centre at the corner of Camp and Regent Streets. Citizens Bank continues to be the key financing partner for the company’s development project and expansion according to the Director.

424344_10151197106067604_1197662806_nCummings is confident that the store will become profit-making within months. He said support by Guyanese at the other locations has been overwhelming and the company is confident that it will continue to benefit from that support as it aims to offer a higher standard of service.

He explained to News Source that the company’s recipe for success includes a touch of differentiation, adding that “in our line of business, in the retail business, the market is somewhat saturated but we have been able to provide quality goods and quality footwear and distinguishing our brand”. He said he believes the company setting itself aside from the crowd with a high quality brand and products, serves as one of the key ingredients in its success recipe.

In the new year, the new location will also house an ultra modern food court offering a number of dishes from well-known fast food chains. The fast food business is one of the areas that the company is also looking at.

As the Footsteps store prepares for what could be its busiest shopping season as the Christmas holiday approaches, Cummings appears cognizant of the importance of customer service and it is an area that he explained will continue to attract the attention of the company.

He said since he found himself sitting on the management team of the company started by his mother, there have been high points and low points in his daily experiences of doing business in Guyana. He said support from the Guyanese public serves as the high point since all of the companies under the United umbrella have been enjoying “good support” and have all become profitable.

But he admits that the low point would be getting customer service to that perfect level. He said while the company will continue to train its employees in that field, he has noticed that there appears to be the absence of real passion for the job and he hopes to change that as part of the company’s development.

Though he believes strongly in the local economy and its  potential, the young businessman who graduated from the Florida International University, feels that the investment climate ought to be a bit more friendly and welcoming to companies that show a commitment to investment and lay the foundation for the country’s total development.

The new store has created employment for just over 40 persons. Over 250 persons currently work at all of the companies of United Investments Inc.

The company intends to continue with its investment as it makes more steps into a competitive retail industry.

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