International discount footwear chain, Payless Shoe Source, yesterday held a grand opening for its first retail store in Guyana located on the ground floor of MovieTowne Mall, Turkeyen, Georgetown.
The store was officially opened at about midday yesterday following a brief ceremony hosted by officials and special invitees.
The company in celebration of its grand opening provided the first 50 customers with a gift voucher valued at $4,000 and valid only on the opening day.
Country Manager Jerus Mohammed in his remarks to the audience present, expressed joy over the new Payless outlet in Guyana.
“We are ecstatic to finally provide the only world-class shopping for footwear and accessories to the people of Guyana,” he declared, while sharing that the store has a total of nine employees, all of whom are Guyanese.
While the store specialises in shoes of all kinds, Mohammed informed that Payless also carries an array of seasonal accessories such as socks, handbags and additional items like insoles.
President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Timothy Tucker said that the Chamber supports and facilitates foreign-direct investment, which he explained will bring employment to citizens and opportunities to service providers. But most importantly, he said, foreign direct investment will help to boost confidence in Guyana and the business community.
He urged Payless to do its part for local content and commended the team for having a staff body that is 100% Guyanese.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer (Ag) of the Small Business Bureau, Vanessa Thompson, in her remarks also congratulated the investors on having the confidence to launch a store in Guyana, especially during the pandemic.
She noted that Payless in other countries has become the go-to-store for shoes and accessories and sees the launching of the store as a great addition to the market. She opined that it will be an exciting thing to see Payless branches at other towns across the country.
