(Trinidad Guardian) During the last two years, in the midst of all the confusion and chaos brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic, Massy Stores embarked on the most rapid expansion drive in its history, opening 13 new locations across the region in just 18 months.
Three of those were in Trinidad (Shops of Arima, Freeport and Discomart in San Juan), five in St Lucia, three in Guyana and one each in Barbados and St Vincent.
And on Monday, Massy opened in Brentwood, Chaguanas, pumping close to $100 million in investment, representing the fifth and largest store to be opened in Trinidad during the pandemic. It is also Massy’s 23rd store in Trinidad and its 61st in the Caribbean.
So what continues to be Massy Stores’ secret to success?
David Affonso, executive vice-president and chairman, integrated retail portfolio, Massy Group, attests that a large part of its achievement has to do with attentively listening to the needs of customers and responding efficiently and effectively to an ever-changing business environment.
“Customers ultimately know what they want and sometimes it’s just listening and understanding that and trying our best to deliver that. I think also that working with our teams and staff and making sure they are happy and once they are happy the service is normally excellent,” Affonso told the Business Guardian following Massy’s Brentwood opening.
Additionally, he said, being fair and transparent with business partners and suppliers are also critical elements of its sound model, emphasising that the “rules of the game” also need to be established and understood from the onset.
“If we list you then you understand why. If we cannot you also understand why and those are clearly defined as with everything and that’s a large part of it for us,” he added.
On future expansions while Affonso did not disclose figures, he did admit that Massy intends to open several other stores throughout Trinidad which are expected to come on-stream within the next year. And the region will not be left out.
“We will continue with our footprint expansion across the Caribbean. Guyana is a promising market for us. In Barbados there is opportunity, in St Lucia, in St Vincent there are still opportunities and we continue to look at other opportunities,” Affonso added.
However, regarding Tobago, the company has no plans at this time to expand there. During the launch Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon said she would welcome Massy becoming involved in manufacturing. Affonso, however, described the entity’s concept as primarily being in supermarket/retail.
Nevertheless, Massy carries a host of locally made items and according to Affonso these products are prioritised, ensuring that they reach the customers via its shelves.
Additionally, he added, that Massy continues to support the local farming community in a big way, packaging a variety of produce through its central location for availability at all its stores.
But while Massy is not into the food manufacturing business, Gervase Warner, president and Group CEO, Massy Group explained that the company has a gas products portfolio in which it has a carbon dioxide facility that compresses CO2 and exports this through the Caribbean.
Further, Warner added, that the company has air separation units that it runs and operates.
“And we have different gases which we support; oxygen, nitrogen, being shipped throughout the region. So we are a manufacturer in another segment not necessarily in the food segment. We are able to contribute to export from T&T through some of the other sectors in which Massy is quite active,” Warner further explained.
