Tudor Bridge in St Michael is a convenient location for those who are always on the go, according to business operators in the area.
Some days are better than others for businessmen and women selling a variety of products and services. And while most of them are pleased with the level of trade in that location and welcome more commerce, others believe enough business was already there.
Furthermore, a few of the operators say their sales had fallen over the years due to increased competition.
The stretch of community is home to a variety of corner shops and other businesses. Some empty buildings and vacant shop spaces are testament to companies that went out of business over the years.
Not only must they compete with each other along that stretch of roadway, but they also have to compete with ongoing commerce in the nearby Eagle Hall community to the immediate south, and Spooners Hill and Green Hill to the north.
Elizabeth Reece has been operating The Hat Shop for over ten years. She is one entrepreneur trying to keep her business alive.
Saying she believed that the area was “very developed as it is”, the reserved shopkeeper said since the birth of a number of businesses in the heavily trafficked district, she has seen a slight decrease in sales.
“It is a recession, so everything is at a go-slow. I can only talk on my behalf,” she said. Reece pointed out that people were mostly buying top-ups and cigarettes from her.
Also saying that the area was already densely populated with a number of businesses, one of the operators of the Out Of City Variety store said he did not see any more business coming to the area.
The entrepreneur, who did not want to be identified, said he believed Tudor Bridge was good for various businesses but “it might not be good with clothing” since most people would prefer to go to Bridgetown to get their clothing items.
However, Janelle Haynes, a manager at Zephirin’s Bakeries Inc., one of the longest operating establishments in the area, said she loved the competition.
Haynes told BARBADOS BUSINESS AUTHORITY that among other days, Sunday was one of their busiest.
“There are a lot of small convenience stores, including ours, selling a wide variety of items,” she said, noting that Tudor Bridge “is a good area for business”.
A number of bus stops on either side of the road make it is easy for patrons traversing the area to quickly get off a bus and do their shopping before continuing their journey.
“Some people would go to Bridgetown but when they are going back home, they would get out the van and get what they didn’t get in town from here. To me a lot of people don’t like to go town and a lot of people would just come this side and stop and get what they want. It is a convenient location,” said Haynes.
Grantley Brathwaite, one of the directors of Optimum Sales And Services Limited, a hardware and auto mechanic shop, said he believed ample trade was taking place in that location. He said however, there was room for growth.
“There are those people who would prefer not to go in town, I suppose, because there is a Popular supermarket close by and a lot of other types of businesses as well. There is a fair amount of traffic in this area,” said Brathwaite.
