Keisha Hill, Gleaner Writer

Final preparations are now in high gear for the grand opening of the state-of-the-art Mandeville MegaMart store at the location along Bloomfield Road in Mandeville. According to Director of Operations Jeffery Gordon, they are still working towards the target opening date of December 18, and the final touches are now being applied.

"The contractors and builders are working assiduously to complete the exterior of the building. We have begun internal operations in terms of merchandising and have added a few changes in comparison to the other MegaMart stores," Gordon said.

According to Gordon, the layout of the store is different and they will no longer be operating forklifts on the floor. "We have changed the concept from high racking to a little higher than a supermarket shelf. On top of these shelves, we have also added storage. It's similar to a super Target store and items are more reachable by hand," Gordon said.

He also indicated that, based on a survey conducted among Mandeville residents, they have also extended the cafeteria to include an outdoor section. To facilitate these changes, the opening hours have been extended from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Gordon also indicated that changes have been made to the refrigeration layout as well, to include reaching cases with doors at the front for the dairy section.

The $1.2-billion store is expected to provide jobs for up to 200 permanent employees, on its completion.

keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com