Azan’s Supercentre credits customer loyalty for post-fire rebound

Milad Azan, co-owner of Azan’s Supercentre in Cross Roads, St Andrew, attributes the store’s recovery from a devastating fire to the loyalty of its customer base.

A major fire at its warehouse on Ashenheim Road in St Andrew in mid-November destroyed the entire inventory of the more than two-decade-old store.

“We have a dedicated, diehard customer base, and a fantastic clientele across all demographics – lower, middle, and upper class. Everyone shops here,” he said.

In addition to the strain placed on the store because of the fire, Azan acknowledged that shoppers’ spending habits have been impacted by broader economic factors.

“Our variety has been limited. We have been getting in a lot of goods, so we are still able to maintain and satisfy our customers, but the spending power in general throughout – and I have spoken to other merchants – is somewhat down,” he said. “I think it is with regards to the cost of living – food, vegetables – how expensive that is.”

Crime has also had an effect on the store’s sales, with fewer customers willing to shop late in the evening, he said.

Usually around the Yuletide season, store-opening hours would be extended to accommodate the early shoppers hoping to escape the rush, but this has not been the case this year, he said.

“In comparison to the many years, shopping is dying after 6 p.m. [By] 6:30 p.m., nobody wants to shop late anymore. I think that is because of the crime situation, and it’s dark now. Everybody is now afraid,” Azan said.

Statistics from the Jamaica Constabulary Force showed that as of December 21, the murder toll stood at 1,129. This is an 18 per cent decrease compared with the corresponding period last year. There were also 618 robberies recorded across the island so far this year – a 20.5 per cent year-on-year decline.

“Usually, without the high trend of crime, we would go until all 9-10’clock in the night. People are scared of being out late,” Azan said.

Nonetheless, he is still grateful for the people who do come out to shop.

“We are giving God thanks. We are doing pretty well, we are holding our own, and we are still able to maintain all the staff. We haven’t laid off any because of our fire, and we are still hoping that things will be bright,” he said.

Family tradition

Simone Hanson-Stewart and her mother, Ruby Hanson, were at the store shopping for household items last Thursday. The duo, who travelled from Yallahs, St Thomas, told The Gleaner that shopping in the capital and the wider Corporate Area has been a family tradition for more than 30 years.

For Hanson-Stewart, the tradition has become sentimental as she now gets to repay her 80-year-old mother for the treats she received as a child.

“When my dad would give me a Christmas bonus – that’s what I called it. She would just take me shopping, and it was just so fun, coming out to shop and to see the pretty things when you’re small – the lights, the colours, everything,” she said.

“When we were around there and she was trying to pick up some of the items that she wanted and she was, like, ‘The price looks a little …’, and I was saying, ‘Pick up what you want’ because normally, she would do that to me,” the guidance counsellor shared.

Joneal Elizabeth, the assigned hostess in her family, was also shopping for a treat she intended to host for the children in her family and at her apartment complex.

Elizabeth said she enjoys how Christmas inspires kindness and how the decorations bring joy, with Azan’s consistently offering affordable, high-quality items for holiday decor.

“They normally have cute stuff that can be used for overall decor or activity at really good pricing,” she said.

Elena Guthrie and her husband, Keith Guthrie, from Florida in the United States, home for the holidays, also took time to shop at Azan’s during their holiday visit.

“I’m not cutting down in terms of treating myself. I’ve worked hard, so I come to Jamaica to spend the time with family and friends and to have a good time, so if I cut down, it means I’d be compromising the blessing that the Lord has bestowed on me,” Elena said.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com