Beckford merges Answers & Simplicity for Kids
Published:Sunday | June 20, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Answers for Children, a children's clothing store in Kingston, is relocating its Manor Centre outlet to upper Manor Park plaza, where it will merge with sister operation Simplicity for Kids.
Both kids stores are owned by Marilyn and Elon Beckford, who are consolidating the holdings under one brand.
The merger will retire the name Simplicity for Kids and the store will be rebranded Answers Manor Park, Elon Beckford told Sunday Business.
Beckford and his wife acquired Simplicity several years ago. The adult store in the two-chain operation, which specialises in fabric and adult clothing, will be unaffected by the merger. It will continue to trade as Simplicity at lower Manor Park Plaza, Beckford said.
Answers, one of the most popular kids stores in Kingston, has been in business for around two decades. The chain comprises three stores - located in the Manor Park area, at Tropical Plaza, and at Sovereign Centre in Liguanea.
Beckford says his kids stores have cornered some 80-90 per cent of the market in Kingston.
sale on items
The Manor Centre outlet is running a sale on items discounted by 60-80 per cent, which ends today, June 20. Any remaining stock at closure of the outlet will be redistributed among the stores in the chain, said a store supervisor who requested anonymity.
She said the 2,000 square foot Manor Centre store was one of the oldest locations, with the Sovereign operation and Simplicity for Kids opened some three years ago.
Steve Khemlani, the owner of the Manor Centre commercial complex, said the Answers store had been doing very good business at the location and was one of the few doing well in the recession.
"Globally and locally, business has gone down, but there are some stores which continue to do well. One such was Answers for Children, which carries stock which is unique and well priced," Khemlani said.
"I understand that Mrs Beckford does all her buying herself and has good market intelligence. So, despite the downturn, the store was doing well."
Khemlani said he had already received several expressions of interest for the space being vacated by Answers.
Beckford said the merger should not be read as a contraction of the operation, but a cost-saving measure and a move to consolidate market share under the better-known brand.
Answers, he said, would be expanding in the future to other urban centres across Jamaica, but no definitive timelines had been set.