Home & Things completing new branch at Constant Spring
Published:Friday | September 24, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Dionne Rose, Business Reporter
Home & Things Jamaica, a retailer of home finishings and hardware products, will next month open a larger, modern store at its old Constant Spring Road, Kingston, branch that was demolished to make way for the new building.
The owners, the Dabdoub family, have spent an estimated $50 million on the 8,000-square foot store which, when fully operational, is expected to employ 25 people.
The old store was 2,500 square feet.
"The reason for the expansion is that the Constant Spring Road branch just outgrew itself," said Homes & Things general manager Selena Walters. "It couldn't accommodate what the company's potential was at that location. It was just too small."
Established in 1998, Home & Things has one other branch, at Old Hope Road in the capital.
With the new, enhanced facility on Constant Spring Road and undeterred by the downturn in the island's economy, the owners are intent on going aggressively for a larger slice of Jamaica's competitive market for home finishes and hardware.
"We intend to try get more of the retail market at Constant Spring Road and give the retail customer a better shopping experience," said Walters.
In fact, according to Walters, the privately held business is bucking the trend of the recession, although she did not provide specific sale figures.
Sales still rising
"I wouldn't say the recession is slapping us," she told the Financial Gleaner. "Our sales are still going up."
Added Walters: "In five years, I want Home & Things to be known as the place to go for home finishing products, particularly your tiles and finishing wares. I hope that in five years, we would have established a dominance in retailing and be the premier distributor of those types of items throughout the country," she said.
'The reason for the expansion is that the Constant Spring Road branch just outgrew itself.'