…FDI creates opportunities for Guyanese – GCCI President
Payless, an internationally known footwear retailer shoe source brand, on Wednesday held the official launch of their new location in Guyana.
The shoe store is located on the ground floor of the MovieTowne Mall at Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown.
In a simple ceremony, the brand kicked off its opening with the first 50 customers at the store each receiving a 10 per cent discount voucher. These were valid for the day of the opening only.
The ceremonial cutting of the ribbon to officially open the Payless store in Guyana
The new venture boasts of being 100 per cent Guyanese-oriented, since all nine of its employees are Guyanese, and the store was said to be the company’s first new market to be opened in six years and was described as a turning point in a new place of growth for the company.
Country Manager of the new Payless Shoe Store, Jerus Mohammed, who is also the country manager for the stores in Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, said, “It brings me great pleasure to see that today Payless opens its doors to Guyana for the first time. We are ecstatic to finally provide the only world-class shopping for footwear and accessories to the people of Guyana.”
President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Timothy Tucker, welcomed the venture to Guyana’s business community. He stated that the GCCI welcomes foreign direct investments.
“Foreign direct investments help all, all of us in this country. It brings employment to citizens, opportunities to service providers, rental of property; it brings financial input to the economy with forex; but, most importantly, it brings confidence in Guyana; in our economy, in our business community,” he explained.
He further charged the new venture with focusing on local content, while encouraging them to add Guyanese businesses to their supply chain.
“I would encourage the Payless Guyana team and task the organisation to do its part for local content, and do so by hiring Guyanese. And I was pleased to see that you’ve started and you’ve hit the ground running with 100% percent Guyanese and 100% local. It shows your commitment to local content already,” Tucker added.
Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Small Business Bureau, Vanessa Thompson, on behalf of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond, said, “The launch of the Payless Guyana is [also] about choice. With your wide array of shoes, accessories, handbags, and product care, you bring that sphere of democracy to fashion by allowing Guyanese that choice and opportunity to be in tune with modern styles…how excellent it would be to see a Payless location in, for example, in Anna Regina, New Amsterdam, or Lethem.”
She made an appeal to local businesses in general to not just invest in Region Four, but to consider broadening their horizon to other regions in the country.
The store boasts a wide variety of footwear for almost every need, like dress, casual, and athletic styles; as well as specialty footwear, with hard-to-find sizes for women with a significant portion of the seasonal assortment offered in sizes 11, 12, and 13.
Payless also carries an array of seasonal accessories, such as socks, handbags and shoe care items.
