Is this the End of “Ti Boutiks” in St. Lucia?

Amidst a pandemic, where economic sustainability is a major concern, the world has seen expansion and growth in profits of large conglomerates. Here in Saint Lucia, we have witnessed new supermarket outlets in communities like Choiseul and Soufriere, during a time when COVID-19 restrictions have been imposed and many small businesses are failing. 

It has become a worldwide trend for large public companies to grow in the midst of the pandemic while small competitors like family owned shops and stores struggle to stay alive.  This begs the question; should the government intervene to protect our “ti boutiks”, “kabawés” and community supermarkets from this retail ‘Goliath’?  

If the current trend continues, locally owned small businesses in Saint Lucia may plummet, reducing hope and opportunity for school leavers interested in entrepreneurship, small business owners and the people they employ and assist. Undoubtedly, Massy Stores is a major employer in Saint Lucia and some may argue that the presence of Massy Stores in these communities is a sign of development. However, If Companies like Massy Stores, who are mainly concerned about generating profits for their shareholders, continue to surface in every district in Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago may be the only winner here.  

What will become of the small Saint Lucian owned businesses which are struggling to survive and cannot afford to offer the diverse goods and play the price games of a large company who engages in bulk buying? If one company holds the monopoly to distribute established brands and products to small shops yet sets up next to these same shop to retail and compete, this will crowd out investment by the residing entrepreneurs who no doubt have a more vested interest in these communities.  

Monopolies are not the way forward for a better economy as they usually engage in unfair business practices such as price gouging which negatively affect customers. Our recent history reveals how telecommunication services available to Saint Lucians improved significantly when competition emerged with the arrival of AT&T, Digicel and Karib Cable. If we allow another monopoly to dominate our goods and retail sector in a Cable & Wireless like manner, what will become of such an important industry?  

There are now more Massy Stores Supermarkets than there are districts in Saint Lucia. Do we continue to allow such expansion and turn a blind eye while Massy Stores converts Saint Lucia to a capitalist paradise? Are we all going to be employed by Massy Stores? 

This is a call for our Government to vigilantly monitor these transitions and take action where possible to reduce this imbalance, for we deserve a lot more than the crumbs that fall from the table.  

By Joshua LaMontagne