WITH 1.5 million visitors per year, Montego Bay is ripe for a major duty free high-end shopping centre.
So one is to be established there, according to Robert 'Bobby' Stephens, project officer for business development at the Port Authority of Jamaica. He was speaking at a press briefing at Jampro's headquarters yesterday.
The duty-free shopping mall will be located in the Freeport area of Montego Bay on lands currently owned by the Port Authority. "The Port Authority owns 70 acres at Freeport, with 30 acres already developed into a commercial free zone," Mr. Stephens said. "We are now looking at developing the remaining land. We want the shopping mall to blend into the environment."
Shopping in Jamaica is 'limited' at present, Mr. Stephens said. For brand name designer fashions and goods, many now shop outside of Jamaica. "We will be catering to the shoppers, both local and tourists who would normally shop in Atlanta, Miami and Panama," he explained. "We will be looking at having stores with high end goods."
The shopping will not be limited to affluent shoppers however. For the bargain hunters, electronics, computer equipment and other goods will be available in bulk.
SAMPLES IN 'SECOND CITY'
"For the low-end bulk shopping, the outlet for the particular manufacturer will be in the Montego Bay shopping mall, but the orders will be delivered from the commercial free zone in Kingston," Mr. Stephens said. "So shoppers from around the Caribbean and Latin America will be able to see samples in Montego Bay and have what they ordered delivered to them in their home locations. They can then go on to enjoy the rest of Mo Bay after shopping."
Said Stephens: "We want to develop a whole new side of tourism where people come to Montego Bay specifically to shop," he said. "We can compete with Panama, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic for shoppers. Jamaica will be more than sun, sea and sand."
- D.W.
