Business View Caribbean | Jan 2019

54 in business for the benefit of fellow members of society is reflected, not only in the everyday low prices, but also in the company’s support of community projects, initiatives, and clubs. Customers are invited to “visit our stores, become part of the Glace family, and see why Glace will always be ‘Your Choice for Better Value.’” General Manager of Glace Supermarket, Anthony Bousquet, talks about the evolution of the company: “Glace was started in 1977 by Greg Glace. In 1981, Girard Glace (Greg’s brother) and his wife, Veronica, acquired the shares of the company and are still the owners. Today, it is essentially a General Store – the main driver is the supermarket, it also has a bakery, a fuel station, hardware, wholesale meats and drinks – there is a lot going on at one location.” Glace Supermarket had expanded over the years, at its peak employing 150 workers throughout four locations. But since 2008, the combination of tough economic headwinds and strong competition from regional conglomerates has seen the company engage in a lot of consolidation. Today, Glace operates a thriving business, solely from its original large facility in Marisule, Gros Islets, with about 80 employees. In 1977, that first store was only around 1,500 square feet. It began as an auto accessories location, then added rental cars. Over the years, the car rental section was dropped, and the store has since grown through a process of accretion to 25,000 sq. ft. of building space. Customers come primarily from the north of St. Lucia, where 70 percent of the island population lives. The GLACE SUPERMARKET Glace Bakery Worker