Business View Caribbean | September 2022

35 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 9, ISSUE 9 T ruly a one stop shop, Sky Mall, in Haggatt Hall, St. Michael, Barbados, offers a convenient and diverse shopping experience. From a wide range of retail boutiques, beauty and business services, banks, restaurants, and its flagship store, Massy Supermarket, shoppers can be sure they will find what they need, while enjoying the bright and luxurious surroundings of the mall. First opened in 2002 under the name Mall Internationale, Williams Industries Inc., a diversified Caribbean corporation, took over the mall in 2010, bringing much needed rejuvenation to the shopping center. As a major promoter of photovoltaics in the Caribbean, Williams Industries added solar panels to the roof, and the name was changed to Sky Mall, “because we were tapping the energy from the sun,” describes Managing Director, Everick Eastmond. The past few years have come with more than a fair share of challenges for Sky Mall, with most businesses having to close their doors in the early days of COVID. Massy Supermarket remained open as an essential service, which meant that a skeleton staff was retained for maintenance and cleaning, as well as security. “They showed up at a time when we really needed them,” relays Eastmond. “They were here doing all of those things that would have kept other people home, because of the fear of catching COVID. So, I’m really thankful to them and the supervisors, and the administrative staff for putting their hands to the plough at a time when we really needed it. We came together as a team.” During this stressful time, Eastmond says that the mall was able to support its tenants through rent concessions, crediting Williams Industries for their assistance in navigating through the events of 2020 and 2021. He acknowledges, “They were there, not just in financial resources, but also the management resources and the cooperative relationship that we have, to make sure that the mall is still the premier choice for customers in Barbados. We’ve been able to get through it and overcome it, and I think we are well on our way to stability again.” SKY MALL