Business View Caribbean | September 2022

37 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 9, ISSUE 9 In 2021, a volcano on the island of St. Vincent erupted, blanketing Barbados in ash and once again causing the mall to close. “We went through that period at a heavy cost, because it took us nearly two months to actually get all the residue off of the roof and the car park and all these things,” says Eastmond. Next came price increases, adding another challenge for Sky Mall and its businesses. Taking an optimistic approach, Eastmond notes, “It has been a long struggle, but there is something about struggles that make you want to be able to get through it, so that you have the strength to be able to deal with anything else that will come.” Although the mall is still experiencing a drop in customer traffic, he reports, “Things are gradually getting back to normal. I would say that we’re probably 80% there and hopefully the next 20% will be forthcoming in the near future.” As the shoppers return, the next big obstacle many of Sky Mall’s tenants are facing is price increases due to high shipping costs and supply shortages. Eastmond explains, “A lot of the stores are feeling that pinch, because before when we were paying $6,000 or $8,000 US dollars for freight, it is now gone to $20,000 US. That is affecting not just the supply, but also the cost.” Materials to maintain the building itself are also subject to delays, sometimes taking up to six months to receive. “Now we try to make sure that we keep abreast of the realistic times and don’t have in our heads the times of past days, until the supply chain gets sorted out,” he offers. To ensure the success of big celebrations like the annual harvest celebration known as the ‘Crop Over Festival’, masks are required in indoor spaces on the island, in an effort to keep positive cases under control. Eastmond explains that this is essential for the mall. “You want to make sure that nothing is out of whack in terms of positive cases, because a lot of the retailers are dependent on that too,” he asserts. “If there’s no partying and no festivities, they don’t make any money because nobody wants to buy clothes to go nowhere.” Maintaining that the Government SKY MALL