Business View Caribbean | September 2022

39 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 9, ISSUE 9 it doesn’t stand up as long to liquids or heat. So that is still a challenge, but we have recognized that it is something that we have to do.” Home to an endangered population of sea turtles, Barbados is committed to restoration of marine turtle habitats, and helping to encourage survival and growth of the species. As another reason for Sky Mall’s sustainability efforts, Eastmond suggests, “We’ve got to make sure that the turtles that we have in our environment are protected, so that people can come and enjoy seeing them. It is a lovely site, and one of the big tourist attractions. So, we are trying to protect that environment.” Moving forward Eastmond believes, “Our biggest challenge is to get people back into the spending mood. People will spend money when they know that the job is secure, or the money will be replaced. So far, Barbadians have been quite conservative in their spending, and it has been reflected in the rising level of bank accounts. Our job is really to get them to spend in the areas where it makes sense to buy now, because really and truly the bank interest is so low that money saved in this country has no real returns.” Describing what he calls the “risk averse attitude of Barbadians,” he admits, “That is a slower process. Certainly, we try to encourage more spend, because more spend means that there’s more turn in the economy. There are more taxes to the government to do more things, and it puts more money into more people’s pockets.” Along with an increase in consumer confidence, Eastmond emphasizes the role of the tenants to Sky Mall’s success, not only in providing goods and services that meet customer needs, but also in top notch, memorable service. He explains, “I keep telling people that the only thing that distinguishes one product from the next is the level of service that the customer sees, and the level of care that is presented to them. That tells them that you need their business and you’re thankful for them to come and patronize your business.” With many of the challenges of the past few years behind them, Sky Mall is moving into a bright and positive future. As a final thought, Eastmond shares, “There might be clouds in the sky, but the sun is always shining.” SKY MALL