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Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesPLAZA EXTRA OPENS NEW $4M SUPERMARKET

PLAZA EXTRA OPENS NEW $4M SUPERMARKET

St. Croix’s limping economy wasn’t an obstacle to Thursday’s opening of the new multimillion-dollar Plaza Extra supermarket in Estate Plessen.
At 450,000 square feet, the brand-new store off Queen Mary Highway is about 5,000 square feet larger than its sister stores in Sion Farm and the St. Thomas Plaza Extra, said Walli Hamed, Plaza Extra general manager. The $4 million structure took about a year and a half to build and features a deli, bakery, pharmacy and large liquor section.
Even though St. Croix’s economy is stagnant and Sunshine Supermarket is down the road a few miles, Hamed said Frederiksted and the island’s west end in general were ripe for a state-of-the-art supermarket. He also cited family ownership as the reason why Plaza Extra is arguably the most successful supermarket on the island.
"We’re in the grocery business and I think we do a good job at that. And Frederiksted is ready for a new location," he said. "I think what you have to look at is customer service, keep your store clean and have stuff available."
As with the Sion Farm store, the new Plaza Extra will employ between 125 and 135 full-and part-time workers, Hamed said.
On Thursday afternoon the store was full of gawkers. A giant pink rabbit was beating a drum and hawking batteries and shoppers were taking advantage of what Hamed called "terrific prices."
"The celebration is going to go on for some time," he said.

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