Randi Milner, marketing manager for Colombian Emeralds, said the company closed its two stores on St. Thomas on April 30 because they were ‘not profitable.’ (See original story in Related Links below)
“Both locations were not performing to expectations,” she said in a phone call Friday, responding to earlier requests from the Source for comment.
Colombian Emeralds had closed the outlets several years ago and then reopened them two years ago. In the two years since then, she said, they have not been profitable.
“It was a business decision,” she said.
Echoing comments from some St. Thomas businessmen who blamed recent closures on the territory’s failure to upgrade the downtown commercial area, she said, “The environment just didn’t lend itself to a customer friendly situation.” She said the streets were not “kept up” and there was congestion from taxis.
Milner said she could not comment on whether the company might consider reopening again sometime in the future.
Colombian Emeralds is owned by Dufry Group and Cave Shepard, she said.