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Samaroo’s to find new home
Wrecker takes toll on Carnival business hub
Published:
Friday, February 8, 2013
Sales clerks attend to customers shopping for last-minute Carnival supplies at Samaroo’s Limited on Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain. Photo: Marcus Gonzales
After Carnival next year, Samaroo’s Limited, well-known international supplier of mas material, will no longer have a store in Port-of-Spain.
Managing director Steve Samaroo told the T&T Guardian he was frustrated by lack of incentives to keep businesses in Port-of-Spain. “One of our major problems on Abercromby Street is the wrecking. We are incensed. We have decided we will move out of Port-of-Spain. They have run us out of the city.
“We went to the Mayor and Minister of National Security. Nobody has helped us. Next year is our last Carnival, we are moving to Aranguez,” a visibly upset Samaroo told the T&T Guardian yesterday.
He said all the cars parked in front his businessplace were taken away by wreckers.
“The city is being converted by the people who run it into a ghost town. It will become like some American cities where there are so many problems and crime that people leave.
“We have just opened in Movie Towne because of that reason. It is because of the wrecking. We are doing well in Movie Towne.
“The rent is higher but people do not mind paying more for the comfort of parking and not being harassed,” Samaroo said.
Samaroo’s Limted was founded in 1949 and tts registered office is located at 11-13 Abercromby Street. But according to Samaroo, it is no longer profitable for one of the city’s oldest businesses to operate there.
“Who wants to shop in Port-of-Spain when there is so much trouble to shop?” he asked. “After 63 years I will move out of Port-of-Spain.”
Despite his challenges, Samroo expects strong sales locally and internationally this year.
“The season is far too short and that has caused it to be very busy right now. This is one of the shortest Carnival seasons causing this problem, but with or without the short season, it will be busy.
“We do not just sell T&T Carnival, we sell a hundred carnivals worldwide. We are doing a lot of business on exports, as well to all the other international carnivals like Toronto, New York and Miami and throughout the Caribbean.
“We are raw material suppliers so basically we sell everything,” Samaroo said.
He expects a sharp increase in sales over the next few days: “People are doing their last minute shopping.
“Most people would have picked up their costumes and they are doing additions and deletions.”
