In an effort to ensure the public's safety, owner of IAM and Company Limited Ishmael Ali has installed expensive padlocks on the back doors and washrooms of the Charlotte Street store where 20-year-old bank worker Shannon Banfield's decomposing body was found on December 5.
Ali said the keys to these padlocks, which cannot be duplicated, will be controlled by the store's cashiers.
This was one of the safety measures he recently instituted to try to woo customers back to the store. Previously those doors remained opened, allowing anyone entry and exit.
"Last Saturday all the doors at the back of the store were restructured and padlocked. Padlocks have also been placed on the doors in the washrooms upstairs. Those keys come with special locks. I paid $6,000 for one of those padlocks. Those keys are now with the cashiers. The store is safe to shop in," Ali said.
He said he would do all within his power to build back the confidence of customers, assuring them there is nothing to worry about and all is safe.
On Thursday, the company's Charlotte Street branch reopened after a three-week closure during the peak Christmas shopping season. However, it was not business as usual as staff were repeatedly jeered and taunted by shoppers and passers-by.
Ali said some shoppers did patronise the store, however, to purchase items at reduced prices.
He estimates that he lost $2 million in sales due to the closure of the branch. The other branches at Frederick Street, Port-of-Spain and Trincity Industrial Estate incurred losses of $1 million each due to a boycott of the business in the aftermath of Banfield's death.
"I thought yesterday (Thursday) was very good. I saw more positives than negatives because nobody walked into the store and created any problems. We have a sale running right now. We are giving a ten per cent discount on every item to customers. This will continue for a while until business picks up. Obviously this will be at my expense. We will have to suffer more losses."
Ali said IAM, which has been in business for the past 50 years, was affected tremendously but he is optimistic things will bounce back in 2017.
"I think it will take about a year before we get back the confidence of the people, our customers," he said.
"Things will work out. I can't believe that one gentleman could have brought us to our knees. I am trying to figure what went wrong."
Despite the losses, Ali still gave his 100 employees Christmas bonuses and hosted a dinner for them.
"So far we have not sent any of our workers home. They too are suffering," he said.
Ali said he noticed more customers were entering the store yesterday.
"Up to this time I am watching the counter which is full right now," he said.
He said he was perplexed as to how Banfield's body reached upstairs without anyone seeing or hearing.
"I still can't come to terms with that, how something like that could go on in that place."
Ali said he is still having sleepless nights and his life has not been the same.
"To tell you the truth, I could not sleep on Wednesday night, the day before we reopened. I kept turning and twisting in bed because I did not know what to expect. As a matter of fact, I did not even have a good Christmas. We could never stop thinking about it," he said.