Owner Sharon Loshusan, who operates Michi Supercentre with her husband Earl, shows off the store's bathroom accessories. - Photo by Keisha Shakespeare
Now consumers have more shopping options because there is a new Supercentre in town.
It is Michi Supercentre, located on Washington Boulevard. and owned and operated by Earl and Sharon Loshusan.
The supercentre could be called a mini Walmart (with the exemption of clothing), because of its layout and the variety of merchandise that is offers to customers.
The centre sits on 44,000 square feet, but when the hardware department opens, space will grow to 55, 000 square feet. The car park is spacious and can accommodate over 300 vehicles.
Wider aisles
The space between each isle is eight feet wide, which the owners did deliberately so that each customer would have enough space to move around freely without bumping into others with their shopping carts.
The doors of the new centre were opened last Thursday and, according to Claudine Coley, marketing manager, the turnout was overwhelming. The opening hours are Mondays to Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
When Food visited the supercentre, Coley and Conroy Wilson, business support manager, gave us a tour of the new facility.
At Michi, customers can sign up for a free Club Michi card that offers discount shopping. Each time the card is used, it accumulates rewards points that can be used after the points reach a certain number.
Value wall
"Also, a lucky Michi customer has a chance to shop for free in the 'waga-waga' day promotion, where if a bell goes off while that customer is at the cash register, he/she may leave with his/her groceries free," said Coley.
Michi also has a value wall where customers get basic food items for basic prices (perfect for these 'tight' times). Plus, whether you are a bulk shopper or just a one-item-at-a-time person, you can still shop there.
The centre also has a deli that will be opening before August, Coley says. The deli will offer customers hot meals, fresh salads, sandwiches, pastries and beverages daily. And for the health-conscious shopper, there is a healthy lifestyle section that offers products for diabetics as well as organic, herbal, natural and gluten-free items. Other departments include Kitchen Place, Babies and Kids, Home Centre, Pet City and Wines and Spirits.
When asked how the owners can open a supercentre during an economic crisis, Wilson, who spoke on behalf of the owners, said the Loshusans had planed on opening the centre long before the recession (in 2003).
He further stated, "Though we are in tough times, opening a supercentre is not a bad investment move because people still have to eat and survive." Coley added that now people don't have to go overseas for quality products because Michi Supercentre offers great quality and value for money.
The wall of value at Michi Supercentre provides customers with basic food items for basic prices.