Wild K Mart rumor

Not enough population for their business model, IMO.

Not enough population for their business model, IMO.

I couldn't possibly agree less with this, either STT/STX would easily support a Walmart, Costco, Sam's Club, etc.

There are no Target stores in Puerto Rico, so I would not look for one in the VI anytime this decade/century.
I heard a rumor about the STX Home Depot closing, since its business model was predicated on having all those Hovensa workers / subcontractors next door. We live in interesting times.

That makes a terrible kind of sense and would be such a shame!

Is Spartan Concrete closing? They don't deliver concrete on Mondays, and now they won't deliver on Saturdays either, unless they have enough customers to make up 100 yds of concrete.

The trouble is, they can't get bookings of 100 yds if you don't think they will be open for business. In the meantime Heavy Materials is overbooked on Saturday. Seems strange to me - how can you get customers, if you tell them you probably will be closed that day for business? and with not much warning either. what kind of economics is this?

Another good reason why there will never be a Walmart or Target here is that they will demand tax concessions from the government. In most places, municipal and state governments understand that this is how business is done and how things like malls and factories get built.

Here in the VI, the politicians and their establishment families that call the shots demand kick backs and pay-offs and the big box guys don't play the game that way. The exception here is Diageo but look at the hew and cry that generates every day by the ungratefuls with their "entitlement" mentality who are only interested in a hand-out not a hand-up.

Another good reason why there will never be a Walmart or Target here is that they will demand tax concessions from the government. In most places, municipal and state governments understand that this is how business is done and how things like malls and factories get built.

Here in the VI, the politicians and their establishment families that call the shots demand kick backs and pay-offs and the big box guys don't play the game that way. The exception here is Diageo but look at the hew and cry that generates every day by the ungratefuls with their "entitlement" mentality who are only interested in a hand-out not a hand-up.

That is so not true. Every big retailer who's come here and opened up has received substantial tax breaks in accordance with VI law. Please do some basic research before throwing out negative and false generalities based on island gossip. You could start with the EDA.

Thanks for saying this, OldTart. As a small business thinking of moving to USVI, I've been particularly attracted by the tax breaks because they are offered to rather small businesses as well as national chains. So thank you for countering the negative.

So, if those tax breaks are really so attractive, where are all the national chains?

Once you come to realize what those EDA tax breaks will cost you in terms of reporting, who you can and can't hire, etc., you'll likely wish you went a different route.

My business could easily be an EDC...but after careful analysis...no thanks.

There are no Target stores in Puerto Rico, so I would not look for one in the VI anytime this decade/century.
.

There will be a Target in Puerto Rico --

http://www.christiansen-portela.com/blog/2011/03/puerto-rico-on-target-for-target-in-2012/

and

http://www.answers.com/topic/target-corporation "The first City Target will open in 2012. City Target is the name for a downtown, smaller format Target store. The assortment will be edited towards urban living, but will carry many of the same products. The stores will still look and feel like Target but many will be multilevel stores in existing landmark buildings, not the usual strip mall or stand-alone locations. The first stores are set to open in Chicago, LA and New York in mid-2012, and Puerto Rico in 2013-2014.

So, if those tax breaks are really so attractive, where are all the national chains?

See your post of April 11th. As you decided such as EDC wouldn't work for your small business, chain store executives likewise and proportionately exercise diligence in determining whether or not an area will support and guarantee a high return on a potential investment. KMart and Home Depot both opted to establish a niche here. Between CostULess, PriceSmart, Pueblo (all of whom are elsewhere in the latin/Caribbean area), Plaza Extra and other local business both big and small,the population just may not be able to support more national chains right now.

Precisely! Thanks again, OldTart, for being the voice of reason. 🙂