Petition Filed To Wind Up White’s Supermarket
[Updated] A legal notice appeared today [July 4], saying a petition for the winding up of White’s was filed on June 29th in the Supreme Court by International Bonded Couriers of Bermuda [IBC].
The supermarket — which has locations in both Southside and Warwick — has long been rumoured to be facing severe financial difficulties. Pitt & Company and BGA have already taken out writs against White’s, which has been business since 1924.
The petition will be heard in the Supreme Court at 9.30am on July 20, 2012, with the legal notice saying that any creditor of the Company who wishes to “support or oppose the making of such an Order on the said Petition” can also appear at that time.
The shelves of both the stores have long been reported to have been diminishing, with the first photo above depicting Whites in Warwick at approximately 9am this morning [July 4]. Despite it being a 5% off Wednesday shopping day, there were only two vehicles parked outside, and only one cash register was seen to be manned during our very short visit.
The photo above and below depict White’s in Southside at approximately 12.45pm today. Staff are working as normal and customers are shopping, however the shelves do appear to be rather light on produce. The shelves below show the freezer area where meat is normally stored.
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- Court Gives White’s Supermarket 30-Day Delay | Bernews.com | August 15, 2012
is there a way that we can rally around this business to keep the doors open? I know the cash flow is made more severe with the dwindling number of goods on the shelves because folks want to go to a store that has their shopping needs. How do we break the cylcle?
I totally agree. This is so sad and heartbreaking. The owners are good people and I hate to see these stores close.
Can someone not bail them out to get over this cashflow issue??
Someone like who and why? Money does not grow on trees.
Someone lied to you, its just illegal. lol
TELL THAT TO THE GOVERNMENT!!!
I can’t speak for the Warwick store but SORRY, I am not the least bit interested in helping out White’s Southside in any capacity due to their rude and gossipy staff. I stopped going in there a long time ago as the female cashiers blatantly stare at and talk about people. I was in line once and the cashier with me turned and was mouthing something to the cashier next to her, as if I wouldn’t notice. She then turned around and was startled to see me staring her down because she thought I wouldn’t notice. I don’t know any of these women, and I can’t imagine what they would have to say about me although I have a relative who is well known in St. David’s so I speculate it may have been in reference to her.
In any case, it was a colossal turn-off. I thought I was the only one, and then was at a gathering and other women started saying the same thing-how the female staff would give dirty looks and be whispering about people. It’s ridiculous. Who wants to shop where they’re not comfortable or want to face that? I would have loved to patronize them, but after experiencing that a few times I said ‘to hell with it’ and started stopping again at my friendly Shelly Bay Marketplace. My ice-cream may have gotten a bit melted by the time I got home but at least I was shopping in a friendly environment!
Amen, been there did the same thing. I’ve seen and heard them talk about people. When asked in an effort to get me to join. I replied “I go work, I go home”. What people do is none of my business. ” And, that was even though I knew about what they were talking to about as it was my in-laws.
What you have just shared is the reason Bermudians in gerneral are going through severe financial times. Crabs in a bottle, I tell you. GEt a life! STicks and stones can break your bones sweetie. What you should have done is called the Management and reported the behavior, they don’t know unless you tell them; not going there anymore does not tell them what the issue is.
Bermudian people need to wake up and look around. There are plenty stores closing and plenty Bermudians out of work. You have foriengers who have come to make their lives better and are actually living better than Bermudians. And, what do Bermudians do or say, it’s because people give them opportunities and not us…..not it’s because you don’t stand together and help each out. We are always trying to outdo each other and find glory in making sure your neighbor knows that you have more than they do.
I agree, let’s try and help our the store; there are Bermudians employed there and if they are rude them let’s address that too but let’s help each other!
Thank you RUSerious its funny how u hear but bermuda or support local businesses yet most of u feel that whites should close because of bad management or because u had a bad experience with one of staff members but what about the other employees who has good customer service and have no control over how they manage the store who need their jobs because they have family members to care for in a country where ppl are losing jobs every other week you all want to see more lose today its whites dealing with finiancial difficulties tomorrow it can be somewhere else think about how these employees feel having to hear how their only source of income should close how they are dealing with customers asking questions they they can’t answer how they come work and don’t know if that day will be the last right now bermuda is in a crisis and instead of sitting around giving negative comments how about supporting or giving positive suggestions that might help
there is nowhere in bermuda that you can go and not have employees talk about ppl lets be realistic you can’t blame a company for what happen it was a staff member you could have reported it at any time but u did address the situation how can improvements happen if no ione reports incidence when they happen
Are you kidding me? It’s MY job to report these women to management for their rude behaviour? Uh-I don’t think so!
I am a consumer and it is MY choice of where I decide to spend my dollars. I spend my dollars at a place where I feel comfortable and happy. I know from experience that you can speak to management all you want-performance is one thing, but it’s very hard to change peoples’ negative personalities. What am I supposed to do…keep going in there and wait until I feel they’ve sufficiently adjusted their attitude enough for me? NO WAY.
This is a dog eat dog world. People need to be held accountable and know that for every action there is a reaction equal in magnitude and opposite direction…so now the business is closing and those bi!ches are on the unemployment line. They have no-one to blame but themselves. TOUGH.
Bail out an obviously badly managed business? I don’t think so.
Maybe the union can step in and run Whites. After all they have the experience and they certainly give the impression from all their comments that they know how to run any business.
Laverne, the ball’s in your court baby.
Are you being sarcastic or are you thinking of an actual co-op of sorts? Can lessons be learned from the last co-op?
Yes that was sarcasm – I think the lesson to learn from the failure of the Co-op is that the BIU has very little knowledge of how to operate a successful business.
wonder what can anyone do, what can WE do???
Well Whites Southside needs to get their building fixed first. Everytime it rains, it rains inside as well. The ceiling is falling apart and they have containers all over the store catching water. It realy is quite nasty. @Bernews should’ve caught the store then! Once the building is actually standing firm only then should they start restocking the shelves.
Why? This is part of the normal business cycle. Survivial of the fittest!
I am sorry to hear this. It is not good at all. Wish there was some way it could stay open. We see too many buisnesses closing which is not good at all. It has a ripple effect for the people of this island. We should be trying to keep businesses open. One less choice for consumers, yet again. Yes, how do we break the cycle? Sad.
This is their own doing. Poorly run businesses with lousy customer service NEED to close. There’s not much future for Whites or Haywards in Warwick (too much competition in the area from MarketPlace & Lindos’s) but somebody will eventually take over the Southside location.
yeah…..sometimes children have absolutely no appreciation for what their parents do for them. Saddening.
agree!!!!
Hayward’s in warwick is disgusting….and should be closed down.. where is the health dept?
How to break the cycle? Manage the business well and have excellent customer service. That will break the cycle of bad businesses having to close.
Leyland White opened this business in 1924 and in 1962 his son Morris took over…. the 2 of them are in tears looking down at the failure of what was their heart and sole
A sad day!!!
Heron Bay Market Place and Lindos, have improved their services…and Whites have been slowly going down,but it is a great location and the parking is easy…the damn chickens at the warwick branch put me off shopping there..I am terrified of these birds.
Bad enough the bowling alley in southside is closed now the theatre “until further notice” they just built all these homes close by and nothing to do for leisure down here! So fustrating
Grocery stores island wide have been suffering diminishing returns due to the exodus of expats and locals leaving the island. Marketplace and Lindo’s have been able to cash in on White’s demise so they are not hit as hard.
Also of note is if you factor in the the bulk stores popping up all over with the loss of Whites, then you find that customers actually have more choices now than they had several years ago.
The inside scoop I have heard is that White’s demise is poor management. Economic climate and all doesnt help, but they let this happen. Right now stores have to fight and scratch and be aggressive and flexible to remain and White’s did not do that.
White’s downfall has nothing to do with anyone leaving the island; besides, expats don’t really live in St. David’s, and MarketPlace and especially Lindo’s are routinely full; Lindo’s Warwick location is always packed (perhaps due to an exodus of White’s customers).
This has to due with, as you mentioned, bad, negligent management.
@Bullseye is your comment about the exodus of expats and locals leaving the island a statistical fact or something you are just putting out there? Just wondering
Marketplace will probably take it, better yet Lindo’s should. The size is too good to just go to waste, it’s a very nice store that just need some owners who will take care of it.
Think about it…Market place and Lindos do not need to take over Whites….I would love to see a place in the west end where you can avoid the traffic in Hamilton…and maybe have a shop where we can go and buy clothes and gifts and other house hold items.
I wonder how much rent BLDC is charging these businesses where nothing can be negotiated. I would prefer to half a loaf to keep the community active….. It’s very sad. Please review all options, where is our togetherness?
Before anybody takes the building over – BLDC needs to get their hands out of their pockets and get to repairing and getting things to rights in the building. It leaked horribly during rain, the staff had to put plastic containers in various spots to collect water or they would come in the morning after night showers/down pours to clean up, tarpaulin had been placed over the sunlight’s. Freezers were breaking down constantly, tiles were coming up off the floor and falling from the ceiling, cash register stations were either not working or getting wet from the rain coming through the ceiling or perhaps never worked. talks were constantly ongoing with BLDC – another place of serious mismanagement.
When you walk into a food store like Whites in Warwick and smell rotting produce you tend to feel the need to shop elsewhere
Bad management with rude and employees.
They should have known the end was near and improved.
I agree their produce section always made me sick to my stomach! The smell is unbearable!!
Rude to White people, you’ve just lost 40% of your market. In Lindos everyone is lovely, hello market share.
it is their own doing.Very bad management starting at the top right down to the store manager. Southside was a great store for the first few years and after that it went down hill. I shop their all the time [i do not like marketplace] and my biggest problem was the prices not matching when you get to the checkout. I was over charged so many times and so many other customers say the same thing. You had to keep a close eye on that. Also the rain was really getting to me and the freezers were always breaking down. Like i said it was bad management from the Whites ans the store manager. I sure hope they can stay open and solve this out.
i feel very sorry for the Whites name.
First of all the building that houses Whites at Southside cannot be purchased. It can only be rented.
As it has been stated, both stores are closing as it has been badly managed and the family is not interested in the business.
I used to shop there, but stopped a very long time ago when there was nothing on the shelves but items that were past the expiry dates!!!
I shop at Lindos Devonshire and I have no complaints!
to the white brothers— make a come back— you can do it
They have no money to pay bills and its C.O.D. As certain merchandisers come with delivery. The whites brothers have no desire to keep the stores open. They have money. They don’t care. The staff no nothing of what their outcome will be. They see what’s happening but have been told to keep working or they get rid them with no notice. They are bad communicators and I am glad I don’t work there any more.
Hopefully some forward-thinking businessmen will step in quickly and take over the Southside location as there is not only loads of potential but a need for a major supermarket/department store there. If managed correctly and, with more and more residents moving into the area, surely this could be the success story other supermarkets are enjoying. With the right approach and strong management, this could be a gold mine waiting to happen!
Let free markets prevail! What will sink will sink and what will float will float!!!
Sad to see but with poor management & staff attitude no surprise.
1. Poor management (this includes gossipping staff and old leaky buildings)
2. Competition – better service and choice elsewhere
3. Diminshing numbers of people on the island.
All of these factors have brought Whites down.
Here is what they should have done.
1. NOT expanded to Southside
2. Improved their product
3. Trained staff better and fired the bad ones.
4. Accept that Lindos was taking their business in Warwick and realise there is competition.
Why do you think Arnold’s has not opened in Warwick yet – decrease in customers!!
Agree, why are Lindos and Supermart coining it in? – because they have moved with the times – vibrant meat and fish counters, offering marinated BBQ stuff and loads of fish, and big fruit and vegetable aisle. This ain’t 1970boy, people don’t want frozen anymore. Also Waitrose at Supermart….gotta love that.
Southside has always been badly run. Poor managers and cashiers overcharging not by cents but often dollars. I phoned Mr White countless times to complain but things did not improve. I dont feel sorry about these stores closing as they were poorly run and customers cant afford to be overcharged
THIS IS SO SAD TO SEE. THAT SOUTHSIDE STORE IS A REAL GOLD MINE. AS A LONG TIME SHOPPER AT SOUTHSIDE I GOT TO KNOW A LOT OF THE STAFF THEIR. THEY HAD ALOT OF PROBLEMS THEIR WITH THE LEAKING BUILDING,WRONG PRICES ALL THE TIME,OUT OF STOCKS,OUT OF DATE PRODUCT IN THE DAIRY ALL THE TIME,FLOOR TILES,ROOF TILES AND THE LIST GOES ON. I TALKED TO MANAGEMENT AT THE STORE ALL THE TIME ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS AND I ALSO CALLED THE WHITE BROTHERS AND I CAN SAY I HAVE SEEN NOTHING FIXED[IM STILL BEING OVER CHARGED AT THE CHECKOUTS] AND I CANNOT AFFORD IT.
SO I ASK WHY IS THIS STORE STILL BEING RUN LIKE THIS. DO THEY NOT CARE ABOUT ME. DO THEY NOT WANT MY MONEY. I CAN GO SHOP ELSE WHERE.I HAVE STAYED WITH THEM AND I GIVE THEM MY SUPPORT BUT NOW IM GOING TO HAVE TO GO ELSE WHERE BECAUSE I CAN NOT GET WHAT I NEED THEIR ANYMORE. PLEASE FIX YOUR PROBLEMS AND KEEP IT OPEN. I KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS WILL COME BACK BECAUSE WE DO NOT WANT TO GO TO MARKETPLACE AND LINDOS IS TO FAR. HOW I FOUND YOUR STORE OVER THE YEARS
DEPT. SCORES,
PRODUCE-GOOD
DAIRY-NEEDS ALOT OF WORK
MEAT-GREAT
FROZEN FOOD-GOOD
LIQ.DEPT-GREAT
HOUSEWARES-BAD
PHARMACY-GREAT
GROCERY-FAIR
FRONT END-NEEDS ALOT OF WORK