AS Cooper’s Harbourside Store Closing
A.S. Cooper & Sons Ltd. will be closing their Harbourside Store located on Front Street effective Feb 1, 2013.
Managing Director Somers Cooper informed staff on Tuesday of the decision and said, “Regretfully, the prolonged weak economy has forced us to re-evaluate all of our lines of business and the locations they occupy. This difficult decision was necessary to facilitate the long-term success of the A.S. Cooper group of stores.”
Cooper’s will consolidate most of the product lines represented at Harbourside back in to their Main Store and will endeavour to place sales staff within the framework of the company. It is expected that the closure will result in one redundancy.
Somers Cooper added, “Business at that location was always a challenge due to it being the only shop on that side of Front St. While it provided a positive contribution for many years, sales have eroded over the last twelve to eighteen months.
“These conditions along with the departure of the Veendam sealed our fate. Our landlord, the Corporation of Hamilton has been a helpful and interested partner during our tenure there and I would like to publicly thank them for their support.”
Harbourside will continue to sell Plus Size fashions, Accessories and Home Decor items through the Christmas season. They also plan to open their popular Christmas shop at Harbourside later this month.
Harbourside will become Cooper’s clearance outlet in January and the company expects local customers will enjoy attractive sale prices on a myriad of goods and products for the month prior to closing.
This follows after news of other stores closing including All Wrapped Up in the Washington Mall, Carole Holding’s Front Street store, Foreign Cargo in Hamilton, and Crissons in St George’s. New stores have also opened, with four in St George’s opening their doors in recent weeks.
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- Crissons Announce Changes To Front St Stores | Bernews.com | October 18, 2012
…and Paula said that the Economy is getting better! Call the ELECTION!
Have to wait till her pension vests first.
Halloween anyone? Trick or treat from Paula. Now that’s a scary thought.
How many more?
Seriously this is out of control.
I’ve always wondered why they had 2 stores in town anyway. Never really made sense to me.
There is actually more than 2 stores in town mate. Men’s, the main store, harbour side
Only Brings Austerity??
What worse than this? Are you kidding me???
“ELECTION” ?
She’s off selling the island to the Arabs.
You watch……………..’Great things will be hapenning soon. Miinister Furbert and I………
Terry, more like to the Africans. We ALL know that is her fav place.
If the PLP wins (which we know won’t) she will get rid of Bermuda’s tides with the british in favor of africa. LOL
That remark was unnecessary, irrelevant, and borderline racist. In no way was it funny.
and the “recovery” continues….
oh my mo bermuda is going down
Why they had 2 stores isn’t the concern here buddy. The concern is that more and more stores are closing. I love shopping at A.S. Cooper and wish them all the best with their other locations.
I agree,love shopping at AS Coopers.
Cruise ships gone!!!! so will jobs!!!! You watch January – April 2013 more jobs will be lost from the retail stores on Front Street. There is no way these stores can afford to pay staff and all their utilities with no sales. Bermudians are in for some hard times for 2013.
@ Bermudian
Yes having 2 stores is also part of the concern or problem. When A.S. Coopers expanded several years ago, that meant additional costs to their overall budget. A cost that was either absorbed by the store or passed on to US the consumers.
When things get tight, as they are now, companies look at ways to save money.
So the obvious choice is to close a store and save on rent etc… while hoping that they dont have to lay off staff.
So please STOP the madness, more isnt always better.
Lol… ‘more isn’t always better’… let’s just hope people don’t think that when they hear Bermuda’s new marketing tag line ‘so much more’!
Sorry you have it all wrong.AS Cooper’s has tried very hard to give choice to all consumers.The problem is everything cannot fit under one roof,therefore they are in several Hamilton locations,employing several Bermudians.Hopefully they can also be of service to you “Man in the Mirror”in thier Men’s store where goods are sold as US Retail prices.How is that for good news.Looking forward to seeing you there.
@ Kathy, please carefully consider your clients (just who are you shopping for and what type of ambience are you presenting at that Harbourfront location?!). I’ve been there with women trying to shop there and that location presents itself as a massive bargain basement full of outdated styles and/or for a select few…
Please, look at the wonderful shopping experience presented at the other A.S. Coopers locations, even the men’s store looks better than the women’s fuller figure Harbourfront location. I’ve seen women express concern of the choices there, and endlessly requested change, even some staff have graciously stated of raising customers concerns in staff meetings, but what has happened? Have the clients been listened to?…
The way women love clothing, shoes and accessories, if you provide what they ask for at a reasonable price (and yes, some Coopers items are priced fair), women will shop to they drop! And don’t forget the comfy seating for the husbands! The Coopers on Reid St./Front St. And Men’s are both excellent, so please keep that standard at all locations!
So now where do us ‘larger’ ladies shop for nice and everyday wear? Dillard’s, Talbot’s, Lands End, L.L. Bean here I come!
don’t worry they are moving the large ladies department back to main store. All departments in one place. Makes perfect sense to me……
Ask Paula where she gets those outfits. Of course they may be strictly one-off designs.
@autumnfire–OUTDATED!!!have you checked Burberrys latest ,”old is new again” don’t hate..I went in that store and found a lot of things very reasonably priced but they were too big for me I was with a friend an didn’t realize I was in a plus size shop until I started look at some things caught my eye, what almost poked my eye right out was the decent prices !!I spent less than half my ace girl spent and got more than double what she did..Its called creativity!!!!I don’t wait for fashionistas to show me what to wear I create my own fashion and whatever it is thats wassup!!gonna miss my little secret shopping spot..those prices were off the chain!!!!thats what I called AFFORDABLE!
Coopers have been targeted and the hammer will fall on them just like Triminghams, Smiths, Bermuda Cement Company, KFC, etc.
Mmmm hmmmmm. Rebounding economy and all that, the people are REALLY standing strong eh? Tell that lie to someone who is now REDUNDANT.
Oh no! Sorry to hear. Don’t forget us big girls that you look after so well.
We wont.We will move the goods to our main store.Look forward to seeing you.
everyone complains about 40′s but without them how do we survive?
A week or so ago a Kool Aid drinker used A S Cooper as part of their list of Hamilton businesses still thriving , making money hand over fist.
About 3 weeks before that someone (no doubt labelled as an OBA/UBP hater) posted ,somewhere, that A S Coopers as being next to close down.
Guess who was right ?
Stop drinking Kool Aid , it interferes with your ability to see reality !
@ Kathy
I do shop at A.S.Coopers on a regular basis for my children.
The point i was trying to make is that sometimes when business’s expand it hurts their bottom line and unfortunately takes a toll. It is very unfortunate that A.S.Coopers will have to close this store, but if they are able to keep the staff employed by moving them to one of the other stores than its not a complete disaster.
I could be wrong, but I don’t think AS Cooper’s expanded, but instead chose to decentralize by placing different lines in other locations around town. It was more profitable to rent out a portion of the ‘Main Store’ building to businesses than house all of Coopers’ different lines in the same building. Not to mention, having lots of smaller stores in town gave Coopers a great deal more exposure. Calling this an “expansion” is not really accurate.
Yes you are wrong
I wouldn’t be surprised when after the election all these “struggling” stores remain open.
Here we go with “conspiracy” Bermuda style!
Are you that high that you think business people have nothing more pressing than trying to invent hard times?
What! 2 years of one business after another closing and you believe it’s all a sham?
Vote them back in again and watch the economic strike that will occur.
You think things are bad now, these are just appetizers for the full course coming
i wonder ….what if we go independant , sell ourselves to the arabs, sh!t 2billion dollars is jus coffee money for them….hmmm THEN WHAT???
Buy Bermuda people, it is our people that are employed in these business places. Last check Minister Blakeney said our economy is bouyant hhhhh he might be right a empty orange ball,lol.
STANDING STRONG FOR BERMUDIANS…..MY A**
This is sooooo sad! Here is another retail location closing due to declining sales. Bermuda is in trouble!!!!! We need more visitors & cruise ships in Hamilton!!! Are negotiations even under way to secure ships for Hamilton in 2013? Please everyone – Buy Bermuda and support our local retailers AND keep Bermudians employed!
Buy Bermuda – that is what the Premier and her delegation is overseas telling the Arabs. What she needs to do is stay to heck home, stop with the photo ops and look at what she is doing to ‘her’ Bermuda. I am sure E Brown is grinning bigger than the Cheshire cat – sick puppy.
Laverne where are you? Oh…running down to the water’s edge waiting for the Going Out Of Business Sale!!!
Why do people always say that places like Gibbons and Coopers sell at USA list prices? Nobody in the USA pays USA list. Example Dockers trousers $58 in Gibbons and $30 to $35 everywhere I go in the USA. If i buy 5 pairs that’s a $100 in my Dockers pockets. As I need them as part of my trip I don’t have to pay duty on them. Read the act. Anything incidental to my trip is not dutiable.
Duty free allowance
5A (1) The following goods may be imported into Bermuda by passengers arriving by air or sea without payment of duty—
(a) accompanied baggage consisting of wearing apparel and personal effects of every passenger, including articles for the personal use of such passengers whilst travelling;
I believe your interpretation of 5-1 A is a little loose. 5-1 D is for returning residents which is what I assume you are
Nowhere in the USA has to pay the additional ocean freight and duty that Bda business has to pay. No brainer.
Oh No!!! I worked for Coopers Harbourside during my summer and winter vacations all throughout college when I was home in Bermuda. This is so sad. There are so many wonderful ladies that work there that influenced me so much. I also enjoyed working with the accessories and other merchandise it was tiring but fun. O man.. so many memories gone.. I’m sorry to hear this. Having no cruise ships makes a huge difference to that location as well…