Computer City To Close, Nine Jobs Lost
Citing the “unprecedented economic conditions in Bermuda,” Computer City has confirmed they will be closing the business and all nine staff members will be losing their jobs. All the employees will receive severance packages beyond legal requirements. On Tuesday November 20th they will start their going‐out‐of‐business sale at their Victoria Street location, which will continue until all stock is sold.
The full statement issued by the Company follows below:
The recession has claimed another casualty. We regret to inform our loyal customers, suppliers and partners that due to the unprecedented economic conditions in Bermuda today, we are left with no choice but to close down the business.
While the company has been the recipient of 15 awards during the 12 years it has been in business, declining sales have left the shareholders of the company no option but to close the business.
All nine remaining employees will lose their positions – eight Bermudians and one non‐Bermudian. Five of the employees have been with the company for more than 10 years. All employees will receive severance packages beyond legal requirements.
We will be closed on Monday, November 19th for stocktaking. On Tuesday November 20th our going‐out‐of‐business sale will start, and will continue until all stock is sold. Store fittings and furniture will also be available for sale.
As of this date, we cannot accept any computers for repair or requests for special orders. Computers brought in for repair and left for more than 21 days will be sold to defray costs. The company will endeavor to complete all work in progress, subject to the availability of parts, but will not be starting any new projects.
If you have purchased equipment from Computer City that is covered by a manufacturer’s warranty, please be advised that your warranty is still valid, although Computer City will no longer be involved in providing the warranty service.
Please see our website for additional information, including contact information for the major brands that we have sold. For further information go to the company’s website at www.cc.bm, email info@cc.bm or phone 292‐1774.
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The economic recovery is killing us. I’m so glad that we have such a capable Government in the PLP. Another victim bites the dust.
Victim my tail. WTH are you talking about?
Either that place was in the worst location or poorly run.
or it was killed by Amazon.com
They were in business for twelve years !!!! If the location was the issue they could have moved.
Mix of online shopping and management, not to mention there are other stores with a much broader selection and way better prices and service…
Neither one duffs! I’m kinda thinking you have zero business experience
Government does not have nothing to do with the closure of computer city. perhaps if the workers didn’t blog all day on facebook —. and their prices weren’t so high, they would still be competitive.
I suppose going by your double negative you are saying the Government did have something to do with them going out of business.
Certainly going by the owners reference to the payroll tax increase being a point where they noticed a drop off in business, i would say yes, the PLP Government policies did have a bearing on the failure of the business.
For you to know they were blogging all day on Facebook – I assume you are guilty of the same.
Follow — and we may see where the business goes from here.
Another sign if the Paula Cox ‘recovering economy’ I suppose. A sad loss of a decent business.
Any minute now the party faithful will appear, to blame the closure on the management of the business rather than the PLP’s management of the economy.
merger they do it all the time. dig deep and see who will be the authorised dealers and bingo you will have your answer. all to make the ruling party look like crap.
Yes, it’s all a conspiracy. Close a business that supports many people, the owner, shareholders and staff just to make a statement. I know you don’t own a business by your ill informed statement.
Oh but he does own a business – selling homemade tin foil hats and clues to secret plans.
Merger????Authorized dealer???? That is what you really believe??? You know nothing about the business. They were not the sole dealer of any product line in Bermuda and so there is no benefit for them to merge with anyone.. Dell , HP, Apple, Lenovo and all the others are all sold by many companies locally so there is no value in those product lines. You can be assured that other companies that sold their products through CC will now be contacting other local suppliers to now represent their product lines. It doesn’t mean these companies merged with CC idiot.
You don’t merge an IT company and fire 100% of your sales, tech support. Think before you speak.!!!
Do you really believe this nonsense or do they pay you to write it?
What’s to believe, it is fact. Look it up Dawg! Use the Yellow pages or any of the other sources. Bermuda Microsystems, Quest, Smith Tech and many others are Dell Authorized Dealers or resellers and they (Dell) also sell direct to any end user so there is no real value in that dealership. Lenovo is also sold by BBM and others in Bermuda. HP is also sold by ICS,Complete Office, ACT, CCS, Redlaser, AF Smith, Stationery Store, and half a dozen others in Bermuda. No value there either Dawg! How about Apple, well that is sold by Complete Office, iClick, iCare, Redlaser, Gateways and a host of others, so no value there either? Maybe you are talking about APC? Uh nope no merger, resale value there either as they are sold by BESCO, CCS, Redlaser, Complete Office and lots of others all of which are dealers.
I actually know a bit about the subject as I work in the IT world. Unlike you, I am not brainwashed by PLP propaganda or educated by the talk shows. I check the facts and don’t talk just to hear myself talk. If I don’t KNOW what I am talking about, I listen , read , and educate myself.
Open your eyes DAWG, this was a good company and if you know anything at all about business, mergers and acquisitions – this is NOT how its done.
Sorry Dawg that comment should not have been directed at you. I looked at the wro.ng TAG
There you go. It is all part of the UBP secret plan.
not surprised to hear that guys…jus become a lil numb to this type of story…i feel like a new yorker….lol
hopefully anther business can capitalize from this and get more work ie; pc,repair…cause we all cant afford to buy new stuff right..? or maybe take on one of the technicians for the added work …yes?
Another one bites the dust, so sad.
Lord have mercy, I was told today that a very well known eatery is having hell to make ends meat……and will be closing down in the new year.
I like the ends of my meat between two slices of bread with lots of mayo and a slice of tomato … Pepper , don’t forget the pepper .
Yea right… They did a significant percentage of their business with government… What does hat tell you… We(where
I work) do business with these guys.. Gonna hate to say goodby…
I know of one restaurant / bar (in my building) on Front Street that was due to close its doors on Monday. They were shutting down and someone stepped in (the building owner) and decided to take over the restaurant to keep the staff employed. This building was a very well known UBP leader and if the idea was to let companies fail to make the ruling party look bad, then why do you think a UBP leader would step in and stop the big secret bogey man plan.
Sad news indeed.
It seems layoffs are accelerating.
Thanks to the PLP for bringing us this fantastic closing down sale just in time for Christmas. They’re doing a great job looking after this country.
WAKE UP BERMUDA!!!!! Eight more BERMUDIANS out of work!!! Now, PLP, what secrets have you been keeping from the public…the people who pay YOU??? I will changing my vote on December 17th!!!
So very sorry to hear about this . I aam a very contented customer of CC and will miss them.
This is awful, I’ve supported them through the years, service was great and great prices. Sad to see you guys go, I’m really sorry things did not improve.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY0WxgSXdEE
OK, this sounds a little fishy. How does the number 1 computer company, 4 weeks before the election start a press statement with, “The recession has claimed another casualty.”
Whats the real story here? Did they merge with another company? Is this election related, or is this just a poorly run business.
Have some empathy. These our people’s jobs and livelihood we are talking about, and you are slinging around conspiracy theories? If Mr. Clark could have remained open, he would have.
lol how are they the number one computer company?
Do you really think this closure is a fabrication; designed to generate a politically motivated sound byte?
BINGO! These conniving schemers think the rest of us are dumb as hell and can’t see the difference. They’ll do anything to gain power and if it means closing down businesses until the election is over they’ll do it. They’ll NEVER accept an authority other than their ownselves. They’re not closing down they’re attempting to close in. Scheming Devils!
Well, you would certainly know “dumb as hell”. I can see that.
You are a sick person to believe someone would go through the Hell of having to fire people and lose everything you have worked your heart, soul and life for to score a point.
Businesses are folding up by the dozen. It’s the economic conditions created by this government.
By the way, the ‘poorly run business’ routine is played out. It has become very predictable. You need a better excuse.
They will cut off their own nose to spite there face..
Yes the PLP have been doing this on a daily basis, without a care for us.
why not start with the truth. Maybe they are resentful towards the Government as their policies are somewhat responsible for their closing. What did you want them to open with…Make it Happen – Vote PLOP! Xpress yourself – vote PLP!
I wouldn’t have been as nice if that were them!!!
They should have opened with we tried to stand strong but the economic environment got in the way… This is sad news… They were a bunch of decent folk at this company. The economic woes are componded by poor public policy. we did not notice the poor policies when the global economy was booming, now we are feeling it and bad. Let us remind you PLP were warned and they ignored the warnings. The PLP has said recovery is on the way but they are standing strong and not changing the bad policies fast enough. As voters there is one thing we can change….
None of the above – just the result of a poorly fun government, chasing their customers and foreign investment away.
Don’t believe it could a result of the recession? Just check SAL run by a PLP man, and ask them why they let staff go. Because if it is poor management that is causing all of this, then Vance should resign from his constintuancy. Because, if what you say is true I don’t want someone that cant run a business responsible for running a country!
The problem is less the economy than the Bermudian’s unfortunate habit of assuming that they have to purchase everything overseas. Let this be a lesson Bermuda. Use it or Lose it. Buy Local if you want there to be a Local store left to buy from…..
well said buy bermuda
I agree as an employee at a local retailer I get frustrated that very often people buy overseas then bring their broken items to us and expect us to fix them, tell them how to use them and be their support, They don’t shop with us but want us to help with school raffle tickets, sponsorship of entertainment, sports teams. Buy Bermuda or say Good Bye Bermuda.
Agreed – good point
“Expect” you to fix them? Fixing is either a service you provide or you dont. Perhaps then you should set up a rule where you only repair items you sell. It is ridiculous that you would have an attitude toward the customer for trying to get service from you. Further, by educating and spending time with a person on how to use their item might actually encourage them to COME BACK AND BUY SOMETHING! ….. grumble grumble…. moron.
I didn’t say we always do fix them, I said people want us to, and they expect it done for free because we resell the same brand names. They also expect us to teach them how to use it after they have purchased elsewhere. I saw it all.
Dead Ringer, I know exactly what you mean. For me it’s not the request from people who are just hoping you can help, as it is (in my experience) those that ‘expect’ you to do it because you carry the same products.
Ive seen many customers try and return items they purchased overseas to the store I worked at or ask if we will give them a store credit on items purchased overseas. Yes some people actually have no shame asking. Ive seen others that wanted to know if we would warranty the items they purchased overseas. THey wanted us to take the financial loss or deal with warranty BS, even though they did not purchase locally, just because we sold some of the same name brand name items.
And Sue, I also see people with a mindset like you all the time. They buy EVERYTHING overseas and brag about it when they are in stores and the only time they come in is for help getting something fixed (under warranty) or to know if they coukld get some kind of item for free for a raffle prize, or to get sponsorship for some kind of local concert or event. When was the last time you saw Walmart, Sears, Costco, Amazon, Ebay or any of these companies donate items to a school raffle, sponsor a local function, or a sports team. So when you buy overseas, that is your right but expect that when that new TV, drill, computer, ipad, toy, game, cellphone, does not work out of the box, or you are to dumb to know how your new purchases work call Amazon or Ebay and let me know how you make out.
Let me say, I fully understand and support those people that purchase overseas when they can not find what they want locally or if the price locally is excessive. I get that! The above comments are directed at those that buy nothing locally and click online before they even try looking or pricing locally and then are the first to greet you with a letter asking for donations, prizes, gifts, advertising or sponsorship for their concert or event. Places like Computer City are asked to support the community often and Im sure they often did. How often did they get back, what they gave out to the community, Buy Bermuda or Bye Bermuda.
i have no problem shopping in bermuda but last april purchased an hp laptop at best buys for$599 what a shock when i saw the same lap top in a reid street store for$1200 see this happens every day.
You didnt pay $599? What about the sales tax in most places which is 7%. hat gets you up to $640. What about your dutyat 25%. That gets you up to $790. Lets add foreign exchange fee for converting from BDA to US $ and you are around $800 now. If you are going to try and make a point about what something cost and how much you saved, at least be fair and tell the whole story.
Assuming they have to or because they have to? How many different stores do you have to go to find what you are looking for? Trust me I try and buy locally as much as possible but if I can’t find what I’m looking for – I will get it from overseas. Add on the poor customer service as well. Stop assuming things.
I do a lot of IT purchasing for my company and Computer City was my preferred local business, albeit Red Laser has more selection (at times) and competitive prices.
But sometimes, I’m able to either get better pricing overseas AND availability/selections. For our company I have to make the best choice possible and cost is usually at the top of the list. The service at Computer City was great, we’ve even had them special order items when the quoted cost was at least comparable with US suppliers.
I’m very sorry to see them close, I won’t venture to guess what the problems were or what could’ve have been the solution as they would know what is best for their company. I only wish they could’ve stayed open.
I guess down sizing is out of the question…Something smells fishy here. Almost everyone has a computer. What’s up with that?
“there is nothing fishy here.” how many people are going to buy a new computer when they are worried about losing their jobs. Computers are a luxury not a necessary.
“almost everyone has a computer whats up with that?” your business skills are embarrassing. I suggest you do some research on break even points. SMH
Ah, here they come. The Blame The Victim crowd.
Like cockroaches.
Simple, it’s the feign campaign methodology. Pretend that your once thriving business had to shut down under a “blank” led Government. Show how incompetent they are until the real pros get back into power. Computer City doing their loyal part. Ya don’t fool me.
Comments like these are disgusting. Explain the hundreds of other business closures in the past few years? This business was the man’s pride and joy, and now you politicize it.
Sickening.
So I guess you know something we all don’t?? I guess Judge Dredd will be opening up a bunch of companies any day now.
Yup – just like Willowbank – a religious, not-for-profit hotel shut down to show up the qlq init?
And all those other hotels shut down or in receivership. Jus tryin to make the party look bad init?
Any minute now we’re going to have a new Park Hyatt and a Four Seasons and Marriott and a Mandarin Oriental. That’ll show the likes of Lantana, Sonesta, Elbow Beach, Belmont, Newstead, Coral Beach, Pink Beach. Business isn’t as bad as the OBAma team says it is. You can’t fool us. We drink the Kool-Aid. We know.
Do you know how much it costs to close down a company, pay massive redundancy cost, legal fees, pay off all your creditors etc? About 90% of the companies that close give back close to nothing to there shareholders once liquidation is over because that is how much money is left to divide – NOTHING!
And then not to mention the start up costs of any company. This is not some dude that purchased a lawn mover and is cutting grass for a living and decided that he has had enough. These are people that have invested time, money, and their personal lives to build a successful company which has been consumed by the current economics of Bermuda.
Please shut up and leave the grown folk conversations TO the grown folks!
It never ceases to amaze me the level of uneducated people that say anything and the even dumber ones that latch on to it and take it as truth! But then again, politics tends to bring even the most educated ones out to brainwash the uneducated gullible ones who believe and say anything.
It really is too early in the morning for stupid people honestly…
So Judge Dredd, based on your comments, why exactly do you think SAL let go a byunch of staff a few months ago. That company is run by a PLP candidate I believe in Smiths. That must mean he is part of secret plan, and he is working against the PLP to make them look bad!
Or could it be that the PLP , its ploicies, the economy, people and companies leaving and overspending has caused companies to lay off staff in order to stay afloat, in the HOPES that the future will be brighter.
You can not have it both ways!
Yes, and Judge Dredd why did Burt Construction close laying off 26 staff? Were they trying to stick it to the PLP? Or let me guess. It’s ‘different’ when a PLP owned business closes down.
Ask yourself, are you planning on buying a new computer if yours does not break? Where did you buy the last one. Are you buying online before buying local?
If this store would have moved to a more visible location as opposed to staying down in that basement and they offered more cutting edge products maybe they would have had a better chance to survive. PC’s, laptops and the like are dying out. Tablets are the new thing. The other suppliers have the market locked up so maybe they would have died a slow death anyway. It just goes to expose our arrogance as Bermudian businesses thinking that they do not have to offer what the people want just what they want to sell. Feel sorry for the workers but the management should be blamed , not the government……
Predictable. Blame the victim. Lame post. Try again.
That post makes alot of sense
No. The comment is lame. Dozens of businesses are closing down, and every time it’s blamed on ‘bad management’. It’s always bad management, is it? Nothing to do with the government.
you are so clueless with the world, are completely uneducated in business and yet your posting. Its quiet time now. Computer city has been in business for how long? If you knew the company you would have known they have done well to differentiate themselves from the competition, offer competitive products and reduce costs where they can in order to survive. People like you are really incredible. Maybe its part of the secret plan.!!!! lol jokes
what an idiot you are . they had a website (a good one) and they delivered. location had nothing to do with it.
Their location was no problem for me, even though I run an office in the centre of town. I could place an order online with Computer City and it would be delivered the same day. Their location was presumably at a lower rent than being in the centre of town. They will be a great loss to the business community.
No, don’t try again. Go back to sleep and wake up next year when, hopefully, you will have gained some business acumen. But I doubt it!
Except they did business with companies as well. PC’S and laptops aren’t dying out, how many businesses do you know that are all run off tablets?
Yeah I run all my access DBs and spreadsheets off tablets… sad so sad…
Have you seen where red laser is located or Bermuda Paint or Pemroke Paint. They find a cheap enough place that is not so out of the way. CC was in a decent spot. All these arm chair executives. A lot of the IB jobs moved away they did not disappear the work is still being done just not in Bermuda. Those IB jobs supported the economy, do not blame the recession, these job did not terminate they moved to a more hospitable and stable environment. You have a choice on 17 December use it don’t abuse it.
Computer City has been very proactive with their internet sales model and I thought they would be one of the last standing. I am shocked at this news. I don’t know what to say. I know they werent on main street, but that should have helped their cost model, and they werent exactly in the boonies. I have shopped there many times.
This one is a shock to me.
I agree with your post. A shock to me to as I go there because they are not right in town. So sad to see another company closing.
There will be more closures leading up to Christmas and even more in the new year. We must turn things around and bring hope back to our island. What a depressing turn of events.
I have done business with computer city for many years, and found their, choce, customer service, reliability and management to be excellent. So sorry to hear they are going. The location didn’t matter, the service was better than anywhere else. Good luck to everyone who is negatively affected.
The plps platinum period is real sweet now huh? Can’t hear ya all na?
I hear that there will be a big retailer closing next yr very sad.
Anyone who thinks Computer City has shut down for political reasons needs to talk to the ex employees. Wait until the Civil Service has to shut down because a “computer glitch” prevents salaries being paid. Quite simply, there is no money and what little there is is being rationed out. Get close to a top Civil Servant and listen to their Blackberry. “Computer glitch” means no cash, trying to make some available. There have been many “computer glitches” recently and they are getting worse. Good luck to anyone who has any dealings with Government.
I’m so sad to hear this! I have been a loyal CC customer for years. I have specifically not bought overseas because CC has great staff, who know their products, give advice before purchasing, service what they sell, and their prices have been very reasonable. I’m glad I got in my hardware upgrade from them before this terrible news. Craig, I’m very sorry to see this happen to you and your staff.
I’m also shocked at the bonehead idiots who paint this as a conspiracy before the election. You obviously know nothing about the complexities of business. If only a brain and a conscience were prerequisites for having a mouth.
Sorry to hear this. I had nothing but good service from them. All the best to everyone who worked there.
Very sad to see another business close and Bermudians out of work. This Island needs to move in the right direction fast. Noone wants to spend money right now, especially with an election looming over us. From what I hear people are holding onto their money to see if Government changes on December 17th. Says alot!!!!
This is pretty simple. Fewer people on the island = less demand for computers = someone’s going to close. It happened to be these guys. With fewer people, the weakest companies in every industry are getting closed, whether it’s grocers, furniture, restaurants, or computers. The only people immune work for government… which certainly isn’t cutting back.
Fewer people on the island? Are you blind?!? The only ones immune work for government? Government workers have been made redundant as departments have been scaled down! What parallel universe are you living in? Get the correct information before you post.
What “Government workers have been made redundant”. You’re talking sh!T. No government workers have been let go. Not one. Not even if they are incompetent asses. Not even if they turn up late and drunk every day. The PLP dares not fire a sinlge one of them. They are bought and paid for votes.
Government workers made redundant???? Where? When? What government departments have been scaled down? I have seen offices move to other locations? I have seen departments and ministries change by description and staff Move to another department but when did these redundancies occur? Staff at all department definately have less to do now, but I haven’t heard of any one being let go. Please educate us and send us a copy of the press release!
Still waiting DIVA or anyone else out there to reply. Where did these government redundancies take place? Anyone, anyone???
More PLP spin!
Sad. Not only is there 9 people out of work, but nine less people contributing to payroll tax, social insurance & 1 less immigration fee . . . and that is Government’s loss! Hamilton will be losing revenue too . . . 9 less lunches being bought, no city tax, no parking fees (staff & customers), etc. Some people just don’t get it that when a business closes, it is a knock on effect that hurts all of us . . . And Paula Cox thinks we’re in a recovery, pure BS!
No Paula doesn’t think we’re in recovery. Paula thinks that she can fool us into thinking that we are in recovery and obviously it’s working for a huge sector of stupid people as observed by the dumb a__ posts on this blog alone!
Stupid really comes in packs…
Thank you for the kind words and support of our loyal customer bases. I am one of the staff members that will be affected by the closure. I am also one of the long serving employees that have dedicated over 10 years of service to the company and its customers. As many of my coworkers will tell you it was a very rewarding and enjoyable experience dealing with the loyal customer base. Over the years we have developed many personal and professional relationships with many of you. I am going to miss my co-workers as we formed a great team. I just hope I enjoy going to work every morning in my next job as much as I did at Computer City. I now begin seeking employment with the many other fellow Bermudians out of work.
Let me kill some of the rumors and conspiracy theories.
The Company is closing doors due to the current economic climate. The directors wanted to ensure they were able to meet their financial obligation to the staff on winding up. At this point the forecasts just do not show an end to this economic climate any time soon. Any further delays could make it difficult to meet the obligations laid out in the employment act. Computer City is not involved in any political scandals just the free trade market. We are not merging with any other company and we are not naïve about our client’s wishes. We do (or did) run a special order website as us and we brought it in. We have been selling tablets for years, did you never look at our website. Our special order site gives you access to over 200,000 product items available from our suppliers. We only have so much space to store merchandise and stocking merchandise is also costly, we are not the US. We don’t get deferred taxes and we are not paying pennies on the square foot. We don’t have a 400 store chain of locations that provide us the negotiating power of Best Buy or Amazon.
We did reduce and downsize as much as humanly possible. Many of the staff took on multiple roles, but at the end of the day there are a finite number of bodies required to run the day to day operations. As much as we cut expenses the sales volumes continued to decline.
Would we have liked to been able to offer the 600.00 Amazon deals, Sure. But what people don’t understand is how much it takes to run a business in Bermuda. You think your payroll deductions are high, you should see what a company’s portion is. People complain the cost of housing. Do you know the cost of retail space? How hard would it be if you were paying 13,000+ a month rent and your other taxes on top of that? To give you a perspective, every month I stood on one square foot of tile, the cost was 55.00 a month.
We have looked for viable space for a number of years. The closer you get to Front St. the higher the $$ rent. The higher the rent, the higher the overhead, the more the consumer has to pay for the product to keep us afloat. We chose to give the better price and attempted to stay where we were. The relocation cost would have also been quite significant in just upgrading the infrastructure requirements to handle our power consumption alone.
Dead Ringer: I know where you are coming from. We fixed many an overseas purchase and were happy to do so for a fair price. But we did have a number of clients come in with their purchases that expected us to do it for free and have it ready in an hour. Never mind the customer ahead of them who did Buy Bermuda. I am going to end it here and I hope that I answered some questions. Others will believe what they will. So if you don’t believe me, there is some more retail space opening up for rent. Take it and I honestly do wish you the best of luck.
Thanks again to the kind comments and the loyal customers. I also need to point out that these are my personal feelings and opinions. I am not the official spoke person for the company. But if you have any questions, please give the office a call on Tuesday and they will be answered.
Thank you for your answers, perhaps the idiots will now rethink their beliefs, but don’t hold your breath.
You and your colleagues are shinning examples of what Bermudian service used to be like and should become again. I hope that all of you find employment soonest. Good luck and wishes!
Well said and thank you.
Nice!
There will be room for the new PLP computer screens they are secretly planning pon churning out.
its basically a black screen with You owe 25,000+ USD$ and everyone can sit there in front of it and read the ongoing debt…
lol..
then for your entertainment on the government channel you can watch the intricate OBA political machine sending in Martians and Venusian from planet Muldar to shoot you with ray guns they captured from the Frengii…lol
it is such a shame and sham this government…
Ditto!
Helped me out of many an I.T.problem.
Hats off to you all and best wishes for the future.
I went to their website and visited the store…not the best location but a great website…and found them very helpful and bought a laptop and other accessories…..a horrible week for lost jobs in Bermuda…Butterfield with 56 people Flagstone with 20 and now CC with 9 almost all Bermudians 85 jobs gone with not much hope for finding a new one….a change is needed and this is the last chance….
By your words this appears to be a horrible story but let’s break it down a second. The 56 bank of butterfield employees were between 56 & 65 and were offered “early retirement” packages where they will receive full pension. The bank has long indicated they are trying to lower the age of their workforce through attrition. Whether right or wrong this is the position the bank has chosen to take. Flagstone is or was recently purchased by Validus Re as with any free market conditions Validus felt it was a good buy. The employees of Flagstone (those not needed by Validus) were let go as normal.
If you take those numbers out of the equation then we are back to the unfortunate nine of Computer City. I thank the employee for his candid explanation but heres I few points I have to add. You mention that Bermuda is an expensive place to do business, but hasn’t it always been expensive. Did we just wake up and the cost skyrocketted? I’m sure your shareholders knew this so to blame the economy is strange to me. Everyone knows economies everywhere are cyclical and have ups and downs. We are now in the down cycle but it also has the natural ability to turn around and will be good again in spite of the nay-Sayers no matter who the government of the day is. Now let’s go political for a second….. Do you all really think that if the OBAMA are elected they will automatically produce jobs? If your answer is yes then you are just as sick as your posts suggests. There will be further business closures after election and you won’t see much improvement for quite some time. I have faith because we as Bermudians used to be resilient and used to take the good with the bad. Anyway I await you alls dialogue. This is fun making you look dumb…….
“Obama” is supposed to read OBA. Spell check on my iPad sucks sometimes. Lol.
All economies are cyclical yes that is true. Our economy isnt going downhill because the demand for cars, oil, gold or any other commodity has gone away. Thirteen years is a long down down hill turn to this cycle. The first to leave was STW I believe an they have been leaving ever since. Not closing, they are leaving or moving departments overseas. We are not spending a huge portion of our money on a war in the middle east like the USA! Our recession is caused by those we elected, and I say we because I voted for the PLP once myself!
Our economy is suffering because the PLP and its policies, outbursts and rants have caused commpanies to move businesses to other locations. They are still doing business but now they are doing it in other countries have said WELCOME, WE WANT YOUR BUSINESS, the PLP said PAY TO PLAY! So they have left. Its a self inflicted would! Others that would have looked at Bermuda before are now saying, not right now, let me go elsewhere where I can hire good experienced staff and keep them and not be forced to let go staff. Who wants to let go a good staff member , maybe to te competition? Doing business in Bermuda has become a HR nightmare.
All those business people had family and friend visit while here. Visiting business people ate, drank and slept in our hotels. Less businesses here equals less foreign investment, less workers, less bed nights, less tourism, emptier hotels and so on.
They should have offered flexible terms with conditions….I went in there once with $2000 saw a computer I liked and asked if they do layaways?..no….I asked than if I could pay the $2000 and set up a standing order for the rest? No….so while I did try and shop Bermuda I ended up ordering online….now I know not every business can make exceptions…but every now and than you have to …..not saying this is an option that would have worked for them but now they will never know because they didn’t try it….
Sorry about the loss of jobs…..
CC did in fact have a 90 day layaway plan.
That was not what I was told…if I was told yes when I asked I would have purchased it there ….so I don’t know what happened there…?????
This is so sad. I have been a customer of CC for many years and always felt I received good service and value, given that we live in Bermuda. We have such a big opinion of ourselves, but let’s not get too blown up! We live on a beautiful island, wth relatively few people (most small towns are bigger) so it is expensive to get anything here and we don’t have the numbers to benefit from volume discounts. It is unfair to compare shopping in Bermuda with shopping overseas, and the retailers here do good job of price and selection given the Bermuda reality. And, here is another reality, every time we shop on line or overseas for something we can get here, we are putting another nail in the Bermuda coffin. Time to stop complaining and start being supportive.
This is sad (because of the jobs) BUT they were way to expensive.
They had nice people working there indeed but the days of selling $3000 Dell PCs when you can get a better PC for $1500 is over!
We have Dell PCs for under $1300.00 and laptops for under $900.00
And then you have Brown and Co with 10 times the square footage in the middle of town selling cards and nic-nacs are able to stay in business, while a vital business like Computer City can’t make it with costs cut to the bone. What kind of sweet-heart deal did E Brown get from HSBC to get that space so cheap? Something stinks.
Exactly what I was thinking! The crap in that store is monumental. If Trimmies and Smiths couldn’t make it selling quality merchandise then how does EB&Co stay in business selling knick knacks made in China?
First and foremost, i feel sorry for teh people who are losing their jobs at this time of the year. Timing couldnt be worse for them.
As a business owner, why couldnt they wait until after Christmas for their big announcment. Since it seems the plan was to close wasnt an overnight decision, they could have reduced the prices of stock and even had a sale ot two leading up through Christmas.
It seems to me, with the recent closings that the owners are trying to stick it to the Government, where really its their workers who are losing out.
I am always amazed that these same people who were making lots of money even from contracts from the same Government, now want to cry foul.
I guess you never heard of saving for a rainy day
“I guess you never heard of saving for a rainy day.”
Neither has this Government, apparently.
Stop Complaining, you should come down town and make a payroll some week, then you can talk.
Obviously you’ve never run a business in your life.
You think they close a business, pay redundancy to 9 employees, to “stick it to government”?
What freakin planet are you on.
By the way, your lovely PLP government never heard of saving for a rainy day. Spend spend borrow borrow spend spend. That’s all they know about.
Ever thought it could have something to do with a lease or contract renewals or fear that they would not make money this Christmas season? They are in business to make money, not keeping people employed. Maybe they have saved for a rainey day, its been puring now for much of the last 4 years now! Did you want them to loose everything they have saved and worked for! Or did you not understand the part about meeting their legal obligations to the staff while they still have money?
My condolences to the staff of Computer City.
On the topic of Buy Bermuda – I moved to the island in June and have desparetly been trying to buy a DVR / Tivo unit on the island. Cablevision have not had them in stock and the only other retailer I have been told did have Tivo units, Electronic City, has not had them for several months as well.
I’ll be traveling to the U.S. next week and will get one there, but I would really like to Buy BDA before then if anyone has any suggestions.
M&M and Satronics I guess. However, becareful when buying a TIVO. I don’t remember what the issue is with them but I kind of remember someone telling me that only certain models worked here.
We had to decieve you.
You have been.
So F*&^ off.
Having read all the comments here, this is one frustrating island that needs to join hands, come together and take one step at a time.
Time for change.
Can you lend me a quarter?
That what happens when you charge $2500 for a $500 laptop that you can get online for $350. I’m so sick n tired of businesses blaming the economy for having to close! Maybe if you didn’t have a such unreasonable markup up on your prices people may actually buy their computers from your store and you wouldn’t be closed! Sorry Computer City but I have no sympathy for you. Deuces!
Another genius blaming the victim.
Can you let us know where you got your business degree? I want to know where to avoid sending my kids. There are enough morons around.
@Yes I said it. And what exactly do you do for a living!? Are you a lawyer that charges $200 and hour for the same service that I can get in the US for $45 an hour. Are you a construction worker that get paid $35 an hour for the same work someone in the US does for $14. Are you a truckdriver that charges $150 to deliver the same package from the Airport to Hamilton that Fed Charges $25 to ship overnight from Caliornia to New York? Are you a plumber that charges $75 an hour to fix the same dripping faucet that I can get fixed in the US for $25 an hour? Are you an electrician that charges $70 an hour to change an outlet that would cost me $16 an hour in the US. I don’t know what youu do for a living but I hope for our sake you are NOT an economics teacher, or any kind of teacher for that matter. I don’t know what you do for a living but I can guarantee you one thing you have never run (or never will run)a successful business in Bermuda or anywhere else based on your knowledge of business.
You want to work in Bermuda and get paid big bucks at any job but you don’t want others in retail to make decent wages as well? You want to take, take take from your employers and get paid 3-4X plus benefits when compared to your fellow worker in the US but you don’t want to pay 2X more for an item even knowing that most items are imported at high freight costs as we must ship by air or sea. Then they get charged at 22.25% duty , plus warfage, high wages, high rent, payroll atake at 12% , pension, insurance, social insurance, gas, electricity etcc… I will bet you work for governement. Thank computer city for paying for you wage all this time. Idiot
Nicely said Waldo.
The shops here pay much higher prices for their goods than anywhere in the US and they have a fraction of the shopper base. Also please remember retail stores pay tax on everything they bring in whether they sell it or not, so they are big contributors to the economy with exposure to greater risk than a store in the US where the tax is put on the customer at point of purchase.
I will also mention I know of two more stores waiting until after Christmas to announce closing and that is nothing to do with the election election either.
Many leases for retail are schedules after Christmas so see more dominoes falling in the New Year no matter who wins. The damage is done and Bermudian businesses are bleeding and reaching collapse. Town was dead on Saturday. That is what happens when 6,000 workers/customers leave the island. Thank the PLP and shake their hand if you voted for them. Then poke yourself in the eye with a pencil when you get home if you vote for them again.
Rarely but only rarely it turns out to be worthwhile shopping here. Example: A few weeks ago we were looking for a stainless steel shower caddy. Went into a Lowes in NC, nope not in stock. Closest store with it was a couple hours away & not in the direction we were going. After trying Bed Bath & Beyond & a couple of Walleys the next Lowes we stopped at was Dover DE. Nope, out of stock there too. Tried a Home Depot nearby. All they had was a display caddy which was not going to be removed.
Back to Bermuda empty handed till a chance visit to Gorhams yielded the same caddy as Home depot for about 50% more. Bought it. A pleasant surprise in both availability & price.
Next time dont come back ty in advance.
What all these pumped up “it’s a rip off buying in Bermuda” idiots won’t accept is this. There is no income tax in Bermuda, yes payroll tax but not the same. Salaries tend to be significantly higher in Bermuda than the minimum wages in the USA. Add in shipping costs, more Bermuda workers to be paid, customs duty etc, more Bermudians to be paid, and it’s no wonder the items are more expensive here.
Sure buy away, but then don’t complain when you find yourself out of a job here in Bermuda, because you have just been let go because of people buying in the USA.
Retail is not easy anywhere now with the internet, but remember you may not think your job is affected by buying off Island, but it most certainly is likely to be, even if you work currently work for Government.
It is not so much the prices, but yes they can be outrageous too often, it is the service & attitude in the stores that really irritate. Case in point only yesterday when out trying to buy a new washer. You would think that salespeople, who are most likely on commission, would be all over potential customers to make a sale. Not so in all except one place. Guess who is going to get the sale even though they are not the cheapest.
Sad to see Computer City closes it doors. Hope the staff will be able to be absorbed into the business community. The company I work for did most of our shopping for computers and supplies there. I shop there as well. Just bought a laptop, some software, a APC battery backup,printer ink and some other consumables. And I shopped there because certain other competitors prices are rediculious (because they are in the centre of Hamilton so their expenses are a lot higher.)or do not carry the items I required. Guess I will have to pay more.
The economy is recovering….my A$$$
Oh look another company that couldn’t evolve. If it wasn’t for the government banning American franchise all of the other local business would have perished too. Why, because they to fail evolve. Why do companies operate here and fail to offer new products, only open during 9:00am to 5:00pm. I stopped shopping at computer city about 10yrs ago and I’m a computer enthusiast. Oh well.. I hope they all perish so we can finally get 2012 service.Another company that couldn’t evolve. if it wasn’t for the government banning American franchize all of the other local business would have been perished. why?? cause they they to evolve. Offering the same sh!tty service since the beginning of time.
They did evolve.
They had the best website ordering system I have seen on the island with full inventory and pricing available.
I have no idea why they closed but it wasnt for lack of evolving vs other Bermuda companies that dont have the IT capability to do so cost-effectively.
Bermuda businesses can’t really offer online shopping for they never know how much it will cost them to get goods here. Shipping is very expensive and depending on volume every shipment costs more or less. Shippers have a “extra” column that covers their costs but the shop can’t just tell you it cost $30 more for the $50 dollar item. The shop in the U.S. gets free ground shipping in the U.S. How does the local shop compete with that?
The answer is that the shop stocks less and less and only items it can order in bulk and before you know it the shopper says they have nothing and they don’t know what they are doing. Shop starts losing money and closes.
Survival of the fittest but really survival of the land-owners for any shop renting now is on the clock to close.