Latest update November 8th, 2024 1:00 AM
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Scores flock Giftland Mall as hiring begins
One of the country’s biggest malls has started hiring with several openings available.
An overhead shot of the Giftland mall that is set for a November opening.
The mega-mall, owned by Giftland OfficeMax, has been under construction since 2009 and is slated to open in November.
The recruitment started in earnest yesterday at the Liliendaal facility with Giftland eyeing up to 200 jobs for its main store and another 100 for the mall. The on-the-spot hiring and interviews will continue today and end tomorrow at the site. Scores turned out for an opportunity to work.
By June next year, says Chief Executive Officer, Ian Ramdeo, another 100 more is expected to be hired. In total, the entire mall is expected to see more than 1,500 jobs created inclusive of the concessions being rented to private operators.
There is space for 120 concessions with more than half of the floor space already rented out. “Because of the ambience we are seeking to create, we are of course very selective in choosing the concessionaires who have applied for space,” the CEO said.
Among the junior and senior positions available will be clerical and managerial positions in sales; marketing; finance; warehousing, administration; human resources and procurement.
“We are not only offering full time jobs, but there will be opportunities for evening and weekend shifts,” Ramdeo disclosed.
In addition to 18 concessions in the food court, the mall will be offering eight screens in the movie theater facility…all 3-D ready, exciting news for Guyanese who were without any modern movie theaters for years until Princess Hotel, at Providence, opened its two screens. Princess is unable to keep up with the crowds which have to book tickets in advance for movies.
An applicant being interviewed.
The entire Liliendaal project is costing the retail store about $4B to build and will offer restaurants, a clothing store and everything else that the current Water Street Giftland operations has at the moment. It will be one of the biggest investments by locals in recent times.
Several prominent franchises like Camex Restaurants Inc. which controls Church’s Chicken, Mario’s Pizza and Quiznos, are already on board.
The mega-mall is being financed through support from commercial banks as well as two private investors and will boast escalators, elevators with parking for over 600 cars. A bus terminal and valet parking will also be available.
Giftland is also working to have available banking services like the ATMs, beauty salons, barbershops, spas, postal and bill payment services.
The mall will reportedly be the largest of its kind in Guyana – a little over 170,000 square feet.
The 10-acre plot of land was acquired by Giftland OfficeMax in 2007, through the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest), but construction did not commence until 2009.
The project is an ambitious one itself as it is moving the traditional retail business out of the city, something that once could not be contemplated. However, congestion and parking have in recent years become some of the biggest problems in the city, forcing businesses to look at options.
Giftland itself has been growing in leaps and bounds with its clothing and household items.
A few major companies, like Gafoors, have also successfully ventured out of the city.
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