Managing Director of Island Services BVI Ltd, Ms Nelda Farrington-Brydon said the store has lots of items on discount prices as part of the store's Back to School Promotions this year. Photo: VINO

Many persons are already flooding the store to ensure they do not lose out on the special offers. Photo: VINO

Discount school supplies available at Island Services. Photo: VINO

There is currently a 20% discount on all backpacks at Island Services BVI Ltd in Pasea. Photo: VINO

School supplies available at discount prices at Island Services BVI Ltd, Pasea. Photo: VINO

Discount school supplies available at Island Services. Photo: VINO

Discount school supplies available at Island Services. Photo: VINO

Discount school supplies available at Island Services. Photo: VINO

Discount school supplies available at Island Services. Photo: VINO

Discount school supplies available at Island Services. Photo: VINO

Discount school supplies available at Island Services. Photo: VINO

Discount school supplies available at Island Services. Photo: VINO

Discount school supplies available at Island Services. Photo: VINO

Discount school supplies available at Island Services. Photo: VINO

The company has been in business for some 47 years and counting and with its 50^th anniversary on the horizon; it has been upping its game to remain in the competitive market despite the global economic challenges.

Walking into Island Services BVI Ltd at its Pasea location, one will only be greeted by an atmosphere of discounts, bargains and a friendly service that would encourage persons not only to shop but to do so in much comfort. It should be said at this time that the rush is now on for backpacks, which are going like hot cakes given the 20% discount on offer.

The company is expanding into a new direction. “We are first and foremost an office supply store but as we grow more we see a demand for different products in arts and craft, with educational toys and more computer supplies and so in those areas we have expanded. We saw that the market is responding to those areas and we try to look for products that are meaningful and properly priced,” said Ms Farrington-Brydon during an exclusive interview with Virgin Islands News Online.

This new academic year comes with much thought for the parents, schools and teachers who are, like the rest of the territory, faced with the financial challenges of the economy today. Cognizant of this fact, Islands Services has packaged a number of special offers that are geared to work in the favour of everyone, especially with the school supplies.

“We have a wide range of specialty school supplies, everything from the geometry sets to the scientific and grafting calculators. We have electronic dictionaries,” she pointed out.

Special consideration has been given to children who have been complaining of having the heavily loaded back packs to carry on a daily basis. “So we decided to bring in the electronic dictionary this year, whether it’s the Spanish translator or the English thesaurus. Its light weight and some of them have over five hundred thousand words and the Spanish translation that they can just pack in their back packs or even carry in their purse,” explained the managing director. “Some slightly bigger than a credit card some of them are the size of a phone,” she further explained.

There are many items that are presently being discounted for the back to school promotion currently on at Island Services. “Because we know that everybody needs to stretch their dollars and if somebody is patronizing your business it’s our way of giving something back.”

Ms Farrington-Brydon said they are currently encouraging schools to work with them as at the end of the day they would be able to give even bigger discounts and donations. “Right now we give donations to all the schools. Last year what we did was to give the most improved student for every school a designer backpack filled with school supplies. This year we decided to do computers to the schools. The schools that shop the most will get computers,” explained Ms Farrington-Brydon.

Competitive pricing is one thing that is sure when shopping at Island Services, according to the managing director. She said the business has been doing its best to stay at the cutting edge of the market to reduce the frequency of persons heading off island to do their shopping. “At the end of the day we have done the comparisons, you add your shipping, traveling expenses,  duties, transportation and your time and you  would see that you would save so much at our store right here,” she said.

“We have proven this over and over again and we are very proud to say that we know for a fact that our prices are indeed competitive with off island shopping,” she added with confidence.

The special offers, sales and discounts that are being afforded by Island Services BVI Ltd are expected to get even better as it gets closer to celebrating its 50^th anniversary. According to Ms Farrington-Brydon, the business has matured to such a stage that it has been successful at devising strategies to ensure it maintains its staff compliment, provide a competitive service to customers and at the same time expand the services offered at the store in the face of the economic challenges facing the Virgin Islands today.