By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

A Bahamian merchant has shuttered its retail store after more than 50 years in business as part of a restructuring that now sees it providing reduced services remotely.

Albury’s Locksmithing, located on Shirley Street next to the Dundas Centre for the Performing Arts, has moved to sell-off its windows, awnings and other products as part of the transition to providing locksmithing and safe services without a physical location

The company was founded by Jason Albury and his wife, Martha, and inherited by their daughter, Melissa Roberts, and her husband, Dallas, upon their passing. Mr Roberts told Tribune Business that, although difficult decision, the retail store’s closure “had to be done”. He explained that the move was driven by a combination of decreased business following the COVID-19 pandemic and tax-related reforms and increases introduced by the Government.

“Albury’s Locksmithing has closed down,” Mr Roberts said. “We kept the same number but that company actually doesn’t exist any more. It was several things. It was coming. Actually, you know, we probably should have transitioned sooner, like before.

“But it was something that had to be done, something we had thought about, but didn’t do, but it was something we had to do. The pandemic had something to do with it along with the many, many tax forms we have now. Also, it was time for a change for my wife as well; she’s in a different line of work now.”

Mr Roberts Albury’s has streamlined its business offerings and now exclusively provides locksmithing and safe services remotely through a new company, Albury’s Lockmasters.

He said: “The Albury’s Locksmithing brand has closed down. We used to be another company for the window side, but that kind of merged several years back into one company, and we had windows, locks, safes, screens and all that stuff. But we no longer do any kind of screen or shutter or window work. It transitioned from Albury’s Locksmithing to Albury’s Lockmasters, and we only do locksmithing and safe work.”

Albury’s Locksmithing is the latest of several well-known and long-standing Bahamian retailers, such as City Markets, Taylor Industries and John S George, to cease operating. Mr Roberts said that while the transition happened faster than expected, all former employees have found new jobs. Albury’s Lockmasters will operate as a mobile business, with significantly lower overheads and costs.

Mr Roberts said: “I mean, it kind of happened quicker than we would have planned or liked, but it happened fairly quickly. Some things are out of our control and we were not able to transition it over a longer period of time.

“As far as I know, several of them got jobs very quickly, but basically all of have been re-employed; some in them similar work, some in different lines. There’s no location at this time, it’s only mobile. So like how you see other mobile locksmiths around town without a storefront, that’s how we’re operating now.”

Mr Roberts added that although a buyer has agreed to purchase the majority of Albury’s Locksmithing’s inventory, individuals wishing to acquire certain items can do so by appointment only.

He said: “Sometimes I’ll be there, and some people have stopped by and I’ll help them out with something if it has to do with locks or to cut a key or whatever quick, but nobody is at the Shirley Street place any more. We’re still moving stuff out of there and several people have bought quite a bit of the window-type stuff.

“We have a little bit of some of the shutters, but it would have to be specific. There’s still a few things they were trying to sell off but we don’t really have a large variety of stuff like that. And we’re not doing installation, so they will have to find materials and either have someone else do it or install it yourself.

“But someone is actually buying in bulk, like the windows, screens and all that type of stuff, which is basically spoken for. Some lock items are still there to sell by appointment only if persons want to look at something if it’s available.”