In an effort to combat competition from online retailers, Ammars is investing more than $40 million to refurbish its Constant Spring branch and to change the image of the store, while improving the shopping experience.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer, owner of the Ammar’s chain of fashion stores, Michael Ammar Jr, indicated that while the stores are renovated every 10 – 12 years, this time renovations will be done extensively.

“Online has affected every single retailer in the world and there are some categories that online has taken over all together, and those categories are difficult for brick and mortar retailers to compete with. However, because we are in the fashion business, people still want to come [to the stores] and fit clothes, see and touch the clothes and see what type of fabric it is,” Ammar told Sunday Finance.

“We’re looking for a total face lift. [The store] will be very spacious, comfortable, clean and calm so when [customers] come to the store they can take their time to browse and really see the merchandise,” he continued.

Major changes include the replacement of the retail chain’s familiar blue carpets to vinyl tiles, the restructuring of the departments to enable convenient shopping, larger and modern changing rooms, bright light systems, video boards and the repositioning of the cashiers — who will no longer be in the middle of the aisles, but rather to the side to allow free movement of customers and more space for items to be displayed.

“The whole plaza has just been redone, whereas before we were bright and shiny and [the plaza] was dull, now we were a little dull and it was bright and shiny. We are the leaders in apparel and retail in Jamaica so we have to set the trend, and we’re doing it,” Ammar stated.

“We are trying to make coming to the store an event, so it’s not a hassle to buy a shirt to go to a party. When you come you’re going to see and hear things, just the whole experience and that’s more than just buying a shirt,” he reasoned.

Ammar further indicated that the retail chain does have plans to offer its products on an online platform.

“We are in the process of making a website, which will launch sometime next year. We will be doing a look book first, where customers will be able to view all of the items Ammar’s offers, contact us, purchase and pick up at the store,” he revealed.

He added that Ammar’s is also considering the appropriate course of action to enable customers to buy items and have them delivered.

According to him, the store will not employ additional employees to their current staff of 56, however, he asserted that while the new layout of the store will make it easier for shoppers to shop by themselves. The store requires a certain amount of staff per square foot to ensure that customers can be assisted.

Renovations are expected to be completed before the end of November in time for the Black Friday shopping spree.

Ammar’s, a department store that offers a wide a range of apparel, accessories and housewares products, operates from two other locations — King Street in downtown, Kingston and the Sovereign Centre on Hope Road.