MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Inspired by the need to provide options to women in purchasing luxury handbags locally, Tavanchee opened its doors recently on Bankhouse Mall here.

Tavanchee is owned and operated by returning resident Andre Dyer.

Johanna Gardner, vice-president of Tavanchee, told the Jamaica Observer that the company chose Mandeville to be its first and flagship store.

“Mandeville is continuously developing. We realised that there was a market for [luxury handbags] here. We saw that both young and older women want luxury handbags, so we felt that Mandeville would be our start,” she said.

She said that based on her analysis consumers have experienced poor-quality handbags from some merchants.

“We offer luxury handbags and accessories, so [Tavanchee] was really formed because we have a need, [because] there is a lot of … Low-quality [items on the market]. We figured that ladies, they need something that is of good quality. Ladies love handbags, ladies love to shop. Handbags make the perfect gift and we thought that would be the ideal product to bring to the table and to bring to Mandeville,” she said.

She added that the company is focused on becoming popular in Jamaica and has plans to expand regionally.

“We are looking to expand into other Caribbean islands to create, like, a franchise,” said Gardner.

When asked about the price range of the luxury handbags, Gardner explained that the items are made of genuine leather.

“We have bags ranging from about $14,000 up to $40,000, because we do have genuine leather brands that we are carrying. We have duffle bags, laptop bags for both males and females. We also have purses and pocketbooks,” she said.

— Kasey Williams