Thirty-two years after it opened its first store on the outskirts of the Portmore Mall in Portmore, St Catherine, Courts Jamaica has opened its second location in the Sunshine City.

Located at Parkway Square near the PriceSmart retail store, the new Courts furniture and appliance store began welcoming customers on Friday, October 13, 2023.

At a launch held on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, Courts showed off the new store which it says is the biggest in Jamaica.

“This is our 29th store in Jamaica. Portmore is a growing city and we also recognise that the residents are becoming more interested in staying in their community to do more commercial activities, to shop, to buy groceries and to buy their furniture, to do the things they want to do without having to leave Portmore. And so, we decided that we wanted to honour the convenience call of our customers. We wanted to ensure that we have a location where the traffic won’t be an issue for our customers, and that’s why we went ahead to open a second location here in Portmore,” Jermane Blair, general manager Courts Portmore, disclosed in an interview with the Jamaica Observer shortly after the launch.

Courts, which was taken over by Unicomer in 2006, has been operating in Jamaica for 64 years. Blair said the new location will continue to deliver the service that customers have grown accustomed to over the years.

“For 64 years we have been leaders in the retail industry, we are a household name for furniture and appliances right here in Jamaica. We will deliver the same services you’ve grown to love. We will also have Courts Ready Cash, Courts Optical and Radio Shack. Very soon, JN Money Services, Moneygram and Western Union will be coming on board,” said Blair.

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Horace Chang, who represented Prime Minister Andrew Holness, welcomed the new Courts store to Portmore, saying it was good to see the expansion and the investment in the country.

“It’s a statement of confidence in what we’re doing in our economy and I wish them all the success and look forward to them continuing to invest in Jamaica,” Dr Chang said in an interview with the Observer.

Errol LeBlanc, vice-president of Unicomer Caribbean, recalled that the first Courts store to open in Jamaica was the Cross Roads branch.

“I am happy to report that the Cross Roads branch is still going very strong today and is still very profitable. Courts has developed a strong business and strong brand in Jamaica. The Courts brand has always been about improving the quality of life for all Jamaicans, offering the best products with accessible credit terms,” said LeBlanc.

The new Courts Jamaica store employs 22 people, most of whom reside in Portmore.