After more than six decades of operation locally, furniture and appliance retailer Courts Jamaica Limited has become a household name built on a rich legacy with a history that originated far beyond local shores.

The company brought to Jamaica by the Courts brothers of the United Kingdom in 1959 cemented its foundation when its first location in Cross Roads was opened on May 15 of that same year under the patronage of Jerry Isaacs and Keith Fredericks who served as general and sales managers, respectively, at that time.

“The Courts family saw Jamaica as a jewel in the Caribbean and fell in love with the natural mystic and culture and chose Jamaica to be the home of their first overseas store, in the capital city of Kingston. When Courts Cross Roads opened only one floor existed, and this housed the sales department as well as the warehouse. Back then there were 15 employees which included eight sales representatives — all of whom were males,” an overview of the history of the company which now employs over 1000 staff members detailed.

With the arrival of the company charting new developments in the retail landscape it quickly grew to become a well known brand throughout the Caribbean, its name being synonymous with high-quality, affordable furniture and appliances as well as innovative promotions.

From its signature bright blue-and-yellow buildings scattered across parish capitals and towns, the company which prides itself on being the market leader for credit plans consisting of hire purchase agreements and tailored layaway options has, over the years, sought to offer customers some of the world’s best brands backed by affordable credit terms and mega promotional campaigns. Its Supa Shield added warranty and Pay Nothing Down All Year payment initatives, as well as its Bimmer Mania, Worl’O Cash, Gold Rush and Pot’O Luck mega promotional campaigns stand tall among its successes.

Operating as one of the country’s largest furniture retailers, the company has over the years worked with several local manufacturers as it led an expansion of the local furniture industry along with its network of stores.

“When Courts started trading in 1959 the company sold primarily furniture and a small range of appliances. It was the first to introduce British hardwood furniture to the island, and the company stocked and displayed a high range of furniture than the country had never envisaged. The wide range of furniture met the approval of the customers in the marketplace and the Cohen family, who were the majority stakeholders in Courts (with its parent branch rooted in the UK), recovered their initial investment within the first two years of operation in Jamaica,” the history further detailed.

Owing to the positive feedback from some of its early expansion, the entity in 1963 moved to build out Courts, Mandeville which some five years later was followed by the establishment of its third store at Barnett Street in Montego Bay, St James. Since then the company has experienced phenomenal growth which further paved the way for a rapid expansion of the business.

“During the 1980s, 10 branches were constructed followed by 11 in the 1990s and five since the beginning of the new decade, as the company continued to open more doors to its customers,” the historical overview continued, noting that the Bogue store in St James, which opened in November 2006, was the last to have been added over that period up until 2023 when it welcomed its newest store at Portmore Pines in St Catherine.

Following a number of major renovations across some of its existing stores, locations such as its Constant Spring Road flagship benefited from a complete overhaul done within a 10-month period before it was officially reopened to the public in November 2012.

The company which now boasts some 29 branches — with at least one in every parish — is already making plans to add a 30th sometime later this year when it opens the Drax Hall branch and about three others in Spanish Town, Mandeville, and Ironshore, Montego Bay, within the next three years.

The upcoming 20,000-square-foot Drax Hall store, which vice-president of Unicomer Caribbean Errol LeBlanc said is being strategically placed on the country’s vibrant north coast, seeks to tap into a large pool of middle-income customers who own villas, small resorts, and a thriving network of Airbnbs in that area which need to be furnished.

“We think our business solutions will be active in that area, and we will be spending over US$1 million to have it ready this year,” he told the Jamaica Observer following the official launch of the company’s 65th anniversary celebrations on May 2, 2024.

Commenting on the successes of the company which has been a member of the El Salvador-based Unicomer Group since 2006, LeBlanc said the mission is for the household item retailer to bring more value to its thousands of consumers spread across markets in Latin America, the Caribbean and the US. The group currently consists of other in-house Courts brands such as Blue Start Capital, trading as Courts Ready Cash; Courts Optical; and Radioshack; as well as the Ashley and Lucky Dollar stores. The Jamaican market, which remains one of the largest in the region and vital to Unicomer, adds significant revenues to the group.

“Courts is here to stay, not only in Jamaica but throughout the Caribbean; we’ve been here for a long time. Our customers love us and we are working to see where we can offer better value as we move along in delivering different product lines and more financial services that will help some ordinary people to improve their standard of living,” he added.

Through a number of year-long activities including islandwide church services, a raft of customer and staff incentives, and promotional campaigns such as an official Courts day recognition on May 13, the company plans to make some more noise in the market as it celebrates decades of service with a long list of corporate social responsibility accomplishments.

Managing director of Unicomer Caribbean Edwin Vaquerano, in asserting the company’s commitment to service, said as part of its long-term growth plan the aim of the entity is to grow bigger as it continues to expand offerings and improve visibility in the market.

“The communities continue to support our brands, and we are just aiming to continue to grow and expand as we serve our customers better.

“Also, as we continue to serve more families and communities we want to remain an integral player in the market as we look to one day celebrate 75, or 85, or even a 100 years of operations! As we look at the past 65 years we look to the future with optimism and determination. Our journey is far from being over as we continue to adapt, innovate, and thrive in an ever-changing world. Cheers to 65 years of turning houses into homes and to the many more years of successes left to come,” the managing director said, noting digital transformation as being critical to the business’ sustainability and growth, especially now as it seeks to meet the demands of customers.