Customers sad as MegaMart Portmore closes after 27 years

“Mi ago miss it. We ago miss it!”

Those were the words of a 70-year-old shopper as she stood inside MegaMart Portmore on Tuesday, looking around the store she said had been part of her life for years.

MegaMart’s first Jamaican location closed its doors on Tuesday after 27 years of operation. But for some loyal customers, the final day felt deeply personal.

“That’s why I come look, because I know today is the last of it,” the shopper told THE STAR. She stood beside her cart with only a couple of snacks in hand, not doing a major grocery run, but marking the end of a familiar routine.

“This is all I’m getting in honour of my favourite store,” she said.

For her, MegaMart was not only where she bought groceries.

“All over there so me buy me medication over the pharmacy for years,” she said, pointing across the store.

When THE STAR visited, the store was not overcrowded, but customers continued to move in and out. Some shelves were already empty, while others remained filled with goods. A few items were marked down by 10 and 20 per cent, while several others remained at regular price.

In the bakery section, customers slowed near the display, some picking up cakes and pastries from a section that had long been part of the store’s appeal.

For Portmore resident Weald, who lives across from the store, the closure means the loss of a convenient shopping location.

“Now I have to go farther, spend more taxi fare, and take more time just to do the same shopping I used to do right here,” he said.

He said MegaMart had also become part of his family’s routine, especially for special occasions.

“Plenty birthday cake me buy right here. It sound simple, but this store was part of family life for years,” he said.

Looking around at the store on its final day, Weald said Portmore had lost a landmark.

“This wasn’t just a supermarket, this was one of the places everybody knew like a go to,” he said.

For some shoppers, the empty shelves made the closure feel real. Customers walked slowly through the aisles, some with carts and others with only a handful of items, while workers quietly attended to the remaining stock.

Another loyal customer, Balta, said he has been shopping at the Portmore location for more than 10 years and was disappointed by the closure.

“What happens now? We go way over yonder. It is so sad, man. So, so sad,” he said. But he expected more from the final day.

“I came here expecting that they would at least look out for their loyal customers, give us a break,” he said. “What are they giving us as a going-away present?”

Looking around at the remaining stock, Balta questioned why more items were not discounted.

“I’m very upset, seriously. If you guys are closing, why not cut down a little bit of the merchandise? What are they going to do with it?” he asked.

He also criticised what he described as the store’s card system.

“It’s very bad. They started with the card system. Not everyone can afford those fees,” he said.