Rising from the ashes of the past, the  owner of the Stretch D Dollar Supermarket, of Pitt Street, in New Amsterdam,  has dispelled rumours of suicide attempts and has instead re-committed the services of the entity to Berbice customers, as the first anniversary is celebrated.

The past 10 months had been very challenging for Randolph Blair and his wife Rhonda, who operate the supermarket chains in Rosignol, West Bank Berbice, New Amsterdam and Canefield ,East Canje.
They could have been forced out of the business arena, due to the peddling of  rumours which claimed that the businessman had sustained fatal, self- inflicted injuries .
“But, it was all a lie,” said Randolph Blair  called Rudy, who invited the Guyana Chronicle into his business premises to “clear the air.”
“While those rumours were being peddled,I used to come and open the store before returning home to find solace with my God, as I realised that no one else could have helped me, but God…
“Persons were not seeing me, so they came up with rumours that I committed suicide. I hung myself because of financial difficulties.”
Mr Blair recalled that  after he had re-modelled and expanded his business, which cost $83M, all had gone well until mid-February  2014 ,when he recognised a shift in his business.
“There was a rapid decline in sales, which first started with the outlet on the West Bank of Berbice. It was also peddled to various wholesalers that persons from a particular ethnic grouping cannot do business … and so it became most challenging ….But it never came to my thought to sell the business or to commit suicide. However, I had to downscale on my staff.
“When I had a smaller business, I was not recognised, but now, with a bigger establishment persons believe it’s too much for me. But I have the assurance and the faith that something good will come out of this,” he assured.
Despite the challenges, Blair has expressed profound gratitude to his faithful customers who supported him during his ordeal.
“I must thank my customers who supported me….. My shelves have been replenished by a miracle..and come January, what had [been] missing  from the shelves will be replaced. I must also thank all the churches who supported me in prayer, and fasting, and who offered good advice.”
Blair guaranteed that things will be better in 2015.
Meanwhile, at the simple cake-sticking ceremony to mark the supermarket’s anniversary,  a relative of the Blairs, expressed disappointment over the smear campaign being levelled against her nephew.
“Persons are of the opinion that he rose up too fast, but where were they when Rhonda, then a schoolteacher,sold at the Cumberland market to make this happen”? she questioned.
“It’s a shame what persons can do to each other.”
On November 22, 2013 the Stretch D Dollar Supermarket at Pitt Street opened the new expansion which almost tripled its previous size. The entity  offered  a wider variety of goods, giving a better range of choices  to  customers.
The Stretch D dollar chain was first established  in 2002 in Canefield ,East Canje, while the branch at  Rosignol, West Bank Berbice, was opened in 2010.