Patience, consistency, determination and discipline is what is needed to keep you in business, says Corentyne businesswoman, Isla Corlette. 

Corlette, the owner of Sparkle Supermarket, located at Ulverston on the Corentyne said today she is once again celebrating as she has opened a wholesale depot and has set up a party supplies section in the supermarket.

During a recent interview, Corlette said though it was a struggle to get where she is today, it feels good to be moving forward. “I feel proud that I have been able to achieve this.”

Owners of small shops, she said, will be able to restock their shelves from her wholesale depot. Persons hosting events can get all their party supplies including beverages, at her supermarket. The wholesale depot was officially opened on Friday, October 1, 2021, she said.

Corlette, a mother of two started her business twenty-four years ago, building it from a community shop in which she had invested $30,000 to a multimillion-dollar supermarket today

Speaking about her journey, Corlette said she started with six bottles of bleach and a half bag of sugar in 8 x 10 structure and as time passed, she desperately wanted to expand her business.

“I had big visions. I wanted to grow more and decided to expand. I got help from my boyfriend who is now my husband and family members. Sometimes they would have given me handouts and I would take those handouts and invest them back into my business.” 

She explained that with every expansion, she dreamt of growing more with her motivation being her family and customers, who continued to support her drive and vision.

“It was like five years thinking about having a supermarket. I thought about it and I made it a reality”.