Godfrey’s Enterprise Celebrates 68 Years with Massive Sale

By Stuart Wilson

Godfrey’s Enterprise Ltd is celebrating its 68th anniversary in fine style this year with lots of bargains throughout the month of June with everything on sale at between 10 per cent and 30 per cent off.

The Caymanian Times spoke exclusively with the store’s owner and manager, Ashley Godfrey, about the milestone and what it means for him and his family.

“For this anniversary we want to do a big celebration; good prices. For the whole month of June we are going to be celebrating, so I am hoping people will take advantage of the situation,” he noted.

“I am here to welcome everybody coming in and help them in whatever way that I can,” added the 91-year-old retailer, who reminded that opening hours for Godfrey’s Enterprise are 10 am until 6pm, everyday except on Sundays.

The store has expanded a great deal since its early beginnings, and Mr. Godfrey talked about some of the changes, as well as the highlights along the way.

“When we first started it was a restaurant and that was in 1958. My mother, my sister and my father opened the restaurant. We used to cater to kids from Triple C and people who worked with the government.

“For those who could not afford to purchase, we would trust them and at the end of the month they would pay,” he recalled.

“Going from a restaurant to introducing clothing, I have tried to move ahead with different styles, especially for men, because I do cater a lot to men’s clothing,” said Mr. Godfrey, who noted that the store is also stocked with quite a few women’s items.

He explained that he has always been into fashion, and when men came back from sea fashionwas always a big thing.

“We were always dressed up when we returned from sea and ‘set the trend’ you know, “ he remarked. 

During the course of the past several decades Godfrey’s Enterprise has also added a home supply section, which Mr. Godfrey said is an important part of serving the community, as people would always come into the store seeking items for the home.

“It’s become a one-stop shop/variety store with something for all,” he remarked.

Mr Godfrey noted that despite the current state of the economy and world affairs, the store is ‘holding its own’ because they try to stock what people need rather than just what they want. 

He also told us his about his hopes and dreams for the future of Godfrey’s Enterprise.

“Well, we hope it’s going to continue when I’m gone and I’d like for it to expand. My parents would be surprised at how far it has come and even more amazed at the development here in Cayman. We’ve come a long way,” he said.

Tourists also visit Godfrey’s Enterprise because they often forget things and need to shop for clothing and other items urgently. With Godfrey’s being the only clothing store and offering a variety of other items in the area, they are often a place that fills many needs for many different kinds of people. 

Since returning to Cayman in 1984 after living in New York from 1965, Mr Godfrey has been running the store and ordering much of the stock with the assistance of his daughter.

Visit Godfrey’s Enterprise during the month of June to enjoy the discount shopping and for a chance to meet a true Caymanian gentleman whose experience, wisdom and knowledge are a treasure.