Business License Obtained for Cost-U-Less Store in Cayman Islands
July 08 2005 - 6:19PM
Business Wire
Cost-U-Less, Inc. (the "Company") (Nasdaq:CULS) today announced
that it has been granted approval from the Cayman Islands Trade and
Business Licensing Board to operate a retail and wholesale business
through a controlled subsidiary organized in the Cayman Islands.
This is the first in a series of steps that must be taken before a
store operating under the Cost-U-Less name could be opened in the
Cayman Islands. "We have been examining the Cayman Islands market
for a number of years and are delighted to make this announcement,"
said J. Jeffrey Meder, the Company's President and CEO. "Obtaining
this license has been a difficult and time consuming exercise. We
believe this market exhibits superior criteria that have led to the
success of our business model in other Caribbean islands." The
license allows the Company to operate as a majority owner of a new
company formed for the purpose of operating the business in the
Cayman Islands. The Company continues to negotiate a shareholders
agreement with the proposed minority owners of the new company, as
well as a lease for the new store. Also, other building and
operational permits and approvals have yet to be applied for and
obtained. The Company does not have an approximate timing as to
when a new store would open in the Cayman Islands, but expects that
it will take twelve to eighteen months once the permitting,
approval and lease process is complete. The Cayman Islands, located
in the Caribbean Sea, has a population of approximately 40,000 and
a per-capita Gross Domestic Product of approximately $40,000.
Consisting of three main islands, the predominant industries of the
Cayman Islands are tourism and financial services. It is a British
Dependent Territory where English serves as the official language.
The currency is the Cayman Islands Dollar, currently fixed to the
US Dollar at the rate of CI $0.82 to US$1.00. Cost-U-Less currently
operates eleven stores in the Caribbean and Pacific region: U.S.
Virgin Islands (2), Netherlands Antilles (2), Hawaiian Islands (2),
California (1), Guam (2), American Samoa (1), and Republic of Fiji
(1). The Company builds its business through delivering
high-quality U.S. and local goods, progressive merchandising
practices, sophisticated distribution capabilities, and superior
customer service, primarily to island markets. Additional
information about Cost-U-Less is available at www.costuless.com.
This press release contains statements that are forward-looking.
These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such
statements, including expected future store openings, comparable
store sales expectations, trends in or expectations regarding the
Company's revenue growth, and the Company's growth plans are all
based on currently available operating, financial, and competitive
information and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ materially from historical
results or those anticipated, including that the Company may
encounter substantial delays, increased expenses or loss of
potential store sites due to the complexities, cultural
differences, and local political issues associated with the
regulatory and permitting processes in the island markets in which
the Company may locate its stores. There can be no assurance that
the Company will be able to negotiate the shareholders agreement
with its proposed minority shareholders in the Cayman Islands
company, negotiate a lease for a site for its Cayman Islands store,
obtain required additional building and operating permits required
in the Cayman Island, or execute its growth strategy in the Cayman
Islands or in other locations, and if the Company is unable to do
so, its business could suffer. In addition, new markets may present
operational, competitive, regulatory and merchandising challenges
that are different from those the Company currently encounters. The
Company does not have operating experience in many of the markets
in which it may consider opening new stores, including the Cayman
Islands. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to
adapt its operations to support its expansion plans in the Cayman
Islands or that any new store will be profitable. Any failure on
the Company's part to manage its growth could have a material
adverse effect on its business, financial condition and operating
results. Other risks and uncertainties include the Company's small
store base; the mix of geographic and product revenues;
relationships with third parties; the Company's ability to maintain
existing credit facilities and obtain additional credit; business
and economic conditions and growth in various geographic regions;
pricing pressures; political and regulatory instability in various
geographic regions; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in
the Company's filings with the SEC.
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