Sustainable Business Magazine speaks with Thomas Ladner, founder of Harry Edwards Jewelers, about running a luxury retail business at a time when economic and supply chain pressures are making long-term sustainability questionable. Written by Glen Westall.
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When Thomas Ladner founded Harry Edwards Jewelers in St. Lucia in December 1999, he named the company after two men who would never see what it would become. Both grandfathers had passed away not long before he opened his first stores, and their names gave the new venture both its identity and its soul. More than two decades on, the company has grown into one of the Caribbean’s most distinctive fine-jewelry and watch retailers.
Mr. Ladner’s path to St. Lucia began in the watch industry, and the opportunity to establish his own business came through a moment of chance:
“I was in the watch industry working for one of the largest Swatch Group watch conglomerates. I started off working in the US before moving to the Caribbean, where I took over the whole Swatch Group catalogue for the Caribbean region. This included brands such as Omega, Rado, Tissot, Swatch, Hamilton and Longines to name a few”
“Little Switzerland, which is a tremendous organisation, was running into financial trouble and selling off its operations in Antigua, Barbados and St. Lucia. Friends of mine had purchased the operations in the other two islands and luckily, I ended up with St. Lucia.”
“We opened our doors in December 1999, with two cruise ship port stores in St. Lucia, one at Pointe Seraphine and the other at La Place Carenage. Sadly, both of my grandfathers had passed away a few years before the opening. One was named Harry, and the other, Edward. When I put them together, I just thought, Harry Edwards, sounds like an old English name — a name you trust and expect quality from, like Harrods or Harvey Nichols.”
Today, the company operates multiple locations across some of the most exclusive and award-winning resorts in St. Lucia, namely Sugar Beach, Coconut Bay, and Windjammer Landings. In addition to one of its original locations at Pointe Seraphine, the company now features two distinct storefronts: a high-end boutique showcasing prestigious designers such as Cartier, Omega, and Roberto Coin, as well as a fashion-focused store housing the Pandora Boutique alongside brands including Dune, Swarovski, Seiko, and more. The company also proudly boasts a Rolex-Certified Watch Repair and Service Centre, conveniently located upstairs in the terminal building at Pointe Seraphine.
Harry Edwards Jewelers further extends its luxury retail experience with a branch ideally situated in the departure lounge at Hewanorra International Airport, offering travelers convenient last-minute duty-free shopping. Through Mr Ladner’s continued vision and efforts, the company has also expanded beyond St. Lucia, establishing itself as a regional luxury shopping destination with the opening of its boutique in the neighboring Spice Isle of Grenada.
A core part of what defines Harry Edwards Jewellers is its commitment to exclusive brands, with about 90% of its merchandise unavailable elsewhere on the islands.
“Most of the brands that we carry, other companies just do not,” says Mr Ladner. “That’s what significantly sets us apart from everybody else. Most of our jewelry is not generic. It’s designer or branded jewelry, so it’s at the higher end, hence of better quality with a manufacturer’s warranty. We offer a better product to our customers and to the community itself.”
A SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN
Maintaining a responsible and reliable supply chain in the Caribbean presents challenges quite different from those faced by businesses in larger markets. For Harry Edwards Jewelers, sustainability in this context means navigating rising costs, complex international logistics and the realities of operating on small islands far from major trade routes.
While the global jewelry industry continues to navigate evolving market conditions and rising material costs, Harry Edwards Jewelers remains steadfast in its commitment to quality, integrity, and exceptional customer experience. Rather than allowing external pressures to define the company’s direction, the focus remains on delivering the distinctive craftsmanship and exclusive brands that customers across the Caribbean have come to know and trust.
“The price of gold has skyrocketed, and has gone from $2,800 to $3,500 now over $4,000. Though our costs go up, we make necessary adjustments to keep pricing as reasonable as possible. We will not change the direction of our company nor the partnerships that we have fostered, because people expect from us the best products that we can bring to the country. I’m also finding that the people who do shop with us, are willing to make the adjustments necessary to buy the type of products that we bring in because, one, they’re very unique, and two, they know of the exceptional quality that they’re getting.”
This commitment has strengthened the loyalty of Harry Edwards Jewelers’ clientele, many of whom continue to prioritise craftsmanship, uniqueness, and lasting value when making their selections. The company has adapted thoughtfully to changing customer preferences, ensuring that clients can continue to find exceptional pieces suited to a variety of tastes and budgets without compromising on quality or design.
However, it’s not just the client side of the supply chain that’s becoming increasingly precarious. Even getting products into the stores has become increasingly unstable in recent times.
“Most of the merchandise we carry is of high value,” Mr Ladner explains. “So for instance, we have encountered issues with international suppliers because of new insurance policies that limit the coverage they can offer.”
“As our tag line states, we offer luxury, elegance and convenience and as a result, we’ve had to take some unusual and radical steps to accommodate clients’ requests. For instance, we had a situation where it was more cost-effective for us to request the jeweller to fly one of their employees out to our store, with the item personally, with a two-night accommodation, than it was for the item to be shipped by priority mail.”
EVEN STORE UPGRADES CAN BE CHALLENGING.
“Most of our displays get manufactured in China because of their advanced and efficient design facilities,” says the founder. “Originally, they would ship via Miami before coming to St. Lucia, but they’re now forced to take new routes due to recent tariff impositions, causing limitations.”
“We continue to source and utilise what we can locally. We purchase most of our finishings for our stores from businesses on the island. From local tilers and tile companies, suppliers of sheet rock, lighting, to all fittings and furnishings. We purchase locally as much as possible to support our nation and to minimise potential impacts for ourselves and our customers.”
INVESTING IN PEOPLE AND COMMUNITY
From his first day in St. Lucia, Mr. Ladner set out to change the working conditions he inherited when he took over the Little Switzerland stores. The changes he made then still remain in place today, expanding into a broader commitment to the communities that the company serves.
“When I came to this country and took over from Little Switzerland, the employees weren’t receiving proper compensation for their work,” Mr. Ladner says. “There was no staff benefit programs in place, their children weren’t even able to obtain a significant portion of their school supplies. I decided to implement a school program for my staff’s families, specifically for all of their children, from preschool right up to secondary school — from textbooks and stationery to school clothing and uniforms. I also made sure that all my employees receive basic insurance within the company, while giving them the opportunity to contribute further should they wish to increase their coverage levels on their own.”
Beyond the workplace, Harry Edwards Jewelers is also connected to a charity called “Edward For Education”, which has funded lasting improvements to school facilities across the island. Mr Ladner explains how the emphasis has always been on permanent change rather than one-off gestures:
“My wife has a charity called ‘Edward For Education’ which has taken on multiple projects in the various local communities. We’ve built music and reading rooms for schools by repurposing space in buildings that weren’t being used. Built sick rooms for students in schools, which they were unable to construct due to various limitations. We try to focus on projects that are substantial in the sense that they create an ongoing benefit for the community.
“We also built a nursing station, which was the first project we undertook for one of the schools. The girls were coming of age and didn’t have a space dedicated to their needs, so we created a complete nursing station with private rooms and beds. We’ve taken on as much as we can with the resources available to us, but I think we’ve done some considerable work in that regard. The goal of the foundation is to transform a room into something that can continue serving the children for the next 10 or 15 years.”
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Looking towards the future, Harry Edwards Jewelers’ growth strategy is mainly focused on selective expansion with new hotel partnerships in St. Lucia and further expansion in Grenada, which opened in January of 2020.
“I chose a local individual within the company to be my partner and successor, and because I value his work and dedication, I saw it fit to share with him a percentage of the company,” Mr. Ladner says. “My hope is that Daniel Jn Baptiste takes over when I’m gone so that the company will continue to grow and thrive. Our plans for the future include consideration of new projects coming to St. Lucia, particularly within hotels and establishing partnerships and expansion into a selection of these properties.”
“At the moment, we also have our store in Grenada, which sadly opened just before COVID, so while we’ve technically been open for five years, we’ve realistically only had about two full years of operation. The store is however now beginning to find its footing. I think that if the business there continues to develop successfully, then I’ll consider other opportunities in Grenada.
“I’ve been here now for 25 years, which is quite a while, and I think the time will come when my successor will be the one to carry Harry Edwards into the future. I’d like to see the world while I still can.”
