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Cariloha is the only retailer in the Caribbean selling exclusively clothing, bedding and bath goods made from bamboo.
Cariloha is opening its newest retail store next week in the duty-free cruise port of Heritage Quay, St. John, Antigua. The new store is approximately 600 square feet and is the only retail store in Antigua that sells exclusively clothing, bedding, accessories and bath goods that are made from eco-friendly bamboo.
Store Manager, Quinn, will be overseeing both the Cariloha store and its sister brand store, Del Sol, which is also opening next door to the new Cariloha store. New store owner, Panchito Morales, who lives in Cozumel, Mexico, is also the owner of Del Sol Grand Turk, Del Sol Roatan, and Cariloha Roatan stores, including several Los Cinco Soles stores in Mexico.
Cariloha is located in one of the most ideal locations on the island for catering to cruise passengers, as it’s only a few feet off the pier. Antigua receives nearly 200 promoted cruise ship visits per year, and Cariloha and Del Sol have been trying to open here for more than three years. Previously, an obscure law didn’t allow clothing retailers on the ground level, but new investments in the port have allowed for some positive changes.
“Our stores will employ at least 10 local employees,” said Landon John. “We feel that we’re a better employer than most – we teach the value of customer service and positive energy. It’s one of the things that make us unique – the staff actually learns something from their experience that they can take with them somewhere else.”
All Cariloha guests receive a free bamboo lei (necklace) just for stopping by the store, which helps proliferate the bamboo, eco-friendly attitude even more. Cariloha staffers encourage visitors to touch and feel the bamboo-soft difference of their shirts, bed sheets, towels, and hand bags for themselves.
Bamboo apparel, bedding and bath goods feature several qualities that make it a superior fabric. It’s twice as soft to touch as cotton and keeps you a few degrees cooler. It’s naturally antibacterial, hypoallergenic and helps prevent skin odor and skin irritation.