Skelton Cline Slams RiteWay Market Dominance
Talk show host Claude Skelton Cline has voiced strong concerns over Road Town Wholesale's new RiteWay Fried Chicken venture, arguing that corporate expansion is driving mom-and-pop stores out of business. Speaking on his Honestly Speaking radio programme, Cline urged consumers to support smaller enterprises and called on businesses to lobby for economic reforms. He also called on lawmakers to prevent companies from operating simultaneously as both wholesalers and retailers.
Talk show host and commentator Claude Skelton Cline has publicly criticised Road Town Wholesale following its launch of RiteWay Fried Chicken (RFC), warning that the ongoing expansion of large commercial entities poses a severe threat to small, locally owned businesses across the Virgin Islands.
Addressing the issue on his radio programme Honestly Speaking, Skelton Cline claimed that dominant corporations are leveraging their market reach to displace traditional mom-and-pop establishments. He expressed concern that local consumers are quick to embrace large-scale retail offerings without considering how those purchasing choices impact the viability of smaller community vendors.
A primary point of concern highlighted during the broadcast was the structural conflict within the local supply chain. Skelton Cline pointed out that RiteWay operates simultaneously in both the wholesale and retail sectors. This dual role creates a scenario where smaller convenience stores and retailers are forced to purchase inventory from a major distributor that directly competes against them on retail shelves.
The North West Company acquired a majority stake in Road Town Wholesale, which operates RiteWay, in 2017. Skelton Cline also voiced disappointment with the broader business community, arguing that entrepreneurs have failed to organise effectively to protect their commercial interests.
He urged local business owners to form an active lobbying body and present a coherent economic agenda to the government, regardless of which political party is in power. To register their dissatisfaction, he suggested that consumers and business owners should consider collective actions, including targeted boycotts.
Assigning blame to successive political administrations, Skelton Cline stated that past governments, including the National Democratic Party and earlier administrations, permitted business acquisitions that enabled market monopolies. He called on authorities to establish clear legislative boundaries to prevent single entities from operating as both wholesalers and retailers within the same domestic market.
Primary source: BVI News