The St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce has presented the results of its Business Performance Survey (Take 14), for the period January – March 2025. Executive Director of the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce Brian Louisy says the Chamber BPS continues to provide outstanding and valuable insights into the evolving performance of local business, their outlook, confidence and their perspective on the various policy issues impacting the business environment.
This BPS (Take 14) is most notable as the number of responses has more than doubled compared to Take 13 and Take 12. The increase in participation is directly attributable to the support of the Ministry of Commerce, Manufacturing, Business Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs and other Eco System partners that shared the survey with their business database. This broader reach enhances the reliability and credibility of the findings ensuring that it reflects the widest cross section of enterprises in St. Lucia.
63% of respondents were Non-Chamber Members, a marked increase from previous BPS’ where Respondents were primarily Chamber Members.
Sector representation was as follows, 19% from Tourism, Agriculture 11%, Distribution and Financial Services 7% and 25% from other services. Castries (55%) is the region where most respondents have their primary business location, followed by Gros Islet 17% and Vieux Fort at 13%. 78% of respondents employ less than 10 people, with only 8% employing more than 50 employees.
Employment and RecruitmentÂ
Employment levels were generally stable with 80% of respondents reporting no change in workforce size in Q1 of 2025, with 11% increasing their workforce, 9% reported decreasing the size of the workforce, giving a net movement of +2.
Recruitment activity was also measured with 26% seeking to recruit during Q1. Of these seeking to recruit 10% had difficulty recruiting professional staff while 8% had difficulty recruiting skilled manual staff.
Sales PerformanceÂ
Sales results were mixed during the period under review (Q1). In comparison to Q1 2024, to Q1 2025 33% of respondents reported increased sales, 38% reported declines and 29% reported sales remaining the same, a net movement of -5% year on year.
In comparing Q1 2025 to Q4 2024, 34% of respondents reported increased sales, 33% reported declines and 32% saw no change, net improvement shows a +1% quarter on quarter.
Cashflow Performance Cashflow results suggest more balance with 26% of firms reporting improvements, 39% maintained constant cashflow and 35% experiencing declines. A negative net movement of -9%.
Overall Business PerformanceÂ
When asked to assess overall business performance in 2025, 41% of respondents reported better business performance, with 36% reporting business not doing as well in 2025 and 23% stating it was the same when compared to the previous year 2024.
The Chamber is pleased that the various MSME and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Partners have supported the distribution of the BPS and enhanced and enriched the depth and quality of the BPS. Full copies of the survey are available from the Chamber Website at www.stluciachamber.org and from the Chamber Officer that can be reached at 7584523165.
The St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce Industry and Agriculture is pleased to release the results of its Business Performance Survey (Take 14) that reviewed Business Performance for the first Quarter of 2025 (Q1). The BPS attracted more than double the responses of previous surveys thanks to the support of the Ministry of Commerce and other MSME Ecosystem Partners who shared the BPS with their huge business database. The wider reach enhances the credibility of findings, offering a more accurate and representative picture of national business performance.
Respondents were drawn from across sectors, including tourism (19%), agriculture (11%), distribution and financial services (7%) and other services (19%). Most respondents were small firms, with 78% employing less than 10 people, concentrated in Castries (55%), Gros Islet (17%), and Vieux Fort (13%).
Employment levels remained broadly stable: 80% reported no change, 11% expanded and 9% contracted (+2% net movement). Recruitment challenges persist especially for professional and skilled manual roles.
Sales results were mixed. Compared to Q1 2024, 33% of respondents reported increases, 38% declines and 29% stability, a -5% net movement year on year. Cashflow weakened, with a –9% net movement, though 41% still described performance as better than last year.
Cost pressures have dominated business concerns, driven by higher purchase prices (31%), finance costs (15%), raw materials (13%) and other operating expenses (17%)
Policy optimism was muted: 69% do not expect government budget measures to benefit their businesses. Top concerns include rising input costs, inflation, crime infrastructure and human resources.
The Chamber of Commerce stress that addressing these systemic issues is critical to shifting from cautious optimism to sustained growth.