Founded in 1902 as the Phoenix Drug Store, this was the first business in Bermuda to be lit by electricity. In its early days hundreds of cricket fans would gather outside the store to find out the latest from Bermuda’s Cup Match. The store was one of the few places with a telephone and the score would be regularly relayed and displayed on a scoreboard erected above its entrance. Modern communications led to the demise of the scoreboard but the store’s famous clock still stands on Reid Street, reminding Bermudians that they are late for one thing or another.
These days the Phoenix Centre offers more than medicines and prescriptions. It’s a three-level department store offering a wide range of items.
Products sold on the ground floor include cosmetics, hair products, fragrances, toiletries, travel accessories, batteries, drinks, snacks, candy, cigarettes, and tobacco. Visitors wishing to catch up on events back home, or looking for something to read at the beach can find a huge selection of foreign newspapers and magazines.
Take the escalator upstairs and you’ll find Annex Toys and Phoenix Kids. At Annex Toys the shelves are filled with toys like action figures, remote control cars, puzzles, dolls, Lego, and much more. Phoenix Kids is for babies and toddlers and stocks cribs, bedding, car seats and boosters, strollers, clothes and shoes, feeding sets, and baby care products.
The basement of the Phoenix Centre sells items such as stationery, kitchen appliances, kitchenware, household items, tools, tents and camping gear, and bedding.
The Phoenix Centre is situated on Reid Street in the centre of Hamilton, just a short walk from both the ferry terminal and bus station. It’s open 7 days a week. Hours are Monday to Saturday 8 am to 6 pm, and Sundays and public holidays from noon to 6 pm.
The Phoenix Stores group also operates several pharmacies around the island. They are the Woodbourne Chemist in Pembroke Parish, the Clarendon Pharmacy in Hamilton, the Collector’s Hill Apothecary in Smith’s Parish, the Paget Pharmacy in Paget Parish, and the Dockyard Pharmacy at Royal Naval Dockyard. The group also owns the Brown & Co department store and P-Tech electronics store, both in Hamilton.
