Hayward’s Supermarket and White’s Southside remained open yesterday, despite empty shelves and a limited staff.White & Son’s, their sister store in Warwick, was ordered to shut its doors on Friday after a liquidation order was approved.It is understood that all of the store’s staff was laid off as a result of the order.Business continued despite the difficulties at White’s Southside yesterday although a handful of staff appeared to outnumber the customers while The Royal Gazette was there.One staff member, who asked not to be named, said: “Nobody has told us what exactly is happening. I think we’re all just waiting for the countdown at this point.”The store’s pharmacy was closed in June, and many of the store’s refrigerators have been turned off as stock has diminished.Customer Donald Fox said he went to the store intending to shop, but was forced to leave empty-handed.“I just came up here to buy milk, but they’re all out,” he said.“It just makes everything worse. People have to go somewhere else to buy the essentials, and then White’s have less money to buy the products.“I like having a supermarket in St David’s, but if it doesn’t have anything to sell, what’s the point?”He said he hoped the business would find a way to turn itself around if only for the sake of the staff but noted the building requires work if it is to compete.“The store looks like it’s falling apart,” he said. “The roof has been leaking for years. They’ve been catching the water in garbage bins. You can’t run a business like this forever.”Customers at Hayward’s Supermarket yesterday also found a series of empty shelves and a dwindling selection of products.Shopper Leon James said the store’s close proximity to White’s in Warwick had likely contributed to the problems.“I never got why they had two stores so close to each other,” he said. “That just seems like bad business.”He said that closing one of the stores seemed to be a sensible, if unfortunate move.“It’s hard times right now, so it’s sad to see people are probably going to lose their jobs. That’s the part that hurts. There are other grocery stores around here, but I can’t see them hiring all of these people.“That’s why I came here today. I’d like to support these people if I can.”During a court hearing on Friday, Acting Chief Justice Charles-Etta Simmons signed an order to wind up White & Son’s Ltd.The move came after a petition was filed last month by International Bonded Couriers of Bermuda, to reclaim owed money.Since the original filing, 27 other creditors have come forward to file claims, including wholesale companies Pitt& Company Ltd and BGA Ltd.KPMG has been assigned as liquidators for the store and are said to be considering a number of options, including opening and operating the store while seeking a potential buyer.Prior to Friday’s closure, a total of 85 people were employed across the three White & Son’s stores.