Flying Tiger Copenhagen has said that Malta’s current retail market structure does not allow the company to operate in a way that aligns with its brand ambitions and long-term strategy, according to comments shared by a spokesperson with WhosWho.mt.

The remarks follow public reaction to the announced closure of the retailer’s Valletta outlet – the brand’s last remaining store in Malta – with many customers questioning why the business was unable to sustain operations locally.

According to the spokesperson, the decision to exit Malta was driven by structural considerations rather than short-term performance or sudden changes in consumer behaviour.

“As the Maltese market is currently represented by a single store, this decision also means that we will be exiting the market,” the spokesperson said, adding that the company had carefully reviewed its position before reaching this conclusion.

Flying Tiger acknowledged the support it received locally since opening its first Maltese store in 2016, thanking both employees and customers for their continued engagement with the brand.

Addressing public speculation surrounding the Valletta store’s cash-only payment policy, the company said that no significant change in transaction patterns had been observed following the introduction of the system. Many online were arguing that in a modern world where everyone uses cashless payment, a shop which only accepts cash cannot do well. 

“The payment method in Valletta has remained unchanged for an extended period, with no significant changes in transaction patterns observed,” the spokesperson said.

However, the company stressed that the continued reliance on cash payments presents limitations at an operational level.

“The continued reliance on cash payments is not scalable and does not align with our global commercial and operational approach applied across our other stores in Europe and beyond.”

While the spokesperson did not link the payment model directly to a loss of customers, the comments suggest that local operational constraints – combined with scale – made it increasingly difficult for Flying Tiger to operate in Malta in line with its international standards.