SUPER STORE VESSEL SYSTEM
EMCsq Vessel Wrytha
The following project is under design by EMCsq for All Family LTD of Cat Island, Bahamas.
All Family LTD presented EMCsq Vessel Wrytha with the following challenge to design them a complete
traveling store system that would bring much needed goods and services to all
the islands of the Bahamas.
Problem 1;
How do I market to a widely spread population that spends over 571 million dollars annually for goods & services without a huge investment in scattered small stores and stock?
Salutation;
Take the stocked store to them.
The DMB class 187’ x 50’ ~ Five Deck ~ 40 knot Vessel ~ Super Store
Problem 2;
Now that I have a 21,000 sq. ft. shopping area stocked with all the services offer at our land based
stores in the USA how do I create a consistent and recognizable location that will enhance both?
Salutation;
Create a low cost storefront with a minimum of staff, which will be equipped to handle the scheduled shopping days (vessel arrival) and handle fax and electronic orders from restaurants and motels on the island during the week that can be consolidated for special delivery to the store by other means.
Typical interior arrangement of the storefront.
50’ X 75’ Building ~ Ramp 40’ ~ Vessel sealed to store as one unit
Now that the concept is completed a look at the service area and demand for the store system.
Let’s look at the Bahamas. The population of the Bahamas is over 340,000 residents that services 1.4 million tourists each year. If you average that population by 5 family members there would be 68,000 families living in the Bahamas. Those families have to get to the store for their goods once or twice a month. At an average cost per family for round trip travel at $200.00 per month, that would be $13,600,000.00 in travel and shipping expenses that is not spent in the store. This money could be spent on “wish items” or “impulse buying” at this store. Combine that with the average monthly shopping allowance of $500.00 and the potential market would come too $47,600,000.00 per month or $571,200,000.00 annually.
Now that we have covered the population of the Bahamas, what about the tourist and the restaurants & motels that service them? What is the background of the service they receive now and how can it be improved to our advantage?
Background of Service;
By implementing the above concept and hiring local people to operate the storefronts. All the negative aspects shown above would be eliminated for the Bahamians and in some cases lowering the cost of goods, thus insuring success in the venture.
In an informal poll taken by the Russell’s, owners of All Family LTD, of 125 families, 100% were in agreement that a service of this kind was needed for their island with a population of over 3000. As it stands now with poor transportation, hours or days consumed by getting to and from the store they spend little time “shopping” and merely pickup items on their list in a hurry so as not to miss the boat back home. Merely by bringing the store to them would change this type of buying and would increase revenues from customers that are already using Sam’s Club. The convenience of the store being on the islands would also attract new customers from the population as well as the small “Retail mom & pop” stores scattered about the islands that would still service the “Non-member” population. Example of cost; a charge of $2.25 (on the island) for a $0.98 (in the US) box of crackers at one such store.
How vast are the opportunities for such a project?
Once a store system is established in the Bahamas it would not take long for the other Caribbean nations to invite you too establish a system in their areas. This could be zoned to maximize the coverage of the additional vessels and the storefronts. The area of coverage could be from the Bahamas to Grenada and Antilles as well as the East coast of Mexico. Example of the setup could be to cover Puerto Rica (4 store fronts) with the US Virgin Islands and other close islands as one route, Bahamas to the Turks as another route. St Maartens to Grenada as another route and East coast of Mexico and Grand Cayman as another route. This would put the store in port at least twice a month at each storefront to maximize efficiency and revenues. This would also increase the coverage of the storefronts for electronic ordering. In considering locating storefronts on islands or ports of call having 600 or more families in the area would constitute a representation in the Caribbean of over 40 low cost outlets with only 4 stocked stores (vessels) in service. And as mentioned above those 40 storefronts would be servicing ordering on a daily bases. Those shipments could be consolidated to a point where second day delivery could be achieved to the storefront by container. Remember the Bahamians are use to waiting weeks for their goods.
How to setup the storefronts, vessels, and stock and supply this venture.
This is where EMCsq and Carib-Ex came in. EMCsq and its associates have a vast knowledge of setting up ports and systems as explained above. The 32 plus years of expertise of EMCsq is being carried over to Carib-Ex a newly formed shipping company that is going to change the shipping status in the Caribbean. The new vessels designed for Carib-Ex will have the ability in some cases to deliver up to 30 containers overnight per vessel from US ports to ports in the Caribbean. The smaller vessels in the system will be able to make specialized deliveries as well as regularly scheduled runs. The entire system will overcome the problems that plague the system that is now in place as well as allow new enterprises such as the above to be formed without the fear of failure due to the worries of the logistics.
EMCsq has spent three years working with the Russell’s in an attempt to understand
what the people and government of the Bahamas want and need. The categories
break down into three simple needs; employment, reliable transportation system and
the availability of goods and services as enjoyed in the US. EMCsq has
developed many unique ways of fulfilling those needs by designing vessels and
creating businesses that would be individually owned by the Bahamians. The
individual shipping companies will work as a complete unit under Carib-Ex with
one director. EMCsq is also attracting other manufacturing businesses that have
their items made overseas to develop plants in the Bahamas. This will add to
the need for this project due to the fact that more of the Bahamian people will
be moving back to the family islands for employment.
EMCsq Vessel WrythaCaribbean Express, Ltd.
202 Alyce Pl.Cat Island, Bahamas
Long Beach, MS 39560© EMCsq 2004
TEL: 228-863-1772
ed@emcsq.com
Thank you for visiting!
EMCsq Vessel Wrytha
