Sandals St Vincent gives local entrepreneurs a ready market

Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has partnered with several local producers, giving them access and exposure to market and sell their products to significant numbers of foreign visitors, once the resort at Buccament Bay opens on March 27.

Working alongside Invest SVG, several local manufacturers and artisans got a taste of what’s to come when they were able to stage a mini expo of their goods and services on resort during the recent CELAC Heads of Government Summit.

Vincentian entrepreneurs were able to display products to delegates, with Eloise Gonsalves, wife of the Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, personally taking the spouses of several visiting Heads of Government to view the locally-produced items, a Sandals release states.

Exhibitors included Jasmin Deane of Jazzy’s All Natural; Roxanne James and Rosette Stronghold of Rocks n Roses; Natalie Cato with Red Bikini; Jessica Jaja of Bequia Threadworks; Cherise King of Isla Antilles; Shanique Peters-Melville of Le Wear; Maraika Young with Tide Sand and Hand; Shevonne de Shong of The Kraft House; Algee King-Providence of Island Teas SVG; and Kimya Glasgow of Kimya Glasgow Inc.

Director of export marketing and promotions at Invest SVG, Nadine Agard-Juillerat, underscoring what the partnership with Sandals means for local entrepreneurs said “The exhibition, intended for the presidential spouses in attendance, not only underscored the local artisans’ and agro-processors’ prowess but also significantly boosted their morale and market presence”.

“It’s a poignant moment for us at Invest SVG to see their products embraced by such a prestigious retail outlet like Beach House at Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; it epitomizes the deep pride and connection felt towards our national craftsmanship,” she added.

Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), said it plans to go even further and, in line with its commitment to work with local stakeholders, will host a weekly local market and showcase on the resort, where artisans from SVG can display their products and be able to sell them to guests. Moreover, several of the locally manufactured products will be prominently displayed and available for sale in the resort’s gift shop (Beach House).

“This essentially is a form of giving persons from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines an export market, without the hassle of them having to ship and advertise their products overseas,” noted general manager Brett Castleman.

“We expect to bring thousands of visitors to our resort every year, and not only will they be able to see and purchase items produced locally, they will also be encouraged to go out into the island and explore, exposing even more small businesses and restaurants so that they can benefit from the proceeds of tourism as well.”

Many of the local suppliers lauded the initiative by Sandals to give them access to this market. Sales marketing and administration manager at Vincy Fresh Ltd, Shelly-Ann Fraser said “We expect that our sales volume and variety to Sandals will increase over the years. We also expect that the products will resonate with the guests who buy or use them, creating potential repeat customers who will continue to demand our authentic Caribbean products – thus growing our exports…”.

“ We welcome strong sustainable partnerships that provide a consistent outlet for our products which are world class and complement Sandals’ world class tourism product.”

Echoing those sentiments, co-founder of Rocks n Roses, Roxanne James said “We are delighted to have our products on sale at the Sandals gift shop. Each handmade item is created to embody

a Caribbean aesthetic of bright colours and bold prints. As such we are very pleased to have been given an opportunity to showcase our creation with a wider community…”.

Some of the other producers that will be stocked in the Sandals gift shop include Saint Vincent Distillers Ltd., Tide Hand and Sand, and Grenadine Wild Sea Salt – with more expected to come onboard in the near future.