As much as everyone is tired of hearing about the pandemic some 2 years later, there have been some silver linings for us in the Caribbean, if you have been paying attention. One of them is the fact that people have started to realize the need to change their business model and tap into a wider market.

Now, for many who have been accustomed to selling on Facebook or Instagram, responding to DM’s, sending customers a Google Form to place an order, and having their clients pay for the goods either by bank transfer or cash on delivery, shifting to an E-Commerce model and being able to serve clients outside of Trinidad & Tobago, may seem like a stretch of the imagination. Yet in 2022, serving clients outside of T&T has never been easier.

There are quite a few ways to go about getting interest from other countries, getting paid from international clients, and having your products delivered worldwide but we are going to focus on a solution called Caribshopper.

So what is Caribshopper?

Caribshopper is a global marketplace that connects the world to authentic Caribbean culture by bringing together creators of amazing Caribbean products and consumers abroad living away from ‘home’ and those curious about the culture.

Since its launch in January 2021, Caribshopper has become the leading marketplace for Caribbean products for those living in the USA and Canada.

What makes Caribshopper different? Its commitment to the small and medium businesses looking to grow in a competitive market. Caribshopper knows that becoming a successful e-commerce contender is time-consuming, fragmented, and expensive for many of our Caribbean businesses. So, they do it for you! While you focus on creating your amazing products, Caribshopper tackles all the shipping & logistics, payment processing, and customer acquisition needs for you to successfully sell direct-to-consumer overseas.

Not only that, but Caribshopper handles all of this for less – with no listing fees, subscription fees or membership fees, you keep more of your margin, make more sales, and continue to grow. If your products are in the following categories then you should take a good look at getting listed on Caribshopper: Food & Drink, Beauty & Wellness, Home & Living, Jewelry, Apparel, Paper & Novelty.

Registration is pretty simple, interested merchants head over to Caribshopper and click “Become a Merchant”. A rep from their Merchant Success team will reach out to you and get you onboarded to the platform.

Caribshopper shines in some key areas to help you make waves in your industry. They can take your product photos so it matches international retail standards, write the product and sales copy to best describe your goods, and work with you to price your products to attract the US & Canada market. They also provide you with marketing kits to help you create social media content.

So, what happens once your store is up on Caribshopper? Once a product is bought, you will be notified and you have 2 options to get your products to the Caribshopper team.

1. You can deliver your goods to their warehouse over on Francis Rd, Maraval 
2. Arrange with the Caribshopper team to have your items collected by their couriers. This option is available for Tobagonians.

Once the item has been dropped off/picked up, the Caribshopper team gets the products to your customers in the US/CA within 5 days of them placing their orders. 

Now let’s tackle the question that I know has been burning through your mind, the money! How do you get paid?

Well, I got some good news for you. Caribshopper handles all of the credit card payments from international clients so you don’t have to worry. They remit the funds to you 2x a month to your US-based or local bank account.

If you decide to register with Caribshopper, you can still have your website or register with other marketplaces of your choice, you are not locked into any exclusive agreement. 

I would highly recommend checking them out and getting listed. Caribshopper is solving some key problems for us here in T&T. Getting into the US/CA market, Payment Processing, Logistics and generating more sales for your business.

So get started today, get registered and begin your journey into the US & Canadian market.