SOUTH FLORIDA – Since its launch in May 2022, GroceryList, the innovative online platform, has achieved extraordinary success, making significant contributions to Jamaica’s economic landscape. The Consulate Office in Miami has played a pivotal role in supporting and promoting GroceryList’s growth, opening doors to various opportunities and fostering partnerships.
GroceryListJamaica enables Jamaicans residing in the diaspora to conveniently purchase groceries and essential items directly from local stores in Jamaica via their online marketplace. Subsequently, these items are swiftly delivered to their family and friends with a one-hour delivery service facilitated by the company’s local network of shoppers and delivery partners.
Economic Boost
Since its inception in June 30, 2022, GroceryList has generated over 60 million JMD in sales across multiple merchants in Jamaica, providing a substantial economic boost to the country. The platform has also paid out over $10 million in part-time salaries, benefiting more than 1500 shopping and delivery partners, customer care representatives, and individuals in operations and marketing through their Gig Economy services.
Operating across all 14 parishes of Jamaica, GroceryList has successfully completed over four thousand orders, helping more than two thousand families , establishing itself as a reliable and efficient service for both consumers and merchants. The platform’s impact goes beyond national borders, with a strong presence in South Florida, thanks to the support of diaspora groups and local government.
According to COO Jermain Morgan, “the far-reaching impact extends beyond the individual consumer. The platform empowers every merchant in Jamaica by providing them with an online presence, placing their business in front of millions of potential users within the Jamaican diaspora. This highlights the direct positive influence of GroceryList’s services and underscores the significance of the consulate’s position in expanding its reach.”
Jamaica Consulate Office Miami Support
GroceryList’s popularity extends internationally, reaching users in the UK, France, Canada, Cayman, Bahamas, Antigua, and other countries. The platform’s founders, Rory Richards (CEO) and Jermain Morgan (COO), attribute much of their success to the enthusiastic support received from the Consulate Office in Miami.
In an interview with the founders, Rory Richards expressed gratitude for the Consul General Oliver Mair’s quick recognition of GroceryList’s potential. Mair’s support opened doors to various local and overseas groups, facilitating the platform’s rapid growth. The founders highlighted the Consulate’s role as a crucial starting point, with Mair’s immediate understanding of the project’s impact within just three minutes of the first pitch.
Jermain Morgan, residing in South Florida, emphasized Mair’s continuous support, stating that the Consulate kept doors open and facilitated introductions to numerous opportunities. The founders reminisced about their initial experience with an outside promotion in Miramar, participating in the Consul’s yearly 5K event, setting up their tent, and offering refreshments to participants.
COO, Morgan compared the experience to his missionary endeavors, expressing excitement about using GroceryList as a tool to glorify God. According to Morgan, even though there is a service charge, the speed, uniqueness, and efficiency of using www.grocerylistjamaica.com to assist loved ones overseas is more than just groceries—it’s a divine mission, Richards said, a mission to tackle Jamaica’s food insecurity one family at a time using technology.
The medal ceremony after the 5K run also yielded what GroceryList called their “Hero Video”. It was at Mair’s event that the duo met Chernéy Amhara an Emmy award-winning journalist of NBC6 who loved the initiative and took it further by premiering the COO in an epic interview with the television network. Richards went on to further saying that the world hasn’t seen us yet, our video is new to those who haven’t watched, and our mission is to get the word out through this credible medium. Adding the effect of associating with the consul.
CEO Rory Richards, a college graduate who migrated to the USA, acknowledged GroceryList’s potential to address brain drain concerns by providing a platform for immigrants to contribute directly to Jamaica’s GDP through food remittances. Barrel children are a huge part of our Jamaican culture, and Richards experienced this while he was a teacher in the early 2000s, as many migrate to seek greener pastures, leaving children behind in the care of guardians.
With GroceryList, an immigrant can now ensure that their children receive the exact nutrition they would want for them, he said. Morgan jokingly added that persons can send their child a fresh bottle of milk in real-time with their guaranteed one-hour delivery.
COO Jermain Morgan highlighted the significance of leveraging advanced technology from a first-world country for the development of the Jamaican brand and economy, reiterating that his first nonprofit mission will be to share the knowledge of technology with young people back home using all the resources available.
GroceryList 2024 Objectives
Richards and Morgan added that one of their main objectives for 2024 is to provide extraordinary opportunities for Jamaican farm workers and hotel contractors overseas. This includes lower service charges, free deliveries, and various types of coupons and discounts, enabling them to support their families in real-time while fulfilling work contracts abroad.
Connected via the Consulate’s office, GroceryList established contact with Karlene Brown, the Liaison Officer for the Jamaica Central Labor Organization-JCLO, a subsidiary under the Ministry of Labour. The CEO’s affirmation of Karlene Brown’s positive response suggests a promising outcome for the collaboration, foreseeing positive impacts on Jamaican businesses and their farm workers. The two founders promise to make it their point of duty to extend extra assistance in this regard.
Looking ahead to 2024, the founders outlined their plans to focus on serving existing customers, acquiring new ones, and expanding their marketplace by adding Hardware, Farm Stores, Department stores, and other services, increasing their diversified offerings.
GroceryList remains committed to its mission of facilitating economic growth, contributing directly to the country’s “eat what we grow” initiative through the Ministry of Agriculture, and providing employment opportunities in Jamaica through the boom of the gig economy. Their general aim is to bring a positive impact to the country overall, contributing diversely to all sectors and ministries.
