KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaican-born Canadian entrepreneur Garnette Rose has teamed up with Olympian Asafa Powell and his brother Nigel Powell to launch the digital marketplace IrieSocial, which offers its subscribers compelling daily deals on products and services from various merchant partners, who stand to benefit from risk-free performance-based marketing on the company’s website.
Speaking at the company’s launch at JAMPRO’s Trafalgar Road head office in New Kingston on May 2, Rose explained that he came up with the idea for IrieSocial in 2011 as a way to create commerce by using price and discovery to balance supply and demand.
“IrieSocial is about helping, assisting and uplifting…we want to showcase the greatest products and services in our ecommerce marketplace. It offers Caribbean businesses a breakthrough global marketing opportunity,” said Rose.
A former member of the Toronto Police Service, Rose revealed that he left his job to pursue the development of IrieSocial full-time. He noted that the early assistance that he received from JAMPRO’s North American Regional Office was very instrumental in getting his business off the ground.
“JAMPRO’s manager in North America, Robert Kerr, actually set up several meetings for us with merchants, and he also gave us solid advice on how to approach Jamaican businesses and develop key strategies for our operation,” said Rose.
He added that his participation in the Jamaica Investment Forum in March, at the invitation of JAMPRO, proved to be a very useful exercise that contributed to the growth IrieSocial.
“The Forum in Montego Bay was very good in terms of networking and providing a good look and feel in terms of business. We have the opportunity to present our technology and generate interest, and we actually got about six businesses on board with us coming out of the Forum,” Rose stated.
In her keynote address at the launch, the Hon. Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams, State Minister in the Ministry of Industry Investment and Commerce, congratulated the principals of IrieSocial for using technology to harness the potential of the digital economy. She also praised Rose as member of the diaspora who has returned to invest in the country of his birth.
“This digital marketplace provide sellers of all sizes around the world with the opportunity to expand their operations internationally without the cost of intensive outlay…All of this opens up new opportunities for us in the Caribbean region, as we move towards a 24-7 international digital marketplace with innovative social shopping experiences and the potential to open up huge growth opportunities that lead to unparalleled consumer choices,” stated Minister Ffolkes-Abrahams.
IrieSocial follows the Groupon model, which allows subscribers to opt-in for email alerts on compelling deals that are significantly below market price. The web address is jamaica.iriesocial.com, and the company has disclosed that it is already exploring the possibility of expanding to the Caribbean in short order.
