Barbados

Export Guide to the Consumer Food Market

September 1997

Prepared for the U.S. Department of Agriculture

by Fintrac Inc.

This guide is one of ten individual guides available (not including a summary guide), covering the following countries and territories: Aruba and Curacao; the Bahamas; Barbados; British Territories, comprising Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, and the Turks and Caicos; the Dominican Republic; Guadeloupe and Martinique; Haiti; Jamaica; and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, comprising Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts-Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

For more information, contact USDA/FAS offices in the Dominican Republic and Miami:

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Table of Contents

Basic Facts (Geography, Demographics, Infrastructure)

Barbados, an independent country within the British Commonwealth, is the most easterly of the Caribbean islands, immediately east of the Windward Islands and 285 miles northwest of Venezuela. It has an area of 166 square miles, a maximum length of 21 miles from North to South, and of 14 miles from East to West. With a total population of 264,000 (1,590 inhabitants per square mile), Barbados is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Major ethnic divisions include African (92 percent), European (1 percent), Indian and Asian (1 percent), and mixed race (1 percent). GDP per capita is $6,580, unemployment is 16 percent, and the number of annual visitors was 925,300 in 1996. Barbados is relatively flat, with the major residential areas located alongside the Western coast (Saint James and St. Peter parishes) and the Southern coast (Saint Michael, Church Christ, and Saint Philip parishes). Bridgetown is the capital and the only major city with a population estimated at 50,000 persons. The currency is the Barbados dollar.

The major harbor in Barbados is the Port of Bridgetown, which has full cargo handling facilities. Over 20 shipping lines are represented in Barbados. The main airport is Grantley Adams International, which is 30 minutes from Bridgetown. Runway length at the airport is 11,000 feet, and there are direct scheduled flights to North America, Latin America, Europe, and other Caribbean countries. Barbados has 1,020 miles of highways, 916 miles of which are paved.

Consumer Trends and Attitude Towards Imports

The Barbadian consumer food market follows the trends of the US market. There is a heavy flow of travelers between the US and Barbados, and exposure to US media through cable television also positively influences the market and facilitates the adoption of US products. Close to 85 percent of the 75,200 households on Barbados have a television and many of them have access to US broadcast programs.

It is difficult to divide the Barbadian food market into specific geographical segments. The island features an excellent transportation infrastructure that facilitates internal travel. Public transportation is widely available, and 33 percent of households own one car or more.

Retail food stores are spread out all over the island. In urban and suburban areas, the population has a wide variety of choices but supermarkets are still the most favored shopping outlets for packaged food products. The selection of the specific store is first of all determined by its proximity. Although public and private transportation are available, people still find it more convenient to shop at the nearest location. As 86 percent of households have refrigerators, shoppers usually buy a week to several weeks' worth of provisions at once. Purchases are usually on a cash basis, but credit and debit cards are becoming more popular.

Barbados has a limited food industry and relies heavily on imports, with the United States accounting for the largest share of food imports. Therefore, consumers are accustomed to imported goods and generally have a positive opinion of US products. Many popular US brands are already very well known and well established in the marketplace. Jamaica and Trinidad are the main regional suppliers of food products and the UK is the main extra-regional supplier other than the US. Certain Canadian exporters are also reportedly beginning to more aggressively target the Barbadian market for consumer foodstuffs.

For manufactured products, whenever the choice is available, Barbadians tend to prefer imported goods to local ones as they are usually perceived to be of higher quality and are sometimes cheaper. For some produce and poultry items, however, the market seems to prefer local products.

The Wholesale Food Sector

Wholesalers in Barbados supply both the retail and the hotel and restaurant industries. More than 30 companies compete in the market. The seven largest firms account for about 70 percent of all food imports, the remainder being effectuated by small wholesalers, supermarkets and other retailers. Hotels and restaurants rarely import food products, preferring to buy from local wholesalers or supermarkets. The largest wholesalers include A.S. Bryden & Sons Ltd., M.E.R. Bourne and Co Ltd., T. Geddes Grant, Frank B. Armstrong Ltd., Spring Garden Foods Ltd. (a subsidiary of Barbados Shipping and Trading), and Ridge View Ltd. One company, Hotel Food Supplies Ltd, specializes in the supply of the HRI (hotel, restaurant, and institutional) trade.

Barbadian wholesalers generally operate as importer-distributors, representing selected brands under exclusive agency contracts. Usually, these representation contracts include non-competition covenants which forbid the wholesaler from distributing a competing brand for the same category of product.

Wholesalers do try to offer as full a line of products as possible, and therefore they often import products for which they are not the exclusive agent. Generally, however, retailers will have to deal with more than one wholesaler to meet all their needs, especially if they want to carry more than one line of branded products per food category.

A typical Barbadian wholesaler imports about two containers per week and has one warehouse equipped with cold storage and a computerized inventory system. The majority of wholesalers are located in Saint Michael or Christ Church, the main economic centers, and most deal with both fresh and frozen, as well as dry products. French Trading Company is the only wholesaler exclusively specializing in the import of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Wholesalers undertake their own delivery service. Deliveries are weekly to most retailers but may be more frequent to hotels and restaurants or larger supermarkets. On average, it takes a truck only one hour to reach the remotest location on the island.

The exclusive representation and the non-competition covenant practices tend to reduce competition within the wholesale food industry. It offers wholesalers protected niche markets, as each wholesaler is the sole supplier of certain popular brands. As a result the food wholesale industry has been stable over the years.

The situation is changing, however, as more and more companies import name brand products from other sources of supply than the original manufacturer. Indeed, the representation contract between a manufacturer and its Barbadian distributor cannot prevent another wholesaler or retailer from importing the product from an alternative supplier, such as a US-based wholesaler. As a result, competition has intensified and price is becoming the single most important factor determining success in the market.

The Retail Food Sector

There are between fifteen to twenty major supermarkets including five chains in Barbados. Super Centre Limited, operator of four supermarkets, is a subsidiary of Barbados Shipping and Trading, which also owns importer-distributor Spring Garden Food Limited. Another group, the Plantations Trading Company, owns two supermarkets. Supermarkets are primarily located in Bridgetown and the surrounding area and account for about 75 percent of retail food sales.

Convenience stores and small shops are more numerous. They are estimated at 100 to 150 in total and are present in both urban and suburban areas. Most are owned by independent individuals or family businesses while some are subsidiaries of, or affiliated with, larger retailers or wholesalers. In all, they account for about 15 percent of food sales. Barbados also has 3 covered markets. Together with small street food stalls and informal retailers they account for the remainder of the total food sales, about 10 percent of the market.

While small stores rarely undertake direct imports, larger supermarkets regularly import products that are not available from local wholesalers, and like to import directly whenever they are able to identify cheaper sources of supply. The largest supermarkets import about one container of mixed products a week.

Supermarkets in Barbados are similar to those in the United States. They feature sections for each category of product, including fresh, frozen, deli, and bakery. Most supermarkets maintain significant inventories of food products and have cold and regular storage facilities. While the largest store, Julie'N, has 27 checkout stands, the majority of them only have between two to ten stands. These stands are usually equipped with bar-code reading scanners.

In general, supermarkets cater to the needs of all segments of the market. Some, however, place more emphasis on the lower income population while others carry more gourmet-type items for higher income consumers.

Small shops and convenience stores can be found all over the island. Small shops generally carry very limited supplies of fresh produce or meat products, mainly concentrating on dry products such as canned, bottled or dried foods. Many of them may have a refrigerator for cold drinks, however. The number of medium-sized convenience stores, larger than a traditional shop and smaller than a supermarket, has been growing and many of these outlets tend to stock at least some fresh and frozen items.

The most recent change in the retailing business has been the opening of the Julie'N mega-store, a large supermarket with an enormous array of products, a bright and modern interior, and almost 30 checkout stands. Subsequently, some retailers have tried to upgrade their stores and expand the variety of items offered to avoid losing too many customers to Julie'N. No further supermarket construction is planned or reported as the market appears to be saturated.

Business Relationships/Choosing a Partner

Business hours are from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday and 8:00 am to 12:00 noon Saturday. Usually, executives have a lunch break that lasts between 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Most wholesalers import on a 30-day credit after delivery. Distributors usually benefit from an open account from their principals. Payments are due at the end of the month for the balance of the previous month. Distributors sell to retailers on credit, usually for a 30-day term.

US food exporters have a choice between going through distributors or marketing directly to retailers. The decision will depend on the nature of the product and the potential of the market. The advantage of using distributors is that distributors provide access to all the food retailers on the island, as well as hotels, restaurants, etc. The distributor may also be able to conduct a promotional campaign for the product. The disadvantage is that distributor's mark-up will increase the retail price of the product, rendering it less attractive to the consumer.

The advantage of directly marketing to retailers is that the cost savings of cutting out the middleman can be passed on to the consumer and stimulate demand for the product. However, the disadvantages of selling directly to retailers are that this method can be more time-consuming and that access to the non-supermarket retailers can be quite difficult.

Another alternative is to sell products through US food wholesalers who specialize in servicing the Caribbean market. These companies, most of whom are based in South Florida, may not offer all of the marketing muscle of a local agent, but they are often quite competitive on price. Many Caribbean wholesalers and retailers buy from a combination of local and US wholesalers, depending on who offers better service and prices. More information on US food wholesalers servicing the Caribbean is provided in the summary guide to this series, which is entitled "The Caribbean: A Summary Export Guide to the Consumer Food Market".

Laws and Regulations Concerning Imported Food

All items imported into Barbados need to carry labels showing the name of the item, quantity, the ingredients used in manufacturing the item, country of origin, and expiration date. Juices should carry information showing the percentage of ingredients used in the mixture. Products containing meat or fish should show the percentage of these products present in the mixture. The Barbados National Standards Institution publishes standards for labeling of food products, as well as other standards for various food products. In general, US standards are usually acceptable in Barbados and standards have not been an issue which have impeded US food exports.

The government of Barbados has taken some steps to protect intellectual property and is a signatory of several international accords regarding property rights. Barbadian law doesn't protect domestic industries at the expense of foreign companies with regard to intellectual property rights, but Barbados has, according to the US Department of Commerce, "only limited experience with intellectual property rights matters and very few industrial designs or patents have been registered there."

All goods imported into Barbados must be accompanied by at least three copies of the relevant commercial invoices duly signed by the exporter of the goods. These invoices should contain all information about the goods being imported such as cost, freight, insurance, currency of sale, country of origin, and weight. One of the invoices should carry an original signature.

A license is required to import agricultural products, as well as a phytosanitary certificate from the country of export. Meat, fish, and items which contain more than 20 percent by weight of these products require a permit from the Ministry of Agriculture, an overseas meat certificate from the exporter and an import licence from the Ministry of Trade and Industry. In addition, import licenses are required to import a wide range of food products (including milk, eggs, frozen vegetables, oils, jams, fruit juices, water, and beer) from outside the Caribbean Community.

Tariffs and Other Taxes

Barbados is a member of CARICOM, and applies the CET (CARICOM External Tariff). The maximum CET rate is 35 percent, with a 5 percent surcharge for many agricultural items. Customs duties are assessed on the c.i.f. value. Certain products, when imported into Barbados from outside of CARICOM, are subject to an additional 75 percent surtax (based on c.i.f. value) until March 31, 1999. This additional surtax is scheduled to be reduced to 35 percent by April 1, 1999, and phased out on April 1 of 2000. Products which attract this surtax include wheat flour, margarine and other edible fats, pasta products, pastry, biscuits, cakes, frozen and canned vegetables, and sugar confectionary not containing cocoa. A list of representative tariff rates is included as Appendix 1.

An 'environmental levy' of either 0.75 percent or 1 percent of c.i.f. value is assessed on almost all goods. There is a general VAT of 15 percent on all goods and services.

Contacts for Regulatory Information

Consumer Food Imports

The Barbados market for imported consumer food products is estimated at $108 million.⁽¹⁾ Because of its small domestic processing industry and only limited agricultural production (other than for sugar cane, the traditional crop), Barbados must import most of its consumer food needs.

The relative affluence of the population and the high level of development of the tourism sector makes Barbados one of the most promising markets for US exporters. The US is the largest current supplier of consumer food products to Barbados with twenty-seven percent import market share (see Table 2 and Figure 1). Members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) together supply 26 percent of total imports, although more than half of this is supplied by Trinidad. Jamaica, Guyana, St. Vincent, and St. Lucia are the other major CARICOM members supplying to Barbados. Other major suppliers include the European Union (11 percent), Canada (10 percent) and New Zealand (10 percent). New Zealand's exports to Barbados are almost entirely comprised of lamb, powdered milk, butter, and cheese.

Four food categories account for nearly half of all imports: dairy and eggs; sugars and sugar confectionary; beverages and spirits; and fresh, frozen, and dried meats (See Figure 2). However, imports are strong in almost all import categories and in each there are sizeable opportunities for US exporters. Below is a discussion of trends and performance for individual food products considered to have the most potential for US exporters. The discussion is summarized in Table 3.

Meat and Poultry Products. Meat imports consist primarily of fresh/frozen beef and lamb, with 1996 imports of $3.1 million and $3.7 million, respectively. Imports for both products have declined slightly since 1992. New Zealand is the largest supplier of both products (45 percent of beef and 85 percent of lamb). The US is a player in the beef market with a 38

percent market share, but supplies only minimal amounts of lamb. The market should remain relatively steady and could grow if tourist arrivals and domestic incomes increase. The US may be able to increase market share for both beef and lamb. The same holds true for fresh/frozen swine imports which have more than doubled since 1992. Canada supplies more than three-quarters of the $1.7 million import market for this product.

Chicken imports are not as high in Barbados compared to other Eastern Caribbean countries as a result of domestic production. While the US maintains an eighty percent market share, import have declined from $1.8 million in 1992 to $830 thousand in 1996. Nevertheless, domestic production cannot supply all of the demand and a sizeable market for frozen chicken parts (especially wings) should continue into the future. The US supplies most of the $2.9 million market for eggs (some of which are for domestic poultry farms), a market which has increased from $1.8 million in 1992.

Fish and Seafood. The US supplies only eight percent of the $7.5 million import market for fresh and processed fish and seafood. Competition from Guyana limits US exporter opportunities in frozen shrimp and lobster. There may be limited opportunities for increased US exports of dried fish (primarily cod), canned sardines and canned tuna.

Dairy Products. New Zealand dominates the import market for most dairy products. It supplies 83 percent of the $2.8 million powdered milk market (with the EU supplying most of the remainder), 62 percent of the $0.8 million butter market (again with the EU supplying most remaining demand), and 59 percent of the of $5.1 million cheese market. Of these items, the US only supplies sizeable quantities of cheese, holding a 15 percent market share. Barbados imports sizeable quantities of condensed milk ($1.3 million), most of which is sourced from Trinidad. The US, however, has had some success in the small but rapidly expanding markets for ice cream ($380 thousand total imports, 70 percent US share) and yogurt ($105 thousand total imports, 98 percent US share).

Sugar Products and Confectionary. Barbados' traditional sugar cane industry has been in decline for several years, necessitating the importation of sugar in sizeable quantities. Refined sugar imports (not cane) increased from near nothing in 1992 to $4.4 million in 1996, supplied mostly by Colombia (48 percent) and the US (41 percent). Imports of caramel increased from $166 thousand to $2.4 million over the same period, ninety-four percent of which was sourced from Puerto Rico and the rest from the US mainland. The US is also the largest supplier of icing sugar ($207 thousand total imports in 1996) and chewing gum ($222 thousand total imports), and provides 18 percent of imports of other sugar candy with cocoa and 23 percent of other candy without cocoa. Imports of the latter two items, however, have declined since 1992 and there is strong competition from Trinidad, Jamaica, and the EU.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables. Small amounts of locally produced fruits and vegetables are available on the market, but supplies do not meet demand. Imports of all major fresh fruit items have increased over the last five years and the US is a strong player in the citrus and temperate fruit categories. Fresh grape exports have increased from $37 thousand to $509 thousand and the US supplies almost all demand. Other high volume fresh fruit items include: apples ($949 thousand total market, 85 percent US share); oranges ($1.3 million total market, 15 percent US share), and grapefruit ($189 thousand total market, 57 percent US share). The US is also well positioned in the market for berries, stone fruit, mandarins, pears, and lemons. Fresh vegetable imports (excluding potatoes) have increased from $1.2 in 1992 to $2.3 million in 1996. The US supplied $1.6 million worth of a wide variety of fresh vegetables in 1996 and, with the exception of items such as onions and tropicals, has a dominant position in the market. Many supermarkets now carry a wide range of imported produce from the US and consumers are demanding more of it on a regular basis.

Processed Fruits and Vegetables. Top US exports to Barbados of processed fruits, vegetables, and nuts include canned tomato products, canned sweet corn, jams, canned nuts, and peanut butter. Competition in the processed fruits and vegetables market is much stronger from regional suppliers such as Trinidad and Jamaica, and to a lesser extent from the EU and Canada. Increasing supplies of fresh fruits and vegetables also have decreased growth for canned items. Canada supplies 93 percent of the $522 thousand frozen potato imports; US exporters may be able to increase their current share of 7 percent of this rapidly expanding market.

Beverages. Imports of orange and grapefruit juice have increased 42 percent and 54 percent, respectively, since 1992. The US, Jamaica, and Trinidad combine to supply most of the $1.6 million market for these products. Imports of apple and pineapple juice have fallen and are only $397 thousand combined. The wine market totaled $3.5 million in 1996, comprised of $1.0 million of sparkling wines and $2.5 million of other wines. The EU is the largest supplier of both items with 81 percent and 40 percent market shares, respectively. The US market share for non-sparkling wines, however, is only slightly lower at 39 percent.

Other Processed Foods. Import demand for sauces and condiments is strong, but US suppliers face stiff competition from Trinidadian producers as well as European and Canadian exporters for many products. Tomato ketchup at $1.3 million is the largest single imported item under this category, although 89 percent of the product is sourced from Trinidad and only 8 percent from the US. Despite keen competition, US exporters may find opportunities for expanded sales in this $4+ million import market. US suppliers should also be able to increase exports of bakery items, including pastries, breads, biscuits, cookies, and cake mixes.

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