How Caribshopper.com uses e-commerce to connect islanders to their home products
By Yousra Benkirane
Kadion Preston, CEO and founder of Caribshopper, first left Jamaica for New York to pursue a degree in computer science. He took a job at a Wall Street trading firm after college, where he learned about connecting networks and software to the New York Stock Exchange, eventually opening a financial software consulting firm with his brother Tennyson.
Three years ago, the brothers sold their firm and headed to Miami with a new idea. Like many immigrants from the Caribbean, they never lost their love of home and the products that defined their culture – products not always easy to find in the U.S. They were also aware of the massive transition to online shopping that was accelerated by the pandemic. Their solution: Caribshopper.com, a digital marketplace for all things Caribbean.
Launched in January 2021, Caribshopper is the first major online shopping destination focusing on the Caribbean. Headquartered in Miami, the digital platform brings a little piece of home to immigrants across the U.S. and Canada. Organized in the categories of Food & Drink, Beauty & Wellness, Women, Men, Home & Living, and Paper & Novelty, Caribshopper sells and ships Caribbean products and brands from 500 retailers in Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, and the U.S., with plans to expand. Want a bag of Paula’s Tamarind Candy? How about a bundle of Bertie’s Pepper Sauce? What about a pair of Jamaican Co Kai Leopard Sandals? It’s all here.
“I lived in New York, San Francisco, then Miami Beach. And it was hard to stay connected to our culture. We would always have to substitute what we’re used to,” says Preston. “One of the things [we] hated was buying an extra suitcase for when we traveled home. We would pack those suitcases up with the products we loved to bring back. It happens to any immigrant.”
Part of the brothers’ inspiration came from their mother, who started a children’s clothing company in Jamaica that grew into her own boutique and a distribution partnership with Wisconsin-based OshKosh B’gosh. From that point of view, they began to think about doing something similar with small retailers in the Caribbean, expanding the customer base by taking them online. In a little over a year, it has become the go-to source for thousands of Caribbean-born U.S. and Canadian residents longing for a nostalgic piece of home while also introducing them to up-and-coming brands, some of which offer a modern twist on the traditional culture. “We wanted to have a meaningful business, not just one that makes money,” Preston says. “We did that already.”
Caribshopper has grown to 22 employees and over more than 7,300 products on the site. Many of the small enterprises making these products need help, which the brothers provide – including product photography and optimization, product descriptions and details, and pricing strategies. More than half of their merchants have made at least six sales since joining the site, with shipping from Caribshopper warehouses.
For Lisa’s Preserves, a Trinidadian business, Caribshopper was “a dream come true.” The company makes sweet and savory Trinidadian snacks and is now able to share their products with the world. “Caribshopper took on all the responsibilities,” says CEO Clyde Joseph. “We do not have the resources to ship our products to all these different places. I tried doing it on my own. It was a nightmare.”
