Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves says that the Greaves supermarkets, which are owned by a Vincentian family, are better than Massy supermarkets, which originated in Trinidad and Tobago.
He said that Massy offers a more limited range of products to its customers in St. Vincent and the Grenadines compared to Trinidad and Tobago or St. Lucia.
The prime minister was at the time speaking about how Sandals Beaches Resort, which opens in Buccament Bay on March 27, would buy agricultural produce.
“… a hotel like Sandals, which is 301 keys where you’re having 602 guests, 301 rooms, you think they want five, 10, 15 different people to turn up by them selling a few pounds of carrot, a few pounds of tomato?” Gonsalves said recently on NBC Radio.
“They want one or two consistent suppliers. That’s how they do their business. and if you don’t do that, they will turn up at Greaves and they will buy — Greaves or Massy, I called Greaves first because from all my reports that I get that Greaves is a far better supermarket than Massy,” he said.
“I’m not saying that I don’t like having Massy here to provide competition. But it seems as though the people in Trinidad and Tobago who run Massy, they think that Trinidad and Tobago and St. Lucia higher up the totem pole than St. Vincent.
“So, they offer us a narrow range of commodities and not as good service. That is what I hear. If I speak out of turn here this morning with Massy they can come out and criticise me because I am not beyond criticism,” Gonsalves said.
Before coming to office in 2001, Gonsalves had promised to encourage supermarkets to set up in SVG to provide competition for the Greaveses, Veiras and Bonadies, three Vincentian families that were in the supermarket business and were regarded as supportive of the now opposition New Democratic Party.
The Veiras have since exited the supermarket business even as the Greaveses have expanded to include a third supermarket in Pembroke and the Bonadies continue to operate two supermarkets in Kingstown.
“Worse than a fool is an educated fool”, and Ralph, you have done more to add credibility to that old saying than anyone I know.
Thumbs up to Greaves Supermarket!👍 At times I think their prices on certain commodities can be lower, considering the present economy and buying power of consumers here. While I respect the prime minister’s views, could it be that Massy has assessed the economic situation of Vincentians and decided not to be as expansive as St. Lucia and Trinidad in the amount and variety of goods offered to the public? Could it be that because St. Lucia and Trinidad have much larger populations than St. Vincent, Massy decided to reduce the amount of goods offered? Factors like these, among others, should be taken into consideration when making judgments on these matters.
Well that’s for sure is a lie. Massy gives you a far wider choice of goods. Graves is very limited in a variety of selection by way of staples & food cupboard choices. I shop at both & find Graves is better in the fresh food department, and Massy if far more better in staples & tin cupboard choices.
To have Ralph say that Greaves is better than Massy is evidence that senility has stepped far more than many of us anticipated.
Greaves’ not Greaveses!
I am just wandering if the Greaves Supermarket ever got any concession from this Government. This regime downtrodden on local businesses, but as we age restitution and retribution walk with us.
After all the damages inflicted on the businessmen by pollical Taradiddle. Thanks for hailing up locals, never too late, but after all the honey given to foreigners!!!
I hope locals will better seat that your table, since awaking “now” from your slumber.
an ar yo na bin fo close down de greaves, bonadies and de veiras ? ar yo na beat dem at the polls and go beat dem in their business too? darm hypocrites.
No words…I’m dumfounded! 🙄