Sierra Leone like many other countries in Africa relies largely on imported goods. Over the years we’ve
seen large quantities of goods and commodities coming into Sierra Leone. According to data from World
Integrated Trade Solutions, Sierra Leone’s exports of goods and services as a percentage of GDP is
12.83% and imports of goods and services as a percentage of GDP is 37.33% according to world integrated trade solution.
This data clearly tells you how much we rely on imported goods as a country. Sierra Leone cargo shipping has been a very lucrative business due to the Country’s high import rate.
But what is there for retail buyers or small business owners? How does that affect the end
users/consumers? If you are a Sierra Leonean residing in the diaspora, is it better to ship items to Sierra Leone or buy items already in Sierra Leone? This article seeks to cover some of the challenges of shipping to Sierra Leone and benefits of shopping in Sierra Leone whilst residing outside of Sierra Leone via 247bigmarket.com
What are the benefits of shipping to Sierra Leone as a consumer?
Product Selection and Quality: Shipping helps you to better assess your product especially if you are
staying abroad as well as its quantities and qualities making a relative cost analysis of each product or
commodity. Shipping abroad also helps one gets a better quality of goods and products which tends to
last longer. You as the consumer decides on the value and quality of the product you are buying because you have firsthand opportunity to feel, touch and hold the product.
Cost Minimization: Sometimes it is cheaper when you buy abroad and ship to your home country. This is
often so in the case of certain products especially electronics. When you ship with a reliable vendor your goods will be safe and you have control over your spending assuming you have and stay within budget.
Why shipping certain items to Sierra Leone might not be the best or optimal option
Uneconomical: Shipping is an expensive venture. According to Tudor, shipping goods to Sierra Leone cost
approximately £500.00 (Up to 130kg) and this does not include any other charges like terminal handling,
documentation, customs clearance, taxes, and storage costs. Now you could imagine how much you
have to spend on buying your goods and coming to pay all of these other charges. To undertake such,
one must be financially ready. Outside of buying the primary items you want to ship; you need to buy a shipping barrel or shipping container {20ft or 40ft). If you a shipping a barrel, you also need to pay the shipper for each barrel. In the case of a container, the average cost of a 40ft container is around $6,000.00. So, all of these costs have cumulative effects. The most upsetting is dealing with the costs associated to your cargo at the Queen Elizabeth Quay in Freetown Sierra Leone
Time Constraints: Shipping is time-consuming. Most cargoes take a minimum of six to eight weeks at the sea. If transshipments are involved, it can take upwards to twelve weeks. Also, at arrival in the final destination, it can take up to two weeks to clear the items from the quay. Sometimes, most perishable goods get spoilt on the way. Many a time also, people missed out on the
items they shipped especially when there is a delay in the arrival of the ship. Basically, their vacation time or visiting time did not align with the time of the ship’s arrival. Sadly, this is frequent story for most Sierra Leoneans. Your story can be different because you have an alternative with 247bigmarket.
What are the benefits of using 247bigmarket?
By buying from us, you are not only supporting our business, but you’re contributing towards the
economic growth of the country because 247bigmarket.com is a 100% Sierra Leonean-owned business.
It is high time we start supporting businesses that are Sierra Leonean-owned. This is because, for
every product or service you buy from us, you are helping a family. and also creating jobs for the youths. From time to time, we contract youths to serve in various capacities related to our business operations. Because of love, Sierra Leoneans residing in the diaspora support their family members and friends back home and sometimes, the help needed is very urgent. If for example, a family member needs a food item because they run out, you can choose to buy them abroad and ship it to Sierra Leone. Remember, this is a very tedious process and most importantly, it will take between eight to twelve weeks for your family member to receive the items. Alternatively, you can go online at 247Bigmarket.com and shop with any of our vendors for your grocery need and your family member can pick up the item right away once the order is complete. All you need to do at this time is to communicate with your family member, provide them the details of the order and they can easily pickup that order at the designated vendor store. For food items, you can shop Choithrams Supermarket which is Sierra Leones oldest supermarket. You can also shop Goodie’s supermarket.
Also, people living in the diaspora (Sierra Leoneans) mostly would want to buy refrigerators, Air conditioners, and other electronic items especially when they want to come for vacation/holidays. They tend to do that because of the quality of the electronic products they want to buy and use. But what is more frustrating is that most often these items may take longer than they expect, and some will arrive on the verge of their departure. Comparatively, you can shop with us through our electronic vendor and you are guaranteed the best products and quality similar to what you can order abroad. This vendor also offers free delivery depending on the size of the order and geographic location of the customer.
If you are on a building project within Grafton to Regent, we have a building vendor that you can buy from, and they will have your items delivered free of charge depending on order size versus you sending the money which is often spent wrongly or misused. It is very safe and secure to shop with us. You can place your order from anywhere in the world at your convenience and with nothing to worry about because our customer service is top notch, and you will always have someone to take you through the process if you are a first-time customer. Visit one of our vendor stores today and start shopping. Remember, this system was created with your family in mind.