MarketMovers: Fresh produce just a click away

In a conversation with Business Day, the brand’s co-founder Rachel Renie explained the company’s purpose, growth and vision. Founded by David Thomas and Renie, the MarketMovers agribusiness idea was created when it was recognised that an increasing portion of the population saw the importance eating local and the impact that eating organic can have on one’s lifestyle. Speaking on the initial perception of the brand from the general public, Renie said she has noticed a change in perception as the initial skepticism from the public has now decreased and there is a greater embrace from her point of view. To give a sense of how the company has grown from its inception, Renie estimates that initial database of ten now stands at 700 customers.

Like any business, marketing is essential to its growth and MarketMovers has been pushing its brand so that it can gain greater recognition from the wider public. Commenting on how they market the product, Renie said the brand has done a few partnerships with local franchises and has been featured in local fitness magazines. A vast majority of the brand’s advertising, however, comes from digital marketing as the brand recognises the possibilities of social media for its advertising due to its direct nature.

With the MarketMovers brand striving to gain further visibility locally, its Farm and Function Caribbean Papaya product has recently been added in the frozen section of several Massy Stores across the country. Describing the process to get into Massy stores Renie said it was long but wasn’t a high wall to climb. After a chance encounter with an interested taster at a Massy Stores health fair, the product was suggested to be on the retail store shelves and was eventually picked up to be sold.

In keeping with the brand’s focus on local eating, the venture seeks to support local farmers and thus far it has supported several local farmers in communities throughout the wider reach of Trinidad and Tobago, according to Renie. Noting that most of the produce are grown locally, Renie admitted that some fruits such as apples and pears which cannot grown locally are imported.

Questioned about the difficulties faced while putting together the product, Renie stated that packaging the product was a challenge, though it was only one among many. Though most components of the Farm and Function product is produced in Trinidad and Tobago, the only part of the product that is not made locally is its physical package, due to what she thinks is the high cost of production locally. Renie said that the actual package had to be made in China, although its design was constructed locally. Given that a product’s packaging can be influential, Renie said, “MarketMovers ensured the packaging was up to international standard”.

As MarketMovers continue to introduce its product to the wider public, the company has embarked on a monthly event simply called “Our Moving Table.” The event, which occurs at a new location every month, seeks to mimic the ambiance of outdoor dining through the use of old wooden tables made of reclaimed wood and utensils made of organic materials such as bamboo.

Renie noted that thus far all of the brand’s efforts is starting to gain recognition, as it has been nominated for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneurship of the Year 2016 award. As for the future of the brand, MarketMovers look forward to hopefully expanding and exporting its products someday to regional and international markets. The brand can be found online at: dmarketmovers.com or contacted at 221-3555.