Springfield Trading (1959) opened the doors to its new full-service supermarket, S-MART, on Friday morning.
The new supermarket, located in the Springfield Trading Compound on Goodwill Road, was designed by Springfield Trading to give the Dominica public a super service-oriented grocery shopping experience.
General Manager of S-MART, Nathalie Sampson, said at the opening ceremony of the supermarket on Friday morning that the idea of establishing the supermarket came about more than five years ago.
“It was planted like a mustard seed, we continue to nurture the idea providing the fertilizer and watering while the maker, God himself provided the sunshine,” she explained. “The idea grew and was conceptualized about two years ago.”
She said the implementation of the project began in February 2015 and “today I am happy to report that this mustard seed has grown into a huge tree where many of us and all Dominicans will nest and find a rest.”
She revealed that the supermarket will provide employment for 25 Dominican, bringing to total 78 employed at Springfield Trading Ltd.
Sampson said that the S-MART experience is geared to giving the Dominican public, “excellent customer service, a full range of all basic products at competitive prices, a full range of wines and alcohol, a wide variety of cheeses and other specialty products which the company plans to develop to meet their customers’ needs and wants, convenient ample and hassle-free and safe parking and a comfortable modern air-conditioned environment, perfect for relaxed shopping.”
Meantime, Chairman of Springfield Trading Ltd, Phillip Nassief, said the project has been hard and difficult, involving hours of work.
He congratulated Sampson and her team for the “beautiful project.”
Springfield is known for the range of quality products it represents including, Colgate-Palmolive, Crix Biscuits, Holiday Snacks, Frutas Juices, Busta soft drinks, Cadbury chocolates, Dentyne and Trident gums, among many others.
S-MART is open for business seven days a week.
Opening hours are Mondays to Thursday from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm; Fridays and Saturdays from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm and Sundays and public holidays from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Went there…nothing special …very similar in prices…nothing really stood out to me. I believe they should have opened with lower prices…give something to people so you grab more customers. You should start with a bang.
Money stays where money is.
Nice, now please provide excellent customer service…………. god blessings
Hello and good evening my people. Well am not against Mr Nassief opening his supermarket and providing jobs for our people but what I want to address is that there are five families that control the economy. I came to Dominica in 2010 and I paid a well known Attorney twelve thousand dollars to conduct a study for me to open a supermarket like “Pathmath or C-Town “. I also told her that I would like to import what I can’t source in Dominica. Well six months later she provided the report and a five hour consultation in which she told me to open such business I will have to do business with five well known families which control Sole Proprietary contacts to bring goods in Dominica. She further informed me that one family holds twenty such contracts for imported goods and they can prevent me from bringing such good unless I buy it from them so how can a Country operate like that and then expect middle class people like me to invest in our country. It’s the same people all the time.
I went there. The shop is clean, very organised, airconditioned, friendly staff but the assortment not very different from others. I would like to see more upscale merchandise, like decent cheeses and delicatessen to go with the image of the store. One great advantage is excellent parking facilities. Good luck but please, go to the next level in merchandise and make it stand out from the rest. Some of us want something better and will pay for it.
Fantastic!….Many congratulations all looking good. I hope there are working partnerships in place for locally produced fruit and vegetable products- this is what we need in supermarkets in D/a and the main thing is supply must be SUSTAINED but not OVERPRICED, with the possibility of branching out to local fresh juices being sold in the store.
Another fundamental aspect of this launch is Customer Service this must be in place and adherd to remember a smiling face eye contact and a warm courteous welcome makes for a successful business and returning customers. How about supply
Mr Nassief you still looking good you know how to avoid the stresses however Mrs Sampson you have aged a lot you need to slow down. I am having an issue with the little cubbies at the entrance of the supermarkets this is so old school. It sends the message, you can shop but I really don’t trust you. Congratulations anyhow. On another note eventually traffic lights may need to be considered in that area. Just a thought.
The idea of having the supermarket at that location is forward thinking. In fact the supermarket could outperform the others in Roseau. Shoppers won’t have to deal with parking nightmare in Roseau.
While it is true that 25 people are employed it is very very p ok ssible that 25 more may fa on the unemployment line because the economy is simply dead.
It is a huge risk in a moribund economy. I wish them a very successful return.
Wow Dominicans to the bones. Boy we know how to bring down, 25 more jobs and we don’t know how to say thank you Lord.
Do they sell local products? I guess it’s strictly IMPORTS.
I lived in Dominica until 1998. I loved Dominica and her people. Back then, we had fewer choices on where to buy our food. Any time man has more choices, he will have more chances to prosper. Remember, God made man with a brain so that he could make his own choices, whether it be his food or his religion. If man makes the wrong choice whether it be his food or his religion, he alone will pay the price. A free man will make his own choices. I am glad to see S-Mart open and give the “free men (and women)” of Dominica more choices.
when one door closes many more opens, this is just how god works, the nation will never suffer for long,they are never given more than they can bare,remember that Dominicans,skerrit can not keep down nobody if that is what, you all want think,god is in control,it matters not what you all want to think,life must go on,with or without skerrit or even linton,i done with stressing myself with politics
Is this a franchise? There are a chain of s mart stores in Mexico is this part of this group?cc
Good initiative all the best.
Congratulations to Springfield Trading {1959} Ltd it’s Chairman Mr. Phillip Nassief , Mrs Nathalie Sampson General Manager and members of staff. I am overseas presently but when I return to Dominica I will surely support the S-MART The Nassiefs are not grabbers they always give back. The organization I was employed with before I retired benefitted greatly from Mr. Phillip Nassief and the Nassief family
I well need a part time job….woosh
But what to do for allu to not criticize nuh?
You all making it so hard for someone some in the diaspora to invest in Dominica. Dominica is populated with mental Giants. Progress in Dominica is doomed.
Sam’s gutter you just a damn hater.
looking good, just don’t sell poison food for lennox Linton.
They fed and housed him as a young man.
Stop complaining Dominicans.. at least 25 Dominicans have a job now..
If you can’t afford the prices simply go to another supermarket,.
I would shake your big toe!
In their zeal to be negative, that notion was lost on them. Typical of our people.
same
different day
remember this when at the voting station.
You must be kidding me? This looks like an American Safeway or Giants with all these “High Fructose / Corn Syrup” sweetened poisonous products that are at an average of US $3.00 per unit. A properly strategized local product store with all natural alternatives at reasonable prices that would encourage revamping of the agricultural industry would make sense. Buying the products from the farmers and turning it into a healthy juices for patrons would have been much more helpful to the economy. Ocean Spray and that wine Connoisseurs are laughing all the way to the bank.
Wonder why Dominica is beginning to rank high with diseases that have plagued the SO CALLED “DEVELOPED WORLD”? Consumption of unhealthy products is the key.
Good luck Dominica in your attempt the mimic the other countries. Please realize that when their citizens get sick they can partially care for them – you cannot even diagnose Dominicans much more take care of them. I WOULD SAY ‘NO THANKS’ to…
If you are so concerned,why haven’t you opened one to the like……
you are an idiot….so y you cant come and invest in the business u talk about…..nothing is good for yall…..just stay on the sidelines and criticize
Lord save us from those of that kind.
ppl like you too wicked. once progress ocuring always looking for negative. u want the supermarkets to stay outdated and not look modern. it’s 2015. thank God u not in DA. False 2DA sucker.
You don’t HAVE to buy what’s not good for you. You can make the choice. If you want local, set up with farmers, sales persons who walk from house to house or go the your local market and buy local. It can start with you. The choice is yours.
Should be very convenient for Fond Cole,Glasgow,Ravine CorK,Morne Daniel Estate,Canefield,Benar Ravine,River Estate and Checkhall Estate. They will buy and sell plenty local produts from very many farmers throughout the land, All will be happy . God-Allah-Jehover will bless these great industrialists ,former IDC guru and “de Dollor Man” genius, for their insights and achievements. They will buy plenty locally produced palmolive soaps etc and sell at this Super Market. All shall buy and all shall eat! “Dominiqe Doo”:
Negre Maron wake up. Palmolive is Colgate brand and DCP closed now garcon.
Hmmm. I thought Catholics were opposed to Sunday shopping and work. I guess not…looks like the priest blessed it. Any way the hours are great , I hope the prices beat all the competition in the area (Minyas, ACS7-11, Wilsons)…WOW!
Catholics don’t support working on sundays but the person is free to work providing that they a paid double day. ITs the double day pay Achille was trying to remove and give people same pay as they get on weekdays
@Real ting ….catholic who ? The Catholic priest or the bishop do not run anyone life or anyone businesse place.if any one going to tell me in this age and time businesses especially supermarkets or pharmacy or fast food will be closing on Sundays in Dominica ….well I would be sorry for my lovely Dominica because that would mean instead Dominica going forward it would be going backwards … so if businesses wants to open on Sundays so be it leave the choice to the owners the workers and customers ….The Catholic Church should have no say in that.They should be preaching the coming of christ.
I am not excited it’s the same high prices, It wouldn’t make any different to us, It’s unbelievable to see how things are so costly in Dominica.
i went there some things are a little cheaper than other places some things were a little bit higher than other places.some things are really discounted and will remain that way until the current stock has ran out.so eventually itl all be the same price as other places .hope it dont get higher than other places like ‘spend a lot ‘only good thing is goodwill ppl and environs dont have to go far .what can i say whoopie more choices blah blah idk its whatever another supermarket no difference really
Money only stays for the prominent in this country,i see all the sugary items,hope Skerrit is charging you the 10%.
It seems Super market is the in thing these days. Money flowing in food. Just like bars with alcohol. What else grows in D/ca?
Boy, I didn’t know God was into supermarkets as well and grows them from mustard seed. Anyway, good luck I will definitely try it. We need more competition in quality of goods and service.
@Tjebe Fort December 11, 2015
If you were smart person you would not post that comment; it is unfortunate that you have 6 people, at this point, who agree with you
The Mustard seed idea is of the teachings of Jesus, pertaining to faith, it was used in the news report to confirm what happens when you allow faith in God in your works–whatever you plan to do–just like the plan of the Supermarket–5 years ago.
At that time faith was as small as the mustard seed, which was nurtured and manifested into a huge tree–the mustard tree is parallel to the Shopping Center–the plan by faith in God, which was nurtured to success–God’s Will be done!
I would make a big difference in Dominica, if people like you would keep quiet, when you do not understand certain things–or ask questions, instead of making a spectacle of yourselves.