STX Direct, LLC

scott toilet tissue, purple packaging
paper towels
good cat food-not purina
plastic bags-biodegradable would be nice if available. i do reuse them unless they have had meat in them
borax
arm and hammer baking soda 5 lb box
arm and hammer washing soda 5 lb box
borax 5 lb box
fels naptha or similar soap
sun screen

Thanks Speedy!

Keep posting if more items come to mind...

pool supplies, motor oil, shampoos, etc...

as far as cat food, give me some brand names...

Gluten free items like Udi's brand for the diagnosed Celiacs on the island

Is this to market imported good sales to STX residents vs. buying them locally?

JulieKay, yes & no.

The database is for the beginnings of a co-op type operation: an alternative to buying locally, just like Walmart was before the GVI stopped their shipping to the USVI. Someone can come place an order and pay for it before it gets shipped, no retail/resale involved.

Grocery suppliers have 40,000+ items to choose from, that list needs to be cut back in order for this concept to work, hence the op question.

The GVI has eliminated an option for people to save money by sending away Walmart, is this fair to any American citizen? Does the GVI really have the authority to say who anyone can buy from? I find this rather bothersome, the fact that the GVI is going to tell me that I have to pay more for consumer products because they have a horrible tax system. Taxes will still be collected on anything brought in, this alternate choice to buy will not skirt taxes, it will just bring down the costs of goods to a reasonable level, saving nearly 1/2 of what an item costs to purchase locally.

Here's an example:

A box of Raisin Bran cost $5 to buy locally, where it is being supplied to the local supermarkets for $2. The box costs $5 here for many reasons, some of them being excise tax, shipping, GRT added twice, WAPA absorption, and profit mark-up. Cut 2 of those 5 out, then pay $2.50. A service like this is aimed at helping people live a better life, like maybe being able to afford going out to dinner to a local establishment because they have not over paid on every single thing they need to live an average life.

I admire your effort to make things more affordable but doesn't this take business away from the local businesses....grocery, hardware stores?

I'm with statesidechange. I would not join in this as sending money away from local small businesses I don't see as an answer. I only shop locally and because I shop smart and don't buy many packaged processed foods like raisin bran I spend no more. I didn't shop with Walmart when they did ship here, I refuse to support that terrible corporation.

I do some online shopping of course but that's only when I can't find something locally. Some things I've learned we really don't need and we just do without. I always look local first, and our budget is no more than what we would spend in the states.

We make our money in the states and spend it here, so we bring money here, not send it away. That's our philosophy. Too many local businesses just scraping by. I support my neighbors and my community by spending my money with them.

Btw, an average single Walmart in the states costs its local community $1.8 million dollars per year in the form of social programs for its underpaid workers with no health benefits. Many Walmart workers live in cars in the parking lot of the store where they work.

This is how they keep their prices low, by artificially deflating them via corporate welfare and public welfare. It isn't right. Meanwhile the six Walmart heirs are worth as much as the bottom 30% of Americans combined. This is not right.

Nothing is ever truly cheap. There is always a cost...

i use feline pine kitty litter. kmart used to sell it at twice the normal cost. i now use petco for that item. it is about 5 bucks for a 10lb bag or so.
i use blue buffalo or merrit ( i think that is the name ) for cat food. both are a bit pricey. about 25 bucks for an 11 lb bag. also bought at petco. shipping is not much for those items either. used to be higher. my prices might be off some. if you can have the cost the same or beat that price???

Speedy, thanks for specifying brands. I don't have pricing info to forward y et.

The plan, for those that may have concerns, local people will be employed, contributing to the tax base here, and only here.

JulieKay, I admire your philosophy, and support you in your belief system. On the other hand, I see families veing financially stressed with no relief in sight. It's a quandry: does one find a way to help those who need it most, or continue to allow over-pricing?

i shop where i can get things at a good price whether that is on line or local.

Years (many) ago, friends would get together and buy specific products directly from the wholesalers on island.
They got the product lists and would order items once or twice a month in bulk, mixing it up, depending on the most desired foodstuffs or products people wanted and created their own co-op. It lasted for a few yrs. until many participants moved away.

The reality is we are not over priced. The "cheap" of Walmart comes from the damage done to us and others in other ways.

http://www.care2.com/causes/5-more-reasons-why-walmart-is-the-worst.html

I would support buying from wholesalers for items that aren't available here. The reality is items will always come with a cost due to our location. For me, it was a matter of looking at not buying packaged processed food any longer (unhealthy and the most $$$) and cooking from scratch with primarily local ingredients, which is not hard or time consuming (more marketing fallacies). Other items like toilet paper and paper towels and pet food I do not see a significant difference from stateside prices other than shipping costs. When I go back to the states I price compare and prices have gone up there too.

Except for Walmart, which actually has caused a lot of the pain the struggling American families feel now. At some point we're going to have to pull together as a community and figure out how to help each other grow, which includes sacrifices and lifestyle changes, vs. every man for himself.

pet food and kitty litter i see a big difference, same with toilet tissue.
laundry detergent as well but i make my own now. i made my first batch december 15 and still have enough for a month or so. only cost about 25 dollars to make.

It seems to me like this local business would be a boon. I'll support it.

We are tightening our belts too, but low cost would be a secondary priority behind freshness. Any fresh dry goods with a reasonable transit time would interest us. We buy flour in bulk, for example, but getting it fresh is hit-or-miss, and it is costly when we miss.

I'm always amazed at the suggestion that we have some moral obligation to shop in a certain way, often by people who champion 'free markets', whatever they are anymore. This venture, if successful, would lower prices and raise quality for island consumers, while hiring people locally. If you want to pay too much for food on the brink of expiration while subsidizing Palestine and defrauding WAPA, you remain free to do so. Just don't pretend you're doing your community any favors.

Anyone can order most anything from the states; if they won't ship direct, use Paradise Freight. It is not a big deal at all.

I don't subsidize Palestine. I don't shop there.

But I do support poodle in what she's doing. She and I had a long offline conversation about her vision and I understand how she's putting it together now. I say go for it! 🙂

Thanks JulieKay for the thumbs up! I was the one at fault in my original post for not being as detailed as I was in our conversation.

Briefly, JulieKay & I discussed that I would not bring in produce that would compete with the local farmers. In fact, I will offer a space in the building for the farmers items, making it easier for them to get their goods to the people.

Where will the building be located?

I don't subsidize Palestine. I don't shop there.

You won't shop where??

 

Hey there,

I am planning on moving to STT in March. I have two cats, 4 years old, and they are great travelers. I just wanted to get an idea of their life on the island.

I know that bugs are an issue, so I am hoping our cats become critter killers! But what about them? Any cat owner advice would be very helpful. It's really important that our cats are safe and comfortable. Did you move your cats from the states? They have all of their shots and are good to go, I just want to hear how your experience was.

And thank you for the food advice.

Hey there,

I am planning on moving to STT in March. I have two cats, 4 years old, and they are great travelers. I just wanted to get an idea of their life on the island.

I know that bugs are an issue, so I am hoping our cats become critter killers! But what about them? Any cat owner advice would be very helpful. It's really important that our cats are safe and comfortable. Did you move your cats from the states? They have all of their shots and are good to go, I just want to hear how your experience was.

And thank you for the food advice.

You should start a new topic for this - you'll get more advice! This thread topic is STX Direct.

STX Direct will be located just west of C'sted town.