FROM BEHIND SHOP COUNTER... THE SUPER PLUS FOOD STORES STORY

Vincent and Gloria Chen have always been in the grocery business.

Vincent spent his childhood in the district of Snow Hill, Portland where his father operated a grocery shop. Gloria was born in Western Jamaica but grew up on Windward Road, Kingston where her adoptive mother operated a grocery. During the early 1950s they met while both working at Sang Hing Supermarket in Port Antonio, and later married.
They started their first business, Chen's, in Port Antonio in 1964. Gloria sold cloth, clothing and household goods at the store while Vincent worked as a Singer sewing machine salesman. They sold that business in 1967 when Vincent was promoted to regional manager by Singer, and the growing family moved first to St. Ann's Bay, then to Mandeville in 1968.

In Mandeville, they went into business again when they opened the Humpty Dumpty toy and baby store at the new Manchester Shopping Centre in 1968. The following year, Vincent left Singer and went into his business full-time. Business was good but the new import restrictions affected the toy imports and they sold the store and bought Ken Chin's Supermarket, Christiana in 1973. They operated that supermarket until 1978 when they sold it and retired for a year while they considered emigrating. They decided to stay in Jamaica and bought the L & M Supermarket at Park Crescent in Mandeville in 1979.

In 1981 their son Wayne and his then-wife, Antoinette came into the business after they graduated from the University of the West Indies with degrees in Law and Economics respectively. They bought their own businesses, A & P Superfair, Christiana in 1982 and Landem Discount Supermarket, Manchester Road, Mandeville in 1985.

In 1989, sons Charles and Richard, both computer programmers, returned from North America and bought J & D Supermarket, Main Street, May Pen. In 1992, Charles went off on his own and bought Daley's Supermarket, Main Street, Santa Cruz. Super Plus Food Stores was created on November 1, 1992 from the merger of the five supermarkets.

The thinking at the time was that the businesses were all doing very well individually but each its was doing its own advertising, marketing, and purchasing. By combining several functions to take advantage of economies of scale, they created the possibility of building a strong brand name. This made the consolidation inevitable.

The other important factor was the government's liberalisation of the retail trade. For many years, basic commodities such as flour, rice, cooking oil, and saltfish had been sold on quota at controlled prices. The freeing up of controls allowed Super Plus to grow at its own pace and set prices more aggressively.

This led to the rapid growth of the chain and soon branches were added at Midway Mall, Mandeville, Barnett Street, Montego Bay, and Portmore Pines. During that period the original directors were joined by siblings Jody, and his wife Debe, Robert, Lisa, Jeremy, and Colin, a Captain with Air Jamaica. (Source - http://www.superplusfoods.com/customer/help.php?section=superplusfoodhistory)

This shows that being focused, ambitious and team-oriented will ensure success in any business. Using family members who are also self-motivated, visionary and curious is also a plus for family businesses   .