Negril’s Hi-Lo Food Store is definitely one for the books! The impressive, state-of-the-art store is the first modernised supermarket in Negril, Westmoreland.

With GraceKennedy’s commitment and continued focus on providing a world-class shopping experience, through its Hi-Lo brand, Janet Silvera, president of the Western Jamaica Media Association, and immediate past president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce, has called on the business community to embrace innovative technologies to improve their product and service offerings to their customers.

Silvera who was delivering the keynote address at the re-opening of the Hi-Lo Negril location last Thursday (January 26), said they were pleased with GraceKennedy’s unwavering commitment to Western Jamaica.

“There is a powerful message here to our Jamaican business community, whether you are new or you have been around for some time. It is that there is no limit to innovation, there is no limit to improvement, and modernization is not synonymous with ‘loss of authenticity’. There is always something that can be improved, and there is always a solution that does not require us to run overseas,” Silvera said.

According to Silvera, innovation comes from the simple conviction to see a need, and act to resolve it. “As the world evolves, so too will the needs of individuals, and the needs of the community, and to be effective, we cannot hide behind the walls of ‘this is what we’ve always done’. Get up, take the horse of innovation and creativity by the reigns, and ride out! And ride out with real solutions, not just lip service,” she added.

For decades, the GraceKennedy Group has established its Hi-Lo brand as a fabric of Jamaican society, offering the best available products, at competitive prices, while going above and beyond to meet, and even exceed the expectations of its customers.

“It is time our various industries break the mould of what we have come to understand as the typical means of providing goods and services. The world has changed a great deal since many of our local companies were formed.  The fact is, that there is no industry that is exempt from the need to evolve, not even supermarkets,” Silvera said.

“The Negril store has not only been relocated, but it has been transformed into a modern grocery shopping space, with international standards, carefully built and equipped to enhance the supermarket shopping experience for everyone,” Silvera said.

“Convenience is now the leading trend, you know, and with the growth of international shipping services, the competition is up there. It is excellent to see a business like Hi-Lo not taking the customer experience for granted. They continue to step up to the plate, from being dedicated to friendly service, to providing wider aisles, more locations, and even the option of online shopping if you prefer,” she added.

The resort town of Negril is a popular tourist destination, and Silvera believes that with Hi-Lo’s thrust towards international standards, the bar has been set for other businesses to follow.

“Grocery shopping has become a major tourist activity. We are seeing more tourists leave their accommodations to go to the supermarkets, and they are vlogging, sharing their experiences, and making recommendations on which locations are ideal and how friendly the service was, and what healthy food options were available,” Silvera said.

“We need to wake up and realise that times are changing, and if we are to stay ahead of the game as a tourism mecca, we need to recognise the new international standards and rise up to meet them,” she added. 

The GraceKennedy Group aims to provide an integrated retail experience which will make it easier for customers to transact various types of essential business at the locations.

Additionally, this expansion, with an investment of $400 million dollars has resulted in the employment of an additional twenty-nine persons, so far, with the intent to hire at least fifty employees from in and around Westmoreland and the adjoining parish of Hanover.

The stores renovated so far in the expansion exercise include Hi-Lo Portmore, Manor Park and Barbican, Spanish Town and Cross Roads and the opening of the Hi-Lo Liguanea in St Andrew and Hi-Lo Fairview stores in Montego Bay.