South Sea Supermarket

US Idea Operating in Papeete

Prom a Special Correspondent THE American supermarket has reached the South Seas. Baldwin Bambridge, youthful, idea-seeking head of Etab lissements Baldwin, which has many irons in Tahiti’s commercial fires, has set up the first assembly-line type of retail merchandising in Tahiti.

While on a lengthy business and holi day trip through France and America in 1949, Bambridge arranged contracts with firms in those countries whereby he would receive refrigerated fresh fruits and vegetables of a kind not found in the islands. Produce arrives in the huge re frigerated lockers of the American Pioneer line ships, which now have a regularly-scheduled stop at Papeete on their New York-Australia run. (This new much-needed transportation schedule was also arranged by the enterprising Bald win, who is acting as agent for the line.) As soon as the vessel arrives, the firm advertises in the local newspapers and on the local radio station, listing the fruits and vegetables available. Orders begin pouring in immediately.

Baldwin’s huge motor garage (among other things, Baldwin has a taxi service, a gasoline pump, a you-drive car service, motor boat rentals, a theatre, and an ice cream plant) has been converted into a store that resembles America’s huge A & P and National Tea supermarkets. All that is lacking are the go-cart shopping bas kets.

A 100 ft. long counter fronts the store, while the produce (mostly Washington state apples, Oregon pears. California grapes, Arizona tomatoes, Michigan celery.

Indiana plums and Georgia peaches) is stacked ceiling-high in crates to the rear.

Two men are kept busy opening the crates, while three or four clerks wait on customers. Another clerk does nothing but weigh up goods and package them: another issues ticket stubs, which list the shoppers’ wants, and at the end of this well-oiled assembly-line sits the cashier.

As many as 500 people are queued up wait ing their turn to buy the highly-desirable produce.