Islands Markets
p. 48 · Read in the full issue
Businessman Makes
Survey
Australia and Her Islands Markets
SALES of confectionery and choco lates in the Pacific Islands are growing, according to Mr. S. E.
Tatham, managing director of S. E.
Tatham and Co. Pty. Ltd., general exporters and shippers, of Mel bourne. But Australia will have to do something about high manufac turing costs if it is not to be priced out of the Pacific Islands markets by cheaper products from UK and other countries.
Mr. Tatham recently returned to Melbourne after visiting Fiji, and is planning to visit Papua and New Guinea shortly.
Mr. Tatham said that the bulk of confectionery imported by Fiji was sold by Indian and Chinese merchants.
The native population, when buy ing sweets, preferred something that cost straight-out sums like 3d, 6d, 1/- or 2/-. Broken prices such as 7d only tended to confuse them.
They also preferred lines that con tained a number of pieces—such as caramels —rather than a single bar or slab —they seemed to think they got better value for money that
way. Bright colourful packaging invariably proved an attraction —a point Australian manufacturers should bear in mind when catering for this market.
Australia was still the biggest ex porter of confectionery to the Islands —but with the Common wealth’s high-price structure, seri ous competition could develop.
Mr. John Stokie, one of the best known planters in the New Britain area of New Guinea, has sold his plantation interests, and he and his wife left Rabaul by the June Bulolo for Australia. It is their in tention to settle permanently on a farming property which Mr. Stokie owns near Coffs Harbour, in New South Wales.