The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Island Luck's co-founder yesterday said his Aeropost e-commerce platform will differentiate itself from rivals by adding freight-forwarding capabilities that employ a "tax-free zip code" to offer clients better rates.

Sebas Bastian, also Aeropost's chief executive and The Bahamas' non-resident ambassador to central America, confirmed that freight-forwarding services will be launched for the Bahamian market this month.

“You notice there are several freight forwarders that exist today, but what’s going to make Aeropost unique in this offering - and what our niche is going to be - is that Aeropost is one of four companies in the state of Florida with its own zip-code,” he said. Mr Bastian explained that entering this niche will enable Aeropost customers to access their own zip-code and enjoy a "7 percent savings" because it will be a “tax free zip-code”.

"So when you are issued an Aeropost US address to make your purchases and subsequently have them shipped to The Bahamas on behalf of us, the sites that you shop on would not even charge you tax because it's a tax-free zip code. So when you shop all over the dot-com and you want to go on our check-out, you won't be charged tax," Mr Bastian said.

He added that the "tax-free zip-code" represents an automatic “7 percent savings” before Aeropost’s “service differentiator” separates it from its competitors. He added that the lockers Aeropost has situated around New Providence, where customers can pick up their parcels hassle free, is also another value-added feature that will separate the company from its rivals.

Mr Bastian said: “We have over 25 locations. They are in every Esso [gas station], so no matter where you live in this country, you're less than a quarter mile away from a smart parcel locker and most of them are open 24 hours a day. So you don't have to rush at 6pm to catch a freight forwarder's address and, given that over 85 percent of packages fit in lockers, it really makes the challenge with an address system or a lack of addresses in The Bahamas basically solved.”

Aeropost is seeking to perfect its freight-forwarding model in New Providence first before expanding it to the Family Islands. Aeropost was acquired by Mr Bastian in December 2021, and was billed as having an “Amazon like presence” for The Bahamas, wider Caribbean and Central American region through its e-commerce platform.