Hard to Find Items in Ecuador

Dear Kasper,

Good for you to present this concept.  Good luck.

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Feather dusters, Velveeta cheese, the world's best earplugs (Flent's ear stopples).

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Here are likely obstacles you must deal with in doing your due diligence before launching....

1.  Become an expert, to the extent possible, on how big a bite the dogs of SENAE will take out of your shipments at airports and border entry points.

2.  Realize that no such business is likely to succeed if your customers are 99 percent Expats.  The population of Expats is too tiny except in Cuenca and Vilcabamba, and even there, this challenge exists.  I realize that your stated location is Vilca.

cccmedia

Thank you. I was just reading some of your replies in previous similar posts. I definatley do not want my audience to be 100% expats do to the small percentage of occupancy. I would love to know, in your opinion;

What do you the locals need?
What products would be beneficial to locals?
Are appliances like washers and dryers widely needed?

Thank you for your advice,
Kasper

Kasper007 wrote:

Hello All,

I am interested in moving to Ecuador in the near future and operate my own various e-commerce websites.

I would like to import hard to find items from the West to Ecuador to resell.

Hopefully, the expats here can help me find out what items are highly sought after but hard to come by in Ecuador.

Please send me your top 3-5 items that you wish were more available or cheaper.

For example;
(electronics, electronic components, cookware, linen, furniture, foods, cleaning supplies, health products, hygiene products, etc.)

This would be a great help and and hope to hear from you all.

Thank you,
Kasper

You're asking the wrong demographic.

Expats in Ecuador are primarily:

1.) Seniors and most are not interested in buying things because of either limited retirement budgets or because they have scaled-down their lifestyles.

2.) Families, who have also scaled-down their lifestyles and choose to live simpler lives in order to have more quality time together.

3.) Singles and couples under 50, these people often travel more often and are able to bring what they need, and can probably cheaper than what you can offer.

Thank you. And how about the reverse?

I also wanted to export crafts to sell in the West as well.

I was thinking different leather works like jackets, purses, boots, saddles and alpaca wool products to start.

Have you found these items and others like it desirable and resellable?

There are a number of companies on the web that sell products from Ecuador.  To see what the competition already has covered you can do a search for
ecuador buy artisan exports
...and like searches to get an idea.  Ponchos, alpaca jackets, leather goods, native crafts of wood and horn, "Panama" hats (really mostly from around Manta, Montecristi and Jipijapa Canton and Cuenca) all have some market but there's not a great demand for items from Ecuador from what I can tell.  Of course much depends on price, too.  If you can sell things more cheaply, more demand may be created.

If you could figure out how to manufacture high quality goods in Ecuador at a reasonable price, you could make a fortune. Not by importing them. For example, creating high quality spirits, especially whiskey and rum. Or craft beers.  And then creating demand for new, memorable brands that could outcompete the established low cost Ecuadorian brands.

If you could create a shopping experience like Costco, where middle class Ecuadorian families could buy large volumes of great quality items at nice price, you might have another hit.

if you can figure out how to create better domestic brands for the Ecuadorian working class, you'll do extremely well.

But imported luxury items will be a tough sell. The market is too small. It's like 160,000 people, maximum.

Kasper007 wrote:

Thank you. And how about the reverse?

I also wanted to export crafts to sell in the West as well.

I was thinking different leather works like jackets, purses, boots, saddles and alpaca wool products to start.

Have you found these items and others like it desirable and resellable?

I've had custom made leather boots and a leather jacket and also custom made wool jackets. Mainly because I like bespoke. The quality is good and most importantly they fit perfectly.

As for selling them, I don't think they can compete with brand names like Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, etc. Those brands can be found at great prices in the off-season and during big sales.

As for the leather boots, a person can have them made for $150-$180 in Quito on Amazonas, near Wilson. The best quality ones are however made by La Mundial Custom Boots also in Quito.

Lets just say that LM boots cost a lot more.

Best of luck.

lebowski888 wrote:

If you could figure out how to manufacture high quality goods in Ecuador at a reasonable price, you could make a fortune. Not by importing them. For example, creating high quality spirits, especially whiskey and rum. Or craft beers.  And then creating demand for new, memorable brands that could outcompete the established low cost Ecuadorian brands.

If you could create a shopping experience like Costco, where middle class Ecuadorian families could buy large volumes of great quality items at nice price, you might have another hit.

if you can figure out how to create better domestic brands for the Ecuadorian working class, you'll do extremely well.

But imported luxury items will be a tough sell. The market is too small. It's like 160,000 people, maximum.

That is great advice, thank you.

vsimple wrote:

Kasper007 wrote:

Thank you. And how about the reverse?

I also wanted to export crafts to sell in the West as well.

I was thinking different leather works like jackets, purses, boots, saddles and alpaca wool products to start.

Have you found these items and others like it desirable and resellable?

I've had custom made leather boots and a leather jacket and also custom made wool jackets. Mainly because I like bespoke. The quality is good and most importantly they fit perfectly.

As for selling them, I don't think they can compete with brand names like Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, etc. Those brands can be found at great prices in the off-season and during big sales.

As for the leather boots, a person can have them made for $150-$180 in Quito on Amazonas, near Wilson. The best quality ones are however made by La Mundial Custom Boots also in Quito.

Lets just say that LM boots cost a lot more.

Best of luck.

I will have to get a few custom pieces when I get there, thank you again.

Kasper007 wrote:

What products would be beneficial to locals?
Are appliances like washers and dryers widely needed?

Dear Kasper,

Few Gringos know what the locals would buy from you.

This I can tell you:  attempting to bring in bulky washers and dryers is not a common-sense idea.

The SENAE scales alone would probably doom this idea, due to the high-cost tariffs on heavyweight importing.

The big appliances would probably have no warranties that are valid in South America, making purchase of them disadvantageous to the consumer.  It's not as if they can be sent back to the warranty service-provider North of the border.

Washers and dryers are widely available already in Ecuador cities.  If there's a 'lemon' or an early repair indicated, a technician gets sent out under warranty .. and typically, everything is back on track in 20 minutes.

The stores in Ecuador have delivery services for these large 'electrodomésticos'.  Do you really want to have to deal with delivery issues .. or pay a company to deliver, cutting into your putative profits?

These myriad problems and challenges mean a thumbs-down to washer and dryer imports unless you have money to burn.

Start your business off with more manageable-size articles and offerings .. to maintain logistics within reason .. and keep your head from exploding.

cccmedia

Great idea!  I hope you can get some quality items or just missed items.

Our top on the list - good quality linens, USA peanut butter, dried spices for cooking various kinds of foods (Italian, Chinese, etc.) My husband just added - frozen high quality beef delivered or for pickup somewhere near Vilcabamba!

Thanks,
Robin

RobinJoel wrote:

Great idea!  I hope you can get some quality items....

Our top on the list - good quality linens, USA peanut butter, dried spices....

Right!

And don't forget super-fluffy towels, not the cheap, scratchy ones found around town .. and a good selection of soft yet firm-enough pillows aka almohadas.

cccmedia

I mentioned one cheese earlier.

The truth is that the white cheese found all over some Ecuadorian cities .. just doesn't have the 'wow' factor that some great cheeses have.

Cheeses are a type of product that Gringos and Ecuadorians could both enjoy if the barriers to entry are overcome.

  -- cccmedia at the Expat cheese desk

And for heaven's sake, put in a deli specializing in lox - bagels - cream cheese sandwiches with fresh-cut onions.

I have efforted this platter in various South American cities, using fresh salmon instead of the second-rate lox or smoked salmon that is typically frozen and of varying quality.

if a deli is not practical, just put in a cold counter for the salmon and the fixin's and a one-page guide on how to concoct a really great bagel-and-lox sandwich.

cccmedia at the Expat cheese desk

Kasper,

I replied earlier but I want to add on to what CCCMedia said - yes, good cheeses! Smoked and nonsmoked!  Sharp cheddar, gouda, and many more if you can!

Thanks,
Robin

Since we're writing the wish list...
How about innovative clean tap water sytems? And 21st century sanitation water treatment systems? Priced so that all Ecuadorians could access it, even if decentralized and privatized, even if rural and urban?

Good one Lebowski888,  as if importing cheese is easy. Paperwork has to clear a number of ministries, and more so because it requires refrigeration.

All-Clad pots and pans
Quality rain gear
Top brand running/walking shoes
Dawn dishwasher detergent
Dog harnesses

I have seen several of these companies that bring things from the U.S. that we all miss and even one that you could order from Costco. They all sounded great from the start but red tape and legalities led to their downfall. If it were easy and cost-effective everybody would be supplementing their income with “Joes U.S. Mule co.” Due diligence before you put money towards it is my recommendation.

I would like to know if there exist various freight services around Ecuador with Miami P.O. boxes to be able to order just about anything (as long as its not big and bulky) . I use a service out of Boquete here in Panama called Servitechnics and they are great........but IM usually just bringin carparts and other smaller items.......cheap freight cost and virtually o taxes which are even noticeable..........I bring in a carpart which costs say $100 here in David, and I buy it for $30 on ebay or amazon and the freight charge (with the aduana tax factored in) all comes to about $6.........mind you were mostly talkin bout small items.........but it works with cell phones, laptops, electronic items in general.....car parts, etc, etc..........Here there is a multitude of small companies offering excellent service in this field....In Costa Rica too at last glance.........how about Ecuador?

Automatic dishwashing detergent, cascade platinum
High quality cat food, canned
Soup, canned, progresso

HI,

Is it possible to order items from the EU or other countries and have them shipped to Ecuador more easily?  If so, what countries and any web sites for ordering and delivery that can be shared?

Thanks,
Robin

Regarding shipping, the issue of expense is not the country of origin.

Ecuador has high tariffs on most imported items.

Then there is the cost per kilo to ship added.

You can try a freight forwarding company like laarbox.

I haven't found shipping to be feasible yet.  I have changed my attitude and I look for local brands and substitutes when possible. I save the other items for my luggage on return trips to the states

Ok, but would they even bother to impose a high tax on a $35 carpart arriving in a small packet? Are they that bad?

Panama beats Ecuador in free trade.

Some of the items listed are available but expensive. Rain gear for instance, they have original North Face rain coats, waterproof shoes, etc.  The difference can be more than double, even triple the price.

Something like that there is no substitute for the real deal. So you either pay-up or bring the stuff yourselves.

Some other stuff you can find local alternatives. I'm hooking up a lovely terrace, a telescope I'll import, a BBQ I will buy a local type one, and all I need is just the right height counter. If I can't find one I'll just have one made that can withstand the elements.

You have to be creative. As for perishables and stuff like detergents. I am very picky with the softness of my clothes. The local detergents they have work well.

Fresh and good quality curry powder.

Last night, I was craving fish head curry. So, I went out to Super Maxi and bought two heads of Corvina. Usually, the recipe calls for a 1 head about 1 kilogram, but a head of Corvina only weighs about 500 grams and bought two.

So, for lunch on this beautiful and relaxing Sunday, I got busy. Cooked the fish head outside on my terrace and it was good. But, it missed that distinct taste that only proper fish curry spice provides.

We need good quality curry here or at the very least the availability of fresh ingredients needed to make a curry mix. Fenugreek seeds, Colander seeds, etc. These are either unavailable or difficult to find.

What brand of curry powder would you like?

I am in the states and will be coming again in December. I can send it to you

Don't get me started on the different types of curries. For Caribbean curries like curry goat, I use Chief, which I have a couple of bags left. For fish head curry, I like Babas or Nonya. 

Thank you for offering to bring some, but I'm traveling abroad for the holidays. I'm going to bring back spices and suitcase full of goodies including a new toy I want - night vision binoculars. Have to, because things like that cost 3-4x more here.

Ah, curry... Everytime I visit the states I bring back a case of Japanese curry (usually Tasty/S&B).  Shame imports from Japan are so difficult to find and expensive here.  And while I am a good cook, I've never been able to recreate it, even with S&B curry powder.

on the list of the unavailable:
1600+ Lumen standard LED lights -- best I could find a Megakywi is 800 lumen. I brought in eight lights to replace the dim CFLs in the apartment, plus a couple for the landlady. I think the landlady wants more.

Weber kettle grills. I'm still searching for a charcoal grill with properly designed airflow, about 55 cm in diameter or 2400 cm2 in cooking surface. Made with materials that won't rust out in a year, and under $150. In other words, a good copy of a Weber for the same price I can get a Weber at in the USA . I think I might have to find a workshop that can make me one.

On a separate note, I greatly prefer the simple Ecuadorian peanut butter just made with salt over Jiff.

Me too.........Jiff is not real peanut butter anyway......Try Sesame Tahini.....its better for ya.....it grows on ya....I love the stuff.....Costs about $5.50 or $6 here in Panama....I did see it in Olon along with pesto and other stuff I like, but at steeper prices........As far as the barbecue goes, youre probably better off makin one to your own design....Just find a clean 55 gln barrel from a fruit or juice company and cut it in half and youre on your way.......My Tico friend down below just made one and it came out real nice......works great.......cheap..........

dumluk wrote:

Me too.........Jiff is not real peanut butter anyway......Try Sesame Tahini.....its better for ya.....it grows on ya....I love the stuff.....Costs about $5.50 or $6 here in Panama....I did see it in Olon along with pesto and other stuff I like, but at steeper prices........As far as the barbecue goes, youre probably better off makin one to your own design....Just find a clean 55 gln barrel from a fruit or juice company and cut it in half and youre on your way.......My Tico friend down below just made one and it came out real nice......works great.......cheap..........

I think your suggestion is what I'm going to do.  I found a workshop in a neighboring town (via instagram) that makes custom grills for under $100. I can show him my plans and drawings. He's got welding and cutting equipment. i've looked at dozens and dozens of grills since I arrived. Most grills i have found are either so small they are impractical for my needs, or they don't have the proper design for controlling airflow. Proper airflow exceptionally simple concept, but a vitally important detail that gets left out. most consumers (or manufacturers) don't understand physics.

The result of bad air flow is a fire that burns too hot, too fast-- or starves for lack of oxygen.  Either way, bbq becomes impossible without it