Unlocking Global Trade: How Ordinary People Access Unavailable Goods

Summary:

Urgent needs can be met through travel or personal shoppers, not shortages.
Grabr and AirWayBill connect travelers with those needing goods for a fee.
Maik Chavez exemplifies the courier industry delivering homemade meals from Guatemala to the U.S.
Government regulations limit earnings and travel duration for couriers.
Intermediaries like Grabr enable access to luxury items from foreign markets.

If you're in urgent need of a product from anywhere in the free world and are willing to pay for it, the worst ‘shortage’ you’ll experience is the cost of traveling there or hiring a personal shopper. As I mentioned in a previous post, if you crave a croissant before morning, you could hop on a plane to Paris. If that seems too costly, it’s not a shortage; it’s just a price you’re unwilling to pay.

Some innovative companies, like Grabr and AirWayBill, connect those who can't afford to travel with individuals who can deliver their desired products for a fee. While it might take days or weeks to receive your item, the beauty of trade is evident.

The Invisible Beauty of Trade

Much of trade’s beauty remains unseen in our daily purchases, thanks to retailers and middlemen who bring products closer to consumers. A recent Wall Street Journal article highlighted how trade enables ordinary people to access goods they couldn’t otherwise obtain.

Meet Maik Chavez, a 36-year-old owner-operator of Maik Express in Guatemala. He is part of a cottage industry of couriers known as viageros, delivering homemade meals and goods to Guatemalan Americans. Last year, he made 38 runs to various U.S. states, carrying his goods as personal luggage and charging $12 a pound. One customer paid $240 for a Christmas delivery of exotic homemade food.

Government Regulations

However, Chavez’s operations are limited by government regulations. He travels under a B1/B2 business visa, allowing him to stay no longer than five days at a time and limiting his earnings to $2,000 per visit. Despite these constraints, he averages about $1,500 in profit after expenses.

When researching international personal shoppers, I sought assistance from Chat GPT, who quickly identified a relevant article about services like Grabr, which facilitates the connection between buyers and travelers. This highlights the role of intermediaries in delivering luxury items to consumers.

An entrepreneur from Guatemala