A ship chandler is a company or individual that supplies and equipment for ships and boats. Chandlers deal in goods typical for commercial ships (oil tanker, cargo/container ship, bulk carrier, offshore platforms, cruise, military etc.) including maintenance supplies, cleaning compounds, and food for the crew.
Market need
People on ships need supplies. Marine Insight explains this business as: “a ship chandler is a person (or sometimes a group/agency) that totally deals in supplying required commodities for a shipping vessel and its crew. They work somewhat similar to the grocer, who supplies all the required food grains to households. A ship chandler supplies all the necessary and requisite commodities to a ship when at port”.
What to sell
The only business that I am familiar with in this industry is a guy operating from his house that supplies potatoes to ships. For a small business food makes the most sense. It is what is most needed on the ship.
How to compete
Now SA has well developed industry with competition in almost any field. But some industries are easier to get into than others. Many companies that cater to ships charge a premium so high that it opens the door to opportunities to undercut the incumbents. But it also depends on what you are selling. If you are selling raw materials or ingredients to make food. Who is responsible for sourcing that? The type and the quantity. There would need some input from a chef. So that is a channel. Also if an industry does not have a lot of competition – ship chandler competition – you have the opportunity to setup and business and a website to rank high enough that you are seen as competition.
Obviously if you cannot compete with existing incubents with existing goods you can go niche. Here is an idea from Marine Insight:
“Ship chandlers are not there to meet only the most essential requirement by the captain or crew, but it must cater all the minute nuances of requirements of the ship and its crew”.
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