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Author: Teron Brown | Date: May 2025
While eCommerce is growing in urban Jamaica, rural communities are being left behind due to limited access to logistics, low digital literacy, and a lack of localized online services. We analyzed all 14 parishes in Jamaica and found staggering disparities in digital commerce infrastructure. This is the first report of its kind—and a call to action.
We studied 200+ Jamaican online stores and delivery networks, comparing service availability, search engine visibility, payment accessibility, and logistics support across all parishes. The findings highlight a stark urban vs. rural gap.
Parish |
Online Store Access |
Delivery Coverage |
Mobile Data Availability |
Digital Literacy (Est.) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kingston |
High |
Full |
Excellent |
High |
St. Andrew |
High |
Full |
Excellent |
High |
St. Catherine |
Medium |
Partial |
Good |
Medium |
St. James |
Medium |
Partial |
Good |
Medium |
Manchester |
Low |
Minimal |
Moderate |
Low |
Clarendon |
Low |
Minimal |
Moderate |
Low |
St. Ann |
Medium |
Partial |
Good |
Medium |
St. Elizabeth |
Low |
Minimal |
Moderate |
Low |
Trelawny |
Low |
Minimal |
Fair |
Low |
St. Mary |
Low |
Minimal |
Fair |
Low |
St. Thomas |
Very Low |
Minimal |
Fair |
Low |
Portland |
Very Low |
Minimal |
Poor |
Very Low |
Hanover |
Low |
Minimal |
Fair |
Low |
Westmoreland |
Low |
Minimal |
Moderate |
Low |
Based on interviews with business owners, delivery drivers, and residents, we identified several core issues:
In Portland, fewer than 5% of local businesses have any online presence. Compare that to Kingston, where digital-first brands are rapidly gaining market share.
Brands that begin solving for rural delivery, mobile-first design, or cash-on-delivery options have an open market to capture. With 40% of the population outside metro areas, this is a sleeping giant in the Jamaican digital economy.
If citing this report, please credit shopsalesja.com with a link to this post.
Written by: Teron Brown | Founder, Shop Sales Ja
Also Check Out Only 13% of Jamaican Online Stores Are Google Visible—Is Yours One of Them?