Economic Impact

November 13, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

At NOAA Fisheries, we know U.S. seafood is good for people, good for our planet, and good for our economy. But we know less about where it goes, how it gets there, and who benefits along the way. By definition, the shortest supply chains are achieved through direct marketing. Seafood harvesters engaged in direct marketing sell their wild-caught or farm-raised seafood directly to consumers, fish markets, restaurants, or institutions without going through a wholesaler or distributor. We caught up with direct marketing operations on the East and West Coasts to learn about how they are building community connections and increasing access to sustainable seafood.

Miss Gina’s Fresh Shrimp: Building Relationships Across the Community

Captain Allen Smith has been shrimping off the coast of North Carolina since 1984. For decades, he sold his shrimp to the local fish house. When shrimp prices crashed in the mid-2000s, driving many shrimpers out of business, he wasn’t ready to stop. On a whim, he and his then-wife set up a chair and an ice chest with 50 pounds of shrimp in front of their home on Highway 70. Gina was sold out of shrimp before Allen finished mowing the lawn.

Today, Miss Gina’s Fresh Shrimp maintains a small roadside stand with a loyal customer base in Beaufort, North Carolina. Allen and his son, Thomas Smith, captain three day boats, shrimping primarily in Core and Pamlico Sounds and occasionally offshore. Thomas’ wife, Monica Smith, handles the sales. The Smiths also employ a full-time deckhand and several part-time sales assistants.

At first, the customer base for Miss Gina’s consisted of their neighbors in eastern Carteret County. But as word spread, the business attracted seafood lovers farther inland, as well as tourists visiting the shore to angle for their own seafood.

“Once we became a big name, I started noticing our shrimp were going everywhere,” Monica explains. She clarifies that Miss Gina’s doesn’t ship-–the customers transport the shrimp themselves. Eventually Monica bought a map of the United States and started adding a sticker each time a customer mentioned they were taking the shrimp home to a new state. “Last I checked we were only missing six states!”

Key to this expansion has been social media marketing. Monica posts photos of the fresh catch and advertises the products and prices daily. Customers can comment, message, or call with requests. They can then arrange to pick up the shrimp from the stand or from the box truck Miss Gina’s drives to the towns of Goldsboro and Clayton most Saturdays. Recently, the business expanded to offering bay scallops and clams from other vessels and oysters from local farms.

Because she sells directly to customers, Monica has the freedom to set the prices week to week, depending on the catch. The flexibility of direct marketing, and the lasting relationships it creates with customers, strengthen the resilience of the business.

Direct marketing, Monica emphasizes, is all about relationships. (“I have phenomenal relationships with our customers!”) She learns her regular customers’ preferences and accommodates after-hours pick ups at the stand. And she ensures that Miss Gina’s gives back to the local community, sponsoring fundraisers and organizing meal drives. The result is a base of customers who value the business’s survival. “I have customers who will come buy extra shrimp from me if they know I need to move them, just to support us.”