AFTER 13 years abroad, Saipan-born and raised Alexander Cepeda Camacho has returned home and now serves as the new retail and grocery sales manager of Payless SuperFresh in Chalan Kanoa.
Less than a month on the job, Camacho has already hit the ground running, equipped with over a decade of managerial experience in the industry. He formerly held a managerial position at Walmart, a billion-dollar multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of stores in the U.S.
Before moving to Alamogordo, New Mexico with his family in the summer of 2008 to seek greener pastures, Camacho worked for Duty Free Saipan for several years.
In New Mexico, he worked for Payless Shoesource and JCPenney, before landing a managerial position at Walmart.
Last year, he and his family decided to move back to Saipan.
“There are a lot of things that have changed,” he said. “I didn’t want to just sit around and wait for unemployment benefits. I would rather go out, work, serve the community, and try to earn my keep. I’m not the type of person to just sit around,” he added.
He said he was so happy and grateful to be hired by Payless SuperFresh.
Camacho enjoys meeting his team and their customers, and walking the sales floor to see areas where the store can grow even further.
“It was tough in the beginning because working in the U.S. is kind of different from working here on island, system-wise,” he said.
Businesses in the states are more advanced technologically, he noted.
“It’s like the difference between using an ATM or going to the bank to make a transaction,” he added.
He said he looks forward to help grow the company even further by keeping the staff motivated and enhancing their customers’ experience.
“We’re looking at what we can do in terms of prices to be more competitive and try to bring in customers just by advertising and improving our products and customer service. Service in this industry can really improve business. The biggest thing for us is putting our customers first. That is our slogan and we will stick to it,” he said.
Triple J Five Star Wholesale Foods general manager Jay Santos said they were “extremely happy that Alex decided to come home and be a part of the community and help support the community after being away for 13 years. It’s a huge decision to come back, especially during these times and the uncertainty with regards to employment. We’re happy to have him on board. We’re very optimistic that he’s going to do great things not only for the store but for our staff and, of course, for our customers.”
Santos added, “We encourage all of our customers to please let us know if there are any issues with the store, or if there are any special items that they would like to see in the store. Please see Alex. He will be there to assist. We will do everything to improve our customer service and the mix of items that we have in the store. We want to be a one-stop shop for most of our customers.”
Santos said amid the global Covid-19 pandemic, it has been a challenge for stores to stay afloat.
“But we feel that with the product lines that we have here, our customers can count on us to make sure that we have fresh produce every week…and other quality products. We try to make ourselves different by having a lot of unique items,” he said, adding that the store will soon offer exciting products such as barbecue rubs and sauces.
“We’re different. I’d like to think that we’re one of the better stores on-island. We emphasize cleanliness and keeping our stores as stocked as possible. Everyone knows us by our truckload items. We’re going to have a lot of truckload items consistently available for our customers. Of course, with the holidays coming up, there’s no question that we will have all of the great gift ideas for kids and for families,” Santos said.
Triple J Payless SuperFresh and Truckload Store is already preparing for Black Friday sales as well, Santos added.
“We’re already in contact with all of our vendors and we’re excited. We want to be the most affordable place when it comes to goods that people need for their homes, whether it’s TVs, microwaves, toasters, coffeemakers, or other products. We hope that everybody knows that they can get the best deals here,” he said.
“Alex is going to be here six days a week. We encourage our customers to come and meet him, share with him the challenges that they might have with us at the store or things that they would like to see. That’s the biggest thing that I’ve asked of Alex, to make sure that he communicates to our customers and ensure that he’s on top of what our customers’ needs are.”
Triple J Payless SuperFresh opened its doors in November 2019 at the Townhouse Center in Chalan Kanoa, offering customers a wide variety of the freshest produce on island, a first-of-its-kind Butcher Shop featuring Certified Angus Beef and a dedicated dairy and deli selection.
It is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, with the hours of 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. primarily for senior citizens.
For more information, visit paylessuperfresh.com or call 234-1444.
Alexander Cepeda Camacho is the new retail and grocery sales manager of Triple J SuperFresh & Truckload Store.
