Cashwiz celebrates 10th anniversary milestone

By Lindsey Turnbull

Cayman’s consignment shop by the sea, Cashwiz, is hailing ten years serving the community this year, a point for celebration for the business that helps people sell their unwanted goods for cash.

Part of a broader Cashwiz group of stores that span the Caribbean and the United States, Cayman’s Cashwiz store was established ten years ago, situated on the waterfront in George Town, and is managed by Kerwin Boxill. Mr Boxill runs a small but dedicated team who have been working hard, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic crisis hit, helping people sell their unwanted jewellery, tools and electronic items and in return, receiving a quick cash payment for their goods.

“We’ve helped a lot of people in the community who have been strapped for cash,” he advised.

When customers need cash for an unwanted item, they visit the store to have their item priced. Mr Boxill said they employ a secure system that requires taking information from the seller to ensure that items brought in have not been stolen. They also require anyone coming to the store to not be wearing shades or hats, so that their security system can record the identity of everyone who enters the premises.

“We need to see who we are doing business with!” Mr Boxill explained. “We are governed by laws that we have to follow and so we have stringent procedures in place. We also work closely with the police and we’ve already seen people incarcerated as a result.”

Items brought in to be sold are priced at international pricing levels and properly documented through the item’s serial and model numbers. The most popular items brought in are jewellery, followed by electronics and then tools.

“Our team have been well trained and know how to price items following international guidelines,” he confirmed.

Using a well-established advertising process that employs social media such as Facebook and Instagram, as well as print media, Cashwiz advertises items that people have brought into the shop to sell.

When lockdown first happened in Cayman, Mr Boxill and the team changed their operating procedures and provided a pick up service for customers, some in real need of cash.

“Before people were in receipt of their pension money, we saw people aggressively selling their items such as jewellery to raise cash,” Mr Boxill said. “Now that restrictions have eased, we have stopped the pick and delivery service as we prefer to conduct business at our secure premises, however the experience helped us look to the future to see how we might work.”

Forward thinking

Mr Boxill said a key aspect of the success of the business was his determination to ensure that each member of the team reach their full potential. A great believer in helping others, he has positioned himself as a mentor to the junior members of staff.

Jordae Scott is a sales associate with Cashwiz who has been working at the company for a year and a half. She said she enjoyed the fact that their business was a great help to the community.

“We help the community because we help them get instant cash,” she advised. “The lockdown period was hard but we coped really well. Our customers quickly got with the programme.”

Ms Scott said working under Mr Boxill meant she had achieved a great deal professionally.

“Mr Boxill is a great mentor and it’s been phenomenal to work alongside him,” she said. “I want to grow as much as I can professionally. It’s a fun environment and there’s never a bad vibe here!”

Kayla Orrett is also a sale associate with the company. She has been with Cashwiz since November last year. Ms Orrett said she appreciated all the different roles she was required to undertake, including the pricing of items, preparing items for customer collection, liaising with clients and posting details of items for sale on social media.

“Each day I like to prepare my daily goals to set myself a target for selling for the day,” she explained. “My favourite part of my day is working with the team. There is also always so much to learn, such as learning about the different types of diamonds, understanding what cameras do and so on.”

She also thanked Mr Boxill for being a great boss.

“I really appreciate everything he does for us,” she confirmed.

Looking ahead, Mr Boxill sees expansion on the horizon, both in the current floor plan of the store and possibly also further afield to the Sister Islands.