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INSIDER






























                       A busy day at the Cellshop store in Ciudad de Este, Paraguay. An estimated 10,000 customers visit the main
                       Cellshop store every day.

          Cellshop transforms Paraguayan border shopping as it expands into

          new cities

          An exclusive profile by John Gallagher


              Cellshop – one of the leading South   land border duty free store in Brazil along   store in Ciudad del Este. Since then, the
          American border duty free operators,   with two airport stores in Foz do Iguaçu,   company has recorded growth every year,
          has grown in the last 22 years from very   and as of September, a 5,000 sqm store in   except during the Covid-19 pandemic.
          humble beginnings.                Pedro Juan Caballero in northern Paraguay   Since 2011, when consumer
              Originally opened under the name   on the border with Brazil.    electronics were added to the original
          of the Cell Motion Group by company   The company today is recognized   range of cell phones and accessories, it
          founder and president Jorbel Griebeler, it   as one of the most important retailers in   has grown significantly. In 2015 more
          was a small 12 sqm store with only three   Ciudad del Este, and as the group continues   new categories and products were added
          employees, selling spare parts, chargers,   to expand many Argentine and Brazilian   along with a move to the actual store
          and batteries for cellular telephones. The   shoppers make it their first port of call   that has become a 7,000 sqm, five-floor
          company now operates a full-service   when they make shopping trips to the   department store in the downtown area of
          multi-category duty free shop in the center   Triple Frontier region.  Ciudad del Este. An impressive range of
          of Ciudad del Este, a vibrant store in the   Cellshop began operations back in   cell phones, computers, TVs, video games,
          Paraguayan capital Asuncion, the biggest   2003 as a small cell phone and accessories   perfumes and cosmetics, wines and spirits,
                                                                               confectionery, clothing, footwear, and
                                                                               household appliances now constitute the
                                                                               products on sale. One of the busiest stores
                                                                               in Ciudad del Este, an estimated 10,000
                                                                               customers visit the main Cellshop store
                                                                               daily.
                                                                                  In April 2021, the Cellshop Group
                                                                               opened its first store outside Paraguay with
                                                                               the inauguration of a 2,400 sqm duty free
                                                                               store in the Catuaí Palladium shopping mall
                                                                               in Foz do Iguaçu. The store is currently
                                                                               the biggest land-based border store in
                                                                               Brazil, and carries all the leading duty free
                                                                               categories. The store was opened to the
                                                                               public with Covid-19 restrictions still in
                                                                               place.
                                                                                  Cellshop invested $1 million to
                Jorbel Griebeler, Cellshop founder and president               prepare the store in Foz and even though

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