The Nation Newspaper

Category: Shopping

  • Eko Hotels hosts My Thai Restaurant

    Lovers of cuisine from Middle East and Asia are in for a sumptuous bite as Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos has taken a giant stride with the opening of My Thai Restaurant. It is as a gourmet style dining facility.

    The entry of MY THAI Restaurant, even as the culinary scene expands by the day in the hospitality industry, offers a great dining experience in an exquisite environment complimented by Thai silks, antiques and original art works that fill the restaurant and bar, all decorated with great detail.

    Justifying the new addition to its menu, Eko Hotels & Suites Sales/ Marketing Manager, Mrs. Iyadunni Gbadebo,  said the addition of “My Thai restaurant was part of our relentless pursuit for growth and development by offering guests and diners international gourmet style dining experience and to also live up to our rating as the leading and the future of West Africa’s hospitality destination”.

    She said furher: “In our commitment and investment to exceed our guests expectations, we have taken giant steps to live up to our international hospitality standard by adding My Thai restaurant, which serves authentic Thai dishes complimented by an exclusive wine list in a luxury dining setting and relaxing ambience.”

    The formal opening witnessed a horde of visitors and business class audience, who had perfect moments over balanced blend of spice, sweet, and  savoury Thai dishes, as they mixed and exchanged warm pleasantries.

    The brief unveiling event was conducted by Eko Hotels’ General Manager, Mr. Danny Kioprouglou, who led the management team to welcome guests and business executives.

    “It is a great honour and opportunity to formally welcome our guests and friends to My Thai Restaurant and we invite you to get pampered by our international celebrity Thai Chef as she creates the most tempting and scrumptious cuisine that is authentic. We offer a variety of menu options for classic gourmet taste with outstanding recipe that is prepared with natural and freshest ingredients. We are, indeed, proud of the new addition to our innovative products and offerings while our Executive Chef and the management look forward to hosting family and friends at our restaurant and exquisite bar for the discerning wine aficionados and gourmets.”

  • SPAR berths in Surulere

    SPAR Nigeria, which is said to be a leading chain of hypermarket, has increased its presence by opening a new outlet at Leisure Mall, Adeniran Ogunsanya Street in Surulere, Lagos. The hypermarket store is said to be at the forefront of providing quality retail products to Nigerians in very cosy environment.

    SPAR store in Leisure Mall offers food, grocery, fruits and vegetables, butchery & bakery, wine & spirits, take away food, frozen, consumer electronics, laptops and mobile phones with a host of other products in the household consumption space.

    With the opening of the new store, the number of SPAR stores in the country has been raised to 14 with over 45,000 sq mtrs of retail space.

    SPAR now has eight stores in Lagos, two each in Abuja and Port Harcourt and one each in Enugu and Calabar.

    Its Marketing Manager,  Emmanuel Isangediok said: “We are excited to increase our footprints in Lagos by opening this outlet and in Nigeria at large. By opening this outlet, we are reiterating our commitment to improving the retail sector of the economy and through the provision of jobs for the teeming youths.”

    Isangediok added: “ We are glad to bring the brand closer to the people of Surulere, Iponri, Orile-Iganmu and environs and it will reduce their travel time to get their products of choice from other outlets within the state.”

    Also speaking at the event, Chairman, Leisure Mall, Mr. Abiodun Balogun, who declared opened the new shop, appreciated the brand for situating the outlet in the mall. In his words: “We are glad to host this reputable brand that has been synonymous with quality products and gives customers a wide range of choices in the retail sector in Nigeria. It is our joy that they have decided to open an outlet around this axis and we are sure that they will enjoy the patronage of discerning customers around here.”

    The maxim of the brand is “My SPAR, My Nigeria” and they have being growing the retail economy by expanding their footprints, supporting local farmers and reaching out to community through noble initiatives.

    The hypermarket brand has always translated Nigerians’ shopping experience and every shopper based on their choice, quality, impeccable service and valuation addition to her teeming customers. SPAR Nigeria is a part of the global retail chain originating from Holland. SPAR international has given the master franchise of the SPAR brand to Artee Industries Ltd for its operations in Nigeria.

  • Heineken Nigeria campaign winners embark on Europe trip

    Said to be the world’s leading international premium beer brand, Heineken rewarded seven lucky consumers with an all-expense paid travel experience to Amsterdam, Paris and Barcelona to end the Heineken 192 Countries Campaign. Gregory Ayodeji; Aregbesola Abdulkareem; George Osadolor; Afolashade Adu; Oladoyin Falodun; Arinze Ifejirika and Omolara Bamgboye, embarked on their adventure to Amsterdam, Paris and Barcelona on Friday, October 12, 2018.

    While on the trip, the winners explored the birthplace of Heineken, Amsterdam, visiting iconic locations, including enjoying VIP passes to the ‘Heineken Experience’; a historic brewery, which was designed for consumers to connect with beer-making and the history of Heineken.

    One of the winners, Omolara Bamgboye, said: ”I am delighted to be on this trip because it is everything I had hoped for and more. Heineken has an amazing way of rewarding consumers and this European experience is a dream come true.  I am really excited and grateful to be a part of this experience.”

    Senior Brand Manager, Obabiyi Fagade said: ”We are glad to give the winners a glimpse of our history as they explore the best of Amsterdam, Paris and Barcelona. This trip is our way of appreciating our consumers by giving them the opportunity to explore three out of the 192 countries that Heineken is present in.”

     

     

  • Market insight drives introduction of Chi Exotic Pineapple’s new 150ml pack

    Chi Exotic Nectar has unveiled a new 150ml pack size for its hugely popular Pineapple Coconut product variant. The new pack size, which promises to offer the same superior taste the brand is renowned and cherished for, is a strategic move to provide distinctive refreshment to a wider spectrum of Nigerian consumers.

    Retailing at N50, the product line innovation comes at a pocket friendly price. The new 150ml Chi Exotic Pineapple Coconut pack is the result of deploying consumer insights and marketing intelligence to drive brand growth in a dynamic market environment.

    The Chi Exotic Pineapple Coconut 150ml pack size’s rich unique fruity blend offers an irresistible taste and distinctive refreshment that makes it ideal for indulgence and relaxation. Its superior taste and handy pack size is poised to connect with the preferences and healthy choices of a youthful consumer segment.

    According to a brand analyst with Pride Communications, Linus Nwokoji, the fruit juice segment market is being driven by competition, retail power and local consumer choices that increasingly determine brand and product line extension trajectory.

    “The Chi Exotic Pineapple Coconut 150ml pack size is an innovative way to invigorate the market with its affordable N50 retail price. Its superior taste is sure to enable it trigger more demand, maintain market dominance, and as well as improve penetration in geographical markets,” he said.

    Speaking on the introduction of the new pack size, Chi Limited’s Marketing Director, Mr. Probal Bhattacharya, said the Chi Exotic Pineapple Coconut 150ml pack size demonstrates the brand’s resolve to deepen its market reach by offering consumers an affordable option without compromising  their quest for distinctive refreshment and indulgent taste.

     

     

  • Why business owners use clearance sales in December

    Retail businesses must balance inventory, prices and promotions to maintain profit levels. Likewise, clearance sales are used as a promotional strategy by many companies as tools of inventory management and focal point for price-conscious consumers. Most clearance sales are associated with the retail industry, but these sales can also be effective for events, activities and service-related offers. Clearance sales can be scheduled on seasonal basis, as-needed schedule or used as  constant presence in a special section of physical or online store.

     

    To reduce inventory

    Clearance sales help reduce excess inventory in a store or product fulfillment chain. Customer purchasing trends can change quickly and result in excess inventory that clutters a store. Maximising shelf space for in-demand items helps maintain sales levels and profits. Clearance sales help minimise the financial impact of products that are not popular or over-purchased, without diluting the price levels of other merchandise.

     

    Increase sales

    Promotions and clearance sales increase store traffic, especially from value-based shoppers. The lure of lower-priced goods may increase the range of customers that can afford to purchase products from the company or may offer an attractive purchasing option to existing customers. Sale sections placed toward the back of a store encourage purchases of regular priced merchandise as customers must peruse other sections on the way to the clearance areas.

     

    Season shifts

    Clothing, decorations, accessories and other products often feature a seasonal component. Businesses offering these types of goods must shift inventory to reflect seasonal demand. Clearance sales can help move goods from a prior season to free up space for the next season’s merchandise.

     

    Lower price point

    Clearance sales offer customers a way to access a company’s goods at a lower price point. For some types of products, like beauty supplies, clearance sales encourage customers to try new products. If customers like the product, they may become a repeat customer at the regular price point. This strategic use of clearance sales can increase a company’s customer base.

    Maximise Attendance

    Event or service companies that sell tickets for date-sensitive events can use clearance sales to maximise profits and attendance. Unsold seats, tickets or special upgrades can be sold at a discount close to the date of the event. Travel-based services, concerts and shows often use clearance sale promotions, but generally use an alternate name for promotional purposes.

     

    Strategy for putting items on clearance

    Merchants need to maximise all available selling space to maintain the highest profit margins possible. To do so, they must implement a process for weeding out slow-selling items and replacing them with newer or more in-demand merchandise. Getting rid of the slow sellers quickly and efficiently requires a well-thought-out strategy for identifying and liquidating them.

     

    Item selection

    Experts have advised that retailers have a clear-cut method of determining, which items they need to discontinue, such as using inventory-control software to show where items rank in their particular product category. Even if an item has sold well in previous years, its failure to outsell other items may be a sign that it is headed for obsolescence. Hanging on to these previously successful items in hopes will rebound they say, could increase inventory costs and tie up precious selling and storage space.

     

    Timing

    Experts have also advised that it is important to review profits for items at the end of their particular selling season to determine slow movers and enhance the success of the clearance sale. For instance, marking down slow-moving park at the middle of the year will likely yield better results than doing so at the end of the year.  Also, instead of cluttering sales space with out-of-season merchandise that generates little interest, retailers will have more room for displaying seasonal items.

     

    Deepest discount first

    To move clearance merchandise quickly, it is wise to offer deepest discount first. The goal is to move discontinued merchandise out and cut losses, not necessarily to turn in profit. So, a 50 per cent markdown will generate much more interest than a 10 per cent markdown. Generally, the slower an item sells, the deeper the retailer   makes the initial discount.

     

    Marketing

    If there are a number of items to clear out at once, experts have said it may be beneficial to hold a store-wide clearance sale and advertise it through media outlets. This, they say, can increase traffic through store and help build an identity as a source for bargains, if that image suits  overall marketing strategy. If a retailer operates more of an upscale establishment or have only a few clearance items, it is wise to set up a small clearance area or keep items on the shelf and identify them with a “special sale” sign.

     

  • Nestlé raises awareness on healthy lifestyle

    Nestlé Nigeria has celebrated this year’s International Chef’s Day by hosting chefs and school children at the company’s headquarters in Ilupeju, Lagos. In line with this year’s theme: ‘Healthy Foods for Growing Up’, 50 chefs from the Association of Professional Chefs Nigeria engaged the children in fun activities, demonstrating how healthy eating helps  children to attain their dreams.

    The children shared what they wanted to become when they grew up, and for each exciting career choice, the chefs were able to explain how eating healthy foods could help them achieve their great career goals and encourage good eating habits to carry with them for life.

    International Chef’s Day, celebrated every October 20, offers chefs from around the globe a unique opportunity to network, promote their profession and make a difference in their local communities through making healthy eating fun and exciting for children.

    Speaking at the event, Gbechoevi Benoit, Executive Chef, Protea Hotel, encouraged the children to dream big, and eat right to be their best every day while working towards their career goals.

    “As we all know, good food equals good health. Learning to eat the right food in these early days of your life will set you on the right path to live a productive and successful life.

    “The theme for this year’s event is very significant for us in the Association of Professional Chefs of Nigeria as it is in line with our objectives to showcase and promote healthy African cuisine. We thank Nestlé for creating this platform for us to teach the next generation healthy food habits that will help them through their lifetime.”

     

    Nestlé Professional, the business unit that offers a wide range of Beverage, Food and Confectionery products, to the out of home customers, organizes a yearly event in collaboration with the World Chefs Association to raise awareness of healthier diets and lifestyles.

    Mr. Rabie Issa, Business Executive Officer for Nestlé Professional in Central West Africa said, “Supporting

    International Chefs Day through various activities and partnerships is part of Nestlé Professional’s commitment to improve global nutrition by raising awareness on healthy eating and increasing nutrition knowledge. This commitment contributes towards fulfilling Nestlé’s purpose of enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future by teaching children to make informed choices and form healthier habits even at an early age.”

    Since its foundation, Nestlé has been committed to helping parents and caregivers provide the right nutrition for their children. International Chef’s Day 2018 is another opportunity for the company to work towards fulfilling this commitment. The theme, ‘Healthy Foods for Growing Up’, aligns with the three Nestlé for Healthier Kids (N4HK) action pillars – Build, Share and Apply Nutrition Knowledge, Offer Tastier and Healthier Choices, Inspire Families to Raise Healthier Kids. Launched in Nigeria in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Ministry of Health earlier this year, Nestlé for Healthier Kids promotes healthy lifestyles in schools by educating children and parents on nutrition and fostering physical activity. N4HK reaches over 60 teachers and 17,000 children in 30 schools closest to Nestlé Nigeria’s operations in Ogun State and the Federal Capital Territory.

     

  • Tecno holds exhibition

    It was a very busy afternoon  in Lagos on Tuesday when TECNO Mobile sponsored Bimmerfest,  held its 3rd edition, featuring super cars, power bikes and exhibitions. As with past editions, TECNO Mobile, led by the lively mascot Tboy and its beautifully dressed cheerleaders, gave guests the opportunity to experience its various smartphone categories.

    With the total takeover of Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, venue of the event,  there was a parade of classic and modern BMW cars and bikes with riders, who displayed jaw-dropping and hair-splitting stunts to the admiration of the audience.

    Organised by the BMW Club Nigeria, BimmerFest Nigeria is poised to be the biggest drag race event in the whole of Africa. This year’s edition had a twist to it as other brands of automobiles such as Dodge Challengers, Chevrolet Cameros, Range Rover Sports, Maserati Quattroporte, Ferrari 488, Audis and Mercedes Benz were allowed to participate.

    Also showcased at the event were several BMW car series such as BMW 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 series and the Apina B7, which featured to thrill the crowd.

    With the success of Bimmerfest 2018 and the powerful partnership between TECNO and the “BMW Club’, there is definitely a lot to look forward to at the next edition. One of them may be TBOY racing a TECNO branded BMW with a customised dashboard, replicating the awesome screen of TECNO smartphones.

    It was indeed, an amazing day for not just automobile enthusiasts, but smartphone lovers, as they surely had more than they bargained for with TECNO Mobile giving them amazing smartphone technology goodness and BMW showcasing its brilliant automobile technologies.

  • TV brand enters Nigerian market

    In its quest to redefine Nigerian viewing experience, The Creative Life Television, otherwise known as TCL TV, has been unveiled with fun fare in Lagos.

    The launch was witnessed by major home appliance dealers across Nigeria and top business leaders.

    The new television brand, which is rated number three in the world and Americas fastest growing brand, got to Nigeria with improved picture resolution, viewing experience and a value based pricing model.

    While introducing the product to the media and dealers in Lagos, TCL Chairman, Mr.Adnan Mehdi said: “TCL, the fastest growing brand in technology, is growing to become the number one in the nearest future. We are doing everything possible to offer this premium brand to home in Nigeria.”

    Its Managing Director, Mr. Hassan Mehdi, said “We have established a new entity for TCL to build trust, transparency and confidence. We hope you enjoy this experience.”

    TCL being a global manufacturer of smart products and provider of internet application services was founded in 1981. It has grown from a small joint venture, producing audio tapes in Huizhou into a global corporation, which engage in a wide range of business such as telephone, TV, mobile phones, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners and many more.

    According to Mehdi, ever since its invention in 1981, the brand has globally gained recognition with 19 years of international development history that has produced 13173307 sets taking 27 per cent in the North American market, South America 47 per cent and Europe 73 per cent.

    He said the brand is looking to take a major chunk of the entire African market with its entry through Nigeria.

    TCL Marketing Manager, Jeff Yao said the brand has been designed to meet consumers’ television demand.

    “Our cumulative investment is over $278 million and we are committed to serving our customers to bring our global community together,” he said.

    He continued: “To achieve this, we have designed corporate social responsibility activities that will directly impact the communities and innovative advertising techniques that will help dealers and retailers penetrate the market.

    “We have ambassadors all over and as well more show rooms across Africa.”

    Having a global footprint, as it has gotten over 7,000 employees worldwide with 22 manufacturing facilities and having sales organisations in over 80 markets across the globe and covering over 160 markets.

    While highlighting the brand’s features, TCL’s Sales & Marketing Director, Mr. Ajay David,  said: “The brand has of 4 variants. QLED Android, UHD smart, FHD smart and HD/FHD basic. The televisions are really digital so it’s to everyone’s advantage, most other television are analog and are not having AV out  this is where this television becomes distinct. Other television doesn’t have HEVC High Efficiency  Video Codec, which enables playing of Netflix and Amazon Prime content on FHD televisions.

    Other television lacks these qualities. It’s faster and very smooth and also has a dynamic bridge (HDR). It has motion experience because it’s capable of delivering motion and speed technology (MEMC) for a smooth gaming experience.

    “The important  feature is TCast, which enables you to download an application from Play Store,  whatever you are watching you can cast it to television and can take screen shots to watch later.  You can reverse cast the TV content to mobile phone so that one wouldn’t miss any moment of an interesting programme.

    They have launched the new series of FHD android TV’s and one top of the line model C6,  its a QLED android television with artificial intelligence-monitors everything you are doing, you can also google search with voice recognition, you can ask any questions on this smart television.”

    It’s a game changer, you can chrome and in short, it has a wide viewing angle of experience, which is beautiful from front and back.“

    Over 5500 engineers are at TCL customer service available worldwide in 12 different languages. It provides services across China, North America, Europe, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia and here in Nigeria. The Nigerian service center covers Port Harcourt, Lagos and Abuja for after sales services in addition to the numerous franchise service partners gives the customers peace of mind in case they are having any problems or challenges with their products.

  • ‘Social media’s impacts on online shopping overrated’

    Social media’s impact on e-commerce has stalled, despite rumors that it is playing a critical role in driving sales.

    According to SalesForce’s Q1 Shopping Index, the growth of shoppers, using social media channels, has been essentially flat since the first quarter of 2017, represented only 4.7per cent of all visits to e-commerce sites in the latest quarter. This has translated to only two per cent of all e-commerce sales.

    “Despite the industry’s hype around social media playing a critical role in driving traffic in the past few years, results showed us that social media actually stalled in Q1,” said Rick Kenney, Head, Consumer Insights, Commerce Cloud at Salesforce. “Social media has been an emerging channel, so there’s been an expectation of high growth, but the reality is that traffic share from social to e-commerce sites is stagnant, quarter-over-quarter, and direct contribution to sales is very low,” he added.

    And by no means does this mean a stall in digital sales, as retailers report a 15 per cent growth in digital revenue for the quarter, even as high as 18 per cent and 19 per cent in the categories of home and luxury apparel, respectively?

    Comparing social media to other channels in the first quarter, mobile drove 60 per cent of all e-commerce traffic. And mobile conversion rates grew by 14 per cent, with phones accounting for 41 per cent of all orders.

    So, why have social medial sales stalled? Kenney believed it could be consumers growing tired from the overwhelming amount of advertisements they are experiencing, and therefore, consumers may be tuning out or scrolling right past shoppable posts.

    “Business owners will have to learn how to adapt and find new ways to engage consumers on social media if they want to continue to drive traffic to their e-commerce sites,” he said.

    Finally, the report revealed that discounts are still a popular strategy and have actually increased by 10 per cent. Free shipping was also a popular offer, as 65 per cent of all orders were shipped for free in the first quarter, an 11 per cent increase over the past two years.

    Moving forward, Kenney believed social media will remain static unless there is a major advancement or new technology, but digital commerce and mobile conversion rates will continue to climb.

    “The year-over-year digital revenue growth for retailers speaks for itself, and with phones now accounting for nearly half of all e-commerce orders, we will continue to see mobile’s influence on digital commerce grow,” he added.

  • Dettol celebrates Global Handwashing Day

    The world recently celebrated the Global Handwashing Day, a day dedicated by the Global Handwashing Partnership, which began in 2008, to increase awareness and understanding of the benefits of washing hands with soap.

    This year’s theme: “Clean hands–a recipe for health”, emphasised handwashing as an important part of keeping food safe, preventing diseases, and helping children grow strong. “It reinforces the relationship between handwashing and food– including food hygiene and nutrition –and enjoins us to make handwashing a part of every meal.”

    Nigeria joined its peers in the celebration, without much funfare,  except for pockets of activities in select cities by some corporate organisations. Experience has shown that containing the recurrence of diarrhoea and related illnesses and minimising their mortality rate are the best attempts at the preventive stage through proper hygiene. While investing in safe drinking water, hygiene, and sanitation infrastructure as well as awareness and promotion of behaviour change programmes are the most efficacious and most cost-effective ways of dealing with this menace.

    It was the realisation of the importance of preventive approach in dealing with the communicable diseases, which prompted the interest of some corporate bodies, such as Reckitt Benckiser, in line with the United Nations’ Children Education Fund’s (UNICEF’s) call to organise programmes aimed at educating the populace, especially the most vulnerable groups, on the benefits of handwashing, adoption of personal hygiene lifestyle and providing necessary infrastructure that supports basic hygiene.

    Reckitt Benckiser, through its leading antibacterial brand, Dettol, in celebrating the day, organised an event for students at the L.E.A Model Primary School, Maitama, Abuja, where over 2,000 school pupils, drawn from seven public and private schools, that are beneficiaries of Dettol’s School Hygiene Programme across four Local Governments in the Federal Capital Teritory (FCT), to listened to the lecture on the benefits of adopting a good personal hygiene lifestyle. The high points of the event were the symbolic hand-wash relay and Dettol’s donation of hand washing sites to help facilitate and maintain proper handwashing habit by the school children.

    The company, at the event, listed some of its contributions to the promotion of personal hygiene, especially in handwashing. Reckitt Benckiser West Africa General Manager, Dayanand Sriram,  said “over the past seven years, Dettol has provided over 32 handwashing sites and educated over seven million children, parents and teachers on the importance of handwashing through the School Hygiene Programme.”