The Nation Newspaper

Category: Shopping

  • ‘There’s time to be part of Africa’s biggest cleanup’

    Africa’s biggest cleanup powered by SHOPRITE brings together over 6 000 people across the continent to clean their communities in more than 500 different events.

    The retailer is inviting the public to join leading experts; thought leaders; the Lagos State Ministry of Environment; Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA); Wecyclers; Pick That Trash; Visionscape; Chanja Datti; Ecobaarter; Diamond Shine Nigeria; Sustainable Africa Waste Initiative; Kids Beach Garden and a host of volunteers to be part of this history-making event.

    A team leader of  Pick That Trash in Abuja,  Seyifumi Adebote, noted that “due to increasing levels of waste in our environment it has become imperative for greater awareness of the importance of picking up and separating out waste to encourage a recycling culture in Africa”.

    In the same vein, Head, Business Development of Wecyclers, Omobolanle Olowu, explained: “We are joining the Shoprite team and other partners to clean up as many locations as possible so that people will realise there’s value in waste and clean up their neighbourhoods.”

    To join one of the 45 cleanup events taking place across Nigeria from 14-18 July, register via the website www.actforchange.africa, specifically created for this purpose and is being managed by the Shoprite Group and volunteerism organisation Brownie Points.

    Outside of Nigeria, cleanups are taking place in 10 other African countries, including South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Madagascar.

     

  • Winners emerge in ‘Win-A-Stall‘ contest 

    Loshes Chocolates, a chocolate merchant at The Palms Mall in Lekki, Lagos has emerged winner of the first Win-A-Stall competition organised by the Palms Shopping Mall. It carted a stall worth N3 million.

    This is coming after a month-long search for the most persuasive and viable entrepreneur.

    Accessories maker, BlingThings Africa came second while African kids clothing maker, AnkaraBaby was third.

    At the finale, the Palms management team led by its Chairman Mr. Tayo Amusan and supported by business leaders, such as KPMG Senior Partner Mr. Wale Ajayi, Mobos Fashion Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Omobowale Biobaku, Zaron Group of Companies Chief Executive Officer Oke Maduewesi and Vision Opticals CEO, Mr. Clinton Peters  served as judges for presentations by the eight  shortlisted small businesses at the Palms Shopping Mall in Lagos.

    The finalists, whose businesses ranged from children’s clothing to interior decorating, fashion and manufacturing, made a case for why they deserved to win the stall. They were chosen from among other businesses who had made their pitches through the social media platform, Instagram.

    On the objective of the campaign, Amusan said The Palms Shopping Mall has a history of promoting creativity and entrepreneurship. “Being an entrepreneur, we understand how tough doing business in this country can be. Therefore, an opportunity like this goes a long way in supporting young businesses, helping them grow and positioning them for sustainability. The Palms Shopping Mall is playing its part in your success story.”

    After Ajayi announced the winners, Oyedipe, who scored the highest points at her presentation, expressed her surprise at winning, saying she was humbled to have been chosen from a list of deserving contestants.

    “The truth is that when I saw all these great women and the work they are doing, I was so impressed and actually didn’t expect to win. I congratulate all those who participated. We are indeed all winners here today. I also appreciate the Palms for this truly great opportunity.”

    The eight finalists were  businesses  owned by women. They included Ankara Baby, Chechi Arinze, CeeFabrics, BlingThings Africa, Parliamo Bambini, Philos and Zoe, Floral Designs NG and Loshes Chocolates.

  • Why shoppers abandon cart online

    Mrs Yeye Arogundade is an online retailer. According to her, one of the problems plaguing online retailers is cart abandonment. But for many buyers, Arogundade said, this is part of shopping.

    Findings by Mrs Arogundade have it that 81percent of online shoppers have left items in a cart and not gone through with a sale. “The most-abandoned product category is apparel” she said. On her online retail platform, 40 percent of respondents have jumped the shipping segment while buying a cloth. Tech is second, at 18 percent, followed by home goods (16 percent). Women are slightly more inclined to abandon their carts than men 41.1percent vs. 37.5percent, she said.

    According to Mrs Arogundade, cost issues are the most cited reason for abandoning a cart; 74percent of respondents included reasons like the final price being too expensive or finding a better deal elsewhere. Very few cited factors, such as too many options (8.9 percent) or poor user experience (7.3percent).

    The “finding a better deal” factor might hold a clue to this behavior. In a June 2017 survey by Jiji.ng, the leading reason for abandoning a cart was simply that digital shoppers wanted to shop around more (45percent). This commitment-phobic attitude is common where hidden fees and delivery charges are the leading motivation to leave a shopping cart.

    Adding an item to a cart signals intent, but some shoppers use digital baskets as a bookmarking tool in lieu of a “save to favourites” button or even to try and trigger a promo email offer.

    According to the same survey by Jiji.ng, add-to-cart rates were on average 9.7percent, and higher for desktop (12.0percent) and tablet (11.5percent) than smartphone (7.6percent). Difficulty with small screens and entering necessary details still hold back mobile commerce.

    Whatever a shopper’s reason for abandoning a cart, it’s a behaviour that seems to be rising according to online retail experts.

  • International Fruit Day: Celebrating La Casera brand

    At a party in April 2007, former students of social work from the University of Applied Science in Berlin came together talking about their fields of interest. They decided to bring people together with a basic social concept: sharing a meal. Sharing and eating fruits and vegetables together soon transformed into International Fruit Day, which is celebrated July 1 yearly.

    The apple is considered to be the one of the healthiest and the most versatile fruits.This marvellous fruit is extremely rich in important antioxidants, flavonoids, and dietary fibre. As one of the most consumed fruits in the world, apples are continuously being praised as a “miracle food”.

    In fact, apples were ranked first in Medical News Today about the top 10 healthy foods, helping to reduce the risk of developing cancer, hypertension, diabetes and heart disease.

    Apple juice is also one of the favourite drinks for many people. With the socio-economic climate in Nigeria, methods must be adopted for consumers to continue enjoying the great taste and benefit of apple through the provision of real apple juice in various products like Carbonated Soft Drinks (CSDs). This challenge was taken on by The La Casera Company, makers of La Casera Apple drink.

    The La Casera brand was the first to introduce PET bottles in Nigeria, thus making it accessible and accepted by all. Consumers, therefore, experienced a new found love in the brand La Casera, because of its convenience of consumption as an ‘on-the-go’ Soft Drink, thereby changing the landscape of the entire soft drink industry in Nigeria. These unique qualities of the La Casera brand challenged two other Soft Drink giants to follow suit in 2004;  four years after the birth of La Casera.

    The competition was on and consumers soon began to flock in the direction of La Casera which contained real apple juice, as against the other flavour filled brands which dominated prior to its entry. The brand recently introduced its ‘Full Option’ range of SKUs giving consumers the options of 60cl, 50cl and 35cl.  While hundreds of products are launched yearly, only a few often survive competition due to taste appeal, quality and brand loyalty. Market and health analysts have questioned the quality standards of many of the products in the Nigerian market.

    Hence, Nigerians refer to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and Standards Organisation  of Nigeria (SON) as the lead safety authorities in the country, whose certification can be taken as a final arbiter for any product’s safety concerns.

    According to a report made public after a routine laboratory analysis of La Casera Apple drink, NAFDAC declared that “La Casera Apple drink ingredients conformed to laid down specifications and regulations, with the absence of pesticides and chemical hazards’’

    SON and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) have also commended the company on its adherence to safety and health guidelines for beverage production.

    La Casera Apple drink, which has an undeniably attractive golden colour and refreshing taste, has no doubt earned its seal of quality in the Nigerian CSD landscape since its inception, and beyond all contradiction, is said to be safe and healthy for consumption.

    La Casera is synonymous with “Great Apple Taste” for many consumers and that is because the Apple drink is said to be carefully made with  five percent real fruit juice which cannot be found in any other carbonated apple drink.

  • Heineken launches innovative bottle label

    Heineken has unveiled a first-of-its-kind technological campaign in Nigeria to celebrate its presence in 192 countries.

    The campaign which began in mid-June will end on August 31. Specifically, Heineken will launch an innovative way to build excitement around the Heineken bottles with its limited edition bottle label. Users, the  firm said  will be able to experience in every country specially curated videos about different countries with the Heineken footprint.

    “We are excited to launch this campaign here in Nigeria. We are extremely proud of our international achievements and this is our little way of celebrating this landmark achievement with all our customers,” said Obabiyi Fagade, Senior Brand Manager, Heineken.

    Heineken, he stressed, “Will award special points to consumers each time a country is unlocked, users who have watched the most videos and acquired a large number of points at the end of the week will win goody bags from Heineken and a chance to win an all-expense-paid trip to Amsterdam or three  other European countries.”

    Portfolio Manager, International Premium Brands, Tokunbo Adodo said , “We understand that this is an internet savvy generation, I am proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish here and we can’t wait to see our customers unlock new countries as they scan the bottles.”

    Heineken will also be rewarding some lucky users with the chance to visit Amsterdam or three other European cities in an all expense paid trip.

  • Hollandia Soya milk unveils 100 ml sachet packs

    TO provide an accessible dairy alternative, Hollandia Soya Milk has introduced a new 100 milimetres convenient pack.

    Chi Limited’s Managing Director Mr. Deepanjan Roy said the rationale for introducing the 100 milimetres  sachet was to create a consumer culture of taking soya milk by making it more affordable and accessible.

    “Although Hollandia Soya Milk has always been available in bigger pack sizes, we believe that having100 milimetres  sachet packs at N50 will enable consumers have access to high quality nutrition and a healthier dairy alternative in a ready-to-drink form which can be consumed anywhere and anytime, at an affordable and convenient price,” he said.

    The 100 milimetres  sachet pack adds to the existing one litre pack size and 315 milimetres  handy pack size.

    The convenient pack , which  retails at N50 according to Roy  offers nutritious benefits of soya milk.

    Roy  said the new Hollandia soya milk  in 100 milimetres  sachet pack is an  innovative way to deliver value by making the product more affordable and accessible.

    He  said the 100 ml  pack design wears the brand’s traditional blue colour combination with an assortment of small icons that typify various sporting activities.

    The new look of the product, Roy  said, is part of efforts  by the brand to resonate with health conscious consumers keen on a daily nutritional soya milk drink for an active lifestyle and healthy heart devoid of cholesterol build up.

    Endorsed by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria as a healthy drink, Hollandia Soya Milk the firm said is  cholesterol free and a power house of Protein, Calcium, Vitamins A, C & D.

    The firm said  the new Hollandia Soya Milk 100 milimetres  sachet pack offers competitive pricing, for a product that is affordable and of high quality.

    According to a nutritionist, Mrs. Temi Obiaya, soya milk comes recommended because it not only offers nourishment but naturally helps lower cholesterol levels in the body to keep the heart healthy.

    She said : “Soya milk possesses a lot of nutritional benefits; hence, it is important that more and more people begin to embrace soya milk as a dairy alternative. With very few brands seeing the value in providing soya milk as a product offering, I have come to cherish Hollandia Soya Milk not only for its zero cholesterol, but also its smooth texture and delicious taste .”

     

  • Ztea to introduce new variant

    The management of Biznes Sans Frontieres (Business without Borders), producers of fruity teabags, Ztea, will be introducing a new variant of the product soon. Ztea is a healthy tea product made from Zobo leaves.

    Speaking on the product, its Chief Eexecutive Officer, Phranklin Audu, said  although the conception, research and development started in October 2016, commercial production began last March.

    According to Phranklin, patronage has been quite impressive, including interests from the Diaspora market, leading his team to ensure that it secured NAFDAC approvals.

    “We currently have three variants; strawberry, lemon and pineapple. I’d like to emphasize here that all variants are 100 per cent  natural. No artificial flavors or preservatives. We are currently working on a fourth variant which we hope to launch in the coming weeks. This is particular coming by popular demand,” he said.

    In his words, the product range comes with a lot of health benefits that are beneficial to the human body. He revealed that the product, among other things, is beneficial to those battling high blood pressure.

    “It has also been proven to help restore appetite, treat constipation, support weight loss, prevent cancer, fight cough and cold, boost the immune system, support body function, and maintain a healthy nervous system among so many other things. Zobo is made mainly from Hibiscus flower whose health benefit cannot be over-stressed,” he added.

    Phranklin, who had an earlier career leaning as a consultant currently consults for several other SMEs. He has worked as Trade Advisor for International Development Organization, where he developed and nurtured about 200 SMEs from zero to export ready enterprises.

    With his experience, he has garnered extensive knowledge of Nigeria’s trade policy and ECOWAS trade corridors while developing a career in trade facilitation and export development.

     

     

  • Advertisers fete trustees, inaugurates new board

    The Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) has singled out some leading lights in the sub-sector for special recognition.

    On the roll are: Mr Ayo Owoborode of PAL, Senator Akin Odunsi of STB Group and Mr. Biodun Shobanjo of Troyka Group, who members of the Board of Trustees of the association.

    At the event tagged Night of Honours, the President of AAAN, Mr Kayode Oluwasona, said the event was creatively put together to re-enact the priceless values of Africans which are being relegated to the background – that of giving honour to those deserving of same.

    “Tonight has been creatively put together to re-enact one of our priceless values as Africans, which today, is unfortunately being relegated to the background – that of giving honour to those honour is due,” Oluwasona said.

    Specifically, Oluwasona lauded the contributions of the retiring trustees, Mr Owoborode, Senator Akin Odunsi, Mr Biodun Shobanjo, late Mrs Dorothy Ovbiagele and Mrs Bola Thomas to the growth and sustenance of the professional association in the last 13 years.

    He also stated that the trustees have guided and led the association and its members with uncommon skills, experience, commitment, passion and maturity and also successfully opened doors for the association in several key circles.

    Oluwasona used the opportunity to announce the selection of new Board of Trustee members – Mr Udeme Ufot of SO&U Advertising Limited, Mr Enyi Odigbo of Casers Group and Mr Lolu Akinwumi of Prima Garnet Group who were formally presented and celebrated with pomp and pageantry.

  • SHOPRITE plans Africa’s biggest clean-up event

    The Shoprite Group is staging Africa’s biggest clean-up at which over 6000 people in nine countries are expected to participate in almost 500 events from 14-18 July to remove waste from communities. In Nigeria the retail giant is partnering with Nigeria’s pioneer recycling outfit, Wecyclers to execute this huge initiative.

    Head, Business Development of Wecyclers, Ms. Omobolanle Olowu, an environmentalist and recycling champion explains: “The hope is to launch a movement of active citizens who act for change by cleaning and keeping clean public areas. Plastic waste is putting the environment under considerable pressure with the equivalent of a garbage truck of plastic being dumped into our oceans every minute.”

    She further adds, “Recycling is central to this initiative, hence Wecyclers’ decision to partner with Shoprite Nigeria on some of the 45 clean-ups planned in the country. Those organising clean-ups are encouraged to partner with local recyclers to ensure that most of what is collected gets recycled.” With this focus Shoprite aims to highlight the business opportunities available through the recycling of paper, glass, plastic and other material.

    The retailer also launched a mobile community in which anybody can join via the website www.actforchange.africa. The site was developed in partnership with volunteerism organisation Brownie Points. This digital platform enables users to create their own clean-ups or join an existing one in their area. It also contains information about the nearest recycler or waste management company.

    On the platform clean-up organisers are given guidelines on what their duties are as hosts, how to market their event and what to do on the day and after the cleanup. Participants are to share their experience on social media.

    In the words of former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan: “All of us have to share the earth’s fragile ecosystems and precious resources, and each of us has a role to play in preserving them. If we are to go on living together on this earth, we must all be responsible for it.”

     

  • Restaurant, resort managers assure on service delivery

    Restaurant and resort owners in Lagos State have expressed their commitment to deliver topnotch service to customers as part of adding value to the hospitality sub-sector.

    Giving this assurance recently was the management of 2wenty2 Hospitality And Allied Services Limited Company, which specialises in management and consulting services.

    Yvonne Mordi, a hospitality management expert, who spoke with our correspondent ahead of The Hospitality Industry Conference (THIC), tagged: ‘The New Frontier for Hospitality Enterprises’ scheduled to hold at the Landmark Towers, Oniru, said: “The conference seeks to bring together experts from various sectors to discuss real issues and exchange views on the future of the hospitality industry. It intends to provide a rich platform for growth, development, network and the need to hone the right skills set, and to connect industry peers, educate hospitality entrepreneurs, share ideas, address topics and trends on what’s new and what’s next.”

    Justifying the need for the conference, she said: “Truth be told, the hospitality industry in Nigeria has not been above board especially in the last decade as it has suffered gravely in the hands of unskilled operators and non-professionals who lack the requisite skills and mental perspicacity in delivering excellent services to its starved customers.”

    The keynote speaker for the event is Emmanuel Ele, managing director /chief executive officer,  Regions Hotels Limited and other guest speakers are Moyo Okusanya, director of Marketing, Marriott International Hotels in Nigeria, Florence Olumodimu, founder/consultant, Life Developers Network and  Mordi.

    The panelists include Osaze Osemwegie, Founder/International President, African Networking Hospitality Professionals, Olufunke Adebayo-Oginni, Managing Director, Miclouchris Limited, Ugaze Ude-Kalu, Restaurant Visibility Builder, Founder “Your Foodgeek”, Friday Oyom-Egba, Resort Manager, Jubilee Chalets and  Lauretta Togonu- Bickersteth.