The Nation Newspaper

Category: Shopping

  • Dying QSR: franchising, diversification to the rescue

    Dying QSR: franchising, diversification to the rescue

    They once bestrode the country’s landscape with candour, becoming the benchmark for measuring taste and class. But these are changing times for Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs), who are hit by hard times. TONIA ’DIYAN reports that QSRs have now fashioned a way to restructure the business. But how far will this go?

    Sunday Oguntade, a regular visitor to a popular eatery, was addicted to visiting various eateries. He  has very fond memories of such places. Not only was he attracted to them because of the quality of food provided, the ambience they provided was refreshing. But this has since stopped. “The scenery, quality of food and service rendered then were second to none and that kept me going back,” he explained.

    Oguntade, like a growing number of Nigerians, no longer patronise eateries. This is because of an alleged falling standard in the quality of service being rendered by quick service restaurant (QSR). For instance, Oguntade said on a particular visit to a leading QSR in Lagos, the stench that emanated from its rest room was discomforting. This is apart from the poor quality of meal sold in the restaurant.

    “The fried rice I bought there was extremely tasteless. It was just as if only curry powder was mixed with the rice. Even the pastry (meatpie) was of poor quality compared to what it used to be a few years back,” Oguntade said, wondering what could have gone wrong with the leading eatery.

    Severally, Nigerians have had cause to complain about the quality of service and meals produced by QSRs. This, among other reasons, is believed to have led to the declining fortunes of operators in this sector. Besides, the renewed health awareness in the country, especially healthy eating, is said to be taking a toll on the demand for QSR meals. In the circumstance, some eateries have shut down.

    But determined to remain in business, operators in this line of business are now restrategising to reposition their business. One of these strategies is the issuance of licences to potential investors seeking their brand’s franchise. This is done with the belief that it will help the brand to grow and expand, thereby improving the bottomline revenue.

    Still on giving out franchise, concerns are high over the quality of service that will be rendered. Also of concern is the issue of effective monitoring of such outlets of franchises so given. Experts in QSR business contend that for a brand to make a lasting impact, in all its outlets either run by the parent company or by franchise, the quality of the meal and ambience must be same. For instance, a meat pie bought in a restaurant in Surulere must be the same as the one bought in Ikorodu, as long as it is from the same restaurant, regardless of branch and location. This remains a challenge.

    The Managing Director of UAC restaurant, Derrick Houten, agreed with such worries. He warned that it is not just about granting franchise, but ensuring that the franchisee is capable of maintaining the standard expected, in order not to destroy the brand. “Competent franchisee should be looked out for and not just giving eateries to any franchisee to run,” Houten advised,  emphasising that a franchisee can only manage the business after training and hand holding have been done.

    His words: “In the past, if a person had money and can afford to own a fast food outlet, he/she could simply pay and get a franchise, it didn’t matter who he/she is. Today, eateries are better managed with good competent franchisees, who are involved in the business and have passed through the selection processes.”

    He warned against franchisee, who just want the image of an eatery but are not professionals.

    The Nation Shopping gathered that  franchising, for Mr Biggs’ involves a tough selective process because it requires that certain set of credentials are presented. Franchisees are expected to have time on their hands to personally run the business. They must have access to operating funds and must be very passionate about being in the business.

    Apllication forms are picked from the business for a fee and submitted with required documents.

    Upon review by a panel, the propective franchisee is called for a qualifying interview,  if he/she makes it, location is discussed and its taken up from there.

    This effort also include ensuring consistency in taste because it is strategic to the brand. And as part of its support to the franchise operations, UAC Restaurants provides the franchisees with an approved standard of operations, which includes standardised recipes production process manuals guiding the preparation of its various products and meals.

    Sources said there are still some normal franchising rules and innovation in the fast food business that will not work in this country. Reason is because some regions cannot be penetrated or innovations would not work in some regions.

    For instance, local food is heavily competed with many brands offering local meals, but operators say they  will constantly measure their effectiveness with their customers that is why some of them that have village kitchens have a separate section for that purpose, but it doesn’t work well in all areas. They have, therefore, incorporated local food on their menu and this seemed to work well.

    “The practicalities of some innovations only become evident after they have been launched,” said Tantalizer’s boss, Bose Ayeni.

    Assuring Nigerians of the good state of eateries in the country, Ayeni said, the new face of the Nigerian restaurant business has been rebranded and restructured in terms of management and processes, which will assist in producing quality food at affordable prices always. “We have built on the foundation that we have and we will continue to improve in all areas of our businesses,” she said.

    Repositioning Mr Biggs’ brand(the fast food giant), it was gathered, was not only in terms of brand outlook. The brand has had a complete overhaul in terms of processes, systems, look and feel. On the exterior, the brand took on a new logo and presentation. There was the subtle injection of a new colour.  Operationally, the business became wholly franchised such that not one restaurant is owned by the mother brand, UAC restaurants, which now provides backend operations support to franchisees

    Findings showed that when sales start dropping in an eatery, remodelling will take place, such outlet would be made smaller and become more effective with improved modern equipment and power efficient items.

    The last three years have seen  restaurants  undergoing complete restructuring. Some have franchise their businesses, including staffing, management,  property and rebranding. Some have built their processes in areas like compliance, training and franchisee selection.

    They have decided to restructure and give a face lift to their businesses, which they say is bringing  positive changes in the sector.  According to them, the business is transforming tremendously, new ideas are welcomed and competitors are closely monitored as they come into the market.

    Having realised that consumers are moving from average priced meals to cheaper ones on the menu, eateries began to define their variety with their menu items, which allows the customer to have different meals to assist with menu boredom and after consulting with some of them through tiny slips placed on the table, operators now know that there is a need to re-price their most popular menu item which is chicken and rice.

    Economic advantages

    The last six years have seen the industry contribute positively to the Nigerian economy. In the area of employment, the sector employs more people and spend vast sums of money in their supply chain.

    The QSR and FMCG(Fast Moving Consumer Goods) sectors employ a large number of permanent people thereby, helping to solve the unemployment problem.

    Likely restrictions

    Mentioning that Mr Biggs’ has the largest number of franchisee in West Africa, Houten said, franchising will continue to grow as the eatery business matures.  This aspiration he said, is hindered in higher institutions. “Universities haven’t become popular sight as management of higher institutions  have suddenly realised that they can charge high rentals for the space they are giving us and this has made the student model less profitable.”

    He added that his outfit has decided to make its presence felt in schools where its items can be allowed into the school’s local shops. Operators say negative forces such as poor power supply, high government levies and expensive real estate, if removed, will make the sector grow even better.

  • Jumia introduces express delivery in Lagos

    Jumia, Nigeria’s Largest Online retailer with operations covering every part of the country, has introduced express delivery to customers in Lagos.

    The service is to give customers the best shopping experience and convenience with Online Shopping. In recent times, Jumia has expanded to create new categories with more assortments available for customers to shop from.

    The exclusive delivery expansion offered as express delivery gives all Jumia customers in Lagos the opportunity to receive their order the same day they place the order. The same day delivery is not being offered by any other retailer in Nigeria.

    Its Managing Director, Nicolas Martin said: ‘‘This level of convenience is what we aim to provide for our customers. We always make sure we are giving our customer the best of online retail experience with our service delivery. Express delivery is a game changer for Ecommerce operations in Nigeria.”

    Jumia customers in Lagos can enjoy same delivery on most of the items listed on Jumia’s website, if they place their order before 1pm during the day.

     

  • ‘Ecommerce ‘ll contribute up to 20 per cent Nigeria’s GDP’

    The Chief Executive Officer of JUMIA Nigeria Nicola Martin has that E-commerce can contribute enormously to national economic growth.

    He spoke in a discussion on a national television programme, ‘E-commerce as the next  driver of Nigeria’s economic growth’.

    He revealed that E-commerce is more relevant in Nigeria than in another part of the world because of the enormous benefits in the country as Africa’s largest economy.

    He also spoke on the worth of the retail market in Nigeria and how E-commerce in big countries such as India, China are contributing 5 per cent to 10 per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to their economy and how Nigeria’s E-commerce will soon be contributing about 20 per cent of its in terms of growth.

    He explained how Ecommerce has grown with companies such as Jumia seeing growth rates of 10 times  every year and how lack of infrastructure could enable startups in Nigeria structure their business. He said a growing number of online players are good for the E-commerce industry because it helps the industry to grow and help educate Nigerians about the convenience of Online shopping.

  • ‘Malls are sensitive to rising security concerns’

    ‘Malls are sensitive to rising security concerns’

    In 2011,when The Nation Shopping met with the quintessential Architect and Developer,‘Tokunbo Omisore, he shared with us the plans to restructure and extend the Old UTC Departmental Stores into Cocoa Mall in Dugbe, Ibadan and also to develop the Apapa Mall  Park on Lane in Lagos. Today,  these promises have been kept,  as shopping is in full gear at these malls. We met him again recently at the opening of Shoprite Store in Apapa  Mall and he shared with us his next lines of adding values to the Retail Growth in the Nigerian markets, among other related issues.

    Do you design,  build,  equip and maintain these malls. If not,  to what level of involvement does your company get?

    The Malls are designed, financed and constructed on a management contracting basis by my company – Top Services Limited

    The issue that is raising the greatest concerns in Nigeria right now is security. What measures are being put in place in the construction of these malls to ensure that lives and properties of tenants and shoppers are protected?

     

    Our Neighbourhood Mall developments are sensitive to the rising security concerns which is not peculiar to Nigeria only. It is a global concern.

    Our Malls are provided with detective security devices and guards that are frequently trained and informed on how best to save lives and properties at the Malls.

     

    If the prediction of the United Nations about Lagos becoming the third largest  city by 2015 is any thing to go by, with about 25 million population, should we be expecting to have a mega mall like the London Westfield,  being replicated in the country soon?

     

    As l do often express when given the opportunity; for the African Continent to grow positively we do need to take into consideration the economic challenges and the cultural values of our people and cities. Our traditional shopping ways(i.e the Nigerian communities), encourages different categories of retailers’ outlets/markets to shoppers, i.e from a neighborhood market to the larger ones.

    Unfortunately most of our Malls’ development are not supportive to the growth of the upcoming local retailers – by this I mean sustainability is in doubt as most do not take into consideration the economic challenges of the people nor the cost of energy challenge that is yet to be affordable.

    Adopting the London Westfield Mall in my opinion is like giving a young man a Rolls Royce car/vehicle instead of an affordable one that will help to develop him to being able to afford the former at a later stage of growth. A philosophy that defines the difference between ability to buy and one that can afford.

     

    Dovetailing your comments in 2011 when you became the president of the Africa Union of Architects,  you mentioned that the World Congress of Architects will hold this year in Durban,  South Africa.  What is the outcome of the Congress as regards the development of Africa?

     

    I believe the outcome is viewed differently by the regions of the World body of Architects. The ýoutcome of all said at the Architects World Congress will have a positive impact across the African Continent especially the forty- member countries of the Africa Union of Architects .

    As a representative of the African Architects we are hopeful that all said will convince decision makers of the need for Sustainable & Responsible Architecture in Africa. Africa has a history of going beyond what it can afford, but it must now adopt affordable development.

    At a global level, the outcome of the Architects’ World Congress, common to all, will be committed to “Environmental Imperatives for 2050”.

    Of great concern to the African Continent is to make cities and human settlements inclusively safe, resilient and sustainable.

     

    You also previously talked about  rebranding African architecture as plans to help in customising Africa’s capital cities  with architectural designs that are Afro-centric. How far have you gone on this sir?

     

    In the last three years, the union has made tremendous progress through few of our events in Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Morocco, Rwanda, Angola to mention a few.

    To further define this role the AUA became a Lead Partner of the UN- Habitat World Urban Campaign to ensure we provide better cities and better lives. As African city changers, we need to apply African solution to our needs and challenges, support the reduction of poverty alleviation and create opportunities to make our communities sustainable.

    The malls have brought new lease of life to their neighbourhoods and society.  Aside Lagos and Ibadan,which other part of the country are you looking at next? And how soon?

    Our next Mall development will come up in Akure, Ondo State on or before end of September 2015.

     

    For a man who derives so much pleasure in the business of malls,  our readers will want to know if you go shopping yourself?  Which of the malls  you conveniently  visit and what the favourite items on your shopping list are?

     

    I hardly go shopping but l do enjoy visiting Malls in every city of the World, studying the different design approaches to same. My interest in our growing local Malls is more of case studies, i.e adaptability and the growth support it provides the local retailers.

  • ‘Suspicious package’ found in Westfield mall

    Westfield Shopping Centre was evacuated after a suspicious package was found on tuesday.

    Staff and shoppers were told to leave the retail hub in Stratford with pictures posted on Twitter showing throngs of people waiting outside.

    Westfield is one of the country’s biggest shopping centres and the evacuation came days after Luton Airport was evacuated because of a bomb scare.

    The Metropolitan Police confirmed the evacuation but an hour after it the situation was “stood down”.

    Thousands of staff and shoppers were told to leave the retail hub in Stratford.

    A spokeswoman said: “The incident has now been stood down.

    “We were dealing with a suspicious package at the shopping centre. We were called at about 12.10pm.

    “The shopping centre was evacuated at about 13.45 and the incident was stood down at 14.54.

    “It is no longer deemed to be suspicious.”

    The Metropolitan Police later stood down the situation.

    Last month the UK terror threat was raised to “severe” meaning a terrorist attack is highly likely.

    After the evacuation people took to Twitter to post pictures and speculate about what caused it.

    Twitter user Miguel Ausina photographed people leaving Westfield and wrote: “Westfield Stratford being evacuated due to possible bomb scare.”

    Peter Jarvis added: “Westfield Stratford evacuated until further notice. Unknown hidden mystery device found.”

    Some of the pictures show thousands of people standing outside on the street, while police officers stand guard.

     

  • 10 Tips for Healthy Grocery Shopping

    Good nutrition starts with smart choices in the grocery store. Cooking up healthy meals is a challenge if you don’t have the right ingredients in your kitchen.

    But who has time to read all the food labels and figure out which items are the most nutritious and the best buys? Grocery shopping can be a daunting task, simply because there are so many choices.

    “Markets perform a great public service, but keep in mind they are designed to get you to buy (and, therefore, eat) more food, not less,” says Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, professor of nutrition at New York University. But with a little guidance, healthy choices are a cinch to find in any supermarket.

    Plan Ahead for Success

    The process starts even before you head to the grocery store, experts say. Before you set out for the market, plan your meals for the week, and create a list to shop from. It takes a few minutes, but saves time in running back to the store for missing ingredients.

    To save money, use discounts, check the weekly grocery ads, and incorporate sale foods into your meal planning. And don’t shop hungry: An empty belly often results in impulse purchases that may not be the healthiest.

    To help meet the pyramid guidelines, you should be filling your cart with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, lean meat, fish, poultry, beans, and nuts, she says.

    Most of us tend to eat the same foods over and over again. But variety really is the spice of life, says Ward.

    One of the tenets of the pyramid is variety, so instead of white potatoes, choose sweet potatoes, which are much richer in beta-carotene, or baby spinach instead of iceberg lettuce. Be adventurous; aim to try a new fruit or vegetable each week, she advises.

    Both Ward and Nestle say organic foods are a great option, but note that they may not be the most economical choice.

     

     

  • The growing influence of Online stores

    The growing influence of Online stores

    Online stores have faced series of litmus tests bordering on credibility. Today, they seem not to battle to assure Nigerians of their genuineness anymore, as the toga of incredibility is gradually becoming a success story. TONIA ‘DIYAN writes.

    At the early stages of its entry into the Nigerian marketing space, online stores, a novel concept that is now reshaping the way shopping and marketing is done, was a pariah, as it was not a first or second option for prospective shoppers. However, with growing awareness in technology and more exposure to western markets, the tide is now changing. Therefore, the once despised mode of shopping is now the beautiful bride being embraced by techno-savvy shoppers.

    The reasons for this change are numerous; one of which is the ease of buying and paying that it offers. From the comfort of one’s room, purchase, payment and delivery are made. It is for this reason, and more, that online stores and platforms are gradually gaining credibility and warming its way into the hearts of Nigerian shoppers.

    The Nation Shopping gathered from a source that online operators have partnered with foreign experts who have vast knowledge in running such business models and expertise, thereby,  gathering from across the world the ‘technical know how’ to grow online retail stores that will be the solution to retail in sub-Saharan Africa.

    From observations, of the 40 million Nigerians who are online, a sizeable amount actually visit online stores, resulting to a rapidly growing trend in visits and purchases. It has also been noticed that a target group of individuals who have access to the internet and are in the age range of 18 to 40years shop more on line in Nigeria.

    The common questions among shoppers which use to be: ‘Can i trust Nigerian online stores?’has suddenly become ‘Which of the online store do I buy from?’ People are gradually migrating to buying items more online with the introduced ‘pay on delivery method’(see and touch what you are paying for) which is introduce to convince the average  Nigerian man that nobody intends to steal from him. This method of operation gradually built trust in the minds of many who now shop for items online.

    Many observers believe that the market growth and credibility this sector has achieved in a short time, is enough to convince people that it is a comfortable place to shop. But, shoppers who are still afraid about online fraud, are advice to seek sites that have been tried and certified safe or ask questions and do thorough background checks before spending their resources.

    Flashing back to when online business kicked off in the country and some of its success stories when it was some months old,   Jumia head, Jeremy Hodara said : “ Our reliability lies in our increasing number of page visits daily; our rise to the fifth local content site in Nigeria (from seventh, 10 months after we began operation), and our over 400,000 social media community and relocation to a 4,000 square metre warehouse, all achieved in 10 months of operations. Efficiency is in numbers, and in our case, the numbers have continually spoken for themselves.” He said.

    Generally, online stores are identified by how they sell themselves, as such, the quality of website and the constant innovations on their users’ experiences, is on the rise and operators say, this is an indication that they run a transparent business.

    According to Jumia head, Jeremy Hodara, “ We are  prompted to use the ‘payment on delivery’ method with a seven-day return policy more in Nigeria compare to other African countries where we operate so that we can project transparency because we know that we have many doubting thomas here. Apart from that, we also want to be able to provide quality and convenient retail services always. And this is working for us.” He said.

    Jeremy added that, there are evidences to show that online stores have grown to become credible in this part of the world. “As we continue to count our blessings and name them one by one by the success stories we now tell. We have been able to create several initiatives around Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) through reaching out to the destitute in the society in company of notable friends in entertainment and the media who believe in what they do.”

    “In the cause of this business that was once doubted, we were able to  host a customer-focused group through which we came face to face with a select group of customers, an experience we found quite endearing and one that reminded us that we are in the right place. This happened in less than a year.”

    To ensure that Nigerians get involved in the trend, aggressive marketing, constant education through various channels (particularly social networks), increased brand awareness and offline activations including offline sales are introduced into the business model. Text messages and emails are constantly sent out to people so that they can track online activities, and be the first to know of amazing deals and bargains as soon as they come up.

    For Sim Shagaya, Konga’s boss, ‘Merging e-commerce and social networking has never been this good, buying quality products via the internet has never been this easier.’ He advises Nigerians to  always look for the best and reliable stores online; saying it is also wise to take advantage of promos and discounts as they unfold. “This business requires a lot of research before you venture into it. Once people get used to something, they ignore the risks and see it as part of their daily lives.” He said

    He added that about a year ago, he realized that for his services to be really valuable to the society, he should  build a platform for anyone, not just Konga, to sell and prosper. “We launched this platform to a limited number of sellers and in that time, we have learned how to build a truly revolutionary Nigerian online marketplace.”

    The authenticity of any online store has a lot to do with how close the website connects with consumers, emotionally and physically and this, operators take seriously.

    The Nigerian online store runs an operation that cuts across board from purchasing to up loading content on its website up to marketing the products and delivering to customers.

    The perception that only the rich shop online is wrong, with as low as N100, you can buy airtime online at a quick teller. You can also order food online at hello food.

    Online store also offer offline services

    An online market place for used and new items, such as smart phones, computers, shoes, clothing; home appliances, Kaymu.com came together with other e-commerce retail outfits to provide a viewing spot for football lovers to view the FIFA World Cup recently played in Brazil. The firm  said, this follows the pattern adopted every celebration providing an opportunity for online stores to explore their creativity and come up with unique marketing communications targeted at consumers.

    Also, Konga.com began the year with the screening of a film ‘Crocodile In The Yangtze (The Alibaba Story)’, which was geared towards encouraging entrepreneurial Nigerians to move forward with their plans and work in line with upcoming launch of a service that will help make it easy for them.

    “The first quarter of the year will see Konga launch its Super Savers, where we have launched a massive clearance sale that will run till the end of February. We have also launched a daily deals platform that will give Nigerians access to limited time offers across the Konga website.

    Konga has put up a radio programme with Beat FM and Brilla FM to reward consumers with discount codes to shop for free on their website.

    Konga has provided an offering which  caters for  wholesalers/ retailers, road side/ market traders in Surulere, Alaba, Aba, Onitsha, Kaduna, as well as enterprising individuals across the country with amazing products. The purpose for this is to revolutionise the way buyers and sellers interact, with a model that is more convenient for the seller and more attractive to the buyer. It will serve as the great equalizer/nation builder which will continue to boost employment, trade and powering economic growth and development in the country.

    Maxitech, a computer and electronics dealer based in Lagos who has benefited from the earlier launched Konga market had this to say; “I have been selling computers for a number of years now in Lagos and to customers in neighbouring cities, but I must admit that what Konga.com has been able to do for my business has increased my sales portfolio not only locally but nationwide.

    Likely growth, two years from now

    Online shopping by urban consumers will be more than double over the next two years, this is according to a source. Explaining reason as; digital influence is rapidly expanding to small urban towns and rural areas, thereby, increasing the number of mobile users in country.

    According to the source, discounts will not be the only driving force for people to switch to online shopping, as was previously thought, but factors like convenience and access to wider assortment is also largely to influence shopping decisions as time goes on.

     

  • Grand oak rewards consumers

    It is reward time for customers in the Grand Oak promo – a marketing and distribution arm of Lexcel Group.

    Grand Oak is the manufacturer of Calypso Coconut Liquor, Lord’s Dry Gin, among others.

    The promo, an in-store and in-bar  campaign, kicked off at the same time in Lagos, Calabar, Port Harcourt, Onitsha, Uyo, Warri, Ughelli, Agbor, Enugu, Abakaliki, Aba and other cities.

    Sales canvassers dressed in branded T-shirts were in select markets with assorted gifts worth millions of naira and gave them to customers for every purchase of Lord’s Dry Din or Calypso Coconut Liquor made.

    Consumers’ response had been massive with leading Lagos bars and clubs, such as Ice Lounge, Surulere; Admirals,  Surulere;  O’jez, National Stadium; Lounge, 37, Surulere,  La Mango-GRA, Ikeja,  AY Bar-WEMPCO Road, Ogba and Illumina  Banilux-Sabo, Yaba, being in the forefront of the activation.

    Others were the Officers’ Mess-Sabo, Yaba, Kingston Joe- Apapa, Metro Park-GRA, Ikeja, The Hub-Adenyi Jones, Ikeja, Grasshoppers- Festac, Cynergy Hotel& Bar-Amuwo Odoffin, Stephane’s Place-Apapa, Ember Creek- Ikoyi  and Xover Lounge in Lekki.

    According to the firm’s General Manager, Marketing, Mr. Brajesh Kumar, the promo was designed to further connect the company with its customers in the Southsouth, Southeast and Lagos and to strengthen its leadership position in the spirit and wine segment of the alcoholic beverages market. The exercise, which has so far recorded high level mileage, Kumar explained, was aimed at brand penetration and rewarding of loyal customers, stressing that the target group is the retailers in the open market.

    Apart from the prizes won, consumers are also learning some tricks about the production process of their favourite drinks. For instance, a consumer, who simply identified himself as Stephens at the O’Jez, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, said the brand activation has given him the opportunity to learn how to make beverages.

    “It has given me the opportunity to learn about cocktails. I now know that with the Lord’s Dry Gin, you can come up with various cocktails of delight and savour for discerning consumers with taste and fashion.”

    Donald Johnson, who was savouring a glass of the gin in bar in Lekki-Lagos, said he never knew the Lord’s Dry Gin was tasteful. “It tastes nice and is better enjoyed when served cold, I used to think it is very hot. I might consider going into the sale shortly, many of my friends will surely like the fine smooth taste, it is not what we thought it was, it is pleasing and enjoyable,” he said.

    A trader, who sells the product at Mushin, Moji Adisa, was specially excited at her gifts from the canvassers, exclaiming: “This is wonderful; though I have been selling various Grand Oak and Calypso coconut liquor products for some time, this is the first time I will get these gifts from them. I appreciate them. They will inspire me to identify with them more, because the demand from people who love it increases daily. I will be stocking more henceforth,” she said

    Brand Manager, Grand Oak Limited, Jacob Akaade, scored the  the promo high, adding that the response from consumers has been impressive.

    “They have been responding in droves, they are associating with the brand, clubs and bars not covered in this exercise so far are mounting pressures on us from all over the place, asking us to come and replicate it in their places,” Akaade said.

    Lord’s Dry Gin and Calypso Coconut Liquor are premium brands from the stable of Grand Oaks Limited.

    Other leading brands from the foremost spirit marketer in the country are Regal Dry Gin, Bacchus Tonic Wine, Dark Sailor, Rum and its flagship brand, Seaman’s Schnapps.

     

  • Winners emerge in Indomie comic book draw

    Five luckyyouths have emerged winners in the Indomitable Promo, tagged ‘Comic Book 10 in one pack’,a raffle draw held at the company’s headquarters in Surulere, Lagos.

    The winners are Rukayat Ayomide, Abdul-Rahmam – 12, Fumilayo Oke – 14, Emmanuel Thomas – nine, and Chisom Ikeocha-10, all from Lagos and, Temiloluwa Oyelola – 14, resides in Kaduna.

    The lucky five, alongside a guardian/parent each are now Disney bound and are set to be treated to a memorable Disneyland trip in France, courtesy of Dufil Prima Foods Plc.

    The promo, which according to the company, was intended to give back to the loyalists of the brand who happen to be children, was a nationwide initiative open to children not older than 15.

    The Head, Marketing, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Mr. Manpreet Singh, who was at the draw, alongside some select journalists, said Dufil Prima Foods Plc was happy to announce the names of the lucky winners who have emerged from the over 40,000 entries generated across the country.

    “Without a doubt, Indomie has once again proven that it indeed has core loyalists spread across the country that love and believe in the company and what it stands for, that’s why our relationship which has spanned more than 20 years still waxes strong till date.”

    He further said:  “Once again, we also saw it as a great idea to create a bond and engagement activity for the children with their favourite animation characters during the long holiday; Dufil believes it is pertinent to appreciate these children who through their love and continued loyalty to the brand have ensured we remain the trailblazer in the noodles segment.

    ‘’So, we thought of no better time than now, likewise a memorable reward that would no doubt be one to remember for a long time to come.”

    Shedding light on the journey that qualified the children for the trip, the Public Relations/Events Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Mr. Tope Ashiwaju, said, the lucky five, were part of the 40,000 who purchased a “10 in 1” branded indomitable pack of Indomie noodles.

    He explained the procedure to include buying a pack of indomie noodles, taking out the stickers or comic books, and sending a text with  names and address to the number boldly quoted on the comic book/ stickers.

    This qualified them for the draw, where they had emerged the winners as they are called. These children will go with a parent or guardian to Disneyland in France.

     

     

  • Back-to-school: Boom time for traders

    Back-to-school: Boom time for traders

    With a new academic session just a week away, shopping for new school items has reached a frenzy. And it is boom time for traders in the second hand (tokunbo) market, notwithstanding the health problem in the country. TONIA ‘DIYAN writes.

    Though the health threat occasioned by the devastating effect of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), may have increased, activities in major Lagos markets have not been put on hold. And as school resumption approaches, traders and shoppers of back-to-school items are seen going about their normal economic activities.

    In spite of the dreaded EVD that has become a major concern to all, major markets in Lagos, including the popular Akube market (a general name for used items markets), are buzzing. Patronage in these markets has   increased, no thanks to the school resumption date barely a week away, as parents are scrambling to purchase back-to-school items for their children and wards.

    A visit to Kantagua, Aswani, Oshodi as well as the popular Balogun Markets, all in Lagos, lends credence to this, as people streamed through the labyrinthine markets to buy their desired items. This has been the trend since a fortnight. Indeed, parents, especially those who cannot afford to buy from stores or malls, have found succor in the Akube markets, which they have been used to for many years.

    On a visit to some of the markets, The Nation Shopping met with Adaeze, a mother of three, who was at Balogun Market to shop for school items for her last child, Ikechukwu. On her shopping list were four main items- a pair of school shoes, bag, launch packs and grocery. “Sister, sister!” the vendors, who were mostly women of her age, called out to her in a bid to have her patronise them, lifting up school wares such as bags and shoes, to catch her attention.

    After what appeared like a 10-minute dodged course, narrowly missing vendors, porters and motorcycles, and squeezing through crowds and leaping over drainage, Adaeze made it to the narrow alley, where she was surrounded by beautiful and colourful back-to-school items. Picking through thousands of multi-coloured back packs and lunch packs was a big task; so, she deployed a strategy of choosing by colours, patterns and prices. Next task was the haggling over prices. “One can’t be too greedy when trying to purchase beautiful school items for kids,” she said to herself.

    Covered in beads of sweat, Adaeze continued her shopping spree as she found her way to the Oke-Arin Market, home to grocery items Oke-Arin market is like a roadside mall- a market with the freshest vegetables, fruits, livestock and starches. In addition to organic items, provisions like canned milk, sugar and cereal could also be purchased here in bulk for boarding students. After about two hours at Oke Arin, Adaeze left with carton of biscuits, cans of beverages and pack of cereals, amongst others, for Ikechukwu, her 12-year-old boy in JSS 3.

    With two items down and two more to go on the list, fatigue set in and Adaeze’s endurance to continue the shopping mission wore thin. She had already trekked miles through maze of vendors at both Balogun and Oke Arin Markets.

    Ordinarily, one would think sellers of back-to-school items should pace around their stalls and shops, particularly those who sell in the open traditional market, focusing on the road as if they are expecting an important visitor. The reason is that sales, which usually pick up at this time yearly, have been cut below half, since the outbreak of Ebola in the country.

    For Rita Eze, who sells school bags and shoes, told The Nation Shopping that she had found a way of tackling the problem before the reversal of resumption date. “If I wanted to buy 200 pieces of items to resell after the summer break, I had to reduce it to 100 items  because I assumed that five customers, out of 10, would still hold on to be sure of when schools would re-open before shopping,” Eze explained. This is unlike some others who started buying school supplies the first week of the holiday. The back-to-school season is the second largest sales period for retailers and it offers a spate of new designs and a firm reason for parents to head for stores with their wards.

    Due to the large number of children returning to schools after a two-month holiday, some retailers claimed this is the peak sales period for them and that if resumption date wasn’t recalled, it would have been disastrous.

    In a chat with The Nation Shopping, Omolara Akanni, a trader in Katangua, said the school resumption has boosted her sales more and she smiles home regularly, making good returns from hawking pencils, ‘biros’, erasers and other school items in the market.

    However, in a world where many children are struggling with academic overloads and growing demands on their time, parents are expected to provide them with the materials to ease their learning.

    Parents are making the best use of this last week to shop for their children’s needs. This is the period parents’ flood shops dealing in school items to buy their children’s needs for the new session.

    Adaeze advises that for prudent management of available funds, parents should have a list of everything that their wards need and work through it. Sharing these needs into two sections, she explained, is a wise decision. “One part for those items to be purchased once in a session and the second part should be for items that will be replenished during the school year. The list will ensure that one does not overshoot one’s budget. It is also proper for school supplies to be bought before resumption and with the child’s consent. And like everything else, school items have fashion trend and children are often disappointed when latest designs are sold out before their parents get to the market or when their sizes are not found,” she admonished.