Seasonality as an element of contextual planning for emerging consumer markets
Growing up as a Hindu expat in multicultural ‘West Malaysia’ of the 1970s and 80s, it was a matter of course that every festival would be a big occasion. We had Christmas in December, and Chinese New Year soon after, to be followed by Hari Raya (Eid) and Deepawali – each of them deserving of […]
Research Question: Why is the informal retail sector so persistent and resilient?
Retailing in India is currently estimated to be a USD 200 billion industry, of which organised retailing makes up 3% or USD 6.4 billion. By 2010, organized retail is projected to reach USD 23 billion and in terms of market share it is expected to rise by 20 to 25%. (Sinha et all, 2007) These […]
Platforms that aggregate small businesses can integrate the informal with the formal economy
Continuing my thoughts on Nilekani’s vision introduced in the previous post, I want to use this post to focus on the key element of what captured my imagination from his article “The New Road to Nirvana“: So manufacturing is squeezed on one side by Chinese overcapacity and on the other side by extreme automation. So […]
Rwanda launches cashless public transport payments – Will they succeed where Google failed in Kenya?
Public transport is going cashless in Kigali, Rwanda, with smart card payments and mobile money schemes being launched simultaneously with much fanfare. Can Kigali succeed where regional giant Kenya failed a couple of years ago? Nairobi’s attempt to impose cashless payment technologies in public transport (particularly the matatus, ubiquitous white mini buses that ply the […]
Breaking the caste barrier: Aspirations, upward mobility and the brass ring
We don’t talk about this much. India’s caste system is an intangible barrier to upward mobility. We assume the ‘untouchables’ are a one lumpen mass of poor. Is the post liberalization economic growth finally offering opportunities for change? “Post-liberalization, the country witnessed a transition from the caste-based occupations and services to modern businesses. Looking at […]
Portrait robot du nouveau consommateur africain
L’avènement de la croissance soutenue en Afrique au cours de cette dernière décennie (en moyenne plus de 5%), notamment malgré la crise financière internationale qui sévit depuis 2008, a créé une classe moyenne. Le profil de ce groupe d’individus varie selon les définitions des uns et des autres. Mais on peut retenir que ce sont […]
Les taxi-motos, potentiels livreurs en Afrique de l’Ouest
Une récente étude sur le e-commerce en Afrique à laquelle j’ai participé montre qu’en Afrique de l’Est, les taxi-motos servent de relais aux sociétés de livraison de la place. Ces sociétés, qui disposent pour la plupart de leurs propres flotte de véhicules et motos, utilisent les taxi-motos afin de réduire les frais opérationnels et aussi […]
Retail ranking metrics vs Readiness for formal retail #AfricanConsumerMarket
Continuing the thoughts expressed by Yacine in the previous post, I’d like to explore these rankings and their value. We’ll use the example of Tanzania, ranked 5th by AT Kearney in their 2015 African Retail Attractiveness Index (ARDI). The ARDI states: Tanzania is starting from a low base: With only 30 percent urbanization, high poverty […]
Uncertainty and The Prepaid Economy: Time and Money
Uncertainty characterizes the entire global Prepaid Economy and is the underlying driver for decision making. Systems are unreliable Inadequate infrastructure, variability in basic services (will we have electricity this morning?), obsolete or incomplete systems; all of these, and more, are part and parcel of life in the emerging regions of the world. Will we wake […]
Book Review: Adventures in Stationery by James Ward
I read this book in one sitting yesterday. Now I’m here writing on it. Any adult who’s furtively indulged in scented erasers, colourful gel pens or handmade paper, to be shoved secretly down the lowermost drawer in the desk will love this book. Pens and pencils, paperclips and pushpins. James Ward lovingly describes them all, […]
