The Sunday News
Shepias Dube Business Reporter
LOCAL wholesale and retail giant N.Richards has extended its wings to the border town of Beitbridge bringing the number of the group’s branches in the country to 25.
In an interview on Friday N.Richards group director Mr Archie Dongo said his company was committed to bringing quality products closer to consumers.
“As a company our role in the economy is to provide convenience by bringing a diverse assortment of goods closer to the customer and we saw an opportunity to provide this service, particularly our local product assortment to Beitbridge and the entire Matabeleland South province,” said Mr Dongo.
He said the opening of a wholesale that promotes Zimbabwean products would be a good test case to see if local products can compete at the door step of the imports.
“Beitbridge is the gateway for most of the foreign basic commodities entering the country, we have taken the step of providing the space for local producers to offer their products to a community which is assumed to be getting most of their supplies from across the border. With the support of the manufacturers, it will be a good test case to see if local products can compete at the doorstep of the imports,” said the company executive.
He appealed to local suppliers to support the new branch to ensure that local products are accepted in the community closest to the main source of basic commodity imports.
Mr Dongo said 14 of the 18 employees at the new branch were locals who were recruited with the help of local councillors.
This, said the company executive, was the best way of thanking the people of Beitbridge for their warm welcome.
Meanwhile, Mr Dongo said the only way wholesalers and retail shops could significantly contribute to the economy was through stocking products produced in Zimbabwe.
“We believe that importing products that can be profitably produced in Zimbabwe is not sustainable in the long run.
Our contribution to the economy is therefore in growing the market for locally made products which should result in increased capacity utilisation by our manufacturers and possibly increase employment numbers in response to the increased demand,” said Mr Dongo.
The director said more than 80 percent of products in the group’s were manufactured in Zimbabwe and was aiming to reach 100 percent depending on increase in supplies.
“We at times face challenges in securing local supplies as suppliers are facing numerous challenges resulting from the economic situation. However, we stand prepared to work with our local suppliers to get around any challenges that we can influence,” he said.
N.Richards is the reigning Buy Zimbabwe 2014 wholesale/Retail of the year.
Buy Zimbabwe general manager Mr Munyaradzi Hwengwere applauded N.Richards for taking lead in the promotion of locally produced products and called upon relevant stakeholders to work together for the elevation of Zimbabwe produced products.
“To encourage production and consumption of local products, we need to work together as a nation, the business sector must produce products that meet the needs of the customer and make them readily available where they are needed at the right price,” said Mr Hwengwere.
