Foodstuff can be a supermarket affair even in Nigeria

Peter Odili Road is a new driveway in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State, linking the oldest GRA in the Garden City through the glittering NLNG Jetty zone to the newly developed areas heading to the zoo and veering off to Refinery area via Akpajo. Along this beautiful driveway, at number 269, an imposing building looking like a cinema complex would emerge. Many wondered what it was going to be, until early in October when it was unveiled to a modern shopping complex. Inside, as the chilly air bathes the shopper’s face, behold, a shelf beckons with apples, green peppers, groceries, yams, eggs, and other items that housewives and chefs love a lot. Beyond, other household items begin to take positions to usher the shopper to a new experience in buying more and paying less. Outside on the grounds, various packaged food companies took positions to display their best tastes as they serve free measures to guests, free. Local manufacturers of diaries and drinks including Indomie and Nimee noodles, Peak Milk, Loya, Chivita, Grand drinks, Golden Morn, Pepsi and Infinity Breakfast lined up to entertain guests.

BB Market Place says it is out to move our food markets to food-marts, to cosy and decent malls with air-conditioned halls and organised rows with controlled temperatures that would preserve food items for long and still get highest quality. The newly opened chain is owned by BB MarketPlace, said to be a product of over three years planning and thinking, according to the managing director, Ebele Enunwa, who spoke at Foodstuff can be a supermarket affair even in Nigeria – CEO says their slogan is a call to action the unveiling event at its imposing complex situated on the free driving express, at 269 Peter Odili Road, southeastern Port Harcourt. The CEO, Ebele Enunwa, an accountant by profession, explained that the objective is to create a modern retail environment for Nigerians in Nigeria in a clean, friendly, convenient and accessible environment as opposed to unhygienic public markets. To him, it is about moving the normal market square to high-brow shoppers instead of condemning Nigerians to muddy markets for foodstuff and other household items. This could be why he is not bothered by the fierce challenge from foreign retail chains especially in the oil region. He said there is opportunity for everyone, foreign or local. “Yes, foreign retail business tycoons have large funds, we too can compete. This is the time for Nigrians to look inward, buy Nigerian goods to build the naira and create jobs. A local entrepreneur is better suited to know what Nigeria wants”. He said there were likely challenges as foreign exchange continues to pose difficulties, saying MarketSquare would offer fair prices with quality items, but will leave it to the customers to decide where to go. He said the slogan, buy more, pay less, was only a wake-up call to give Nigerians quality items at fair prices and in decent place. A Catholic priest, Precious Ezeh, prayed to open the place. An early shopper and retired public servant who took time to inspect the entire hall advised that fire escapes be created in case of emergency instead of the total enclosure for a huge facility. Temperature control may have been uppermost in the minds of the designers.