The chain of stores has made the promotion of made in Cameroon an important axis of its commercial strategy for a contribution of 40% to its revenues.
Made in Cameroon products are well-known in Carrefour Market stores throughout the country. CFAO Consumer has decided to include in its commercial strategy the promotion of products but also local players. Departments entirely dedicated to made in Cameroon can be seen in all Carrefour supermarkets. They are supplied by a network of local suppliers estimated at more than 400 nationally.
In Douala Grand Mall for example, more than 70% of products are purchased from local suppliers who occupy a 30% share in this commercial brand. Whether it is food, agri-food, cosmetics or textiles. In the food industry, jams, local flours, fruits, vegetables, spices, fish and meat are purchased from local entrepreneurs. “ This desire to promote made in Cameroon is simple. When Carrefour arrives in a country, what it has to do is look at the needs of consumers. And a Cameroonian consumes Cameroonian products first. And like in all countries in the world, they also want Carrefour products. Distributors and also international brands who are present. Then we have a long-term strategy. We are not here for a few years. We’re here for the long haul. To develop in a country, in this case Cameroon, you need a single strategy. It’s about working with local producers », explains Philippe MARCILLON, Managing Director of CFAO Consumer in Cameroon.
Supporting players in the local economy is not just limited to displaying their products. They also benefit from certain privileges, notably in access to commercial spaces. The promoter of the Douala Grand Mall, during an event in his shopping center two years ago, emphasized that Made in Cameroon was taken into account from the design of the development plan for this infrastructure. “ Traditionally in shopping centers, a lot of effort is left to the occupant to arrange their space before starting their marketing activity by giving them a black box. We anticipated, because this could be a hindrance for local traders. We have therefore equipped 70% of our premises with white boxes which are ready to be used. The distributor who comes to set up in this space does not have to pay a cent apart from putting up his brand. The aim is to allow local distributors to avoid this financial barrier called capex. », declared Mathurin Kamdem.
Basically, this promotion of made in Cameroon contributes up to 40% of CFAO consumer Cameroun’s revenues in Carrefour Market stores, according to its managers.
