Since the Lagos State
government pronounced the ban on street trading in Lagos and made its intention
to commence its enforcement on July 1, this year known, residents of the
state have been ruminating on the likely effects such policy would have
on individuals and businesses within the metropolis, considered by many as
the commercial nerve-centre of the nation.
Besides the negative impact
such policy is expected to have on those individuals, directly involved in the
trade, market checks revealed that the policy, when eventually enforced, might
affect the visibility and bottom-lines of some notable brands, that thrive best
in this ‘peculiar’ market environment; a development that has been giving both
manufacturers and consumers of such brands some sleepless nights since the
policy pronouncement.
Such brands that have made
their names and fortunes, meeting the needs of residents of the city, are being
left with no other option than to re-strategise, to avert mitigate that the
impact of such ban on their offerings.
For instance, one of such
brands remains Gala Sausage Rolls. Besides providing a ready meal for Lagosians,
trapped on the notorious Lagos traffic, not a few have attributed
whatever equity the brand must have garnered over the years, to its constant
interface with the street.
‘This is not a product that is
meant for the inner closet of a shop. It is meant to provide that ready meal
for that hungry, impatient individual on the road. Gala and the residents of
the city would miss each other, if the ban is eventually implemented,’ argued
Ogunsakin, a consumer.
Perhaps other big brands in the
nation’s soft drinks market that will be missed on the Lagos roads are Coca
Cola, Pepsi Cola and the Big Cola, all in pet bottles.
While
residents would miss Coca Cola and Pepsi, two soft drinks products that have
gained the confidence of their consumers, through quality offerings over the
decades, they would also miss the Big Cola, a relatively new soft drink, that
brought the innovation of making consumers enjoy more value for the same old
price.
Interestingly,
the Orijin drink, both alcohol and non-alcoholic, from the stables of Guinness
Nigeria plc would also be sorely missed, especially by Lagosians, who are
beginning to familiarise themselves with the spectacle of seeing such
drinks, from a top brand, hawked in traffic.
The La
Casera is also another soft drink that may recline in the memories of Nigerians
if the ban on street trading in Lagos is enforced.
The
drink, which prides itself as that which brought the ‘pet bottle innovation’
into that market segment, actually made huge fortunes on the street because of
this simple innovation that brought convenience and ease of disposal for
consumers in this segment. Not a few believe that whatever fortunes and equity
the brand must have made over the years may be reversed by this present law.
The Eva
Water from the stable of UAC Foods remains another premium brand that may have
its market share and growth stunted if the ban stays. Though a little bit
elitist, the decision of the table water to play on the streets has, no doubt,
enhanced its bottom-line and deepen its market visibility; since many still
prefer the drink to any other in that market segment.
Though
while it has the shops and other markets to fall back on, many definitely see
going off the streets as a big minus for this brand, especially at this time
.....Tribune
No comments:
Post a Comment