Giant wholesaler opens doors in Rusape

Business Reporter
GIANT wholesaler Metro Peech and Browne recently opened its doors in Rusape in a move that has availed services which different retailers can use to strengthen their operations. This is the company’s 13th branch nationally and fourth in Manicaland. Other Manicaland branches are in Mutare and Chipinge. Until its arrival, Rusape had no viable and credible distributing agent between the origin of a good or service and its ultimate distribution to an end user through retail trade channels.
The one-stop wholesaler has five sub-divisions — namely grocery, liquor, hardware, frozen foods and electrical.

Its catchment area has spread out of Makoni to Nyanga, Buhera, Mutasa districts and parts of Macheke and Mutoko which border Makoni.
On the suppliers’ side, Metro Peech’s arrival means that suppliers can have their products purchased and made available for sale across a wide number of retail outlets.

More importantly, for innovative companies offering new products, convincing the wholesaler to stock a new product makes it easier to gain traction in the market as the wholesaler can yield power with the smaller retailers convincing them to stock the new product.

Considering a wholesaler can serve hundreds of small retail customers, the marketing efforts required to persuade the wholesaler to adopt a new product may be far more efficient compared to efforts needed to convince individual store owners to stock the new product.

The wholesaler has a staff complement of 49.
The Rusape branch manager, Mr Patrick Chuunga, said business was growing.

“We sell only in bulk because we want to promote small retailers that constitute the bulk of our clients.
‘‘We provide smaller retailers access to products they cannot acquire without wholesaler help.

‘‘This offers a benefit for suppliers as well since it opens additional market opportunities.
‘‘Generally, we pass these savings on to the customer, to help them to counter the price appeals offered by large retailers who buy directly from the manufacturer in large quantities and thereby get price concessions,” said Mr Chuunga.

Metro Peech rewards its customers by converting each dollar that they spent into points which will be redeemed when they reach a certain mark.
The redemption prizes range from $30 to a brand new Toyota Corolla.

As part of empowering its clients, recently, more than 20 customers walked away with various prizes at the end of the Metro Peech Super Trade Summer Promotion, whose prizes included a Toyota two-tonne truck, generators, microwaves, stoves, refrigerators, vouchers and groceries.

The wholesaler has an Easter promotion which runs from March 9 to June 26.
Mr Chuunga said proven customers can purchase goods on credit.

“Our system records how each client purchases and the decision to select who qualifies for what depends on those statistics. We also consider food groups, schools and hospitals,” said Mr Chuunga.