Need to sanitise boosts firm’s sales

Enacy Mapakame

As the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged through economies and businesses, it also created opportunities for certain businesses, products and services.

For Omnichem Private Limited, a chemical and detergent manufacturing firm, the outbreak of the pandemic saw some of its products increase in sales volume as the world adhered to certain hygiene standards.

Following the outbreak of the pandemic, demand for cleaning detergents, personal hygiene products and sprays for disinfecting buildings and vehicles increased which resulted in a shortages of certain products.

At Omnichem, trading as Swish, products such as hand sanitizers recorded an increase in demand across the country.

“We have been manufacturing and selling our alcohol based hand sanitizer and with the current need to sanitize hands it has had some significant increase in sales together with other disinfectants that have been used in other businesses to disinfect premises and vehicles. “We have been having high sales in our Germex liquid which is used to spray and disinfect buildings and vehicles and also our white disinfectant which is used for foot baths as well as liquid bleach which has been selling quiet good,” said head of marketing, Valentine Ndoro, responding to questions from The Sunday Mail Business.

However, it has not been all rosy as some products were badly affected by the Covid induced lockdowns, implemented effective March 30, 2020. The market shifted from brand loyalty to basics and value brands

Said Mr Ndoro: “Other product lines which were not very essential in curbing the pandemic have had a reduction in sales as customers were not able to buy as before.”

Apart from increasing sales of certain product lines, the pandemic helped many companies to be innovative and accelerate digitalisation in order to meet customer needs and wants and remain relevant.

For Omnichem, which was established in 1980 and wholly Zimbabwean owned with a branch network that spans across the country, its support for local content has paid dividends and helped create better links locally through procurement of local raw materials and supplying finished products for retail, household and industrial use. The firm supplies several local leading companies in different segments which include hotels, industrial, trucking and bus companies, clinics and hospitals, schools, retail and wholesale automotive.

Currently Omnichem services the domestic market manufacturing industrial products, hand cleaners, floorclean, general purpose detergent and washing powder, automotive products, engine cleaner, coolant, battery water and battery acid with hopes of expanding beyond borders.

Household products include dishwashing liquid, Scourex, window cleaner, carpet shampoo, cloudy ammonia and Dix (multi-purpose cleaner) and that also includes disinfectants such as Germex Liquid (disinfectant) and sanitizer. Like any business,Omnichem face challenges such as reduced consumer spending and competition from imports as well as unregistered fly by night producers whose prices are cheaper. But the chemical manufacturing firm has stood the test of time. 

Mr Ndoro indicated that efficiency, consistency, maintaining quality standards, promotions as well as keeping a good rapport with the market has helped build strong brand loyalty and shake off unfair competition.

“In recent years we have had a lot of new products coming in. We have competition from backyard companies and generally some households have resolved to manufacture their own detergents.

“The current pandemic has also affected business as most customers have reduced their buying patterns. There has also been rise in new unapproved/tested sanitizers.

“As Omnichem we have provided quality products which helps us counter competition and satisfy our customers. 

“We have also been active through digital marketing on our social media pages during the pandemic as well as offer after sales support, which helps create and maintain relationships whilst in the process building brand loyalty,” said Mr Ndoro.

Going forward, management at Omnichem is hopeful of further growing its footprint with new product lines and improving the current products as well as increase deports to other small towns and cities across Zimbabwe.

Currently, the Harare headquartered firm has distribution depots in Bulawayo, Gweru, Kwekwe, Mutare , Masvingo and Rusape.