Gain Cash & Carry invests US$500 000, eyes expansion

CLOUDINE MATOLA

Gain Cash & Carry, one of Zimbabwe’s leading wholesale businesses, invested US$500 000 into its Christmas promotion and is considering increasing the outlay this year as it seeks to sustain growth, Business Times can report.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Christmas promotion grand draw on Tuesday, Gain Cash & Carry head of marketing Carl Kusada said the company intends to continue investing in promotions, with a long-term goal of ensuring that each branch awards its own prize.
“This promotion is half a million dollars that we put in. And this year we expect to do the same or also increase that investment so that we have more winners. Our goal is that more customers win. First edition we had only one winner, second there were six winners, now we are talking of 27. So we want to keep that number going. We want to reach a point where each branch will have its own prize. So that means more winners every time we run a promotion,” Kusada said.
He added that the promotions have played a significant role in driving business growth, with the wholesale group now operating more than 90 branches nationwide and planning further expansion.
“I think every time we run a promotion, the key thing is from a Gain perspective, we are trying to grow our volumes. But at the same time, growing our volumes means we are reaching more customers. We have over 90 branches so far,” Kusada said.
“So what it means is the promotion is a success, there is growth in customer count, there is growth in sales, and it also means there is the ability to also extend more branches. For example, there is a new branch coming in Karoi, we have a new branch in Mutare, and that growth keeps growing. We were initially 30 branches only, but now we are over 90 and these are the results. Where the customers come to us and we give them back, bringing convenience, accessibility. In Binga we are there, in Neshura we are there,” he said.
Kusada revealed that the latest Christmas promotion attracted 2.6 million entries and produced 27 walk-away winners, with prizes that included vehicles.
“What has changed is the investment. Like I said, in the first edition we only had a T-35, solar kit, three winners throughout the country,” he said.
“Now we are saying 27 winners spread across the country. So it’s coming closer. We want to make it closer and closer to the people as much as possible. As opposed to just one winner throughout the country. You should notice the names of the winners so far. There is Gokwe, Gwanda, Kadoma, Chinhoyi, Hwange. That is what we want. It needs to be spread throughout. And the first one, I think we had about 40 000 entries, now we are sitting at 2.6 million entries.”