Design retail around people, not products, brand custodians charged

The Chief Operating Officer of Leo Burnett Lagos, Mr. Lekan Lawal has charged brand builders and communicators to discontinue the strategy of building retail across products, but people.

The Leo Burnett Lagos boss stated this at  the recently concluded 2019 Global Africa Forum on Communications (GAFCOMM), held in Kigali the Rwanda capital.

Contributing at the panel session, titled “The Future of Retail in Africa”,  Lawal argued that retail should be designed around people, not products, as it is being presently done, adding that such design should be  done in the context of multichannel shopping.

“We must deliver a relevant message that meets our shoppers’ needs at every channel along her path to purchase,” he added.

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According to him, the continent has become one of the fastest-growing consumer markets in the world, with household consumption increasing even faster than its gross domestic product (GDP) in recent years.

He argued that the vast majority of consumer spending on the continent still currently takes place in informal, roadside markets; while describing  the modern-day consumer as holding the most power, with better connection and better information.

Lawal therefore expressed the  need for  brands to connect with such consumers in a manner that is resonant and relevant, in order to build stronger relationships, in their quest to push the growth agenda.

“This African consumer is driven by hope and fear; hence we must understand them to a granular level. The more confident they are, the more they spend. The less confident, the more they go into saving mode. Deeper understanding of the African consumer, both as a consumer and as a shopper, therefore is crucial to winning in retail,” he recommended.