Mmegi

Inside Choppies’ strategy to lift consumer confidence

Seeking win wins: Ottapathu PIC.KENNEDY RAMOKONE
Seeking win wins: Ottapathu PIC.KENNEDY RAMOKONE

An index tracking average food prices shows the horrors consumers are facing. The country’s largest grocer with 113 stores, says Batswana are moving to bulk purchases, delaying non-essentials and ditching luxuries. CEO, Ramachandran Ottapathu, says Choppies is ready to help the consumers who built it. He spoke to MBONGENI MGUNI & SHARON MATHALA

The numbers gathered, analysed and produced monthly by Statistics Botswana don’t tell the full story.

For instance, the data agency’s figures say annual food inflation as at August was five percent, from 4.3% in July. The index assigns weights on various categories of food and measures the average movements in prices through the year.

Editor's Comment
Don't let FMD outbreak drag on

Acting Agriculture Minister, Edwin Dikoloti, is right in saying opening an export-ready facility whilst Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is still spreading would risk getting the whole country blacklisted before a single carcass leaves the door.A ban like that would break the already stressed nation. So, the postponement, painful as it is, is the right thing to do. The local economy is being squeezed from both ends. FMD has already slammed the door...

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