Boon for retailers as TBL launches development programme

Dar es Salaam. New horizons beckon for retailers who have taken advantage of a training opportunity that is set to boost their businesses.

The initiative, known as the Retailer Development Programme (RDP), is the brainchild of Tanzania Breweries Limited (TBL).

Going with the slogan GRIT (Growing Innovatively Together), the programme looks to help retailers grow their businesses and learn new skills. It also aims to foster growth, education, and inclusion by training retailers on a number of topics, which include financial management, stock management, marketing and sales, and responsible business retailing.

The tailored business training is facilitated by experts, and the retailers selected for the pilot phase of this initiative go through a detailed 5-module skills curriculum including facilitator guides and participant handbooks tailored to their identified needs and focused on driving behaviour change.

TBL sustainability projects manager, Siya Mbuya, said that the RDB aims to improve retailers’ business management and performance. “The programme was established five years ago, but it ceased for some time as we gathered feedback on what needs to improve. We have managed to address the gaps; that’s why we have revived the programme,” she shared, adding, “We train retailers to be innovative and creative in running their businesses.”

Bertold Marandu, a retailer who owns a club in Dar es Salaam, shared some of the key takeaways from the training. “We have been taught how to run a business, including key issues such as record-keeping,” he said.

A businesswoman, Catherine Gumbo, said that there are things that they [retailers] used to do as a matter of ‘business as usual’, such as giving out unplanned offers, without knowing that they were negatively impacting their business. “Within these two days of training, we have learned a lot of things that will help us transform our businesses,” she said.

TBL’s corporate affairs manager, Catherine Mabula, said that the programme has selected 100 retailers to begin within the pilot phase. “Selection was based on retailers who are active on our application, Bees. Bees is an online platform where retailers can order goods. So, we encourage all retailers who are not on Bees to register so that they can participate in the next programme.

TBL has over 26,000 retailers across Tanzania. The retailer development programme, which will be carried out in phases, ensures that these entrepreneurs learn new tricks of the trade and are able to stay in touch with the changing business landscape, which continues to be disrupted by digital transformation. As such, the integration of digital technology is one of the key tools that retailers will learn.

The first phase of the two-day programme saw 50 retailers receive training on critical skills. The remaining batch will also go through the same training process, after which they will be awarded certificates.