Bonsa Spar buoyant

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YEAR-on-year sales at Bonsa Spar supermarket have been steady for the past three years despite the tough economic conditions besetting businesses in Bulawayo where more than 100 companies have closed shop, an official has said.

YEAR-on-year sales at Bonsa Spar supermarket have been steady for the past three years despite the tough economic conditions besetting businesses in Bulawayo where more than 100 companies have closed shop, an official has said.

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Bonsa Spar financial director, Kalpesh Parshotam told Southern Eye Business in an interview that the year-on-year sales at the supermarket were a positive reflection on their business and brand.

“Year-on-year sales have been consistent for the past three years. We feel this is a positive reflection on our business and brand, as the industry at large has been challenged with the liquidity crunch,” Parshotam said.

He added that despite the tough economic conditions, they had ensured that they offered their customers a wide range of products to meet their demands.

“We have noticed the liquidity challenges faced in the market, particularly from our suppliers and bankers in the form of longer-term financing — we believe that these are the same conditions that they have received from their suppliers and have been forced to pass this onto our business,” he added.

Parshotam said Zimbabwe was still viewed as a high risk investment destination and therefore the cost of funds and effectiveness in doing business was relatively more expensive than in other regional countries.

He said Bulawayo had the challenge that the manufacturing and industrial sectors had diminished over the years and while there are still the same amount of families to feed, there was less cashflow being generated.

“We are quickly becoming a city of traders and we risk being overtraded in certain sectors. (But) we will continue to focus on our service strategy by ensuring that we remain the ‘service champion’ in our line of business,” he added.

Bonsa is a family-run supermarket business, set up by young individuals bringing their unique skills together to create an attractive shopping experience for local consumers in Bulawayo and welcoming national and international passers-by.

Currently, the supermarket has more than 40 stores countrywide and has been running for the last 40 years.