NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 10 – As mobile revolution continues to take root in Kenya, private firms are increasingly adopting the money transfer service to retain a competitive edge in the market.
Basco Paints is the latest firm to join the trend where its customers can pay for their products through Safaricom’s M-PESA and have them delivered, which Managing Director Kamlesh Shah said is a move designed to make paint-buying a convenient exercise.
“It is a concept of trying to make painting as hussle-free as possible. So we thought why don’t we introduce an M-PESA service where people phone-in, make their order, pay for their products through the phone and we make arrangements to deliver them in two to three days,” he told Capital Business.
Given the logistical challenges posed by traffic jams in Nairobi, the MD however clarified that they would only be delivering the products to those clients who order products worth Sh5,000 or more.
The service will initially be available to customers in Nairobi but there are plans to extend it to other parts of the country through their depots in Meru, Mombasa and Kisumu which Mr Shah hoped would led to increased sales volumes.
Currently, Basco Paints produces about one million litres of paint per month, a figure that is expected to rise as the building and construction industry continues to record robust growth.
Operating in a crowded market, the company has had to aggressively market its brands to enable it maintain and grow its market share.
One of its most popular promotions has been the use of the humorous \’paint expert\’ Mr Marangi which the firm has used to not only increase the visibility of its Duracoat brand but also educate Kenyans on the right way to use paint.
“For the last 12 years or so, we have been actively marketing our Duracoat range and today I’m happy to say that we are selling more of Duracoat than we are of the economy range,” he added of their premier product.
