Our fair will afford Nigerians opportunity to shop and have fun – Jide Fowode of Creative Boutique

MARCH 24, 2012 BY ADEMOLA OLONILUA

Jide Fowode, who is Head Consultant with Creative Boutique, Lagos tells ADEMOLA OLONILUA how the public can benefit from his new initiative, a neighborhood discount market

Tell us about the neighbourhood discount market.

The whole idea is about bringing shopping closer to people at cheaper prices and to present it as an experience. Shopping is more than just going to buy things. We want people to shop and have fun at the same time. For this reason, we are going to provide entertainment as they shop. Children can play on the swings and there will be a place where teenagers can play games. It will be an enabling environment for the family. The whole idea is to do things like this during festive seasons and thus provide an opportunity for Nigerians to shop on such occasions. The shopping continues even after the festive season. There will be raffle draws and guests are expected to win coupons with which they can buy goods in showrooms at a discount.

How is it going to be different from other trade fair events in Lagos?

The difference is that products are going to be sold at very cheap rates to visitors that will attend the fair.

If the fair aims at providing cheap goods to the masses, what is in it for you?

We are a creative event management agency. We are looking at building a brand for ourselves that would stand the test of time and at the same time add value to the environment.

How do you assess the business terrain?

It has been very challenging. We know how it used to be and we know how it is now. One thing we are trying to do as a company is to think outside the box and create more valuable ideas that can generate profit for the company.

What should Nigerians expect at the fair?

There will be lots of fun. The fair will run for six days, starting from April 4 to April 9. We want people to have the opportunity to shop from Wednesday to Friday, which is Good Friday, and at the same time, eat and have fun. We want to make sure that we hold the fair during festive periods. And this includes major religious festivals, such as Christmas, Easter, Eid el-Kabir, and Eid el-Maulud, as well as during public holidays.

Are you targeting Lagos alone?

No. My ultimate aim is to spread this initiative across Nigeria. In every sector, you want to stage an activity and brand owners want to see how successful it is done the first time. If we could stage this with little funding, imagine what we could do if we had the desired funds. Brand owners want to see the output, logistical efficiency, and how you manage the activities. With a project like this, there are risks involved. Security is key, health and safety is paramount. Most of these things are what brand owners want to see. Definitely, there must be a post event report where you would be able to identify the past event and monitor how you mastered the mechanics. It will form the basis of what you are presenting to brands for the next edition.

Many people see trade fairs as scam. What do you say to this?

What we discussed with brands is that if they want to bring their products, they have to cut the prices. They must not sell at retail prices. That’s the idea. If I am buying anything at N10 on the street, I should be able to pick the same product at the fair for N8.

How did you come up with the idea?

We were planning a big trade fair in Abeokuta during the last Yuletide. We had already found a venue, but when we were putting everything together; the fuel subsidy issue came up and interrupted our plans. We looked at the logistics and everything that would be involved and saw it could not work. So we decided to stop the plan. What came to my mind immediately was not to accept defeat. At least out of every negative thing some positive ideas could come up. The thing that came to my mind was the neighbourhood where I live. I have been staying there for about 15 years. I thought of what to do to a place I have lived for such a long time. I noticed that if everyone wanted to do some shopping they would go as far as Lagos Island. That was before the Ikeja City Mall was built. It occurred to me that if I had a large space around my vicinity, I could create an enabling environment where people could shop. That was how the idea came up. After my colleagues and I thought deeply of the idea and in the end, we noticed that it was feasible.