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| Sunday, 11 May 2003 |
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Business |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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'A new way to shop' in Bangladesh Bangladesh has become a late entrant to the 'supermarket era' with help from professionals from Sri Lanka, a comparative supermarketing veteran in the region. Agora - 'a new way to shop', Bangladesh's first definitive supermarket chain, which opened its second outlet in Dhaka recently, is an example of multi-disciplinary Sri Lankan expertise as an export, the project's lead consultant said. Agora's operating company, Rahimafrooz Superstores Ltd, (issued capital of Taka 38 million or Rs. 60 million investment) has met all cost targets and achieved targeted gross profits in its first year of operation, and plans to set up more outlets in Dhaka, the company said. The project owes its initial success entirely to Lankan professionals. They were responsible for pre-feasibility studies, the financial model, marketing consultancy, operational planning, air-conditioning design, and supporting the supply and installation of equipment, software development, and the recruitment and training of personnel including the placement of a Sri Lankan Operations Manager for the chain. This 'package' of expertise and the product concept for Agora was put together by Visvaka Consultants (Pvt) Ltd. and Sensei Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. Visvaka is a new business consultancy set up by Chula de Silva, who conceptualised the Keells Super chain in the '90s during his tenure as Managing Director of Jaykay Marketing Services, a subsidiary of the John Keells Holdings Group. He is one of only two Lankan Fellows of the Institute of Food Science and Technology, UK, and the only one in the country's private sector. Visvaka offers entrepreneurs in the food industry expertise in manufacturing processes with the ability to source experienced consultants from the United Kingdom and the USA, as well as expertise in factory audits and food retailing. The company also markets food ingredients. The Agora project underlines the potential for harnessing Sri Lankan enterprise expertise and human skills for many start-up projects in the region, de Silva said. "In the business of supermarkets for example, Sri Lanka is about two decades ahead of countries in South Asia," he explained. Sperrys Commercial Equipment, the supplier of 'Arneg' supermarket equipment, Flexiv Microsystems, the supermarket software provider, and O.T. David and Company, a producer of financial forecasts were associated with the project. |
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