CITYDIA GHANA

Growing for Ghana

Empowering communities through responsible retail

For centuries open markets and street vending have been the mainstay of Ghanaian retail. Even today, street-based purchasing and over-the-counter shops account for around 95 percent of the sector, the remaining five percent categorised by what is known as organised, or formal retail.

However, the industry as a whole is a fast growing one, and the formal segment represents a huge opportunity to drive progress, an opportunity not lost on João Rente Correia, General Manager of CityDia Supermarkets (Ghana).

“There is room for expansion, as an ever-growing middle class and a large young urban population are driving forces for the growth of organised retail,” he explains.

“A more informed and critical customer, the demand for a continuous and sustained offer, quality assurance along the supply chain of the purchased products and a comfortable and accessible shopping experience will be the differentiators and catalysts for the development of formal retail in Ghana.”

CityDia, the result of a partnership between the Economic Distribution Company Ghana (ECODI) and international food retailer Dia Group, has been a leading force in this transition since it began operating in the country in 2016.

“The informal market does still play a very predominant role on the African continent and particularly in Ghana,”

Correia adds, “but, consistently, we are witnessing a transition from consumers looking for different options to make their purchases.

“The challenge is for retailers to make the same affordable offer in a comfortable and modern environment without losing the cultural identity of the open market, so present and cherished in Ghanaian consumer habits.