Despite proliferation of plazas, businesses in Kano thrive online
Despite the proliferation of shopping plazas within and across metropolitan Kano State, businesses are migrating to and thriving online, reports.
It is no news that the digital era has come with dynamic changes, aiding business activities in the 21st Century. Daily Trust Saturday observed that the faces of almost all major streets in Kano are changing for the better as new plazas are being erected and old ones being demolished to pave way for the construction of new ones or are undergoing rehabilitation.
Someone who has been out of Kano for at least a year may get lost on major and popular streets like Zoo Road, Zaria Road, Maiduguri Road, Tarauni and BUK Road because of the changes.
This is aside from commercial areas which are practically populated with plazas identified as “gidaje” - meaning houses. The plazas house no fewer than 100 shops each.
It was gathered that an average plaza under construction in Kano is being booked by people even before it is ready because of the high demand.
However, a look at some of the popular plazas showed that on average, business owners rent a shop just for the purpose of keeping a business address and identity but not for day to day use. The businesses or businessmen and women can only be seen once in a while coming to their shops when they have meetings or the likes, while some of them employ secretaries to keep the places alive.
It was further gathered that while some shops are kept alive with customers coming in and out, others serve as stores.
Along the Eastern and Western Bypass alone, there are no less than 50 new plazas built in the last one to two years. Zoo Road alone has an average of 50 plazas, all occupied, and new ones are coming up.
The question is, how is business being done in these places?
Speaking on the trend, Abubakar Shuaibu who sells caps, textile, shoes and perfumes, said his shop served as just a store while 80 per cent of his customers were online.
He said, “As you can see, this place is just a shop and at the same time a store because we hardly see a customer in a day.
“Secondly, the location of the shop alone is not favourable for customers coming. The plaza is somehow confusing.
“What we do is that people trust businesses that have a physical address, so that is why we have a shop, but we take advantage of online platforms to showcase our wares. From there people make
orders, pay and we deliver or they come to get whatever they buy.
“As I said earlier, we hardly see customers come to the shop except those that are familiar with us and are near the address, but 80 per cent of the customers we have never met. They are online.”
Also speaking, Hauwa Mustapha Aminu who sells snacks, said she only used her shop as a bakery and store but that her market and customers were online.
She said, “Our own business is about food; snacks that people order on special occasions or from the comfort of their offices for their children in school, among others.
“While some come here to take it, most of them get it through delivery service. Honestly, all our customers are online.”
Similarly, the proliferation of the plazas have given birth and more life to the business of home delivery.
It was observed that the business of delivery service is now an independent business on its own as the demand for the service continues to grow.
A delivery service provider, Adam Suleiman, said he started with two motorcycles and now had four operating daily.
He said, “As businesses are growing, so is also our business because most of them need us to function properly.
“What happens is that now businesses are selling online, so they need us to deliver their goods to their customers.
“Due to the high demand, sometimes one bike has to collect as much as possible to deliver. It’s really thriving.”
Despite the development, it was gathered that some business owners now have their own system of delivery as they buy their vehicles for delivery.
Another business owner, Sunusi Abdullahi, said due to the nature of his business and high demand for his products, he bought two motorcycles and employed riders.
He said, “I have lots of customers that I hardly go 30 minutes without having an order, paid and to be delivered. So, despite the delivery guys around, sometimes you get disappointed and can’t find one at the time you need him to deliver something to a customer quickly. So, I decided to buy two motorcycles and employ riders as delivery guys.
“Even when they are all out and are busy and cannot come back on time, I have to hire the services of another to make ends meet. It’s really working.”
Along the Eastern and Western Bypass alone, there are no less than 50 new plazas built in the last one to two years.