DHL Express Zimbabwe set to expand retail footprint by 1000% in 2015

DHL Express Zimbabwe has embarked on a drive to expand its retail footprint in the country by 1000 percent this year.
This is set to be achieved by partnering with local business owners to act as DHL resellers. Vendors such as electronics stores, travel agencies and small groceries can now allow their customers to send DHL shipments alongside their normal offerings.
These small businesses benefit from commission on all DHL sales, an increase in foot traffic as well as being associated with a global brand.
“It’s really a win-win approach. We have given these small shop owners a unique business opportunity to grow their revenues and gain credibility by aligning themselves with an international brand. If they do well, we do well,” explains Jeff Phiri, Country Manager for DHL Express Zimbabwe.
DHL  is willing to partner with any entrepreneurial business that sees value in becoming a DHL reseller. All partners are provided with a complete branding kit and go through an extensive training programme to ensure compliance with DHL’s requirements and procedures.
Not only is partnering with existing vendors more cost effective than building its own branches, it also brings DHL closer to its customers. An entrepreneur in Harare can send a sample to a client in the UK from the same place he picks up his daily newspaper, whereas a mother in Bulawayo is now able to ship a birthday gift to her son in South Africa while her car is being filled up at the fuel station.
DHL also simplified its pricing and packaging options to fit in with the needs of its customers as opposed to the other way around. To make people aware of its retail offering, the streets of Zimbabwe are often painted yellow and red through tactical advertising campaigns and special DHL giveaways.
“Through the passion and energy of our 90 employees across Zimbabwe, we have changed the perception that DHL only caters for multinationals and big business. Our retail customers no longer have to sit in traffic to send a document or parcel, but can literally find a DHL service point right around the corner,” says Phiri. “Perhaps most gratifying is the fact that we are empowering business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs across the country with an additional opportunity to earn money and live better.”
Said Challenge Nyakuritsika, Retail Executive for DHL Express Zimbabwe:  “DHL’s aim is to be easily accessible to everyone across the country; including very remote areas where you would not expect to have courier services available. We want Zimbabwe to have a little bit of yellow in every corner.”
“In a continent like Africa where the informal economy rules, a company’s retail strategy cannot revolve around high-end shopping malls,” adds Phiri. “You have to operate on a level where customers can understand, feel and relate to your product. You really need to ensure that your brand connects to the average person on the street,” Phiri said.