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Bangladesh has become a late entrant to the 'supermarket era' with help from professionals from Sri Lanka, comparatively a super-marketing veteran in the region. Agora - 'a new way to shop', Bangladesh's first definitive supermarket chain, which opened its second outlet in Dhaka, Bangladesh 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 i.e. a 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 Sri 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 to operate the chain.

This 'package' of expertise and the product concept for the Agora project 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 90's during his tenure as Managing Director of Jaykay Marketing Services, a subsidiary of the John Keells Holdings Group.

He is one of only two Sri Lankan Fellows of the Institute of Food Science and Technology of the 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 innovative food ingredients.

Sensei Lanka headed by Ranjan de Silva, former Director of Keells Foods and Supermarkets [JayKay Marketing] and former Chairman of The Chartered Institute of Marketing - Sri Lanka branch.

The promoter of the Agora project, Rahimafrooz, one of the most respected companies in Bangladesh manufacturing and marketing stored power systems for the automotive industry, decided to locate a Sri Lankan consultancy to the exclusion of European possibilities, having seen and experienced Sri Lankan supermarkets.

Niaz Rahim, Managing Director, Rahimafrooz Superstores said Visvaka's inputs in technical and business aspects pertaining to Supermarketing and Sensei's inputs in Marketing, Customer Service, Leadership, Culture change, mindset change and HR were invaluable in setting up an operation which business associates and customers acknowledge as being of international standards.

"We transferred the knowledge gained during this exercise to our other businesses." The Agora project underlines the potential for harnessing Sri Lankan enterprise expertise and human skills for many start-up projects in the region, Chula De Silva, Visvaka's Senior Consultant said.

"In the business of supermarkets for example, Sri Lanka is about two decades ahead of countries in South Asia," he said. "We therefore have access to a wealth of knowledge on how to assess needs, set up, operate and market supermarkets in this part of the world. We know the economics and we know the consumers. We know what works and what doesn't."

"It would be a great experience to help an Investor in India to start a similar venture," De Silva said.

Ranjan de Silva, Managing Director of Sensei said: "It was a great experience to work with an investor who admitted to know little of supermarketing, but had the strong conviction of the opportunity supermarketing afforded in Dhaka. We used our expertise in culture change and personal breakthroughs to further improve the effectiveness and professionalism of a fairly progressive company operating in Bangladesh, a country perceived as laid back, slow and customer unfriendly.

It is satisfying to be able to unlock the potential and passion in the Agora team to produce a service offering of international standing."

They both acknowledged the roles played by Sperrys Commercial Equipment, suppliers of 'Arneg' supermarket equipment, Flexiv Microsystems in supermarket software and O.T. David and Company's role in producing the financial forecasts with Visvaka inputs, in the success of the project.

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