(Business in Cameroon) - Later this March 2018, Casino Cash & Carry Cameroun (3C Cameroun) will inaugurate Cameroon’s first ever warehouse supermarket, under its new banner “Bao”, in Bassa industrial zone.

According to sources close to the case, the Cash & Carry concept of Casino’s subsidiary has been tested in South America by Casino group. It consists of offering wholesale items at discounted prices. These discounts depend on the volume of goods bought.

Depending on the success of this warehouse in Cameroon, Casino group will invest between CFA15 billion and CFA20 billion to build nine others (creating 150 direct jobs per warehouse) in Douala, Yaoundé, Bafoussam, Ngadoundéré…, good sources revealed.

According to 3C Cameroun’s leaders, by purchasing directly from the producers, “Bao” will encourage professionalism in the sectors by  “elaborating terms of services, production planning with the guarantee to sell the products, helping (the producers) meet the health regulations and the standard practices as well as organizing distribution channels to consolidate and optimize the transport of goods”.

Casino group thus modifies its business strategy to adapt to the tough competition in Cameroon’s wholesale distribution market, due to the introduction of new market players such as Carrefour and local players which are flooding Yaoundé and Douala with supermarkets.

Brice R. Mbodiam