Hello All.

I am about to open up a supermarket in Owerri, Imo State, and I'm thinking of introducing a few new ideas and services that will most likely separate our brand from other competitors. One of these ideas is in frozen drinks like slush/slushee. Slush drink is simply a chilled fruit drink which comes in variety of flavors and dispensed directly from machine to cups, taste wonderful and irresistibly refreshing for a hot atmosphere.

- Other ideas includes delivery services: you call in and we bring items ordered to you house.
- Layaway system for electronics and apparels: customer sees items the want, then pay 10% of cost upfron and we keep the item for 30 day in which they would have to pay the balance of forfeit the 10%.



Looking forwards to everyone contribution on this topic.

Thanks,
Jakemond

I am not sure if this is the best place to get the kind of advice/idea, you need to do a market feasibility study for the area you are targeting, a nairalander in Abuja might be interested in the service, whereas someone in ilorin might not be. Good luck though.

Slushee is a great idea. In Nigeria with the hot sun, you are sure to get good business with those type of drinks. However dont try and do it where people dont care for branding or feel they are better off drinking a cold soda.

As for layaway, that one is touchy. People may not like the idea that you take their money after they cant come up with the rest of the money to claim their items. Even after reading the full contract they can still cause wahala for you.

It all boils down to the targetted segments or is it niche. The more englighthed and educated your audience, the better this idea will work. Start in those areas then expand to other areas when people are more familiar with your business.

The layaway part is what caught my attention. I suggest you reconsider taking away the whole deposit, maybe half of it for tying your stock down.

Sounds like an awesome idea but a trial run is the only way to go as a few nairaland responses just won't do with the amount of infrastructure needed on ground.

See if people will pay more in a 'nice place' instead of just buying any cold drink from the street vendor. Even in the US, with the exception of a few Slushy shops are mostly opened in high-end neighborhoods.

Best of Luck!

oh and the layaway plan, serious fights will ensue about the forfeiture of 10%, trust!

Omg. I was thinking of a gourmet coffee shop. Someone told me njas don't like to pay for tea or coffee. I believe u have to make it correctly. Just like starbjcks sells hot and cold ice cream drinks n calls it coffee. With d hot nja sun what a great idea. About layway just make sure they pay before pick up. It is not limited to njas but people find it hard to pay for items already consumed.

Thank you all for the motivating responds, reason for my tardiness is because I have been very busy with the opening of my shopping plaza (Captain Amadi Plaza). Located in Orji Owerri, Imo state. It was actually inaugurated on 05 Nov 11. Right now traffic is slow but we do anticipate much patronage as people start to know about the plaza.

Please feel free to send comments or email me at captainamadi@gmail.com

@poster @atlgal
go for it,nigerians love trying out new stuffs especially if it already exists abroad my brother and his wife runs a few outlets of healthy shakes in lagos airport and movie theatres in lagos,not only are they successful but they both said the average nigerians, politicians,even one or two governors have stopped over to encourage them especially once ppl learn they relocated from abroad the only problem you might have is with staffs and sustainability

Goodday,
Please were u able to start the slush business as I intend to in portharcort, please I need idea on how to produce the mixture and how profitable it is.
Thank you