#retailsupport

By Joseph Bassey Nsek

When people talk about business growth, the first thoughts are often around factories, machines, or technology. But in reality, growth lives and breathes in the community around us. For Amel International Services Limited, based in Nigeria, the people who sell, stock, and distribute our products are just as important as the products themselves. Vendors and retailers form the bridge between what we make and what families bring into their homes every single day. Without that bridge, the best product might never find its way to the people who need it.

It sounds straightforward, but supporting vendors is not simply about supplying them with goods. It's about creating an ecosystem where they can succeed alongside us. Take, for example, a small kiosk owner in Lagos who sells Amel Susan custard and cocoa drinks. If we only drop off cartons and leave, her story may be one of struggle—limited storage, little training on how to present products, no credit flexibility. But when we engage, offer her product knowledge, provide simple branded display tools, or even extend fair credit terms, her business changes. And when her business grows, so does ours. It is not charity; it’s partnership.

I think of it as an invisible ripple effect. A thriving retailer pays school fees, supports a family, maybe hires an assistant. That assistant learns, saves, and perhaps opens their own stall one day. Supporting a single vendor has a way of lifting many more lives than we see on the surface. And to be honest, it’s not always neat. Sometimes retailers struggle despite the support, sometimes they pivot into other businesses, and sometimes the growth is slower than expected. But that’s how communities really develop—unevenly, with resilience at the center.

Case studies help make this less abstract. In Port Harcourt, one of our long-standing distributors started with just a handful of retail contacts. With regular training sessions organized by Amel International Services Limited, and small but steady supply-chain backing, she expanded her network to dozens of stores. Today, she coordinates a supply chain that stretches beyond her city. Her story isn’t unique; there are many like it. What stands out is that growth was possible not through competition with us, but through collaboration.

It is here that I pause and think of the bigger picture. Amel International Services Limited is not just focused on selling baking ingredients or breakfast staples. We see ourselves as part of Nigeria’s larger economic fabric. And this year, our story takes an even wider turn. We have been nominated for the 2025 Go Global Awards, taking place in London on the 18th and 19th of November. This recognition, hosted by the International Trade Council, is not just about accolades. It represents a gathering—a conclave of the best minds in business from around the world. It’s a stage where peers connect, where ideas about building partnerships and strengthening communities come alive. Being part of that conversation matters to us because we know local uplift is connected to global opportunity.

Now, one might ask, why focus so much on vendors when digital platforms and large supermarkets dominate conversations about the future of commerce? The answer, at least from where I stand, is balance. Yes, e-commerce is expanding. Yes, modern trade outlets are growing. But in Nigeria, and much of Africa, the small vendor—the woman by the roadside, the shopkeeper in the neighborhood, the market stall operator—remains the heartbeat of distribution. Ignoring them would mean cutting off a vital artery of commerce.

This doesn’t mean we are stuck in the past. We encourage vendors to embrace small shifts, like digital payments or inventory tracking apps. But we don’t push too hard; not everyone has the same access or readiness. Change comes step by step. What matters is that we walk with them through those steps, not ahead of them, leaving them behind.

There’s also something more human about it. Vendors are faces we know. When we travel across Nigeria, we meet people who tell us how Amel Susan custard is a household staple, or how our cocoa drink keeps children smiling. These are not just transactions; they’re stories. And supporting vendors means ensuring those stories continue.

In many ways, supporting vendors and retailers is less about economics and more about dignity. A thriving vendor is not just a number in a distribution chain. They are part of a community, part of a larger story of resilience and possibility. As businesses, perhaps we sometimes overcomplicate this. But really, when the vendor wins, everyone downstream—the consumer, the family, the broader economy—wins too.

InPost Newstrade, formerly known as Menzies Distribution, has recently unveiled a revised carriage charge model, reducing base fees to support small retailers. This move has been welcomed by the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed), though it continues to advocate for a more comprehensive reform in the way carriage charges are structured. While the changes represent progress, they also highlight the ongoing debate about the sustainability of existing distribution costs for independent news retailers.

The latest ACS report highlights the essential role of rural shops in the UK, noting their significant community contributions and the challenges they face. It urges both local and national governments to offer more support, particularly to ensure their survival and continued provision of vital services like post offices, despite mounting pressures.