Coca Cola Use Solar Initiatives To Boost Sales

 

To boost market shares and sales, Global beverage company, Coca-Cola, has partnered with One Degree Solar, energy solutions provider, to launch a project that will see it roll out subsidised solar kits to its soft drink kiosks operators.

This will help its kiosk owner enjoy access to clean, affordable energy to power small scale needs like light, charging phone and radio.

Managing Director of Nairobi Bottlers Limited, Patrick Pech, said the project will have considerable social, environmental and financial benefits and will go a long way in helping retailers and kiosk owners extend their operating hours, reduce operating costs and enable them record higher sales.

“As a company, we value partnerships that impact positively on the lives of our customers and business partners, and that’s why we believe this project with One Degree Solar will go a long way in helping retailers and kiosk owners extend their operating hours, reduce their operating costs, and experience the numerous benefits of renewable energy,” Pech said.

“The project is being scaled up in the next 12 months to an estimated 2,000 small scale businesses in Nairobi and its environs,” Pech said.

“We are certain the project will yield increased sales not only for Coca-Cola but for traders as well,” he added.

The solar project began last year with 100 kiosks around Nairobi benefitting from free BrightBox solar kits given out by Coca-cola in the pilot phase.

Pech said the project will help light areas without electricity and that they had adopted a power project that is affordable.

Approximately half of the 1.3 billion people living without electricity globally are in Africa and the lag in provision of electricity is expected to cause an increase in the number of people without access to power in Africa, he said.

Coca-Cola said retail stores such as kiosks make 60 per cent of its business partners. It noted that research result conducted by Nielsen showed that the use of BrightBox kits increased operating times for business by four hours per day; translating to a Sh2,736 raise in sales or 15 per cent per week.

The BrightBox, the first of its kind in Africa, comes with a solar panel, two LED bulbs, 10 charging kits for different phones and a radio. The battery can last up to 10 hours depending on the use and retails at Sh7, 000.

“Solar-charged Bright-box powers up four light bulbs and charges several phones per day. It’s great to see the system lead to such meaningful benefits for entrepreneurs and small business owners.” Gaurav Manchanda, Founder of One Degree Solar said.

“With so many micro-enterprises and households without power in Kenya, some of these kiosks have literally become beacons of light in their communities.”