Financial Times

Cargills to score century in FY 2004
By Akhry Ameer
Cargills (Ceylon) Ltd plans to hit a century in its chain of Food City outlets and increase its Express outlets at the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) filling stations by end of 2004 financial year. This was revealed at a media conference to announce its latest tie-up with leading mobile operator Dialog GSM to market prepaid Kit connections at its outlets.

Cargills currently has 51 Food City chain of supermarket outlets and seven Express outlets. The supermarket chain will add an additional 49 outlets to reach a total of 100 outlets and increase its Express outlets to 25 in the next financial year (2004/05).

"Both Cargills and Dialog GSM have a strong focus on consumers. Both have made products which were for the elite available to the mass-market," said Dr. Hans Wijesuriya on the launch of their "Kit in the City" partnership. He added that availability was a key factor in the development of mobile communication in any country and that this partnership for distribution is in line with international best practices.

The partnership will initially make available Dialog's Kit SIM cards and recharge cards in 34 Food City outlets and seven Express points at IOC filling stations. Accordingly mobile users will now be able to purchase a new prepaid Kit card connection or recharge their existing card accounts at any of the selected Cargills outlets.

These outlets will indicate availability of its cards through a specially developed "Kit in the City" signboard. All Express points and selected Food City outlets are open 24 hours and thereby enhance the availability of these cards as well.

The new Cargills outlets have been targeted at areas in the metropolitan where the company does not have a presence and in some of the major towns in other parts of the country.

Asked whether these will include the north and the east, Sidath Kodikara, Executive Director, said the company will explore the possibility pending the general elections and the progress of the peace process.

Cargills started its supermarket chain in 1983 with an outlet at Staple Street and since then has changed the supermarketing paradigm in the country with outlets in all major areas of the country. The company's vision is to establish a Cargills outlet in every district in the country.

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