The capital city Dakar is the hub of economic activity and the largest consumer market in Senegal.
Distribution occurs both by modern and by traditional systems.
Existing alongside these companies are extremely competitive small-scale traders specializing in the wholesale and retail distribution of fabrics and consumer goods. In the past, Lebanese merchants were the interface between French trading companies and the local population. Now, Senegalese merchants selling popular consumer goods, such as textiles and electronics, are gradually replacing them. A limited number of larger retail stores, such as supermarkets, deal in mostly imported goods. Informal traders in municipal and street markets carry out a sizable portion of domestic trade.