At first glance, it looks like a win-win arrangement. Shopkeepers have more stock and save time because they do not have to travel to wholesalers. Unilever gains from daily updates on accounts, inventories and closer control over targets, which matches the company's global aim of making daily use products more accessible, says Aneja. Salesmen in Unilever uniforms act as mobile advertisements, and by travelling door-todoor develop personal relationships with shopkeepers. They are paid extra if they hit targets.
Distributors also do well from the arrangement.
Aneja says the system has improved sales fivefold over five months. In the longer term, the system could also be used as a pipeline for socially beneficial items such as pesticide-treated mosquito nets. With a little innovation even the poorest economies offer a wealth of opportunities, says Aneja. No customer must ever say I didn't get a packet.