Case study
Multi-city CPG brand
Three cities were on the table. Only one could carry first-wave capital on workable trade terms.
The challenge
A CPG brand needed to sequence Lagos, Accra, and Nairobi rather than treat West and East Africa as a single expansion wave. Leadership wanted to know which city to fund first, and on what commercial terms.
The approach
TACT ran a Compass sprint across three cities with concurrent field teams. Each city kept the same 60/30/10 method so comparison stayed valid, with trade remaining the veto leg in every market.
The findings
- Consumer: Payable demand was strongest in Lagos for the proposed pack, with Accra trailing on occasion frequency and Nairobi more price-sensitive.
- Trade: Lagos distributors could move volume on revised terms. Accra listing costs delayed payback. Nairobi credit cycles broke the original working-capital assumption.
- Competitive: White space existed in Lagos at a specific pack and price point, while Accra and Nairobi were denser in the same band.
The verdict
Enter differently. Fund Lagos first with adjusted pack architecture and trade terms. Hold Accra and Nairobi until cost-to-serve and credit terms can support a second wave.
The outcome
The client sequenced capital to Lagos and parked a multi-city rollout that would have stretched the same inventory and distributor terms across three markets.
