Shwapno sells 75,000 beef-potato packs in 9 days

Shwapno Super Shop's 200g beef and 100g potato combo pack has sold 75,000 units in just nine days, totalling Tk1.2 crore, the company reports.

Aimed at helping lower-middle-class consumers amid soaring food prices, the Tk160 pack is the most popular of many similar packages.

At a press briefing at Shwapno's head office in the capital's Tejgaon, Shwapno Managing Director Sabbir Hasan Nasir discussed the company's new business model aimed at easing consumer access to essential food items.

Nasir shared, "We are currently offering 20-25 combo packs, featuring small portions of fish, meat, vegetables, khichuri, and snack items to help low-income families purchase essential food products conveniently."

He further added, "Our beef and potato combo has been the best-seller, with 10 pieces of beef and three potatoes in each pack. Other popular combos include a ruhi fish, eggplant, and potato pack at Tk135, a lentil and fish curry mix at Tk100, a fish and potato pack at Tk60, and a rice, lentil, and egg khichuri mix with vegetables for Tk50."

These combo packs are currently available in 100 Shwapno outlets across Dhaka, Chattogram, Cumilla, Gazipur, Narayanganj, and Savar, with plans to expand to all 520 outlets within the next two to three months due to high demand. 

"Many families are cutting back on spending due to the high cost of living. Many cannot afford beef and have lost the ability to afford a large fish. To address this, Shwapno introduced these affordable combo packs. We hope these affordable combo packs provide some relief," Nasir said.

In just ten days, Shwapno has seen rapid popularity for these packs, marking a shift after recent sales challenges. Nasir mentioned that after the government change, Shwapno initially faced negative growth, but sales have now increased by 15%, with certain segments showing growth as high as 50-90%.

Highlighting broader market concerns, Nasir also pointed to the positive impact of government efforts, such as reducing VAT and taxes on essentials like soybean oil and onions. He stressed the need to enhance local production and supply to further ease inflationary pressures on consumers.