Copia Global has announced a new state-of-the-art Fulfillment Centre in Kampala as well as the addition of its 12th Depot in Kenya as it progresses initiatives to enhance availability for customers in both countries.
The two new facilities will boost Copia’s capacity to 12 centres in Kenya including 11 regional depots and one fulfilment centre at Tatu City, while the expanded hub in Kampala will also double up as a key depot for the region.
“These facilities will enable us to keep up with increasing customer demand for speed and convenience, allowing us to fulfil orders within shorter lead times and supplementing our offering at a regional level,” said Tim Steel, CEO, of Copia Global. “Our investment enables us to scale at a faster rate in anticipation of future growth.”
Copia Global is the only B2C platform providing e-commerce solutions for the rapidly growing 750 million middle to low-income African consumers through mobile applications, agent networks, and an innovative last-mile logistics system.
The expansion in Uganda comes just over a year after Copia Uganda began operations, and has seen Copia move its corporate offices and warehouse to a larger facility to enable better collaboration and operational efficiencies.
Depots are specialized cross-docking spaces that form a critical element to enable retailers like Copia to manage their logistics and supply chain processes effectively. Each additional facility enables Copia to strategically reach key customer segments at a more localised level.
Every day, Copia dispatches hundreds of trucks on the road to deliver goods and services to customers in peri-urban and rural areas, with 77% of the deliveries on un-tarmacked roads. With the availability of the new facilities, Copia will be able to shorten its delivery timelines as it gets closer to customers in peri-urban and rural areas.
“As we expand our presence in Uganda, our new facility will grant us better capacity to serve our customers better and reduce the time it takes our customers to get their deliveries,” said Diana Adeyemi, Country Director, Copia Uganda.
Beyond access to the wide variety of products available on its platform, Copia is also using the new facilities to deepen its outreach for specialised farming services in line with customer demand. Copia recently launched a full-fledged Farming Division that offers all its customers free agro-extension guidance and access to 20 registered vet and agronomy professionals.
The new Kericho Depot measures 7,800 square feet and is Copia’s third largest in Kenya after the Machakos depot and the Tatu City Fulfillment Centre. It will primarily cover four counties (Bomet, Kisii, Nakuru and Kericho), managing thousands of orders every 24 hours.
Additionally, the new Uganda Fulfillment Centre is 24,000 square feet and is currently covering 14 districts in the country adding to Copia’s recent global recognition for its innovative supply chain management and transformative farming service.