Engen Petroleum, a leading producer and marketer of fuels, lubricants and oil-based products began trading in Zambia 20 years ago. With the strategic acquisition of a leading competitor and the subsequent rebranding of the business, Engen was able to fast-track the growth of its service station network in the country.
 
Today, with 36 retail sites, Engen enjoys the second largest petroleum brand footprint in Zambia. Of these 36 sites, 16 have Quickshops and 9 have the Corner Bakery. A further two service stations are under construction which have both of these convenience offerings.
 
According to Damon Giraudeaux, Engen’s Convenience Sales and Marketing Manager, Engen plans to drive growth in Zambia by introducing a Chicken Corner offering to the ever-popular Corner Bakery brand.
 
Corner Bakery is part of the RETSOL stable. Headquartered in Mauritius, RETSOL has positioned Chicken Corner to leverage the rising demand for chicken, fuelled by consumers adopting the health, status and aspirational values of poultry.
 
“The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation anticipate a 270% increase in poultry consumption by the year 2030,” says Giraudeaux. “Chicken is already the biggest retail offering across sub-Saharan African countries.” 
 
Engen, along with its Corner Bakery partners, launched the first Chicken Corner at Engen’s Chawama Service Station in September 2016. Ten further co-branded upgrades will then follow at selected Engen Service stations across the country. These will be rolled out within Engen’s established programme for service station refurbishments. In this way, the new offering will leverage the existing infrastructure and supply chain and form part of the refurbishments programme.
 
“Chicken consumption in Zambia is increasing rapidly,” Giraudeaux continues. “Along with competitor retail branded offerings, which include KFC, ZamChick, Chicken Inn and Hungry Lion, the landscape is both competitive and challenging.” 
 
General Manager of Engen’s International Business Division, Drikus Kotze says however, that convenience plays a significant role when it comes to consumer choice of service station, and by increasing Engen’s offering in Zambia they anticipate increasing basket size from existing customers and attracting new customers to our forecourts.
 
“By broadening our retail convenience offering in Zambia we give customers further reason to come to Engen, the opportunity to benefit from a ‘one stop fill and shop’ and new and delicious chicken meal options to go with our baked goods,” says Kotze.
 
A number of design models have been created to allow for Chicken Corner to co-exist with, and compliment, Corner Bakery. These include a Chicken Corner counter with or without restaurant-style seating within Corner Bakeries, and a stand-alone Chicken Corner kiosk.
 
Engen Zambia’s Managing Director, Jean Blaise Ollomo, and Retail Manager, Knight Silumesii both expect the Chicken Corner brand to advance Engen’s convenience offering appeal, and therefore to play a significant role in the growth of the business in Zambia, with the potential for roll-out into Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana, once the brand begins to fly.