Case study
Personal care brand
Stated demand looked viable until trade terms and shelf economics closed the path.
Beauty & personal careGhanaTACT CompassDon't enter
The challenge
A personal care brand needed a city-level call on Accra before committing listing fees, importer working capital, and a first-year distribution plan.
The approach
TACT ran a Compass sprint in Accra across consumer, trade, and competitive legs. Fieldwork tested trial and repeat intent, retailer and distributor economics, and the price architecture already occupying the aisle.
The findings
- Consumer: Trial interest existed in a narrow occasion, but willingness to pay sat below the imported cost stack.
- Trade: Modern and general trade both flagged listing, margin, and credit terms that the original model could not support, so trade carried veto weight.
- Competitive: Established local and regional SKUs already occupied the viable price band with stronger retailer relationships.
The verdict
Do not enter on the current thesis. Accra demand is real in places, but channel economics and competitive density would absorb the capital without a workable route to shelf.
The outcome
The client paused Accra entry and redirected budget to product and cost-to-serve work before any further city is scoped.
