For over ten years, Unilever has helped pioneer last-mile distribution models. For example, through our Shakti programme in India, we train local women as rural sales agents. Today, Project Shakti has over 72,000 micro-entrepreneurs supported by 48,000 Shaktimaans (typically the husbands or other male family members of Shakti Ammas who sell products by bicycle in surrounding villages).
We have variations of the programme in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Egypt. In Pakistan, we took the concept to a new level, training hundreds of village women as beauticians. These Guddi Bajis (“good sisters”) provide beauty services from home and sell our products to neighbours.
Through developing and implementing these programmes, we have learned a great deal about what works well and what doesn’t. There’s no silver bullet and one size certainly doesn’t fit all. But we have come up with a framework that draws on our extensive insights and expertise, and that of our external partners.
Along with BoP Innovation Centre, we created ASPIRE (PDF | 452KB), which we use as a guide to help us make quicker, better choices in applying innovative solutions and investments to scale up inclusive distribution models. Now we are sharing it so the efforts of others are more successful and sustainable.
As Gerald Kuehr, Unilever’s Chief Customer Officer, says: “Through our Sustainable Living Plan, we have committed to improve the wellbeing of over a billion people, and include millions more in our value chain. Establishing innovative distribution networks will play a vital role in realising those ambitions.
“This aim of enhancing livelihoods and driving economic growth also sits at the heart of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We are sharing our knowledge and expertise, so we can all achieve these quicker. Collective action is the most powerful tool we have to drive positive change.”