Since expanding its Disensa network beyond Ecuador in April 2017 the company has added around 500 Disensa-branded stores in Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico and Nicaragua. LafargeHolcim plans to continue its network expansion in Latin America by opening its first store in Brazil in early 2018.
Oliver Osswald, head region Latin America at LafargeHolcim, said: “The roll-out of the Group’s retail strategy in emerging markets such as Latin America is enabling us to get even closer to consumers. The feedback from both our customers and our franchisees has been overwhelmingly positive. This initiative is about increasing the value we bring to our customers by offering them a range of building solutions that go beyond our own cement products.”
The Disensa concept offers self-builders and smaller contractors simple and easy access to LafargeHolcim’s own building solutions as well as a wide range of other construction materials and services, including microcredit and technical help as well as complete kits for different phases of home building. The concept was developed in Ecuador as a franchise scheme where franchisees are able to source thousands of products via a dedicated IT system.
In addition to the Disensa network, the Group also launched its Binastore brand in Middle East Africa in May 2017 where it opened stores in countries including Algeria, Lebanon, Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa and Zambia.
