Empowering Micro-Retailers Through Digitization: Hype or Promise?

From a duka in Kenya, a tienda de barrio in Colombia or a kirana in India, micro-retailers that stock fast-moving consumer goods go by many different names around the world. No matter what they’re called, they’re universally cherished. And yet, they face numerous unique challenges.  

B2B e-commerce startups like Wasoko in Kenya and &frnds in Southeast Asia are promising to make a difference for micro-retailers by digitizing order processes and extending buy-now-pay-later credit options. Yet challenges remain: How do we bridge the digital divide? And can these systems sustainably scale? 

In this episode, a Behavioral Science thought leader joins experts from Flourish Ventures and CGAP to explore the promise—and the hype—behind this digitization wave, unpacking its potential to create meaningful financial inclusion for micro retailers at the last mile. 

Featured Voices: 

• Richard Wright, former Behavioral Science Director at Unilever and currently an independent consultant 

• Stella Klemperer, Director of Strategy and Insights, Flourish Ventures 

• Alexander Sotiriou, Senior Financial Sector Specialist, CGAP 

Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. To learn more, visit www.cgap.org. To share feedback, connect with us at [e-mail].   

Special thanks to Salome W. Kimani for conducting the interview with the micro-retailer Mugi and for the voiceover.