Running a wholesale business comes with constant movement, tight margins, and the need for absolute clarity over numbers. In this interview, a Kenya-based wholesaler shares how identifying a market gap led to building a growing consumables business—and how early challenges pushed them to rethink how they track sales, profits, and inventory. Discover how Loyverse POS helped bring structure, flexibility, and data-driven decision-making to a fast-paced operation.

What type of business do you have and what is its background story?
I run a wholesale business, meaning we sell a wide range of consumable goods. Our products include flour, maize flour, wheat flour, cooking oil—essentially everyday consumables. We receive these items in bulk and sell them in large quantities.

The inspiration behind the business was quite simple: being broke is not enjoyable. We noticed a clear gap in the market and decided to take advantage of it. We operate in Kenya, and this is now our fourth year in business.

What challenges did you face when you opened your business, and how did you overcome them?
When we started, we faced many challenges. There were regime changes, political instability, frequent tax revisions, and occasional losses. One of the biggest internal challenges was not being able to clearly identify which products were profitable and which were not. We would stock large quantities of many items, only to realize later that some of them were not economically viable.

Another major challenge was collecting money while keeping accurate records. With the high volume of traffic in the business, writing down sales manually became tedious and hectic. Calculating profit and loss, as well as product valuation, was especially difficult at that stage.

We overcame these challenges with the help of Loyverse. When it came to internal product analysis, profit margins, and calculations, Loyverse proved to be extremely useful.

How did you first find Loyverse POS, and what made you decide to implement it in your business?
I am a researcher by nature. I like to conduct thorough and conscientious research before making decisions. During this process, Loyverse consistently appeared among the best POS solutions. I tested several products and eventually settled on Loyverse.

I did a test run about 18 months ago, and after that, I have been using Loyverse consistently for the past 12 months.

Which Loyverse features have had the biggest impact on your business?
First of all, Loyverse clearly shows which products sell the most. It categorizes items and also separates sales by payment type. This allows me to see whether I am making more money through cash or cashless payments—and where the business is underperforming.

I can also identify which items generate the highest profits and which generate the lowest. All of this information is easily accessible in the Back Office. Employee management has also been much easier with the Loyverse app.

Another feature I appreciate is how user-friendly it is to edit items. Our business changes daily, and prices fluctuate constantly, but updating prices in Loyverse POS is quick and simple. We needed a flexible POS system, and that is why we chose Loyverse.

In summary, we chose Loyverse because of its flexibility, easy interpretation of figures and data, and its ability to identify and solve our core business problems.

Do you use any of the additional apps that Loyverse offers?
No, I actually wasn’t aware that Loyverse offers additional free apps. Thank you for sharing this information—I plan to start using the Dashboard app immediately after this meeting.

Who are your main customers?
We serve three main types of customers. We supply large institutions such as schools, hotels, and banks. We also cater to events, as well as small retail businesses and individual customers.

Have you integrated Loyverse with any other systems or platforms?
Yes, we have integrated Loyverse with a local ERP system. We developed this integration ourselves.

What type of advertising do you use for your business?
We mainly use WhatsApp for advertising. Our marketing is very targeted. I am also a graphic designer, so I create all the promotional materials myself—whether for holidays, giveaways, or when targeting specific institutions.

We do not have a website or social media pages. We focus solely on WhatsApp because it allows us to directly reach a specific geographical market and serve a defined niche.

What are your future plans for the businss?
We are currently in a growth phase. With the help of Loyverse, we have identified the most profitable items, and we plan to focus more on those while managing the others more carefully.

We are also considering shifting markets and adjusting some product lines, although no final decisions have been made yet. Additionally, we plan to either open a second store or expand our existing one

Do you have any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
First and foremost, conduct proper market research. This is one of the most undervalued steps. Many people identify a need through word of mouth but fail to do the necessary research.

Once you confirm that there is a market, you can develop a strategy to sell and make a profit. Don’t be afraid to start—and if things don’t go as planned, don’t be afraid to close and try again.