Across the Retail cluster and FMCG & Healthcare Distribution activity, IBL is building a regional presence by creating stronger links between its businesses.
At the heart of IBL’s Beyond Borders strategy, beyond the number of new markets entered or financial figures, are integrated ways of working, collaboration, and – fundamentally – people. The regional development of the Retail cluster and of the Group’s FMCG & Healthcare Distribution activity shows what that means in practice.
From one market to another, IBL’s Retail businesses face very different operational realities. In Mauritius, Winners is opening new stores despite fierce competition. In Réunion, Run Market is in the midst of a major transformation programme. In Kenya, Naivas’ model is increasingly driven by organic growth. Yet despite the different contexts, the businesses have a major advantage: they can draw on the experience of the other Retail businesses in the Group.
The collaboration between Winners and Naivas is one example. In e-commerce, data and loyalty programmes, Mauritian and Kenyan teams have begun sharing their approaches – not to standardise them, but to learn from one another. Today, IBL team members are embedded in strategic posts at Naivas, strengthening the flow of practices and expertise between the Retail cluster’s different businesses.
A similar regional dynamic is being built on the complementarity between two of the Group’s other activities: fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) distribution, notably led by BrandActiv, which has been operating in Mauritius and across the region since 2022, and healthcare distribution, driven by HealthActiv in Mauritius and Harley’s in East Africa.
Following the acquisition of a majority stake in Harley’s, significant structuring work has strengthened common foundations and aligned operating models between HealthActiv and Harley’s: new departments have been created, logistics infrastructure modernised, digital transformation accelerated. That work now serves as a springboard for BrandActiv’s regional acceleration, driven by a cross-functional steering committee.
What has emerged is a model of integrated distribution covering both Healthcare and FMCG in markets where very few players can offer that combination. “We have done the groundwork. Now it is about pushing harder and getting more out of what we have built,” explains Fabrice Adolphe, Group Head of FMCG & Healthcare Distribution at IBL.
Fabrice Adolphe, Group Head of FMCG & Healthcare Distribution at IBL.
While these activities operate at a regional scale, the challenges they face vary considerably. In both cases, adaptability has become essential to maintaining their growth trajectory across the region.
In retail, the current geopolitical climate is putting direct pressure on costs, forcing brands to constantly find the right balance between competitiveness and affordability. “Private-label brand development is a key lever for offering accessible alternatives, particularly in a context where transport and energy costs are weighing on the entire sector,” notes Aldo Létimier, Group Head of Retail at IBL. Work on shelf organisation and product ranges has also helped improve margins while keeping prices among the most competitive on the market.
For FMCG and Healthcare Distribution, the challenge lies in adapting to the cultural and operational realities of each country. Between Mauritius and East Africa, ways of working and local market dynamics can differ significantly. “We build on proven models and adapt them to local realities, while drawing strength from cross-functional capabilities in logistics, supply chain and distribution. That combination is what drives our acceleration across the region,” says Fabrice.
IBL’s regional growth is not only about new markets, new stores or new acquisitions. It is also about the way teams work together, share expertise and adapt what they have learned from one market to another. Across Retail, FMCG and Healthcare Distribution, this is what Beyond Borders looks like in practice: practical collaboration, stronger foundations and businesses that grow by learning from one another.
