Roadside Vendors are quite popular along Harare's roads

Roadside Vendors are quite popular along Harare’s roads. Picture by Celebrity

 

ZIMSEC O Level Commerce Notes: Retail trade: small scale retailers.

ZIMSEC O Level Commerce Notes: Retail trade: small scale retailers.

Small scale retailers

  • are usually owned by individuals
  • are found in the private sector
  • few legal formalities are required to establish them
  • in Zimbabwe the owners need daily or monthly licences from the town council in order to operate.

Examples of small scale operators are:

Road side traders

  • Are located alongside roads and popular tracks
  • They display their goods on movable tables
  • Sell fast moving goods like sweets, maize, tomatoes and other perishable foodstuffs
  • They only need short term licences. ( Harare CDB $1 per day and $10 at Mbare Musika per day for example)

Itinerant traders ( hawkers, peddlers etc)

  • These traders move from door to door selling goods on foot.
  • Or on bicycles or push carts for example the ice-cream cycles.
  • Products include include foodstuffs like ice-cream or cheap jewelry.

Flea markets

  • sell old and used goods e.g second hand clothes(mazitye)
  • sell a variety of goods
  • situated in open and closed shops.
  • For example Mupedzanhamo

Market stall-holders

  • occupy small areas
  • sell a variety of goods
  • pay rentals for space occupied to the town councils

Mobile shops

  • use vehicles as moving shops
  • usually sell on a cash basis
  • sell a variety of goods
  • usually go where there is business

Independent shops

  • They are owned by individuals and are located in both rural and urban areas.
  • They are small stores with a single location or up to three locations often owned by an individual, a family or a two person partnership.

Go to this page to view the advantages of small scale retailers.

To access more topics go to the Commerce Notes page.