As Rwandans and the world count hours until Christmas, local businesses are rushing to position themselves for anticipated last minute surge in sales and returns. As has been the norm, business owners anticipate a rise in traffic on Christmas eve driven by demand from customers as most families reconnect to celebrate the festive holidays. ALSO READ: Rwanda extends opening hours for bars, nightclubs during festive season Albert Munyabugingo, the chief executive and co-founder at Vuba Vuba says they plan to lure customers through targeted discounts, as well as gifts and vouchers. Founded in Rwanda, Vuba Vuba is a pan-African e-commerce platform that is also one of the largest, by volume, on the Rwandan market. “The festive season is an important time for us, and at Vuba Vuba, we are focusing on several key initiatives to better serve our customers while in the comfort of their homes,” Munyabugingo told The New Times in an exclusive interview. ALSO READ: Struggling to manage your finances during festive season? He added; “We have expanded our services to Uganda, offering our trusted delivery platform to new customers this holiday season.” ALSO READ: The Ben, Israel Mbonyi, Victony lead festive season concert lineup “With our two products Vuba Wallet and Vuba Prime, customers can top up the wallets of their loved ones, making gift-giving simple and seamless, while Vuba Prime lets customers purchase a subscription for their loved ones, which grants them the benefit of free delivery on all orders—perfect for the holiday season.” Based on last year’s returns particularly for the holiday season, Munyabugingo maintained that his business has resorted to working full-day hours 24/7 in a bid to cater to the growing demand. “We are operating 24/7 to ensure our customers can order anytime, even during the busy holiday period.” Reacting to the projections, he said that Kigalians ushered into the festive season as early as November, laying grounds for even bigger returns this year. He maintained that for e-commerce, the last months of the year normally generate the largest sales for market players, with December reaching peak volumes. Abdu Usanase, the founder and chief executive at Agri-research Unguka, a youth-led organisation that prides itself in the primary production and value addition of Irish potatoes, echoed similar sentiments, citing that his business has already attracted shoppers in different parts of the country, particularly in Musanze District. “As the festive season lights up Musanze District, our innovative potato-based products: Bread and doughnuts have found their way into the heart of holiday celebrations. The unique Inyamibwa Potato Bread and doughnuts have increasingly been at family gatherings and end-of-year parties, with sales doubling during December 2024.” According to Usanase, customers are using the company’s potato products in making special festive sandwiches, and in other places, it is being added to holiday breakfast tables around the city. “We are offering special holiday discounts on our signature potato bread and doughnuts during this festive season. The reduced prices are encouraging more customers to share these unique potato-based products with friends and family during the holiday celebrations,” he said. “It's becoming a unique way to share our local innovation with loved ones. The holiday rush has particularly benefited local potato farmers who supply Inyamibwa potato-based products. With the increased demand, the company has had to double its potato orders, providing additional income to farmers during the festive season.” Alexander Nshimiyimana who owns the clothing line Umudozi reiterated that his business has for the past two weeks witnessed a surge in orders, particularly from the Rwandan Diaspora who are returning to Kigali for the holidays. For fashion designers, Nshimiyimana told The New Times, the festive season ordinarily sees people piling their wardrobes and shoe racks with the latest trends. “The festive season is here, and we need to dress accordingly for it. It’s time to shop until you drop. This has been the norm in Kigali,” he said. “We are diversifying to add more options for couples, women, and the youth,” he added.
