Commerce WASSCE (SC), 2018

Question 2

 

    Mr. Touray wants to establish a retail shop for the sale of consumer goods.

  1. State five factors he should consider before locating his shop.
  2. Explain five ways a wholesaler can aid Mr. Touray’s business.

 

Observation

The question is an application question. However most could not apply their knowledge of the subject in answering the question. Other candidates did not relate their answers to Mr. Touray as required in the question.   
           
The expected responses are.

            2a.       Factors to be considered by Mr. Touray in locating his shop

  1. Availability of capital- He must consider the amount of money at his disposal for payment of rent, fixtures and stocking of the products.
  2. Nearness to customers – He must locate his shop where there is demand for his goods.

 

  1. Sources of supply of products – The location of his shop should be very close to where he can obtain goods with ease.
  2. Nature of goods - The nature of goods is equally important whether it will be for example children’s items or foodstuff.
  3. Level of competition –.He should consider the number of other traders in the same line of business in the location. 
  4. Accessibility - He should consider the availability of accessible roads to his business premises.
  5. Government policy – He should consider government policy if any, with regards to location of such business.
  6. Availability of infrastructure: He should consider the availability of infrastructure such as water and electricity to support the business.

            2b.       Ways a wholesaler can aid Mr. Touray’s business.

  1. All information and advice about the goods and services are gathered from the producers by the wholesalers and then forwarded to Mr. Touray.
  2. The wholesaler could create awareness of the goods by advertising them and engaging in sales promotion on behalf of Mr. Touray.
  3. The wholesaler could help Mr. Touray by stocking varieties of goods produced or bought from different manufacturers,
  4. The wholesaler will buy in large quantity and sell in small units to Mr. Touray.
  5. The wholesaler could grant credit facilities to Mr. Touray in order to enable him stock assorted goods at a time.
  6. The sorting, grading and packaging of goods could be done by the wholesaler to facilitate Mr. Touray’s purchases.
  7. The wholesaler could convey goods to Mr. Touray’s shop at no extra cost.
  8. By storing the goods in the warehouses for some time, this helps to stabilize prices to the advantage of Mr. Touray.
  9. The wholesaler could sell at a discount to encourage him to buy more and make profit.


 

 

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The expected responses are.

            2a. Communication is the transmission of messages or information from one source to another.

            2b. Means of Communication

                (i) Word of mouth (oral)
(ii) Letters I Memo
(iii) Circulars
(iv) Radios
(v) Telephone
(vi) E-mail
(vii) Internet
(viii) Journals /Newspapers/Magazines
(ix) Catalogues
(x) Neon Signs
(xi) Posters/Bill Boards
(xii) Fax
(xiii)Telegram

2c. Importance of Communication in Business

                  (i) It enhances contact with suppliers of goods and services.
(ii) For advertisements- Businesses need to inform the public about the availability of their
products.
(iii) Communication is needed for payment of business transactions.
(iv) Communication aids effective business management by providing the necessary 
information for sound decisions and also keeping staff and management well informed.
(v) Feedback/Contact with customers - Communication helps a business to interact with

                     its customers/market research thus enabling firms to improve their products.