Assess demand for prepaid services before opening a new outlet
Before you commit to a new outlet, spend time where you expect to trade. Count what people ask for, what they buy where a trial is possible and what they leave without. Check whether you can get those products from the supplier and cover the float, staffing and support.
Use a nearby branch as a comparison if it helps, but record differences in opening hours, foot traffic and the products customers ask for. Keep the dates and times with the tally so a few busy shifts don't become a forecast for a whole month.
Observation record
| Date and time | Requests | Completed sales | Product | Context or reason not served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sample period A | 12 | 7 | Airtime | Peak period |
| Sample period B | 8 | 5 | Data | Weekend |
| Sample period C | 4 | 0 | Electricity | Product not yet available |
By Freepaid ยท Published
Use a consistent method
Choose observation windows that cover ordinary and busy periods, weekdays and weekends if the outlet will operate on those days. Give staff the same definitions of a request, completed sale and unserved request. Note general context such as a local event or promotion, but avoid recording personal information that is not needed for the analysis.
If the outlet does not yet exist, observe the site or a comparable temporary sales point without presenting the sample as a full operating forecast. If there is an existing nearby branch, compare its record carefully: the locations may differ in customers, competition and opening hours. Record the sample period and limitations beside every summary.
Worked example: two-week observation
If a temporary counter takes 40 requests and completes 24 sales over two weeks, start by looking at the gap. For the other 16, note why the sale stopped. The product may have been unavailable, the customer may have changed their mind, or staff may not have been able to tell what was needed. The short trial shows where to look next. It tells you little about trading in weeks you haven't observed.
Check supplier availability for the products people asked for most. Then cost the tills, float and reports you'll need, and see whether staff can handle a wrong selection or a missing result. Use those answers to decide whether a small pilot is feasible.
Check feasibility as well as interest
For each product with observable demand, confirm the current catalogue, service area, denominations, funding terms, fees and support route. Do not advertise availability until it has been verified for the account and location. Estimate staff time for sale, receipt handling, reconciliation and customer support. If the operating process is not yet clear, include the time and cost to establish it.
Keep the sample dates, request and sales counts, reasons for unserved requests and supplier confirmation in one place. List the questions still open beside the figures so the reviewer can see what would change the decision.
Keep an observation log before you commit
Make a tally by day and time window. For each request record the product category, whether the customer wanted to buy immediately and whether a nearby outlet could fulfil it. Use counts without names or numbers. Separate observations during payday or a special event from ordinary trading periods. Compare equivalent shifts so a crowded Saturday does not stand in for the whole week.
Decide on the next step
- Define the products and business decision being assessed.
- Choose consistent observation windows and staff instructions.
- Record requests and outcomes without unnecessary personal details.
- Verify relevant supplier coverage and current commercial terms.
- Estimate training, funding, reporting and support requirements.
- Run a limited pilot if interest and operating readiness support one.
- Review actual outlet results after launch and update the estimate.
A pilot should have an owner, approved limit, start and end date, and measures for demand and exceptions. If the outlet expands later, compare actual results with the initial observation and record why they differ. For choosing which categories to test, see the small retailer product selection guide.