One of Côte d’Ivoire’s largest retail groups has quietly reconfigured how goods move across the country.
CDCI, the operator behind a nationwide supermarket network, has secured warehouse space inside Agility’s logistics complex outside Abidjan, turning the site into the nerve center of its distribution operations. The move marks a strategic shift: away from fragmented storage toward a single, centralized system designed to feed stores across the entire country.
From this facility, CDCI will consolidate food products, household goods, and other consumer items before routing them to retail locations nationwide. The goal is not expansion for its own sake, but control — tighter inventory management, faster replenishment cycles, and fewer logistical choke points.
Why Location Became the Deciding Factor
The chosen site sits along the primary highway linking Abidjan with Yamoussoukro, at PK24 — a corridor long viewed as critical for inland distribution. For CDCI, the geography solved two problems at once: proximity to its urban outlets in Abidjan and efficient reach to stores spread across regional markets.
Equally important was the infrastructure itself. The logistics park offers controlled access, security systems, and warehouse specifications aligned with international operating standards — a combination still scarce in many West African supply chains.
A Supply Chain Designed for Growth, Not Patchwork Fixes
According to CDCI’s supply chain leadership, the decision reflects a broader rethink of how the retailer supports long-term growth. Inconsistent logistics infrastructure has long been a constraint for companies operating at scale in the region. The new distribution setup is intended to remove that bottleneck entirely.
Rather than relying on multiple smaller facilities, CDCI is anchoring its supply chain to a single, resilient platform capable of supporting steady expansion without constant operational firefighting.
Sustainability Was Not an Afterthought
Environmental performance also played a role in the selection process. The logistics park incorporates energy-efficient construction and operational features, including insulated building panels, natural lighting through skylights, LED systems, and solar-powered exterior lighting. Waste streams — paper, plastics, metals, and cartons — are sorted and recycled on site, with carbon impact tracking built into operations.
For CDCI, the facility’s compliance with international environmental benchmarks aligned with internal standards increasingly expected of large retailers.
Part of a Broader Industrial Push Across Africa
The Abidjan site is not a standalone project. It forms part of a wider network of logistics and light industrial parks developed by Agility across strategic African markets. The underlying thesis is straightforward: without modern warehousing and distribution infrastructure, domestic and regional trade cannot scale efficiently.
By funding and developing these parks, Agility aims to lower the barrier for companies — from multinational retailers to local manufacturers — to access industrial-grade facilities without long lead times or prohibitive upfront costs.
Infrastructure as Economic Catalyst
From Agility’s regional leadership perspective, standardized logistics infrastructure is not merely an operational upgrade but a foundational economic input. Storage, distribution, and light manufacturing facilities enable businesses to formalize operations, reduce losses, and integrate into broader trade networks.
The model is designed to be modular and accessible: companies can move in quickly, scale as needed, and operate within environments built to global specifications — a rarity in many high-growth markets.
Inside Agility Logistics Parks
Agility Logistics Parks ranks among the largest private developers of warehousing and light industrial real estate across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. The group finances, constructs, and manages industrial facilities tailored for fast-growing economies, where infrastructure gaps often constrain business activity.
Its parent company, Agility, operates as a publicly listed enterprise with multibillion-dollar annual revenue and a long-standing focus on emerging markets, logistics technology, and supply chain innovation.
