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| US home improvement chain to open branches in Afghanistan | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A US hardware shop chain that sells patio furniture, high-end barbecue grills and garden essentials to the middle class is opening a franchise in Afghanistan, convinced that there is money to be made from home improvement – even in the war-torn nation. | |
| Ace Hardware's Afghan outlets will be run by the Safi brothers, entrepreneurs who already operate a successful airline and a luxury hotel in Kabul. They say they did extensive market research before sinking their money into a bet on peace and relative prosperity in their homeland. | |
| "Our strategic goal is to open 15 stores over the next 10 years, with $40m – $50m (£26m – £33m) of investment," said Abdul Safi. "Based on the demographics and the surveys we think we can make a considerable profit." | |
| Afghanistan is not a country with a DIY culture, as even Safi admits. The country has a tiny, if growing, middle class but most urban professionals would be bemused to see a friend wielding a power drill. | Afghanistan is not a country with a DIY culture, as even Safi admits. The country has a tiny, if growing, middle class but most urban professionals would be bemused to see a friend wielding a power drill. |
| Labour is cheap, unemployment high, and those with enough money to do up their home can afford to pay someone to sand the floorboards or install new shelves. | |
| But two-thirds of Afghans are under 30, the housing market is booming along with the population, and Safi thinks Ace has a unique advantage in a country where returns even on faulty goods are almost unheard of and warranties usually a gamble that someone will honour a handwritten note. | But two-thirds of Afghans are under 30, the housing market is booming along with the population, and Safi thinks Ace has a unique advantage in a country where returns even on faulty goods are almost unheard of and warranties usually a gamble that someone will honour a handwritten note. |
| "This is a brand new venture bringing a service standard and warranty on every single product. We are optimistic we can start turning a profit by the end of the year." | "This is a brand new venture bringing a service standard and warranty on every single product. We are optimistic we can start turning a profit by the end of the year." |
| The company is already stocking shelves at their first sprawling store in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, a regional hub with a strong economy and better security than Kabul, and promises the capital will follow soon after. | |
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