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Vinod Patel is a family business, named after the founder of the company, the eldest brother of a family originating from Ba town in Fiji. Vinod Patel left school at the age of 16 to work so that his earnings could go towards supplementing the family’s income. Less than a year later, his younger brother Umakant Patel left school and joined the workforce for the same reason. After working at hardware stores in Ba and nearby towns, the brothers thought it was time that they had a business of their own.

In April 1962, the first Vinod Patel store was inaugurated in Ba Town. As other brothers joined the business, the company decided to expand. In 1965, a second branch was opened in Rakiraki, a town without any hardware store. From then on, there was no turning back. It was a matter of seeking out opportunity and working hard to make it a success.

Today, the group employs over 1400 employees in Fiji, Samoa, and Timor-Leste across 9 retail, distribution, and manufacturing business units as well as interests in property investments and associated businesses.
 
The first store in BA, 1962
 
The Ba store team, 1966

 

Mr. Vinod Patel laying the foundation for Rakiraki, 1972

 

The Vinod Patel team in 1979

 

The Vinod Patel team at a construction site in Lautoka

 

Vinod Patel Float at the Suva Hibiscus Festival, 1983

 


The Vinod Patel Suva City store, 1986

 


The inauguration of Vinod Patel’s new Nadi store, 1994

 

 Vinod Patel Centerpoint XL Store Fiji - YouTube

Centerpoint XL store, 2019