Naivas to open four more outlets

Local retailer Naivas will expand its branch network to 70 by the close of the year with four more outlets.

Speaking during the official opening of the its 66th outlet at Waterfront Mall in Karen, Naivas Chief Commercial Officer Willy Kimani said one of the new branches in the pipeline will be at Lifestyle Mall in Nairobi’s central business district, which previously hosted Nakumatt.

“We are opening a branch in Rongai, a branch at Lifestyle and the other two locations we are not ready to disclose yet,” said Mr Kimani.

The retailer has maintained its bullish expansion even as some of its competitors continue to struggle.

“It has not been easy considering the environment we are in especially looking at the mood in retail,” he said.

“It’s a focus on customer and making decisions you need to make. If a store is not performing, you need to identify the store, take corrective measures and shut it down if necessary.”

Naivas has diversified its outlets, redesigning them to have a modern appeal, including grocery sections, delis and more recently, added an alcohol section to grow its revenue.

The family-run retailer began opening alcohol kiosks within its newly-opened food market stores with the launch of new outlets that offered shoppers a wide variety of products, including fresh produce.

Mr Kimani indicated that the retailer will remain focused on the Kenyan consumer, keeping expansion local first before looking at going to other countries.

The space at the Waterfront became vacant when Shoprite, which is exiting the Kenyan market, closed its doors less than six months after setting shop at the mall.

Naivas’ rapid expansion has been as a result of the Sh6 billion raised from the sale of a 30 percent stake to a consortium of investors.