Naivas takes over former Nakumatt Likoni branch space

Naivas supermarket is set to take over space previously occupied by troubled retailer Nakumatt in Likoni.

Naivas says it will open its third food market store at the outlet in December as it eyes double-digit growth through diversification.

The retailer has two other food market stores, one on Kiambu road’s Ciata Mall and the other at the Capital Centre branch, Mombasa Road. Naivas’s food market stores, unlike the conventional branches, stock a wide variety of farm produce, meat and fast moving processed foods. The Capital Centre store was opened in April while the Ciata Mall branch became operational in September.

Naivas Chief Operations Officer, Willy Kimani, on Thursday said the food market store is a concept that the retailer borrowed from more developed markets that has so far become popular among local shoppers.

“It is a model that also embraces a specific formula when sourcing, for instance, for the vegetables we directly source from the farmers instead of dealing with middlemen and this allows us to know from where we can do a trace back when necessary,” said Mr Kimani.

“In the meat section this concept has allowed us to increase our offering; we have aged meat and seafood something you will not find in other normal stores. The stores give shoppers a wide range of choices.”

Naivas is also set to open another general store in Mwembe Tayari, Mombasa, at the end of the month in preparation for the unveiling of the food store market and a branch at the Spur mall in Thika later on.

“The Island is underserved and we are going to take it over, by serving the people from the Likoni branch and Mwembe Tayari outlet. By opening the three stores we are going to create employment opportunities to an additional 300 people.