Retail chain Naivas Supermarket is set to open four additional branches over the next few months, in an expansion plan that also targets regions outside Nairobi where most of its growth has happened.
Naivas plans to open additional branches in Mombasa and Embu in addition to the two upcoming stores near Yaya Centre and along Eastern Bypass.
The retailer has 55 branches after it opened the third branch in Ngong town last month as it move to tap on the growing metropolis and currently employs over 5,000 people.
Retail chain Naivas Supermarket is set to open four additional branches over the next few months, in an expansion plan that also targets regions outside Nairobi where most of its growth has happened.
Naivas plans to open additional branches in Mombasa and Embu in addition to the two upcoming stores near Yaya Centre and along Eastern Bypass.
The retailer has 55 branches after it opened the third branch in Ngong town last month as it move to tap on the growing metropolis and currently employs over 5,000 people.
“Our target is to serve each County head quarter but as of now, we have a pipeline that will ensure we also tap into rapidly urbanizing areas such as Ngong, Kitengela, Ongata Rongai and Machakos,” said Naivas Chief Operating Officer, Willy Kimani. Naivas expansion drive continues in the wake of increased competition from upcoming local stores like Quickmart and foreign-owned supermarkets such as Carrefour and Shoprite. Growth of physical retail stores in Kenya is set to continue according to consumer insights firm Nielsen.
Local growth in outlets will be marked mostly in central and in the lake region where 113 percent and 134 percent spike in stores, respectively, will be experienced. Globally, Nielsen predicts that physical stores will grow by 54 percent over the next five years to hit 272,400 stores.
The retailer said continuous in-house research informs the company on areas to invest and customer needs to respond to, which in turn has propelled it be a leading retailer with the greatest network locally.
“Convenience matters greatly to shoppers and thus over the years we have strived to offer as much of this as possible is as many ways as we can, including establishing branches in easily accessible locations, designing interiors for better navigation, shelf arrangements for easier reach and payment processes that are fast and secure,” said Kimani.
The Nielsen data indicates that Kenyan shoppers are most likely to visit an outlet if it is convenient to get to, has variety, well-stocked and has quality products, in that order, among other factors.