How outlets are jostling to catch customers’ eye

Retailers are pulling all the stops to attract customers during this festive season and make a lasting impression.

Chandarana Foodplus, which has opened its seventh store at Ridgeways Mall, invited holders of its loyalty cards to a double-point accumulation with every purchase. Shoppers allowed to redeem points at “50 percent more the value” at any of the retailer’s branches.

Naivas is running a month-long marketing campaign where shoppers who love baking stand to learn new skills at some of its outlets.

The family-owned retail chain says that 250 shoppers will receive Sh2,000 vouchers daily during the festive season.

“This has been a tough year for Kenyans and we want to ensure they can enjoy the festive season, despite the hassles it comes with. ‘Usiwe na was, krisi ni Naivas’ will see shoppers receive cashbacks and enjoy discounted prices on select products,” said Naivas Chief Commercial Officer Willy Kimani.

On its part, Tuskys has partnered with a realtor, Optiven Group, to award lucky shoppers with parcels of land.

The campaign dubbed ‘Sixty days of Christmas with Tuskys’ will see more than 20 shoppers walk away with title deeds for properties in Optiven’s project in Machakos.

Retailers are also adopting technology with all major chains running online shopping campaigns.

The robust campaign has seen each outlet state its prices on their individual websites with some partnering with virtual marketplaces to sell their merchandise online.

Bestmart Supermarkets for instance offers shoppers of goods worth above Sh2,000 free transport to their homes within the Ruiru area.

And with the world going ‘green’, shoppers now carry recyclable shopping bags as opposed to the situation in the past where retailers gave out free plastics bags.

Supermarkets have also launched food sections where one can shop and eat at a cafeteria before heading home.

Butcheries as well as fresh produce mini-markets have been established within some stores, creating a one-stop experience for shoppers.

With the emergence of online stores, some outlets also conduct a Nairobi-only delivery service where customers shop online and pay via mobile money with goods being delivered to their homes.