French retailer Carrefour has opened a new store in Mombasa County, bringing the number of its outlets to nine.
The new outlet at City Mall in Nyali is the retailer’s first store outside Nairobi as is one of three planned for the coast region.
Carrefour, which is operated by Majid Al Futtaim, took over space previously occupied by South African retailer Shoprite, which has exited Kenya citing the underperformance of its supermarkets.
“Carrefour continues to grow with the opening of its first store in the nation’s second-largest city, Mombasa,” said Franck Moreau, Country Manager of Carrefour Kenya at Majid Al Futtaim Retail on Wednesday.
‘’This is an exciting milestone for us since we ventured into Kenya in 2016, and we are looking forward to extending our quality goods and services to our customers here on the coast.”
The retailer plans to open a second store in Diani and the third one in Shanzu Mall after completion of the mall in 2023.
The Nyali and Diani stores had been scheduled for opening last month.
The new outlet comes after the retail chain opened a store at the Mega space along Uhuru Highway in Nairobi, previously occupied by Nakumatt.
The retailer has been expanding its presence in Kenya taking over spaces previously occupied by supermarket chains that have ceased operations, including Shoprite, Nakumatt and Uchumi, as well as opening new outlets.
Carrefour Kenya’s sales rose 28 percent to Sh18.7 billion last year compared to Sh14.8 billion in 2018, indicating that its aggressive expansion bid was paying off.
The retailer’s other branches include The Hub in Karen, Village Market, Two Rivers Mall and Sarit Centre, among others.