The newest Quickmart branch, which opens its doors to shoppers Wednesday. This is the retailer’s 32nd branch. PHOTO | POOL Quickmart Supermarkets is opening its 32nd store in the suburbs of Kilimani, as the retailer eyes to ramp up its customer base.
“We are positioning this store as our flagship store in the Kilimani, Ngong Road, Lavington and hurlighum area,” the retail chain’s marketing director Betty Wamaitha said Tuesday.
The retailer appears to be bucking the trend in a country where its competitors are facing economic shocks arising from coronavirus and are struggling to remain operational on the back of heavy debts and reduction in consumer spending in the wake of the economic slowdown caused by the pandemic.
Quickmart said it will be seeking to give more value to its customers by providing selected goods on wholesale prices with the hope of rolling out the strategy to all its other stores with time.
“Given the economic challenges brought about by Covid-19, we have responded to our shoppers’ needs by providing selected goods such as bales of sugar, flour and others under essential providers at wholesale price,” Ms Wamaitha said. The store will also feature a fully-fledged deli, bakery, butchery, liquor store and a fruits and vegetables section.
The wholesale offer on some commodities comes at a time when consumers are grappling with depressed incomes in the wake of salary cuts, unpaid leaves and job losses occasioned by the global coronavirus pandemic.
Quickmart recently opened two major stores in Ongata Rongai, where it acquired Tumaini Supermarket as it stepped up competition against Naivas and Tuskys supermarkets.
Quickmart, Tuskys and Naivas — all of which are family owned — are facing increased competition from international retailers like Carrefour and The Game who are all seeking to tap into the market gap created by the fall of Nakumatt and Uchumi #ticker:UCHM.
French-owned Carrefour this month opened its eighth outlet on Uhuru Highway as it seeks to increase its share of the local retail market following the exits of the once-dominant Nakumatt and Uchumi.