Naivas supermarkets has opened the doors of new branch, the Kilimani Food Market to the public. Located in Nairobi’s middle class Hurlingham, the outlet becomes one of the largest supermarkets in that residential area, with more than 10,000 square feet of space. It also brings the total number of Naivas branches to 63.

Naivas Chief Commercial Officer, Willy Kimani said that at least 25 per cent of the branch space is allocated to food items and an eatery.  He explained that the Kilimani Food Market was the first in the residential area.

The new Food Market, opened in the midst of the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic, extends the Naivas expansion streak and has created 110 new jobs, illustrating the firm’s focus the model as a strategic imperative.

Kimani noted that while it has not been easy to go through with plans to open the store, the customer culture of shopping for food items at convenient neighborhood locations had caught on strongly in Kenya, and the decision to set up in Kilimani had already been made.  

The move, he added, was informed by research that suggested a pent up need with more than 60 per cent of respondents asking for an affordable, reliable, accessible source within close walking distance.

“We carefully examined the data, found a suitable location with sufficient parking for motor vehicles and convenient access and it was all systems go. The set-up is aligned with our desire to have as many outlets as possible in residential areas, following a ‘localism’ approach where we design, stock and run outlets according to the core users’ needs,” he said. Kimani explained Naivas learned that Kenyans cannot not be served with a one size fits all approach.