KENYA – Carrefour Kenya, operated by Dubai-based conglomerate Majid Al Futtaim, is set to open two branches in Kenya’s third largest city, Kisumu, in pursuit to get a piece of the lakeside’s growing middle-class shoppers.

The two stores will be located at United Mall and Market MEGA, adopting the hypermarket and supermarket models respectively.

They are set to open doors in July and August, offering customers an assortment of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) at affordable prices, reports Star News.

“Kisumu is the third city we are investing in after Nairobi and Mombasa, and it is part of our larger strategy to increase our footprint in various regions across the country.

“Our continuous commitment to contribute towards the Kenyan economy is reflected in the increase of job opportunities for local communities where we operate,” said Carrefour Country Manager Franck Moreau.

More than two hundred Kisumu residents will benefit from the opening of the two stores through direct and indirect employment.

The opening of the outlets will also expand opportunities for local farmers and manufacturers, who will be supplying the supermarkets.  

Carrefour will now boast of 15 branches in Kenya, including 11 stores in Nairobi and two in Mombasa.

“Kisumu is the third city we are investing in after Nairobi and Mombasa, and it is part of our larger strategy to increase our footprint in various regions across the country.“

Carrefour Country Manager – Franck Moreau

The French giant retailer is banking on their strategic location at United Mall along the busy Kisumu-Kakamega highway and Mega Plaza at the central business district to stamp its presence against other players in the region.

Last month, Naivas announced that it will be opening a new outlet at the prime Simba Club Hall in mid-July, which is a few metres from Carrefour’s United Mall property .

“We are due to open the store at the beginning of the third week in July,” said Mr Kimani in response to Business Daily inquiries, adding that food market concept is in line with their strategic mission to extend the modern design series across all major urban centres.

Naivas has already branded its store and doing final touches on its open ground where vehicles will be parked.

Pick n Pay adds delivery capacity as online demand soars

In other related news, South African supermarket, Pick n Pay has opened additional capacity in response to the high demand for online shopping on its scheduled delivery platform.

It said in Gauteng, where the third wave was resulting in more people distancing and isolating, the grocery retailer has increased delivery slots by 65 percent on the platform, reports IoL.

John Bradshaw, retail executive: Omnichannel at Pick n Pay, said, “We have moved quickly to add delivery slots, particularly in Gauteng, to make sure that we respond to increased demand for online shopping during this time.”

Pick n Pay said certain areas in Cape Town experiencing high demand were also receiving additional capacity, while the rest of the Western Cape and other provinces were being monitored.

“The move to respond quickly comes after registrations on Pick n Pay’s on-demand platform, Bottles by Pick n Pay, spiked over the last week, with treble the number of users compared to the previous year,” it said.

Incoming Chief Executive Pieter Boone said in April, during the results presentation for the 52 weeks to the end of February, that his goals included making Pick n Pay the first choice of its customers, accelerating the Boxer business and building on the group’s omnichannel strategy.

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