Quickmart Supermarkets is preparing for a major expansion of its retail network, with plans to increase its branches from 72 to 125 by 2030 as the company seeks to strengthen its position in Kenya’s supermarket industry.
The retailer has outlined a growth strategy that will involve opening new outlets, increasing sales at existing branches and improving its online shopping services. The plans come as Quickmart begins trading on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) following its Ksh 15 billion initial public offering (IPO).
In a corporate disclosure published after its November 12, 2026 listing, the supermarket said it would rely mainly on money generated from its operations to finance its expansion rather than depend on external borrowing.
The company intends to balance the opening of new branches with efforts to improve the performance of its existing stores. It will also invest in its digital shopping platform, Q-Soko, as part of efforts to reach more customers.
Quickmart said decisions on where to establish new outlets would be based on customer demand, the expected financial returns and the possible effect of new branches on stores already operating in nearby areas.
This approach is intended to ensure that new outlets are commercially viable and that expansion does not unnecessarily affect the performance of existing branches.
The expansion target represents an addition of 53 branches to the retailer’s existing network over the next four years. Earlier growth plans outlined by the company indicated that it intended to open between 10 and 15 new supermarkets annually, targeting urban, peri-urban, regional and coastal markets.
The retailer has also been recording increased customer activity. It handled approximately five million customer transactions per month during the first half of 2026 and had about 2.5 million members enrolled in its Q-Points loyalty programme.
The loyalty programme accounted for approximately 74 per cent of the company’s sales during the 2025 financial year and the first half of 2026. Quickmart plans to build on this customer base by improving its online shopping services and working with delivery platforms.
The company operates different store formats, including hypermarkets, supermarkets and express outlets. Of its 72 branches, 35 were operating on a 24-hour basis at the time of the IPO announcement.
Quickmart’s financial performance has also supported its expansion ambitions. The retailer recorded revenue of Ksh50.4 billion and an adjusted profit after tax of Ksh 1.7 billion in the 2025 financial year.
Its revenue grew at a compound annual growth rate of 18.4 per cent between 2021 and 2025. In the first six months of 2026, the supermarket generated revenue of Ksh 27.3 billion.
Quickmart suppliers
The business has also built an extensive supply network, working with more than 700 suppliers and sourcing fresh produce directly and indirectly from over 14,000 Kenyan farmers.
During the NSE listing ceremony, Group Chief Executive Officer Peter Kang’iri said the supermarket paid suppliers an average of Ksh5 billion every month, with small and medium-sized enterprises accounting for more than 70 per cent of its suppliers.
He added that the retailer employed more than 8,000 people and created approximately 1,000 jobs annually. Quickmart also contributed Ksh2.9 billion in taxes in 2025.
The supermarket’s growth plans follow its successful IPO, which attracted applications worth Ksh18.41 billion against the targeted Ksh15 billion. The offer received 18,492 applications for 2.45 billion shares, representing an oversubscription of 22.7 per cent.
The shares were offered at Ksh 7.50 each, with two billion existing ordinary shares representing 50 per cent of the company’s issued share capital put up for sale by Sokoni Retail Kenya Limited.
The transaction was an offer for sale rather than an issue of new shares. This means Quickmart did not receive the Ksh15 billion raised from investors. The proceeds went to the selling shareholder, while the listing widened ownership of the supermarket through the stock market.
Quickmart officially started trading on the NSE on November 12 under the ticker symbol QMRT. Its shares opened at Ksh10, above the IPO price of Ksh7.50.
The retailer began operations in Nakuru in 2006 as a family-owned business founded by the late John Kinuthia and his family. In January 2020, Quickmart combined with Tumaini Supermarkets following investments in both businesses by private equity firm Adenia Partners.
The planned expansion will see the supermarket build on its two-decade growth journey as it seeks to increase its national presence and strengthen its position in Kenya’s retail market.
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