Naivas Expands Footprint with 56th Branch at the Coast

Supermarket chain Naivas has moved to widen its footprint in Kenya’s coastal region by adding a new outlet in Mombasa’s Central Business District (CBD).

This latest branch is located along the busy Digo road right next to Bima Towers and occupies at least 22,000 square feet of retail space.

In a press dispatch, Naivas Supermarkets’ Chief Commercial Officer Willy Kimani says that the Digo branch brings it’s total number of outlets countrywide to 56. 

The launch of the new branch comes hot in the heels of the launch of another branch in Ngong Town and points to the fast pace with the retailer is expanding its geographical footprint.

“This year, we decided to ramp up our coastal presence with a new large outlet on the fairly busy Digo Road to tap into a growing population of walk-in shoppers as well as the motorists who work on that side of the business district,” said Kimani.

He added that in 2019 alone, Naivas has added nearly ten new outlets to its fast-growing national network as the company focused on bringing its famed retail experience to as many locations as possible.

Naivas now has 6 branches at the coast, with a strong focus on serving the island and the north coast, which have both tended to have higher populations.

Read: Naivas Expands with New Branch in Fast-Growing Town

“With recent improvements in transport connecting Mombasa to the hinterland, domestic tourism especially has risen in this region, pointing to a latent demand for similar retail services,” he explained.

Kimani said that the rapid growth of Mombasa’s metropolitan population, estimated at 3 million people, meant that there was still room for additional Naivas branches. 

He said that the firm will continue to carry out detailed feasibility studies to establish appropriate locations before setting up additional stores.

See also: Naivas Founder Died Having Built an Empire

Naivas Digo branch, as it will be formally known, opened its doors officially on Wednesday to a rousing welcome. 

With this growth in the coastal network, the firm expects to add at least another 100 new jobs.