Uchumi Supermarket will be introducing restaurants and food stores into its outlets across the country. Currently, its food product line includes bakeries, grocery and fruit stores. Introduction of cafeterias in retail stores is a trending practise that has rendered the market competitive. By puting up cafeterias to its food product line the retail chain will give its customers a one-stop shopping experience, something that its competitors, Tuskys, Naivas and Nakumatt have already accomplished.
The Agha Khan Walk branch is presently being revamped to accomodate a restaurant. It is expected that other Uchumi outlets across East Arica will also have eateries put up. Uchumi has 20 outlets in kenya, 5 in Uganda, 1 in Tanzania and 2 expected to be opened in Juba, South Sudan by 2013.
The store has returned profits for four consecutive years since its brief closure on Wednesday 31st May 2006, compared to a Kshs1.2 billion loss in 2005. The company’s placement by the Debenture Holders under receivership on June 2nd 2006 saw its listing’s suspension by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) from the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). However the management and staff since worked tirelessly to get the Supermarket back to business, an effort eventually that saw its re-listing at the NSE onMay 31st 2011. During the year ending 30 June 2011, the retailer increased it’s customer numbers by 10% awithg its revenue growing by 13%.
Jonathan Ciano the supermarket’s CEO says that the move to introduce eateries into its outlets will satisfy long running customer requests as well as boosting the store’s sales.