Chandarana Foodplus, a Kenyan-based retail chain has opened a new branch in Nakuru Town at Golden Life Mall, bringing the retail’s total number of outlets in the country to 22.
This comes on the backdrop of heightened competition for shoppers Rift Valley region following a number of retail chains that include Naivas and Cleanshelf.
Chandarana is the oldest retail in the country having set up its first retail shop in 1959 and boasts of branches in some of Kenya’s major cities including Nairobi, Kisumu, Eldoret, Nanyuki and Mombasa.
Speaking during the official opening, Nakuru Deputy Governor Erick Korir said the supermarket’s outlet in Nakuru City is a testament to the region’s rapid growth and attractive tax regime.
“More than 60% of the employees are Nakuru County residents and the outlet will also provide a new market for our farmers to sell their produce,” he said.
According to Korir, the opening of various businesses in Nakuru County has provided unique employment opportunities to residents as well as supply opportunities for farmers.
With Nakuru being a trading hub linking the country’s major urban centres and other parts of the country, especially agricultural ones, the town was officially endorsed for city status after the Kenyan Senate voted for its elevation from a Municipality.
The hopes of the town with a population of 367,183 which surpasses the required population threshold of 250,000 according to the 2019 census now hangs in the hands of President Uhuru Kenyatta who will need to give a city charter for official transformation to the city status.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Gross County Product 2019, Nakuru is the second-highest contributor to the country’s GDP at an average of 6.1 percent, after Nairobi at 21.7 percent.