Nakumatt

Nakumatt Holdings Limited

Type	Private
Industry	Retail trade
Founded	1987
Headquarters	Nairobi, Kenya
Products	Supermarkets
Subsidiaries	In Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda
Website	Home Page

Nakumatt is a Kenyan supermarket chain. "Nakumatt" is an abbreviation for Nakuru Mattress.^[1]

Overview

As of December 2015, Nakumatt had nearly 65 stores in the African Great Lakes countries of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. It employed over 5,500, and had gross annual revenue in excess of US$450 million.^[2] At that time, it had plans to enter other African countries and to increase the number of stores in the countries where it already had a presence.^[3]

Vision, to become Africa’s undisputed retailer of choice.

Mission statement, enhancing the lifestyle of people in Africa by delivering the ultimate shopping experience

Core values^[4]

Win-Win: We will build mutually beneficial relationships with our colleagues, suppliers & customers.

Respect: We treat others as we expect to be treated with dignity and respect.

Innovation: We will constantly seek to identify & implement new ideas to enhance value.

Integrity and Ethics: We are honest, sincere, fair and transparent in all our activities and interactions.

Excellence: We will strive to be the best at what we do and deliver value beyond what is expected.

Walk the Talk: Our actions will speak louder than our words.

Socially Conscious: We care for the well being of our employees, our environment, & our community.

Regional subsidiaries

On 23 August 2008, Nakumatt opened its first store outside Kenya in the Union Trade Center, in Kigali, Rwanda.^[5] In June 2009, the first Nakumatt store in Uganda opened on Yusuf Lule Road on Kololo Hill, in central Kampala, the capital city. In November 2010, Nakumatt expanded its footprint in Kampala by acquiring Payless Supermarket, a Ugandan supermarket chain with two stores in the Kampala suburbs of Bugoloobi and Bukoto, bringing the number of stores in Uganda to three.^[6] The initial investment in the store in Kololo was approximately US$3 million. The two Payless Supermarket stores cost an estimated US$650,000. Nakumatt plans to expand the new stores at a later date.^[7] In February 2016, the retail chain announced plans to open five new stores outside Kenya during the first half of the year.^[8]

Branches

As of October 2015 the supermarket chain had 55 stores in the African Great Lakes, including at the following locations:^[9]

•  Kenya — Thirty-four stores.
•  Uganda — Nine stores: 1. Oasis Mall, Yusuf Lule Road, Central Kampala 2. Luthuli Rise, Bugoloobi^[10] 3. Kira Road, Bukoto 4. Village Mall, Bugoloobi^[11] 5. Acacia Mall, Kololo^[12] 6. Muganzirwazza Mall, Katwe. 7. Victoria Mall in Entebbe^[13] 8. One in Mbarara.^[14] and 9. One in Naalya, in suburban Kampala^[15]
•  Rwanda — Three stores in Kigali.
•  Tanzania — Five stores; one in Moshi,^[16] one in Arusha, and three stores in Dar es Salaam.^[17][18]
•  Burundi - One store in development in Bujumbura
•  South Sudan - Cancelled

Finances

Turnover in 2006 was over US$300 million, up 150% on the previous year.^[19] In 2013, turnover (annual gross revenue) was estimated at about US$650 million.^[20]

Ownership

Nakumatt is a wholly Kenyan, privately held company, owned by the Atul Shah family and Hotnet Limited. In July 2013, Kenyan print media indicated that the chain planned to sell a 25% stake to yet an unidentified investor and use the funds for regional expansion. After that sale, the Shah family will still remain the largest shareholder in the company.^[21]

Safety

The chain has a poor safety record and has faced strong criticism mainly regarding shoppers and employees safety. Main case in point is the 2009 Nakumatt fire in which over 29 people lost their lives. It's claimed that workers locked the supermarket doors when the fire started thereby trapping shoppers and employees inside. Most victims were burnt beyond recognition.

Despite this, the supermarket still has the emergency exit doors heavily locked raising safety concerns in case such an incident was to recur which is highly possible.

2009 Nakumatt fire

A Nakumatt store in Nairobi suffered a massive fire on 28 January 2009, killing 25 people.

High-end malls

Nakumatt has played a significant role in the urban development of Kenya's largest and capital city, Nairobi, through the construction of upscale malls throughout the Nairobi area, which include brand name stores, banks, international eateries, theatres, etc.:

• Nakumatt Mega - 24-hour supermarket
• Nakumatt Junction
• Nakumatt Ukay - Kenya's first 24-hour supermarket
• Nakumatt West Gate - In development - destroyed in Westgate shopping mall attack in 2013
• Nakumatt Prestige
• Nakumatt Galleria on Langata Road
• Nakumatt Lifestyle - 24-hour supermarket
• Nakumatt Thika Road - In Thika Road Mall
• Nakumatt Garden City - along Thika Super Highway

Sole Sad & Invisible

The website of Nakumatt Holdings Limited was hacked by Iranian Hackers called Sole Sad & Invisible. The website as of 31 May 2014 shows a message that the website is under construction. Have got a new website www.nakumatt.net ^[22]

See also

References

External links

• 2009 Nakumatt Fire
• Nakumatt Official Website
• Nakumatt Sets Stage To Open 50th Store In August 2014
• Nakumatt In Search of Equity Partner, Plans Expansion Into Western & Southern Africa
• Nakumatt With Eight Stores In Uganda By December 2013
• Nakumatt’s profit drops to Sh305m after high costs