Chandarana ventures into estates, opens 24th branch in Westlands

NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 3 -Chandarana Food plus has opened its 24th branch at The STOP Mall along Rhapta Road in Westlands as it expands its footprint in Nairobi and beyond.

The firm’s marketing manager, Moses Njoroge, who spoke during the opening of the new branch, said in the next four months, the firm is also seeking to open three more branches in Thigiri, Riverside, and Westlands.

“We chose this location because of the demographics, it’s convenient because it is located off Waiyaki highway and more in a residential area making it more accessible to residents, It offers unique variety which blends in with this area,” he told Capital Business

Njoroge said that the firm has reported a huge jump in online sales with the percentage of traditional shopping vs online sales being 10 percent compared to the global 20 percent average.

“Since COVID-19  happened, we have reported high growth in online sales, we have partnered with third-party vendors and courier services who have helped drive online sales,” he told Capital Business.

Some of the challenges in online deliveries, however, he said included poor addressing of houses which slows down the delivery period of goods.

He says that the majority of Kenyans are also not fully receptive to the service, especially vegetable and fruits shoppers.

“Poor Infrastructure in the country also leads to traffic jams which makes it hard for delivery access,” he added.

Moses said that the firm will continue to adopt a slow approach in expansion despite receiving a lot of offers from malls.

“We have a positive outlook this year, We are always open and receiving offers to many malls, existing and new ones, we are looking at those that suit our business model and our customers’ needs?” he said.