Local eatery businesses drop 45pc as virus bites

Market News

Local eatery businesses drop 45pc as virus bites

Sunday, April 12, 2020 21:57

By JAMES KARIUKI

Retail chains, eateries and recreation centres suffered a 45 percent drop in customer visits during the past month after Kenya imposed measures to combat the coronavirus.

Google survey findings, ‘Covid-19 Community Mobility Report between February 16 and March 29, show Kenyans opted to remain indoors and shied away from malls, fast-food outlets, theme parks, museums, libraries and movie theatres, among other areas prone to crowding.

“Google prepared this report to help you and public health officials understand responses to social distancing guidance related to Covid-19,” it said.

“Grocery markets, food warehouses, farmer markets, specialty food shops, drugstores and pharmacies reported a 33 percent drop in footfall.”

National parks, public beaches, marinas, plazas and public gardens, as well as public forests where exercise-savvy individuals take dogs for a walk, also reported a 20 percent fall in visits, indicating rising compliance with the directive that Kenyans should embrace social distancing as a way of fighting the scourge.

The Google report says bus and train stations experienced a 39 per cent slump as operators implemented the reduced capacity rule to abide by the social distancing rule that discourages sitting arrangements where people sit close to one another.

Fourteen-seater-matatus now carry only nine people while 51 seater buses have 32 passengers, 61-seater passenger buses ferry 37 while the popular tuk-tuk tricycles now ferry two instead of five passengers.

The development has reportedly caused operators across board massive losses as few people commute to work and back, schoolchildren are also at home. The situation was worsened by the 7pm to 5am curfew order on March 25.