The Nairobians are always busy. Someone once remarked. That the they are always busy, some doing something and some doing nothing but busy. Ever moving, not slowly but fast and in calculated steps with no time to waste.
One of the characteristic of the Nairobians is that they love shopping in big shopping malls and supermarkets. It always doesn’t matter what one shops but provided someone emerges from that shopping mall or supermarket with a branded paper bag, the Nairobians call it shopping.
Despite the fact that dear Nairobians love shopping, there are various challenges that they face. These challenges have always scared many from shopping and many businesspeople have not realized that.
- Long queues
There is nothing that discourages one from shopping like long winding queues in shopping malls. Most people would rather go home minus shopping than spending most of their time queueing for shopping. Most shopping malls within Nairobi have limited tills serving the whole mall. During this festive season, many people are rushing to do shopping at the same time and hence the long queues.
- Limited Time
Many Nairobians have a specific time that they would prefer to do their shopping mostly due to the nature of their work and jobs. Majority prefer to shop in the evening and most would love to shop at night when there are less queues and less traffic. Unfortunately, many businesses in Nairobi close their doors early before people do their shopping with very few giving their services beyond 9 pm.
- Traffic Jams
Nairobi is a city of traffic jams. In fact, some say that the city is the ‘mother of traffic jams’ and that is what many Nairobians dread the most. Those who love shopping, therefore, would perefer to do so when the roads are clear, when there is no traffic and the perfect time is at night or very early in the morning but are their shopping malls that are patient enough to wait for that?
- Coins for sweets
Imagine, going into a shopping mall, do your shopping, come to the till, pay in cash and need some five shillings as change but instead of the attendant giving you the money, he/she gives you five sweets. Despite the fact that some Nairobians always take those sweets smiling, that is usually the most annoying this to most of them too.
These are just but a few of the many challenges that Nairobians face.