Naivas Supermarket Starts To Sell Alcohol, Breaks Own Tradition

Did you know that Naivas Supermarket was among the few retailers in Kenya that was not dealing in the sale of any form of alcohol? If you walked into a Naivas Supermarket and asked for alcohol, attendants would look at you like the only visitor in the New Jerusalem.

For 10 years, Naivas Supermarket had set a tradition of not dealing in the sale of alcohol, a move that always gave its competitors that deal with the same advantage over sales. But times seem to have changed with tough times calling for tough decisions, especially with the reigning Covid-19.

As the deadly Covid-19 continues to sweep across the country, and with businesses across the country continuing to feel the heat, Naivas Supermarket has been forced to break its long-standing tradition and ventured into the sale of alcohol.

Naivas Supermarkets have broken a decade long rule of never selling alcohol in their branches. Now they have started selling alcohol to grow revenues. Is this because of IFC stake in the brand? Interesting.

— SokoAnalyst (@SokoAnalyst) April 20, 2020

Naivas began opening alcohol kiosks within its newly-opened food market stores with the launch of new outlets that offered shoppers a wide variety of products, including fresh produce such as vegetables. The sale of alcohol in the outlets has set a conversation in a motion of how businesses are trying to adapt to the changing times.

When the Covid-19 came knocking, the government, through the Ministry of Health and Interior and Government Coordination ordered the closure of all bars and clubs to stop the spread of the virus among revelers.

READ: Gobeba Experiences Surging Orders As Coronavirus Pandemic Persist

The closure of bars and clubs meant that Kenyans started drinking from their homes. This led to an increase in demand for alcoholic drinks. Online platforms registered an increase in demand for alcohol by between 50 and 200 percent.

The demand for alcohol has seen many businesses changing their models to start delivering alcohol to Kenyans in their homes. “The decision to set up an alcoholic beverage shop in our outlets was driven by customer demand,” said Willy Kimani, the Naivas chief commercial officer.