KENYA NEWS ON FASTMOVING

The Naivas chain of supermarkets has opened a new branch, Mountain Mall, on the Thika superhighway. This is the chain's 29th store.  read more

Kenya's top three retail chains, Nakumatt, Tuskys and Uchumi are set to open new stores in strategic locations across the country in time for the December festive season's shopping boom. read more

Uchumi Supermarket has received approvals to trade its shares on the Uganda Securities Exchange. read more

Kenya Breweries has unveiled East Africa’s first whisky festival to grow the drink’s sales. The drive, which is a campaign driven themed ‘Love Whisky Festival’ will take place during this month in different venues around Nairobi. read more

Clothing retailer, Woolworths Kenya has signed an agreement with consumer finance firm afb allowing its customers to buy goods on credit to be repaid in six months.  read more

Sugar importers have asked for two weeks to discuss the new regulations that are to be introduced by the Kenya Sugar Board to regulate the market.  read more

Construction of commercial space is turning out a lucrative venture for landlords in Nakuru as letting prices appreciate. Prices have doubled from Sh20-30 per square foot a month three years ago to Sh60-70 per square foot, a spot check by the Star reveals. read more

Uchumi supermarkets could grind to a halt next Wednesday if employees make good their threat to down their tools. The Kenya Union of Commercial Food and Allied Workers has issued a strike notice dated October 9 to pressurise the supermarket chain's management to meet workers' demands for higher pay. read more

Nakumatt is targeting new sales within the hospitality industry by offering select label products like furnishings, decorative accessories, bath towels, bed and table linen. according to the supermarket chain's business development manager Neel Shah. read more

East Africa Glassware Mart plans to double its revenue to $34 million (Sh2.9 billion) by opening in 10 new markets within Africa over the next three years. read more

The World’s largest privately held spirits company, Bacardi Limited is set to open its first African sales outlet in Nairobi, Kenya on Tuesday following the growing demand for luxurious goods such as alcoholic beverages by consumers. read more

East African Breweries Limited (EABL) in August said it posted “good results” in the year to June despite tough operating conditions in markets such as Uganda and Tanzania.  read more

Kenya’s Uchumi's Supermakets Ltd. has been cleared to cross list at Rwanda's Stock Exchange. read more

Last week’s Nairobi’s Westgate Mall attacks had hammered Kenya’s general retailer, Nakumatt, one of Africa’s most home-based business triumphs, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).  read more

Massmart has confirmed it is interested in buying a major stake in Kenyan retailer Naivas. read more

Chase Bank (K) Limited, Naivas Supermarket and Visa have announced a partnership to launch a secure prepaid card for shopping convenience in Kenya, featuring the latest chip-based technology to cut the risk of fraud. read more

The business community has welcomed the release of the census results earlier this month saying they will help them plan their business operations.  read more

The United Kingdom intends to double the value of trade with Kenya in the next five years, High Commissioner, Christian Turner has said.  read more

Listed retailer Uchumi Supermarkets has reported a 30.3 per cent rise in full year profit to Sh373.01 million from Sh273.98 million last year. read more

Nakumatt Holdings has announced plans to pursue a departmental store development project at an investment cost of Sh1.2 billion. The strategy, which will involve the construction of several brand aligned concept stores, will be executed concurrently with an on-going branch expansion strategy across the region. read more

Grocery firm Uchumi Supermarkets at the weekend said it plans to list in Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda bourses in the near future.  read more

Johannesburg - Massmart Holdings, South Africa’s biggest food and household-goods wholesaler, said it has met “several important players” in Kenya’s retail industry as the unit of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. seeks expansion abroad. read more

The Kenya Sugar Board has developed a five-year strategic plan that advices the industry to rethink its direction as it approaches the liberalisation of the sugar trade regime expected next year.  read more

Kenya-based private equity firm Catalyst said it had acquired a 50 per cent stake in Ethiopian food and drink maker Yes Brands to tap into the Horn of Africa nation's large population and fast economic growth.  read more

Johannesburg (Reuters) – South African retailer Massmart is in talks enter Kenya, a senior executive said on Tuesday, the latest step by the unit of Walmart Stores to expand its presence in Africa. read more

SA music retailer Look & Listen is set to re-launch its digital music store, five months after it halted online purchases on the platform. read more

The wholesale and retail sector is showing great promise as a key economic driver after recording good performance last year, the 2013 Economic Survey shows. - See more at: http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-121948/retail-sector-seen-key-economic-driver#sthash.nKR7ThJZ.dpuf read more

Nokia has announced local availability of the Nokia Asha 210 across East Africa, bringing consumers more social experiences at an affordable price. The Nokia Asha 210, available in both single and easy swap dual-Sim variants, features a distinct design, smart imaging and Wifi to help people enjoy more of the internet for less. read more

A South African wine producer Orange River Cellars has signed a distributorship deal with Kenya’s Chareth General Agencies.  read more

Uchumi Supermarket is counting on small retail investors across East Africa as it seeks to raise cash for expansion.  read more

The Nairobi All Share edged 0.13 points lower to close at 126.68.The All Share has posted a +33.544% return in 2013 and sits 1.745% beneath an all time high reached last month. read more

Cape Town - Woolworths Holdings [JSE:WHL] will cut its prices by up to 30% from August in a bid to gain market share in Africa, The EastAfrican reported. read more

Nairobi - Kenya's economy is expected to expand by about 6% in 2013, up from a growth rate of 4.6% last year, driven by a pick-up in sectors like agriculture, the planning minister said on Thursday. read more

A local retail giant is said to have acquired a rival’s operations in Nairobi in a bid to consolidate its business in the city. read more

Heineken will not be launching its sweeter, low-alcohol Radler beer in Kenya. It will instead focus on its flagship brand to grow local market share. read more

Kenya's Uchumi Supermarkets will open 13 new stores over the next year as East Africa's sole listed retailer prepares for a cash call and a cross listing of its shares, its chief executive said on Tuesday. read more

A new report shows consumers are taking charge of Africa’s economic growth, with an increasing number of urban Africans spending a large share of their disposable income on groceries and clothing.  read more

Nakumatt’s stores on wheels targets outdoor events Regional retailer, Nakumatt Holdings has announced plans to introduce a containerised mini retail stores. The outlets will provide shopping solutions during key events in remote locations. read more

The gloves are off in the fight for a giant share of Kenya’s multi-billion shilling beauty industry as French multinational acquires part of the company that owns Nice & Lovely. read more

London - Microsoft, trying to find growth markets for its mobile products, is projecting that rising demand in South Africa will help it pass BlackBerry and Android and pave the way for further gains on the continent. read more

Ghanaian firm AFB has launched a new credit card service in the Kenyan market as the fight for stake in the fast-growing plastic money business heightens.  read more

(Reuters) - Kenya's Uchumi Supermarkets (UCHM.NR), the sole listed retailer in East Africa, plans to open six new stores in the next six months as well as expanding into Rwanda and South Sudan to tap new shoppers, its chief executive officer said on Thursday. read more

Naivas rolls out Westlands branch NAIROBI, Kenya, Supermarket chain Naivas opened its latest branch in Westlands, Nairobi, bringing to 18 the number of their stores countrywide.  read more

GIiant beer and spirits maker East African Breweries posted a 14 per cent drop in net profits in its half year profits due to high financing and distribution and raw material procurement costs, the brewer said earlier this year.  read more

Molo Milk beats KCC, Brookside as preferred brand  read more

Directors of the Uchumi chain of super markets are cautiously monitoring events in the local investment landscape as the company prepares to raise cash from its existing shareholders to fund its local and regional expansion drive.  read more

Retailer Naivas Supermarkets is taking competition head on in the scramble for business by venturing into high end areas that are dominated by the major players within the market. read more

NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 23 – Nakumatt Holdings says it has attained its midterm corporate expansion goal, with the opening of its 40th branch in Thika town. read more

Africa-focused private equity firm Actis has said that South African luxury fashion houses Edgars and Foschini are some of the retailers that have booked stores in its Sh12.6 billion ($144 million) 50,000 square metres Nairobi shopping mall which is under construction and expected to be Kenya’s biggest mall. read more

Kenya has experienced a boom in supermarkets, with the retail outlets rapidly expanding in suburbs and town across the East African nation as competition stiffens. read more

A push to tighten beer regulation is underway in a proposed law currently before Parliament. If passed into law, the Alcoholic Drinks Control (amendment) Bill, 2012 will see the introduction of new regulations and institutions not contained in the current Alcoholic Drinks Control Act, 2010. read more

Equity Bank is eyeing the billions of shillings passing though kiosk and retail shops by offering a system that will allow shoppers to pay for goods without using cash. read more

Uchumi, Kenya’s third largest retail supermarket chain, plans to use the additional funds it is seeking from its shareholders to finance regional expansion and refurbish its outlets.  read more

Kenya’s large sugar millers are losing ground in the retail market as consumers opt for lesser known but more pocket-friendly brands.  read more

Game Africa, a South African retail chain, is set to open its first outlet in Kenya, intensifying competition in the retail sector. read more

South Africa’s Woolworths will hold a 51 per cent stake in a joint venture it has formed with Kenya’s Deacons, giving it control in the operations of the new company. read more

Top companies that converted their debt to Uchumi Supermarkets shares have seen their investments nearly double since the re-listing of the retail chain at the Nairobi bourse last year. read more

Mumias Sugar has warned consumers of a looming sugar shortage that could push the retail prices up.  read more

Retailers in Kenya are counting on adoption of technology to stem a coins shortage that is affecting their operations.  read more

Nairobi — Retailer Nakumatt Holdings increased its regional footprint with the opening of its 37th branch in the Western Uganda town of Mbarara. read more

Sunripe, a closely held East African grower that supplies U.K. supermarkets such as Waitrose Ltd., Asda Stores Ltd. and Tesco Plc (TSCO) with avocados and mangoes, is looking for investors to expand its business and help it keep up with increasing demand. read more

Beer makers are toasting to the rise in the number of women drinkers with the hope that this group will power their next phase of growth. read more

Johannesburg - Retailer Massmart [JSE:MSM] is in talks to enter Kenya, a senior executive said on Tuesday, the latest step by the unit of Walmart Stores to expand its presence in Africa. read more

Biotech crops in SA have for the second consecutive year increased by 100,000 hectares in 2011, according to an expert. read more

Kenyan retail chains that have gone aggressive in their regional expansions are expected to meet stiff competition from South African retailers such as Massmart, Shoprite, Pick n Pay and Spar.  read more

Kenya, the world's largest exporter of black tea, will resume its weekly tea auction this week after resolving a tax dispute, a senior government official and traders have said.  read more

Johannesburg/Lusaka - A tight grain supply outlook after several bumper harvests is set to fan food price pressures in southern Africa, fuelling salary demands and threatening to knock the region's fragile economies out of kilter. read more

SABMiller will introduce its third beer, Miller Genuine Draft, in Kenya on 8 December, aiming at the premium segment of the local beer market which is currently catered to by rival beer brands Heineken and Tusker Malt. read more

Dutch brewer Heineken has opened a regional headquarters in Nairobi to drive growth of its brands in the East African beer market. The office will be headed by its East African arm's general manager, Koen Morshuis. read more

New York/Nairobi, 11 November 2011—Juhudi Kilimo, a Kenya-based investment firm, announced today that it will provide some 100,000 smallholder rural farmers in Kenya—more than half of them women—with access to micro-loans and basic financial training by 2016 as part of the firm’s commitment to the Business Call to Action (BCtA), a global initiative that encourages companies to fight poverty while boosting business opportunities in developing countries.  read more