Battle of malls on Thika highway
Thika road residents will be spoilt for choice as investors are in a fierce mall war on the rebuilt highway.
Naivas is the latest entrant to the fray, having taken up three floors in the new Mountain Mall.
This will take the battle to Uchumi who are housed at the nearby Vantage Mall, with Nakumatt set to also pitch camp in the area once construction of Garden City Mall on the opposite side of the highway is complete.
The latter also has a major store at the relatively new Thika Road Mall that is about a kilometre away in Roysambu estate.
The four major retail chains have been in cut-throat competition for customers in and around Nairobi.
It remains unclear why Tuskys who at the beginning of construction had been identified as the principal tenant gave way for Naivas at the strategic location.
Since completion of Thika Superhighway, residential houses construction has intensified with the ever burgeoning cash-flush middle class that has shown a preference for the glitzy shopping malls moving in the area in droves.
The mall is located at the junction to Thome and Garden estates as well as Kahawa West further on.
Eateries and shopping outlets have also taken space at the new malls, making the centres one-stop shops for buyers.
The malls are slowly sounding a death knell to corner retail shops.