This archive report was first published on 5 August 2020.
Published on August 5, 2020, Shoprite Holdings, Africa's biggest supermarket chain, is set to lay off 115 workers from its Kenyan business as it moves to shut its Nyali Branch in Mombasa later this month.
The move comes just three months after it closed its Waterfront branch in Nairobi's Karen area, putting 104 individuals out of work.
Shoprite has already notified the Kenya Union of Commercial Food and Allied Workers (KUCFAW) of the impending layoffs and invited the lobby for a consultative meeting.
According to a notice signed by Human Resources Manager Carolyne Walubengo, the retailer stated, 'Endeavors to continue trading at the Nyali branch is no longer viable.'
There are currently 115 people employed at the Nyali branch, of which 92 are members of KUCFAW.
Shoprite, which has a presence in 15 African countries, opened its first store in Kenya in 2018, aiming to take advantage of the gaps in Kenya's retail sector after the collapse of top supermarkets, including Uchumi and Nakumatt.
The coronavirus pandemic, among other factors, have worsened retailers' woes and heavily reduced footfall.
