This archive report was first published on 21 August 2020.
On August 20, 2020, South African retail giant Massmart marked its growing presence in Kenya with the opening of a new Sh500 million building material outlet at the Waterfront Mall in Karen.
The outlet, dubbed Builders Warehouse, is the company's first store in East Africa and is expected to cater to the growing demand for building materials and home improvement requirements in the region.
With a product range covering building materials and home improvement requirements for flooring, paint, sanitary ware, kitchens, lighting, electrical, appliances, and more, the outlet aims to capture contractors in the large-scale construction industry as well as individuals who are keen on Do It Yourself projects.
Services such as paint tinting and mixing, glass cutting, kitchen design, pool water analysis, and others will be available at the outlet.
Massmart, majority owned by American super chain Walmart, made its debut in Kenya with Game Stores, cashing in on the growing demand for retail outlets in the country.
The opening of the outlet comes at a time when the construction market is expected to be on a decline, according to a report by real estate firm Knight Frank, which stated that they “expect a decline in the second half of 2020 due to the pandemic that has resulted in restricted movement, disruptions of business operations, and developers opting to postpone the construction of real estate projects.”
