Two Rivers Mall cements Kenya’s top position in retail space
Recent surveys have continued to put Kenyan capital Nairobi ahead of its peers when it comes to mall development.
In its latest report, Knight Frank reveals that Nairobi retail space stands at nearly 500,000 square metres far ahead of other top cities like Kampala (170,000sqm), Lagos (150,000sqm) Addis Ababa (60,000sqm) and Dakar (170,000sqm).
Kenyans’ love for shopping is second in Africa. South Africa tops in the love for shopping malls, various surveys including one conducted by Consumer Insight in 2014 have shown.
A growing middle class and a recent classification of Kenyan economy as being a middle- income has fueled this love for shopping malls.
Kenya’s economy is now the fourth biggest in Sub-Saharan Africa after Nigeria, South Africa and Angola. Some of the most profitable sectors in the country include communication and real estate.
Kenya’s love for malls was firmly cemented with the recent opening of the Two Rivers mall. The opening of the shopping complex marked the beginning of a new kind of shopping and lifestyle experience for the city of Nairobi.
The mixed development complex will host at least 200 stores, with the best mix of local and international tenants and brands in consumer goods, fashion, food, luxury goods and fine living.
The anchor tenant for Two Rivers mall is Carrefour Hypermarket. The retail giant sits on 7200 square metres of shopping space and offers more than 30,000 items, including fresh produce and groceries, a fresh bakery, home appliances, electronics and general merchandise.
The retailer targets shoppers who are looking for excellent shopping experience and great value products. Carrefour says it is in Kenya to be the country’s shopping partner and strives to make a world class difference to the retail experience in Kenya to enrich the lives of all consumers in Kenya. Carrefour Hypermarket at the Two Rivers Mall is the second store in Kenya. It also has a store at the Hub Karen.
Other tenants at the mall include Turkish luxury fashion line LC Wakiki.Woolswoths,Hugo Boss and Nike.
Other tenants include Deacons Group, which has four stores in the mall among them Adidas, Bossini, Mr Price Home, Mr Price Apparel. Others are Chandarana Food Plus, Carrefour, LC Waikiki, Villeroy & Bosch, Magic Planet, Swarovski, Anmol Jewellers, Woolworth, Azadea TA Cool Trends and Secret Garden.
The mall has also signed up Burger King, Artcaffe, Text Book Centre, Coffee Nove, Urban Gourmet, Barclays Bank, Kenya Commercial Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Sidian Bank, Coop Bank & Stanbic Bank amongst others.
Located in the heart of the affluent Runda, Gigiri and Muthaiga Two Rivers mall spans 65,000 square metres.
It beats the 50,000 squre metres Garden City mall located along Garden city.
In 2015, Centum majority owner of Two Rivers mall said that Aviation Industry Corporation of China (Avic) had invested $70 million (Sh6.4 billion) in Two Rivers for a 38.9 per cent stake, valuing the project at about Sh16.6 billion. Besides the equity investment, Avic was also the main contractor for the Two Rivers project.
A few weeks after it opened door to the public, Kenyans were treated to top notch security measures that have been put in place at the mall. Unlike other public shopping areas where shoppers are physically screened, Two Rivers mall is using a system mostly used at airports where someone is scanned without any physical contact.
The mall uses a digital system called ThruVis TS4C, one of the most advanced people-screening camera system that can detect concealed objects at four to 10 metres to keep shoppers safe. The mall says its security system can detect metal or plastic weapons, explosives, liquids and currency and basically anything concealed under clothing with almost 100 per cent effectiveness.
It can also identify a gun in a crowded place. To access the mall from the parking, one has to go through this system that operates like a camera that transfers your image to a screen manned by a security guard.
The system is fitted with software that helps security details manning it using a laptop, show a colour CCTV image of a person being screened.
It offers real-time screening, automatic alerts to the mall’s security control room. To take care of shoppers who want to visit the mall on foot or cycling, the Two Rivers project will also have jogging and cycling lanes for tenants and guests.
Two Rivers has also developed an app – Two Rivers App – with features that include payment for parking through the app, as well as access to promotions and events at Two Rivers.