Nakumatt couldn't do it

[KenyanPlato]

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Nakumatt couldn't do it. Retail business is one of lowest margins, low barrier to entry businesses. That why you see retail giants go broke like a pack of dominoes. However, we have Sam Walton the Founder of Walmart. He has beaten all odds to have founded one of the most successful retail businesses in the world. Before 2nd world War America landscape was dominated by small businesses. It was a informal economy. After WWII American entrepreneurs went all out. I bet when you survive a war no risk is scary. Sam Walton was a genius.

Here is a good summary of his biography. A man that should emulated and,NOT castigated. his a god of retail. I thought his expansion in early 2000s was going to bankrupt Walmart but I was wrong.

Only Bezos can end Sam's Reign but he won't

As Kenya goes thru retail formalization think big. Think low cost operations, high volume, fully automated retail. If you do a Dukawalla type of retail you will go home broke and dejected. Take Walmart recipe and tweak for Kenyan environment. Build something to last 300 years.
Here are stats about Walmart
$599 billion in sales
2.2 million employees
Average wage per employee is #14.26 /hr

[patel]

Walmart business model pretty much is a contingency store...they don't own merchandise and suppliers only get paid when they sell item. If items are returned they deduct money from your account. When it comes to employees alot of state have problem with Walmart because they mainly hire part time employee 30hrs or less so they don't have to give them benefits plus lately I think they have cut down on hiring. Last time i was in states a whole super Walmart had only 5 employees...no cashier. Try that in kwinya....

[Githunguri]

Nakumatt was failed this way..Indian owners/directors borrowed money and invested it personal accounts...The senior employees used to order products..steal them before they got to warehouses...The junior employees then stole the remainder of products at warehouses on transit to the supermarket.. so what happens from there?No suppliers unpaid debts...when a young auditor questioned what was going on HE GOT SHOT DEAD IN BROAD DAYLIGHT..even if you automate every retail operation..Kenyans are just thugs they learnt from uchumi frenzy.

[RV Pundit]

I think Naivas have it figured out; they have now exceeded Nakumatta and Tusky at their apex; Nakumatt I think got 65 stores; Tuskys 75; now Naivas are at 85 stores; and seem the groceries is biggest push margin wise.

Kenya has a long way to South Africa level - which has like 2,000 supermarkets - kenya has barely 200 stores.