An increasing number of Nairobians now prefer ordering food from kibandas and local street food shops, latest industry reports show.
Food delivery platform Glovo says that there has been a 160 percent increase in food orders made to vibandas over the last one year, as Nairobians shift to cheaper and fresher food due to the prevailing difficult economic times.
Glovo has brought on board at least 1,100 vibandas on its platform to cater to the increasing demand for cheap food. The company says there is a clear preference of local foods especially chapati and rice which are difficult to find on the menus of established food chains like Java, KFC or Big Square that have traditionally dominated the delivery market.
“We are delighted with the results of the Kenyan market in 2022 and we expect to grow in the coming years by understanding our consumer everyday needs,” Glovo Kenya general manager Caroline Mutuku said.
As players from both online and offline retail move towards multi-channel deliveries, there is a reinvention of how customers shop.
“We aim to be the best and to do this we will keep on-boarding as many merchants on the Glovo app to enhance our multi-category offering and also adapt various developmental strategies to increase our market share,” Mutuku said.
Glovo is present in Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu, Mombasa, Kitengela, Ruiru, Thika, Ngong, Rongai, Karen and Syokimau. The Kenya National Alliance of Street Vendors and Informal Traders (KENASVIT) say they are about 30,000 food vendors in Nairobi. With each with about 60 customers daily, the kiosks serve close to two million Nairobains daily