The Tuskys chain of supermarkets has taken over the premise formerly occupied by the Kisii branch of Nakumatt Supermarket.

Workers could be seen erecting signage and making other final touches as the store readies for official opening on Friday.

The building located along the Kisii-Migori highway is spacious and has ample sparking space, unlike most stores in the congested town.

Tuskys’ pioneer branch in the town is located next to the main bus park and is characteristically chaotic and congested, with no room for parking.

This meant the retailer missed a lot on middle class shoppers who could not find a spot to park their cars and indulge in a quiet and relaxed shopping experience.

The new Tuskys store is christened ‘Echiro,’ which means market in Ekegusii.

The location is prime given its close proximity to banks (Diamond Trust Bank, Kenya Commercial Bank and Co-operative Bank), satellite campuses and Daraja Mbili open market; the largest open-air market in Western Kenya.

The building has hosted a fair share of collapsing retail giants bearing in mind that it was once home to Uchumi Supermarket. Nakumatt took it over when Uchumi went down due to financial challenges.

It was initially reported that Tuskys and Nakumatt had agreed to a deal that would see the former manage the latter’s supply chain and inventory on a caretaker basis until it stabilizes.

However, things seem to keep going south for Nakumatt, as more branches keep closing down day by day.

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Tuskys will however have an arduous task to match the premium aura Nakumatt had accustomed its shoppers to.