Tusker Mattresses Supermarket (Tuskys), swamped by mounting rent arrears, supplier debts and boardroom wrangles, has shut down the Ronald Ngala outlet within Nairobi’s Central shopping street.
This latest shutdown follows the closure of another store at the Greenspan Mall- Donholm in Eastlands Nairobi, which was padlocked over KSh 30 Million rent arrears.
Tuskys branch in Nairobi’s busy Tom Mboya Street was the first to shut its doors to customers, in April this year- at the height of the coronavirus outbreak in Kenya.
While the supermarket chain’s management blamed COVID19 restrictions for its woes, Tuskys has continued to close down more branches.
Other outlets in Nairobi that have since ceased operations include the one on K-Mall in Komarock, Hakati branch also in Nairobi. Other closures have happened in Eldoret, Kilifi, Kitale and Mombasa.
A spot check by this publication on the upcoming Ongata Rongai urban centre, a minutes’ drive from Nairobi, show low levels of shoppers traffic into the Tusky’s branch.
Tusky’s financial burden has led to empty shelves on most of its stores countrywide.
In August 2020, auctioneers descended on items seized from Tusky’s Midtown branch in Nakuru, over rent arrears.
In the same month, auctioneers also attached the property of Tuskys supermarket, seized from its outlet located at the United Mall on the Kisumu Kakamega Highway.
This action was taken after Tuskys failed to clear rent arrears amounting to KSh 26 Million. The outlet reopened after settling part of the bills on August 21st, 2020.
The retail chain has secured a deal with a foreign investor, who has agreed to a KSh 2 billion loan deal.
ALSO READ:Tuskys Ordered to Clear KSh 248 Million Arrears or Face Liquidation
