Popular Chinese-owned store in Kenya shuts doors after rival traders complain about prices
- China Square says it is halting trading indefinitely, just a month after opening in Nairobi
- Trade minister says Kenya welcomes Chinese investors as manufacturers not traders
A newly opened Chinese-owned supermarket in the Kenyan capital has closed its doors indefinitely amid an uproar from competitors over low-priced goods.
China Square, located at Unicity Mall, 18km (11 miles) northeast of the city centre of Nairobi, said on Monday it was closing until further notice, citing public safety, operational issues and misleading statements online.
The store said it was “unable to handle the high volume of traffic, which has become a severe concern for the public safety of all our customers, we are arranging more security guards onsite”.
“Long queues have given our customers bad shopping experiences, and we are doing our best to resolve these issues within the closing-down period,” China Square owner Lei Cheng said.
Cheng said some of the statements on the internet had misled the public, and some customers had overrated their services, creating unrealistic expectations.
“We need to close down and give a cooling down period,” he said.