A burgeoning middle class and changing lifestyle has triggered the sprouting of shopping centres in Kenya, keen to tap the growing retail market. We look at The Hub Karen, a shopping mall that seeks to revolutionise the shopping experience in the country.
The Hub Karen
When The Hub Karen opened its doors in the first week of February 2016, it was a bee hive of activities as international and local firms like Art Caffe, Bossini, Reebok, Adidas and Regus took their space inside the mall.
It marked the crowning glory of Kenya’s strong shopping centre industry. The country already ranks high in terms of the number of people visiting shopping centres. A Consumer Insight report dabbed “Africa Has Finally Found True Love” reveals that Kenya ranks second behind South Africa in the shopping mall bonanza.
The report indicates that 47 percent of Kenyan shoppers head to malls to shop and as a social phenomenon driven by changing consumer trends. Giving credence to the Consumer Insight report is research firm Nielsen’s findings, which ranked Kenya as the second biggest formalised retail economy in Africa after South Africa. The consumer report signals the shift of Kenyans from traditional small shops to shopping centres.
Self sufficiency
Situated in the affluent Karen neighbourhood and having cost a staggering Ksh5 billion(US$50 million) to construct, the commercial complex has been touted as the biggest mall in the country.
The Hub consists of a cinema, gym, spa, jogging track, orchid garden and extensive green areas, amphitheater and over 1,000 vehicle parking slots.
But what informed the current location of the Hub? Philippe Cauviere who is the Client Representative for the Hub Karen says that the decision to construct the mall in Karen area was motivated by research that revealed the dire need for shopping space in the area.
“Our research showed that there was a retail deficit of about 40,000m2 that needed to be provided,” explains Mr. Cauviere adding that the construction of The Hub Karen with a gross lettable area of 32,000m2 is a timely solution to the deficit.
The expansion of a nascent middle class in Kenya has continued to trigger the rise of shopping malls in the country eying to tap the burgeoning retail market. Coupled with an apparent change in shopping experience among the Kenyan population, shopping centres in Kenya can only thrive.
The Hub Karen is not only targeting to attract the locals but also eying foreign visitors.
“Well located on the Dagoretti Road, The Hub is easily accessible for both international and domestic shoppers and brings new dynamism to the area,” quips Jonathan Yach from Broll, the firm tasked with the management of the mall.
Already, international and local firms are racing to get a space in the mall. Over 75 percent of the space at The Hub has been let signaling the success of the mall.
Among international brands that have booked the space at The Hub is French retail giant Carrefour. Ranked the world’s second largest supermarket chain, it booked 6,000 square feet of retail space at The Hub. It marks the latest move by the Paris based hypermarket to increase its footprint in Kenya to jostle for the retail market share. Carrefour has a total of 10,105 stores in 34 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, Russia and Africa.
Designed by leading architectural firm Bowman & Associates, The Hub will have green features incorporating water recycling facilities, state-of-the-art energy efficiency systems and water disposal plants.
Shops, multi-cuisine restaurants and cafés, offices, medical facilities and a gym will be anchored around The Piazza, which is a half acre open-air square that will have open markets and a conference facility.
Green features
Betts Townsend, the internationally recognized construction consultancy firm has been managing the project. Kenneth Oigo who is the project manager for Betts Townsend says that environmental issues were given top priority throughout the construction of The Hub. Green initiatives have been incorporated into the design of the complex. These include water recycling, minimal utilization of electricity by tapping as much of natural lighting as possible and vetting every restaurant to make sure that they use efficient dish cleaners.
“The Hub has been designed in such a way that there is plenty of natural light during the day to avoid the use of artificial lights,” explains Mr Oigo.
To ensure that activities continue uninterrupted in case of power outages, the shopping centre has installed efficient generators as back up.
The Hub has ample underground parking area to ensure it accommodates as many visitors as possible. In total, The Hub can accommodate 1,200 cars.
“We are racing against time to ensure the commercial complex is completed on time. As you can see, most of the construction works have been completed and we are doing final touches,” says Oigo as he inspects one of the elevators.
He adds, “We have already handed over most of the buildings to the client,”
According to Oigo, Kenyans’ love for shopping has seen the rise in suburban malls in the capital Nairobi as developers take the centers to people. He says that many more shopping centres are still being constructed signaling that investing in malls is paying off in Kenya.
The Hub will be a shopping centre with a difference. Mr Oigo says that nothing has been left to chances. In terms of security, they have hired an international security consultant who advises on security apparatus that have been installed in the building. The project manager says that The Hub is a revolution as far as shopping experience is concerned. The design of the mall was inspired by the need to have a mall that will remain iconic tomorrow as it is today, quips Oigo
“This is what you find in Europe for instance France or Italy, where malls have a residential feel,” Oigo discloses.
Ideal for families and tourists
“It will be an ideal place for families and tourists alike. With a lake for fishing activities and for scenic beauty and a dancing fountain, it is our hope that The Hub will give Kenyans a new shopping experience they have been looking for,” says Oigo
Betts Townsend is an established project management firm that has presided over several projects in Africa. The firm has a wide presence in South Africa where it has managed iconic commercial buildings.
For instance, Betts Townsend oversaw the refurbishment of Hyde Park Corner Shopping Centre in Guateng, South Africa due to be completed in 2017. They were also project managers of phase one of Jubilee Mall in the same area. The project was successfully completed in 2011. The firm has footprint in West Africa as well especially in Ghana where they are managing the construction of various properties.
Formed in 1995, the project management firm has continued to attract clients from all walks of live due to the top notch services that it offers. The firm is a member of the Green Building Council of South Africa and has offices in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Kenya and Mauritius.
With several malls coming up in Kenya, Oigo is upbeat that they will be chosen as project managers of choice and further assert their presence in the country
