Safaricom launches first-ever experiential shop in Eastleigh's BBS Mall

Safaricom has launched its first-ever experiential shop in Eastleigh, located at the Business Bay Square (BBS) Mall. This marks a significant milestone for the telecommunications giant, as the shop is the first of its kind in East and Central Africa.

The shop aims to offer a wide range of services that cater to customers' personal, business, and entertainment needs, all within an innovative digital space.

Cynthia Kropac, Safaricom's Chief Enterprise Business Officer while speaking to Eastleigh Voice during the inauguration emphasised that Eastleigh, as a bustling commercial hub in Nairobi, was the ideal location for this venture.

She stated that the BBS Mall alone attracts approximately 700,000 people each week, making it a prime spot for Safaricom to set up the new shop.

"Eastleigh is the business hub of Nairobi, let's call it a fact right. This Mall alone attracts nearly seven hundred thousand customers coming through Monday to Sunday," said Kropac.

Some of the guests who attended the inauguration of the new experiential shop in Eastleigh. (Ahmed Shafat)

The decision to establish the shop in Eastleigh is part of Safaricom's broader strategy to position itself at the centre of customer activity.

Cynthia noted that Safaricom wanted to be where the people are, and Eastleigh, with its significant business and commercial activity, was a natural choice.

The shop, which had been operating on a soft-launch basis for the past two weeks, has already been serving 500 customers daily. With the official opening, Safaricom expects the number of daily customers to increase significantly.

The shop provides a range of digital services, with large internet-enabled screens to assist customers. Many services can be accessed without physical interaction with customer care agents, streamlining the customer experience.

Eastleigh is one of the most important regions for Safaricom, with over 870,000 Safaricom lines in use, according to Cynthia.

This makes Eastleigh the highest per capita user of Safaricom's voice services in Kenya. The new shop, although a physical store, is designed to cater primarily to digital and enterprise customers, reflecting the growing demand for digital solutions in the area.

James Mutisya, Safaricom's Business Lead, highlighted the importance of serving the many businesses in Eastleigh.

"This shop, the way we have done it, is mostly to serve our enterprise customers. This is our second branch in Eastleigh. We at Safaricom are committed to offering seamless services," Mutisya said.

Cynthia Kropac, Safaricom's Chief Enterprise Business Officer addressing the attendees of the Tuesday's event. (Ahmed Shafat)

The focus on enterprise customers is a key part of Safaricom's strategy in Eastleigh, which is home to thousands of businesses. Safaricom's presence in Eastleigh is critical to its overall revenue, with 5% of the company's annual revenue coming from the area alone, according to a statement by Safaricom's CEO Peter Ndegwa last year when he visited the area.

The experiential shop offers more than just telecom services. It provides opportunities for young people to engage with innovation and gaming through the Safaricom network, potentially opening new pathways for youth employment and entrepreneurship.

Safaricom aims to make the shop a hub for innovation, providing resources and solutions for both individual and business customers.