Retail chain Mulleys Supermarket has announced the closure of five of its 10 branches, in a shock downsizing plan that has seen hundreds of staff laid off.
The supermarket which had presence in four counties of Nairobi, Machakos, Kitui and Makueni shut down half of its branch network as it struggled to stay afloat amid mounting debts and empty shelves.
In an ambitious expansion programme that may have gone wrong, the supermarket closed two of its main branches in Machakos town – Mulleys Express near Machakos bus station and Mulleys Pioneer situated opposite Machakos General Hospital.
Also affected were the Mulleys Kitui branch, Mulleys Highway in Mlolongo market and Mulleys Tala branch.
According to a notice posted at the entrances of the closed outlets, the supermarket management said their business was undergoing a necessary restructuring and reorganisation process.
Debt burden
“We highly regret all the inconveniences caused by this occurrence but do kindly request you bear with us. We shall keep you updated on new developments along the way” read the notice.
The management announced that its operations will continue in Mulleys Embakasi in Nairobi, Mulleys Mtaani in Mlolongo, Mulleys Masaa in Machakos, Mulleys Jibambe in Tala and Mulleys Emali in Makueni County.
Signs that the debt-ridden retail chain was struggling with possible cash flow problems became evident six months ago when their shelves became empty.
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