Quickmart supermarket began as a small stall in Nakuru. It has since grown to become one of the largest supermarket chains in the country, with 72 branches and a presence in at least 16 counties.
Behind the business is the Kinuthia family. The late John Kinuthia (J.K.) and his wife, Zipporah Wanjiku, founded Quickmart in 2006.
Following John’s death in 2016, Zipporah and her two children, Duncan Kinuthia and Wambui Kinuthia, took over the reins.
According to Wambui, her mother had long envisioned owning a supermarket business.
“My mother always believed that one day she would own a supermarket chain that was as large as Tuskeys, which controlled a large chunk of Kenya’s retail business at the time,” said Wambui.
At the time, the family ran a hospitality business that was basically a hotel, bar, and lodgings.
The patriarch of the family, John Kinuthia, also ran a paraffin retail business and a posho mill.
Wambui’s brother, Duncan, joined the business while still in high school, working in the shop during the holidays. Once he completed high school, he joined the business full time.
While Wambui went on to college and university, Duncan moved straight from the classroom into the shop. He learned how the business worked and gradually developed a passion for it.
Wambui credited Quickmart’s current success to Duncan’s God-given wisdom. “He saw what my mom and dad envisioned, and he ran with it,” she said.
According to Duncan, who goes by the moniker DK111, Quickmart began as a small shop that was initially called KIDS Supermarket.
His parents did not want a large shop since they still wanted space to run their restaurant business.
After spending some time in his parents’ shop in Nakuru, Duncan relocated to Ruai in 2019, in the eastern part of Nairobi, to expand the business.
His parents and sister remained in Nakuru.
The shop he set up in Ruai was larger than his parents’ shop in Nakuru, and the business quickly caught fire.
He soon opened another branch in Ruaka town, which became the headquarters of Quickmart supermarket.
Duncan credits much of his success to following his parents’ advice.
“My father taught me about the importance of honesty in business. He was always reminding me to be honest and respectful to my suppliers. My mother, a staunch Christian, cemented these values in me,” he said.
Zipporah, his mother, considers it a blessing that her children have found success in the family business.
She advises business owners to introduce their children to the family business early so they can begin learning how it works.
She also gave the example of the Indian community, where children are introduced into the family business at an early age.
“Their children learn about the business because the indians have the foresight to know that they will not stay in that business forever. It will come a point when they will grow old, and they will not have the energy to run the business,” she said.
However, Zipporah admitted that some parents may have children who may not be interested in the family business.
In that case, she said that it can be very hard to change them and that only God can change their hearts and attitudes.