Hotpoint Appliances limited is one of the leading electronics appliances supply company in Kenya dealing in products such as Fridges & freezers, Washers & Dryers, Cookers & Ovens, Television & Audio systems and phones. With branches spread across the country, the company has partnered with huge corporate brands including LG, VON and Samsung.
In this article, WoK takes a look at the Kanani brothers who are at the helm of Hotpoint Appliances Limited.
History Of The Electronics Company
Hotpoint Appliances Limited was founded in 1984 with its first store situated at Sarit Centre shopping mall in Nairobi. The company would then find its major breakthrough in the late 1990s when it was awarded the Sole Distributorship Agency for LG Electronics. It would then go ahead to acquire agencies for other international recognized brand such as Ariston, Westpoint and Kenwood. By 2002, the company had quickly scaled its operations across Kenya and it was among the largest retailers and wholesalers of electronic appliances in the region.
Products and Retail Outlets
The company deals with almost all electronics including phones, tablets, fridges, freezers, chillers, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, cookers, ovens, burners, Dry iron, television, home theatres, heater, subwoofer, microwaves, kitchen appliances, health and personal care products, air conditioners, ventilations and fans among many others. The products are sourced from global brands such as VON, LG, Apple, Samsung, Kenwood, Philips, Nikon, Pyrex and Panasonic. The company operates a chain of 9 retail outlets located at Sarit Centre, Imaara mall, Garden city, Village market, CBD at Kenyatta market, Westgate mall, Rupa mall in Eldoret, Nyali Centre in Mombasa and Nova Complex in Likoni Mombasa.
Hotpoint Appliances Leadership and Success
In September 2019, Hotpoint Appliances Limited moved to its brand new Ksh 1.1 billion worth office block situated at Sukari Industrial Estate, off Thika road, behind Clay Works as reported by Business Daily. Prior to that, the company was mainly operating between Westlands and Industrial area in Nairobi. The new building houses its East Africa headquarters, distribution center and warehouses including service center, bonded warehouse, a brand experience zone and a duct fabricating workshop. While speaking to the Business Daily, Shailesh R. Kanani who is the company’s Managing Director explained that the move was influenced by the increasing demand for their warehousing and office space as the demand for their products grows.
“This move is part of our long term plans to have our own facility which has been designed in line with our requirements in terms of logistics, service and office space. The company settled on this location because it also accords us easy access to various parts of Nairobi through the Thika Superhighway and Northern Bypass making it more efficient to make deliveries,” he said.
The company is currently under the leadership of the Kanani brothers who serve in different managerial positions in the company. Shailesh R. Kanani serves as the lead Managing Director of the company while his brothers Shashikant Kanani and Keval Kanani serve as its Directors. Another family member Ravi Kanani serves as the B2B & Regional Business Head of the company.
