• China Square has been trending for the past few weeks.
Image: ELIZABETH NGIGI
China Square has been trending for the past few weeks. It is a Dubois, Kamukunji, and Eastleigh all under one roof but some who have visited the mall says in terms of quality, it beats them all.
At the entrance, the security people kept reminding people that there was a possibility of leaving the hub with nothing as the queues were too long.
"Just go in although you might not manage to buy anything," one security guard said while some women asked about why they had closed the entrance.
This Mpasho writer visited the mall on Saturday, a day before they halted operations this Sunday for evaluation of the place.
On Saturday, the mall operated until around 8:00 pm with customers flocking in and out in huge numbers.
Due to the number of people, the security people are advised to close the entrance after every 30 minutes to give space for those coming in.
Image: ELIZABETH NGIGI
Inside there, I talked to a few customers and from what I got, the advantage of visiting China Square is that you get everything under one roof.
"All these things are in Nairobi but the problem is that sometimes, we do not know where to get them at and at what prices," said Ken who sells electronics in Kasarani.
He mentioned that some of the prices were too high as compared to where he gets them from in Kamukunji.
Another lady who was from South C said she had come to purchase a travel suitcase but she did not like the material.
"I don't find them original. They are lighter and so I will not buy them until I am confident about the quality. The prices are quite low as compared to Eastleigh," she said adding that she had only bought decor.
China Square offers a range of commodities but it does not offer shoes and clothing. You will also not get bedding from the mall plus nothing is worth less than sh50 bob.
No foodstuffs are sold there apart from a few snacks for children which are sold at the counter. A metallic soap dish costs around 120 bob.
Toys are quite cheap and quality-wise and you can get a variety of them from the mall. For example, a remote track toy costs around Sh.1200 bob.
In terms of security, there is a need for improvement although the management promised to hire more security guards to address the situation.
Image: ELIZABETH NGIGI
Outside the mall, there are so many bodaboda riders taking advantage of the huge number of people streaming in at the mall.
"I used to operate at a place where I would only take home around 800bob per day but in the last month, I have not gone home with less than sh2000 bob per day," a bodaboda rider told this writer.
In a recent statement, China Square was closed indefinitely with the management explaining that the decision to close indefinitely was informed by three main reasons.
The business explained it was overwhelmed by the large number of customers who streamed in at the hub located at Unicity mall along Thika Road.
China square will also be reviewing its strategy during this time which will also see it address the shortage of tills that resulted in long queues with customers complaining that it was taking them longer than necessary to pay for the goods resulting in huge crowds that were a concern.
"We take the safety and satisfaction of our customers seriously and are committed to resolving these issues as quickly as possible. We will keep you updated on any developments.
We appreciate your understanding and support during this time. We are committed to providing you with the best service possible, and we hope to have the opportunity to serve you again soon," read the statement released by China Square.
Image: ELIZABETH NGIGI
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