Good news all around, and especially for those like me whose jobs demand that they stay up long hours. This new solution allows nocturnal shoppers a quick and hustle free shopping service, especially with the empty aisles and the absence of queues at the checkout counters. I really like that I am able to shop efficiently. For me that means, especially after a tiring work day, that I can shop in peace, without having to negotiate aisles filled with too many shoppers and their brats, and that I do not spend interminable minutes cramped in checkout aisles. My monthly shopping takes me just 15 minutes - and it is a lot of stuff that I am buying.

Crucially for me, but perhaps not universal, is the fact that as a marketing professional I am better able to look at some of the emerging brands. Analyzing their marketing strategies and movement patterns is made easier as I have more time in the aisles. Also, the attendants have a smaller burden on their shoulders and can afford more time in personal attention for the inquisitive shopper. Anyway, I digress.

more than just shopping

Today, Nakumatt's Ngong Road (Prestige Plaza) branch, one of the larger hypermarkets, stayed open past normal closing time - and will stay open all night. What is particularly special about Nakumatt's model is that it is more than just shopping, increasingly it is a lifestyle centre. The shopper can have much more of an experience than mere grocery shopping, with outlets offering all manner of specialist services and fun activities. With the main Nakumatt store, staying open long into the night, other businesses at the Plaza will be encouraged to similarly extend their shopping hours, taking advantage of the late night foot-fall.

As of now, at least one business has reacted in this way. Mo movies, also of Prestige Plaza has a really great video library. It is one of the first to deliver directly to your home, and now is working 24 hours. On a wider scale, this is a clear indication of the changes sweeping over the country. It highlights

That Nairobi is a safer, better town to live in.

That Nairobi's economy is becoming more versatile every day.

And finally, that Nakumatt stays at the vanguard of the brave new Kenyan corporation, blazing a trail of progress that provides the Kenyan consumer with an increasingly friendly array of choices. Look for super-charge on Nakumatt shares when they come up on the NSE.