Soft life: Women scramble for pillows as China Square opens doors in Coast

There was an unprecedented scramble for soft bed pillows by women in Mombasa as China Square officially opened its doors in the county.

Thousands of women queued to take advantage of a 2% discount on over 20,000 products available under one roof at China Square. The bed pillows, priced at Sh400, were particularly sought after, with both the wealthy and less affluent shoppers vying for them. Pillows and mattresses were among the sold-out items.

Jacklyn Waithera, a resident of Nyali who had a trolley full of pillows, praised the quality and affordability of the pillows.

“I have long wanted to buy quality soft pillows for my family. I came today to see what China Square has to offer and chanced upon these pillows. It was a real struggle because everyone seemed to be after them,” said Waithera.

Sophia Abdalla, a local trader at Kongowea, said that the pillows were the most affordable items she could buy at the store. She added that the pillows she has at home are hard, and her children have always complained of strained necks.

China Square Managing Director (MD) Lei Cheng stated that they did not anticipate the overwhelming turnout, which forced security guards to regulate entrance into the store. The opening also caused a traffic jam along Nyali Links Road and Nyali Bridge for hours, as personal vehicles lined up to enter the vast mall located near Kongowea Market.

The Mombasa store is the fifth China Square branch to open in Kenya within two years, following the establishment of four stores in Nairobi.

“Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya and has great potential. We did not expect this much traffic, but we are a well-known brand in Kenya,” said Cheng.

Cheng noted that since the opening of the first branch at Kenyatta University (KU), the market dynamics have changed, with competitors adjusting their prices to match China Square’s offerings.

He emphasized that the store keeps a variety of products to meet the needs of all customers, whether rich or poor.

“We believe we have revolutionized business in Kenya. We surveyed the market and found that pricing was neither transparent nor affordable. We took the first step, and consumers are the ones benefiting from this,” said Cheng.