Bambis, one of the most iconic supermarkets in Addis Ababa, has re-opened. The store, which was purchased by Pizza Hut franchisee Belayab Group, is co-branded as “Lewis Retails”. Originally due to reopen in September 2019 after a renovation, the new store is finally open.
The new store opened in June. It offers a mixture of department store items, locally made grocery products and imported products. First impressions are that its branding is poor, its fit out is in line with other Ethiopian supermarkets but certainly no better and its product range has been taken more mainstream than the old Bambis store, perhaps to widen its appeal.
Perhaps the big question is the extent to which the Belayab Group’s size and scale will enable Bambis/Lewis Retails to access the foreign currency it needs to bring in imported products. This is a longstanding issue for supermarkets in Ethiopia and can leave shelves looking bare and understocked.
From what we see, there is little evidence of a step change in supermarket retail in Addis Ababa, nor any clear signals that Bambis/Lewis Retails will be expanded beyond the one store that currently exists.
