The Village Market

The Village Market

The Village Market
Location Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya
Address Limuru Road, Gigiri, Nairobi, P.O. Box 00621, Nairobi, Kenya
Opening date 1995
No. of stores and services 150
Total retail floor area 225,713 square feet (20,969.4 m2)
No. of floors 3
Parking 700 Onsite and other parking facilities around the complex.
Website www.villagemarket-kenya.com

The Village Market is a large shopping, recreation and entertainment complex in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. It accommodates over 150 stores outlets covering 210,000 square feet (20,000 m2) of retail space, 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) square feet of office space, in addition to recreation and entertainment facilities.

The Village Market is located in the Gigiri residential area which is about 6 miles (9.7 km) from Nairobi city center on Limuru Road. The complex is designed to resemble an open-air African market, including waterfalls, rivers, plants and gardens.

History

In 1992, two Kenyan brothers, Hamed and Mehraz Ehsani had the idea of constructing a shopping and recreation mall within Nairobi. Their objective was to provide a shopping and recreation experience for Gigiri's residents which include diplomats, expatriates and tourists living and/or working within the Nairobi's Diplomatic District and its immediate environs.[1]

Construction began in April 1992 with a proposed 10 shops. Three years later they opened The Village Market's gates to the public. Today the complex covers over 225,713 square feet (20,969.4 m2) of leasing space; three levels high, with more than 150 outlets, and was the first mall to introduce a food court to Kenya. The Village Market offers a variety of recreational facilities, that included a swimming and water slides area, bowling and mini-golf facility. In early 2014 these recreational areas were closed down to allow for expansion of the Mall. The current expansion will bring in over 70 new retail and service spaces and is expected to be complete in full by November 2016 to include a new three star business hotel with 215 rooms, a variety of conference areas and a pool.

The Village Market adjoins the Tribe Hotel, a 5 star hotel with 142 guest rooms and suites.[2]

Inside the Village Market

The Village Market has outlets offering products and services of different categories. There are over 35 retail shops selling local and designer wear, fashion, accessories and footwear. Their anchor tenant is Nakumatt supermarket[3] which stocks household products, electronic equipment and furniture among other products.

The Village Market has an outdoor Food Court that offers a wide range of cuisines including traditional African fare. WIthin the Complex there are various other restaurants to choose from and these are open daily serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The shopping mall also has on offer a variety of beauty, hair and salon services including the first M.A.C. store in Kenya. A health and fitness center is also part of the Complex and offers yoga, barre and dance classes.

The Village Market has handicap accessible restrooms, a Baby Room for nursing mothers and a prayer area reserved for visitors and shoppers. The mall is accessible through 5 gates with 700 on-site parking spaces including reserved handicap parking. A Customer Service desk is located on the first floor of the complex for shoppers, tenants and visitors seeking any information. The complex is open daily through the week and weekend as well as holidays from 7am to 11pm.

Arts and crafts

Glass art work in The Village Market

There are several outlets that specialize in African artifacts and other Kenyan crafts. Moreover, every Friday, the shopping center hosts the Maasai Market – a cultural bazaar that brings together around 400 artisans and craftsmen who specialize in an array of ethnic relics.[4] The African pieces range from soapstone, fibers, wooden and iron sculptures and batiks and paintings.[5]

Recreation and entertainment

The mall has a Nu Metro Cinema hall,[6] water slides, a mini golf course and bowling alleys also known as Super Bowl. Village Market's recreation zones also hosts various supervised play areas for children.[7] Currently these areas are under reconstruction and a new kids centre is being built, dates for completion are set at May 2016. During weekends, and holidays, The Village Market invites musicians, violinists, pianists and regular professional music bands for entertainment.

Activities and events

Traditional dance at The Village Market

The Village Market hosts many activities annually including weekly art exhibitions in the mall's exhibition halls.[8] Ladies Day and Car Boot sale are among the activities and events held at the complex.

Regular promotions

The Village Market, frequently runs promotions to reward shoppers and visitors all through the year. The Bonus Card program is one of these promotions which is supposed to reward loyal shoppers with redeemable points.

Services

The Village Market provides other vital services. From health care to banking, the mall has 5 banks, and ATMs to boot. The complex also has an investment firm, a Forex bureau, a post office and a DHL center. There are also several tours and travel companies that make tour arrangements to various destinations. Also to be found in the complex is a driving school, a tyre center as well as a car dealership. The Village Market is also has a veterinary and dental clinic alongside a pharmacy and a dry cleaning service.

Tribe – the Village Market hotel

A hotel room in The Village Market
Maasai Market

Tribe is the Village Market hotel.[9] Tribe is situated adjacent to the shopping center with 142 guestrooms and suites.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Archived March 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ↑ "iafrica.com | travel | travel news | New hotel for Nairobi". Travel.iafrica.com. 2008-06-30. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  3. ↑ Archived May 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20090306065630/http://www.eastandard.net/InsidePage.php?. Archived from the original on March 6, 2009. Retrieved February 27, 2009. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20090214234413/http://professionaltravelguide.com/Destinations/Nairobi/See-and-Do/Shopping/Stores/Markets/Village-Market-Masai-Market-p1687288. Archived from the original on February 14, 2009. Retrieved February 27, 2009. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20090221010623/http://www.enterprisesgroup.com/nairobi/nairobi_cinema.htm. Archived from the original on February 21, 2009. Retrieved February 27, 2009. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ↑ "Village Market in Nairobi, Kenya". Lonely Planet. 2009-02-06. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  8. ↑ ".. Making Kenya the ICT hub of Africa". Ictvillage.com. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  9. ↑

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