Aaron Thuo established Kenyan retail outfit Vituzote in 2014. Since then, it has grown both in size and stature. Not just a retailer, Vituzote also distributes to the Kenyan market. Kitchenware International learns more… 

Now five-stores strong, Vituzote was established in 2014 by Kenyan born Aaron Thuo. After nearly a decade spent studying and living in the US, the intrepid businessman returned home and immediately noticed a gap in the market. “I was struck by the dozens of enquiries from friends and relatives on where they could get quality housewares like the ones I had brought back from abroad,” he tells Kitchenware International, adding he noticed his own shopping experience locally “while settling back down” revealed a gap for variety, options, quality and price. 

“Having experienced online shopping abroad and working at technology company Comcast in ecommerce, I was exposed to what the future may hold for companies venturing into ecommerce in developing countries,” Aaron says. It was then he launched vituzote. com – which initially had humble beginnings. Aaron began his enterprise by purchasing well researched products from Amazon. com and packing them from his balcony at night. At the same time he was working during the day for another local internet company giving him further insight into the local internet adoption, trends and gaps in the housewares space. “As one of the first pioneers into the ecommerce in the country, we faced an issue of trust as this was still a nascent industry with customers used to physical touch of goods,” Aaron tells us. Customers, however, were flocking to his house in their dozens in the evenings to buy goods and from there the company begun formalising trade partnerships directly with manufacturers and looking to set up physical experience centres. 

Today, Vituzote has a direct relationship with suppliers spanning four continents including brands such as Lifetime Brands, Lodge MFG, Swan, Tower, Elho BV, Stolzle, Ariika, Nevilles UK and dozens more.


Did you know?
Along with five retail stores, Vituzote distributes to Kenya’s major supermarkets as well as other retailers. In late 2022 they expanded their customer offering to include tableware and light catering equipment to the hospitality industry including lodges and camps in world famous conservancies. 

“Our physical locations now include Kenya’s premium retail shopping malls and we serve customers throughout the East African region. We provide a seamless experience between online shopping and brick and mortar and are the number one choice in Kenya for kitchen and dining items, and increasingly much more,” says Aaron.

Along with their own five retail stores, Vituzote distributes to Kenya’s major supermarkets as well as other retailers. In late 2022, however, they expanded their customer offering to include tableware and light catering equipment to the hospitality industry, including lodges and camps in world famous conservancies.

“We are also now focusing on growing the HoReCa segment of themarket,” Aaron says. “International hotel and restaurants setting up in-country operations as well as local organic boutique restaurants that would rival those in western world capitals insist on world class quality and keeping up with global trends in food service and display.”

And all this, on the back of Vituzote’s hardest year to date.

“Global shocks post pandemic including supplier stock-outs, price increases, currency fluctuation and logistical delays in part caused by Covid and the Ukraine war have made 2022 our toughest trading year.” However, there has been growth too as more and more customers return to entertaining. “Compared with 2020 and 2021 where customers spent most of their time indoors, we saw customers returning to offices and wanting to spend time outdoors in restaurants so that part of the business was a good growth point.”

Vituzote’s customer base is upwardly mobile, Aaron tells us. He is attracting Kenya’s professionals – they are quality conscious, they’ve been exposed to global trends, they are the typical middle-class customer. With that in mind, Vituzote’s product offering spans kitchen, dining, bedroom and bath along with textiles, storage, décor and gardening.

“Kitchen and dining is our leading category by virtue of the range and depth as well as being our first category. We also have well established and a strong supplier relationship with Lifetime Brands and others as suppliers. Kitchen

gadgets particularly are consistently leading but other categories like appliances show very promising growth by virtue of the quality product we source, sell and support.”

In terms of growth in the Kenyan homewares market, Aaron says he feels they have “only just started to scratch the surface on the immense Retail Vituzote “Our physical locations now include Kenya’s premium retail shopping malls and we serve customers throughout the East African region” possibilities in the homeware space”.

He adds: “Our ambitions continue to be double digit growth in almost all metrics of the business”. 

With a background in ecommerce, Aaron is well-versed to guide the company through the pandemic-assisted “massive positive upswing towards ecommerce”. In fact, he says the company has seen online shopping growth continue post pandemic.

“Close to 30 per cent of our sales are online and a good number of our overall customers discover and research product online. The majority of our investments continue to take place in technology and systems to complement a hybrid and seamless click and brick environment to continue to give customer choice and convenience to shop however they like.”

Aaron points towards Kenya having a “highly adaptable and tech savvy” population. He adds: “Kenya is the world’s first mobile money country, the platform named MPESA is used by 96 per cent of Kenyan households. With over 70 per cent of the population under the age of 35, these customers have come of age with mobile money and the internet as a way of life. We estimate between 20 and 30 per cent of trade is taking place nationally online based on retail sector and industry regulator published data.”

As for 2023, Aaron predicts growth, telling Kitchenware International “bolstered by a strong holiday shopping season and despite the global shocks post pandemic including the Ukraine crisis, price increases and others, we expect a solid year of growth in 2023”.