Overall Goal

The SMART team working with Mulleys Supermarkets will be tasked with exploring ways the business can create value to improve the experiences and livelihoods of their customers (Total Customer Value).

Company/Business and Location

Mulleys Supermarkets is a family-owned, private limited company with headquarters in Machakos, Kenya.

Company Profile

Building on the tagline—‘It’s all about Family’, Mulleys Supermarket chain seeks to foster great relationships and brand loyalty with its staff and customers. The company’s mission is to provide reliable, quality goods and services to customers.  The chain includes 3 wholesale and 9 retail outlets; 3 hospitality/accommodation facilities; 2 gymnasium/spa locations; one events company and a large farm for fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat supplies. However, most products are sourced from local suppliers and national enterprises.

Currently, Mulleys Supermarkets have over 1,700 staff serving in diverse capacities across all businesses.  Their operations are all based in Kenya with some import activity. As a company, Mulleys is deeply invested in the local communities where they operate.  This commitment includes urban development initiatives, education sponsorships for orphans and support of local agri-business by sourcing their farm outputs.

Proposed Team Tasks

Mulleys Supermarkets have requested that the SMART team partner with them in the following key areas:

1. Documentation of their value chain—‘from farm to shelf’ to help the business attain efficiency, traceability and accountability to offer high quality products and service;
2. Market Analysis Research—benchmarking to explore store differentiation approaches to tap new potential markets; and
3. Communication—focus on website and social media development to effectively reach a broader target audience.

Skill Requirements

The preferred skills for partnering with Mulleys include, but not limited to:

• Good understanding of business (e.g. market analysis, value chains, etc) and development frameworks;
• Research, analytical and writing skills (e.g. publishable case study);
• Communication—Strong understanding of social media platforms; and
• Background in the fields of hospitality, food science, human resource management, economics & management and horticulture would be valuable.

Suggested Timeline

Tentative dates are January 5-18, 2019

Team Leader

Dr. Ndunge Kiiti, Visiting Professor—Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management

Additional Information

• Website: www.mulleys.co.ke