Major supermarkets now dot the Abuja landscape. But how do they rank in terms of the total shopping experience? After repeated visits and using different indicators, Kimberly Ward provides a guide
In the beginning, only the open markets and the corner-shops catered to the shopping needs of Abuja’s then minimal, transient population. Fast forward to 2013 and the capital now boasts a host of large-scale, all-purpose stores; from the mighty multi-national Shoprite to the proudly Nigerian Sahad Stores. But which mega-store provides the best customer service? Which has the largest parking area? And which is the most affordable? We visited 12 supermarkets and rated them on various aspects of the shopping experience.
Rating Code
5 – Excellent
4 – Good
3 – Average
2 – Poor
1 – Very Poor
DUNES
Address: 44, Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja
One of the more accomplished and aesthetically-pleasing department stores, Dunes – which shares a building with offices, a restaurant and a hotel – attracts a clientele of higher-income earners, foreigners and tourists who buy the mostly imported products in the civil and serene environment.
Accessibility: The Dunes multi-storied building is situated in the most expensive area of Abuja and is easily sighted from the road. There’s a good-sized parking area at the front and steps leading up to the neat entrance, though the parking is shared with other businesses within the premises 3/5
In-store: The exterior is chic and modern and the look is maintained inside with a neat and stylish store with well-organised aisles and a composed system of shelving, space and products. The restaurant towards the back somewhat juts out onto the groceries section and you have to walk past diners to get to the escalator-walkway leading up to the second floor, which is neatly stocked with home furnishings and a gift store. The checkout area is small but adequate and well-spaced. The atmosphere of the store is one of serene professionalism. 5/5
Products and Prices: The store stocks mostly foreign imports of both food and home items with an inadequate array of local items, but the quality is high and the home furnishings section upstairs contains unique products you won’t find anywhere else in Abuja. However, the price is dearer than the average supermarket. 3/5
Customer Service: At the gates security personnel check each car with a bomb-detection device, and inside staff presence was minimal but the staff were pleasant when called upon. The cashier at the checkout was polite and there was change available 4/5
TOTAL SCORE: 15/20
EXCLUSIVE STORES
Address: Plot 1202, Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja
This 24 hour mega-store is a relatively new addition to the Abuja shopping community and has a mix of shoppers perusing three floors laden with grocery and home-ware.
Accessibility: Located on the busiest road in Abuja, the store is both central and easy to get to but the car-park at the front is smaller than average 4/5
In-store: An awkward turnstile entrance leads to the main store where one of the aisles is wrongly labelled ‘Savoury Snacks’ but has drinks on the shelves. There is a restaurant towards the back and upstairs the home-ware section is cluttered, with some shelves bent under the weight of books piled high. The checkout area is tight and inadequate for the volume of shoppers as the queues extends into the aisles. It is a busy and noisy store downstairs but upstairs sees fewer customers 2/5
Products and Prices: There’s a good variety of grocery products with a good store of both new and second-hand books upstairs.Prices are a little dearer than the average 4/5
Customer Service: Groups of workers sat around chatting or idle, and upstairs two employees pricing items on a small table blocked most of one aisle. At the checkout the cashier was helpful but distracted, talking with a colleague throughout our transaction and didn’t have change. A tired-looking employee sat next to the exit to check receipts. 2/5
TOTAL SCORE: 12/20
GARKI SUPERMARKET
Address: Plot 468, Ahmadu Bello Way, Abuja
Hidden away inside a fenced enclosure housing 212 Bakery, Yahuza Suya and other shops, Garki Supermarket – one of two in Abuja – is a laid-back, medium-sized store with a distinctly Northern feel: it is closed between 12 – 2pm on Friday afternoons for prayers and stocks Northern delicacies.
Accessibility: Off a central main road but somewhat tucked away at the back of the fenced-in shopping centre, it is easy to miss. Cars can be parked anywhere around the large but untarred square but there’s a dedicated parking area in front of the supermarket itself 2/5
In-store: Men selling recharge cards line the entrance, and inside there are wide aisles packed with products on shelves and household goods section where items are arranged on the floor. The interior is neat and the two checkout points are on opposite sides to deter over-crowding. Prices are hand-written on masking tape stuck on the shelves below items 3/5
Products and Prices: An average selection of affordable products including home and electrical with a variety of Northern delicacies including Alkaki which is not available elsewhere 4/5
Customer Service: No security to check any cars and non-uniformed staff – all male – dotted the store, making it hard to tell the customers from store employees. The checkout person was pleasant but aloof and change was available 3/5
TOTAL SCORE: 12/20
GRAND SQUARE
Address: Plot 270, Muhammadu Buhari Way, Central District, Abuja
Described as the ‘Most modern shopping mall in Nigeria,’ Grand Square has over 100 staff and is popular across Abuja for its famous ‘Grand Loaf’ as well as its variety of ice-cream flavours. The store attracts a mixed crowd of shoppers and the atmosphere is usually busy and noisy.
Accessibility: Central and easy to get to, Grand Square also has a good sized-car park 5/5
In-store: You have to walk past the busy checkout area to get into the sizeable interior, and the aisles are on the narrow-side. The grocery area is downstairs and a climb up the (threadbare carpeted) stairs leads to the perfume store, busy photo-studio and other specialist stores upstairs, where a central balcony looks down on the products and customers downstairs. The store is tidy but the checkout area is small and often cramped 3/5
Products and Prices: Wide range of products with a large variety of both grocery, electrical and specialist items, including musical instruments and generators, although price-wise it is on the expensive side 4/5
Customer Service: Groups of employees hung around the store chatting, and the checkout staff did not smile, made no eye-contact and gave no greeting, I also had to move to two different stations before I could get change and checkout my items 3/5
TOTAL SCORE: 15/20
H MEDIX
Address: Plot 48, Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja, Nigeria
What started as a pharmacy over 10 years ago has grown into a well-known retail mart with four branches in Abuja selling a wider variety of products, but still limited to beauty and health items. This store is small but neat and attracts a mix of people.
Accessibility: This branch is located on the busiest road in Abuja. The entrance area is busy with hawkers and the car-park in front is quite close to the store’s doors and only big enough for around 10 cars, leading to queues, long waiting times and clashes with other drivers 3/5
In-store: A small supermarket, with a beauty and household items area downstairs along tight aisles, and a modestly-stocked pharmacy upstairs. The entrance/exit is also a squeeze to navigate but the store is tidy and neatly arranged. Check-out is a high counter by the exit 3/5
Products and Prices: Affordable but limited to health, beauty and bathroom items 4/5
Customer Service: There were uniformed door-openers and store employees seated at the end of the small aisles who stared at you as you walk by. The checkout counter was manned by non-uniformed staff and there was confusion and pushing-in due to lack of imposed order. Service was rushed and having to wait for change to be provided by another employee sitting behind the cashiers was inadequate. 3/5
TOTAL SCORE: 13/20
LEGENDS OF ABUJA
Address: 27, Port Harcourt Crescent, Off Gimbiya Street, Garki Area 11, Abuja
A modest supermarket tucked away on a side street of a main road, Legends is one of the earliest retailers in Abuja and many of its clientele are loyal customers who have been shopping there for years. The small store makes up in charm and character what it lacks in variety and prominence.
Accessibility: Situated on a quiet side street, Legends has a very small car park at the front with space for only around 20 cars. The store’s main signage is tiny and obscured by foliage 2/5
Decor: The store is all on one level and feels cramped with aisles unevenly arranged, boxes piled high and other products stacked haphazardly on the floors. Access to the fridge area is almost totally blocked by items for sale but the store is clean and the two checkout desks are easily accessible. The atmosphere is calm and laid-back 3/5
Products and Prices: Limited amount of basic goods and some of the products – which are slightly on the expensive side – have no price tabs 2/5
Customer Service: There were a few non-uniformed staff around and it was hard to tell customers from employees, but all the employees were friendly and eager to help, the cashier was pleasant and change was available 5/5
TOTAL SCORE: 12/20
NEXT CASH AND CARRY
Address: Ahmadu Bello Way, Kado, Abuja
Opened with fanfare in 2013, Next Cash and Carry is an awe-inspiring edifice situated on 34, 000 square metres of land with a large car park at the front. Similar in style to Walmart or Costco, it stocks almost everything you need for life and is the largest supermarket in Abuja, if not Nigeria.
Accessibility: Located off a not-very-busy, dual-carriage way away from the city centre, the supermarket is easy to get to and the prominent building and signage is easy to spot. The car park is spacious and well-organised with space for 400 vehicles. 5/5
Decor: A ramp leads up to the wide entrance that leads into a sprawling area all on one floor with very high ceilings and numerous wide aisles, with goods either stacked high or placed on low wooden planks on the ground. The product sections are clearly marked and include a pharmacy, eatery and bakery, but the butchery is empty. The un-tiled floors are cracked and uneven, with electric wiring visible and in the way of customers. The store is clean if haphazard and its sheer size and amount of stock adds to the wow factor. Around 40 check-out points are arranged at the front of the store leading to a smooth exit, but there are no shopping baskets, only large shopping trolleys are available. 3/5
Products and Prices: Huge selection of products from household items and home furnishings to clothing and jewellery, electrical appliances, music and books. Items are pricier than average but the popular bread is only N200 4/5
Customer Service: There were uniformed guards at the gate to check each car coming in, a guard stationed at the bakery to organise the bread queues and pleasant uniformed staff available throughout the store. The checkout staff were friendly and change was available 5/5
TOTAL SCORE: 17/20
PARK AND SHOP
Address: 740, Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja
One of the oldest supermarkets in Abuja, Park and Shop is owned by Artee group, the same company behind Spar which has its stores all over Nigeria. The clientele consists of average to low-income shoppers.
Accessibility: Centrally located on a busy but easily accessible road but the parking area is tiny. 4/5
In-store: There are two shopping floors but the groceries area downstairs is small with narrow, unkempt aisles, some of which are inhospitable due to gathered trash on the floor and mop-buckets in the way. The checkout area is cramped and prone to overcrowding 3/5
Products and Prices: There is a limited range of inexpensive products with a wide variety of bread: cassava, salted and family loaves 4/5
Customer Service: Security and uniformed staff stood or sat around the store talking and shouting to each other from across the aisles. At the checkout the cashier made no eye contact, gave no greeting and was having a conversation with a colleague throughout our transaction 2/5
TOTAL SCORE: 13/20
SAHAD STORES
Address: Plot 1512, Uke Street, Ahmadu Way, Area 11, Abuja
This Nigerian-owned supermarket is an enduring mainstay of the city and has branches in Kano and Jigawa. The superstore – which is usually busy and chaotic – sits on four floors packed with a large array of local and familiar products to satisfy the average to low-income clientele.
Accessibility: Good, central location but the parking area is disorderly leading to confusion and long queues despite the parking guards and a two-level car park. 3/5
In-store: The lower-level car park entrance is cluttered with loiters and hawkers, and inside the store is large and brash with little attention paid to style. There is no signage around and products spill out of shelves and line the floor, with the clothes and jewellery section lacking structure in terms of arrangement. Empty boxes are piled high in some corners and the sheer volume of products available is apparent with huge bags of rice and other grains kept in stairwells and along corridors. The checkout area is a high counter and the general atmosphere is one of chaos and carelessness 3/5
Products and Prices: A huge array of local products (some of doubtful quality) at cheap, affordable prices 4/5
Customer Service: No checking at the gates and inside the non-uniformed staff were inattentive, with one completing his phone call before attending to a customer. The checkout staff were aloof but efficient. However, the lack of imposed order led to confusion as to who should be served first and by whom 2/5
TOTAL SCORE: 12/20
SEKMART
Address: 1, Salome Close, Games Village, Abuja
This is a dedicated store for residents of Games Village but a mixed clientele of outsiders come for the convenience and availability of certain imported products not available elsewhere
Accessibility: Not central or well-known due to its hidden location within an estate thus the small parking area around the store is adequate for a less-busy estate supermarket. 3/5
In-store: Unattractive exterior with non-descript entrance and exit doors, but inside is spacious, brightly-lit and neat with open spaces and wide aisles grouped together in sections. The freezer and fruit division is within a room on one side of the mega-mart and there is also a separate wine section. The checkout is well spaced out to avoid queues 4/5
Products and Prices: Agood range of imported products, some of which cannot be purchased elsewhere in Abuja, with a variety of fresh produce, books and electronics slightly pricier than the average 3/5
Customer Service: Security guards were stationed around the store but groups of employees stood around talking. The service at the cashier was pleasant and polite and there was change 4/5
TOTAL SCORE: 14/20
SHOPRITE
Address: Grand Towers Mall, Plot 232 Murtala Mohamed Expressway, Apo, Abuja
Opened with fanfare in 2012, the South African supermarket chain is located in a newly-built mall in Apo housing KFC and other established stores, with two ATMs for added convenience. The mega-store draws a mixed clientele of higher-income shoppers, foreigners and tourists.
Accessibility: Located away from the city centre off a very busy single-lane road servicing various estates, the journey to Shoprite is stressful due to long queues, some of it caused by car-boot security checks at the gate. But the mall’s car park is large enough for 400 cars. 2/5
In-store: Steps lead up to the well-lit, neatly-stacked and well-labelled wide aisles with printed price tags on the shelves with a colourful fruit section, deli and bakery, all on-par with standard supermarket decor abroad. There are numerous checkouts at the front of the well-planned store. 5/5
Products and Prices: A wide selection of both local and imported products that is cheaper than you’ll expect from a large multi-national. 5/5
Customer Service: Uniformed employees dotted the store with security guards at the doors. Service at the tills was pleasant but aloof, with lots of small change available. 4/5
TOTAL SCORE: 16/20
SPAR
Address: Plot 264, Tafawa Balewa Way, Central District Area, Abuja
Located inside Ceddi Plaza – a plush six-storey shopping mall –, Spar benefits from contemporary facilities including lifts, an underground car park and ATMs located within the building, alongside several other businesses including restaurants and a cinema.
Accessibility: Central location with its signage prominently displayed on the multi-storey Ceddi Plaza building. The mall car park is spacious and organised with taxi drivers readily available outside. 5/5
In-store: Inside is well-lit with clean aisles and shelves, although some products were not labelled. To the right and up a ramp is the freezer section, then the bakery section, but there is inadequate signage directing shoppers to the checkout and the exit as you have to walk around the store and to the back to reach it. There are five small checkout stations that are a squeeze to navigate. 3/5
Products and Prices: A good stock of groceries and electrical products and the bakery section has a large variety of baked goods, all at inexpensive prices. 4/5
Customer Service: Uniformed guards at the gate checked each car but cashiers at the tills were grumpy and unfriendly, my item wasn’t bagged and the cashier had no change and was at first reluctant to go and get it, before grudgingly collecting some from her colleague. 2/5
TOTAL SCORE: 14/20
And the winner is… Next Cash & Carry, which comes tops for the sheer variety of goods available, accessibility, parking space and good customer service.
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