4 categories of retailers in Kenya

Retailers are traders who buy goods from wholesalers and sell to individual consumers. They stock a variety of goods and are basically small scale traders as they sell goods in small quantities.

The following are the categories of retailers in Kenya;

• Shopkeepers. They operate small shops fro where they sell goods in prices set out by the producer. Some sell a variety of goods while others specialize in certain goods like footwear or textiles.
• Hawkers. These are retailers who move from place to place with their merchandise (itinerant traders). They sell their goods on streets, from house to house or from one market centre to another. They deal with light and small waters bought from wholesalers. They offer the consumers an opportunity to bargain.
• Kiosk operators. They put up temporary premises from where they sell their wares. Majority of kiosks deal with light goods. Most of them operate in urban residential areas where the shopping centers are far.
• Open-air traders. These sellers usually spread their goods on the ground in open-air markets on market days. The items of trade are mainly agricultural and their prices are according to demand and supply.

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