Retail chain store Tuskys has allowed 68 of its most vulnerable staff to stay at home to avoid exposing them to Coronavirus.
Chief executive Dan Githua said the employees include pregnant mothers and those with special conditions.
“Today we have allowed 68 of our most vulnerable staff to stay home to avoid exposing them,” Githua said on Friday.
He also announced that he has taken a 20 per cent pay cut effective this month for six months as part of a cost-cutting measure.
"Conscious of the times ahead, we have suspended all non-business critical expenditure even as we look forward to interventions placed by the government to cushion the business community,” Githua said.
He said that the business community faced lean times. The business uncertainty requires internal cost management considerations.
“I urge all of us (business and individuals) to take a hard look at expenditures and cut out unnecessary expenses.”
Tuskys has also adopted a Covid-19 contingency plan and partnership with Amref Health in Africa Kenya and AAR Health to provide public health support across its operating locations.
“At Tuskys, we are sparing no effort to provide practical interventions as part of our commitment to ease the social challenges arising from the Covid-19 threat,” Githua said.
The company introduced home delivery services at selected branches in Nairobi as a solution to the global pandemic that has killed more than 10,000 people and affected hundreds of thousands worldwide.
Githua said the solution - initially introduced at T-Mall, Embakasi, Westlands and Athi River branches - will now be applicable at Karasha (Kenyatta Avenue), Greenspan, Milele, Ongata 1 and Thigiri branches.
The retailer is also working with logistics solutions provider Sendy to deliver shopping orders placed by customers at any of the nine selected branches in Nairobi.
Orders placed on the WhatsApp and SMS options had increased by more than 200 per cent. The basket value has more than doubled to stand at an average of Sh6,200.
With the service expansion, Sendy has more than doubled its motorbike delivery workforce. More than 300 riders are now dedicated to supporting the retail chain store programme.
“Extraordinary times call for extraordinary responses and use of never-used options such as the WhatsApp platform which we are using for the first time.”
