For three years, Jacob from Thika ran a small retail shop near Makongeni estate. In the beginning, he was full of hope. He stocked everything—sugar, cooking oil, flour, snacks, detergents—believing that with time, customers would increase. But the opposite happened. Instead of growth, his business slowly dried up. Most days, he would receive only four customers, sometimes even less.
At first, Jacob thought it was normal business struggle. Every entrepreneur faces challenges, he told himself. But weeks turned into months, and nothing changed. Even when he stocked new items, customers still preferred going to other shops around the estate. He lowered his prices, added offers, and even tried door-to-door marketing, but still, people passed his shop like it did not exist.
The situation was so strange that Jacob began to question himself. Other shops that opened long after his were doing well. Meanwhile, his shop was becoming emptier by the day. There were days he closed early because he was too embarrassed to sit in a quiet shop.
Things got worse when he started using his savings to restock, hoping the situation would improve. Instead, his savings vanished and the shop grew weaker. He almost gave up completely when his landlord increased the rent, yet he had nothing to show after long hours of work.Get full story.
