During the last 10 years the shopping malls and supermarket concept has changed not only the way Ugandans do business, but also the business landscape of Kampala City and the lifestyle of the people who live in urban areas. Shopping malls and supermarkets were rare in the 1990s as only Cash and Carry Supermarket on Jinja Road and Star Supermarket on Pioneer Mall, and Metro Supermarket in Lugogo were the only supermarkets around Kampala City. It was only the rich and well placed people who would occasionally be seen shopping at these supermarkets.
The entry into the market by the foreign supermarket retail chains from South Africa and Kenya marked the beginning of the rapid growth of the sector. There has been a wave of mall construction in all major towns in Uganda and malls are now part of the shopping landscape, alongside the shrinking traditional shops. Malls and supermarkets are sprouting up in almost all up-country towns. These shopping malls offer cheap and affordable shopping options and most of these malls are easily accessible even using public means of transport. There are a number of supermarkets in all Kampala City suburbs like Wandegeya, Ntinda, Kabalagala, Bugolobi, Bukoto, etc. The retail business which has been traditionally dominated by small, family-owned shops is making the transformation to a more modern and organised retail sector. There is also increasing demand for smaller convenience stores of between 1,000m2 – 1,500m2 within Greater Kampala, again as a result of the city expansion.
The information relating to the individual key shopping malls has been summarized as follows;
Ntinda Shopping Centre
Tirupati Mazima Mall
Forest Mall
Grand Imperial Shopping Mall
Kamu Kamu Plaza
Capital Shoppers
Metroplex Shopping Mall
Ovino Mall
Quality Shopping Village
Mukwano Mall
Lugogo Mall
Pioneer Mall
Garden City Shopping Mall
Oasis Mall
Owino Market
Acacia Mall