At Glovo Kenya’s Future of Commerce Summit, Managing Director Caroline Mutuku presented year‑on‑year order growth for several Nairobi suburbs, showing a 135% rise in Utawala and roughly 100% growth in Kikuyu and Kinoo.

Neighbouring areas such as Ruiru and Juja recorded about an 85% increase, while Syokimau and Kitengela saw more modest gains of 33%, indicating uneven expansion beyond the city’s traditional commercial hubs.

Mutuku cautioned that high growth rates can stem from a small initial base, and the figures alone do not reveal each area’s contribution to Glovo’s total order volume.

Jaza Supermarket founder Willy Kimani illustrated how local constraints affect delivery demand, noting parking challenges in Utawala and the purchase of two electric bikes to serve Nyayo Estate’s online shoppers.

Conversely, Kimani observed lower online orders at Greatwall Gardens, attributing the dip to the presence of nearby brick‑and‑mortar shops that make delivery less attractive.

These examples underscore that delivery viability hinges on factors such as parking, distance to the nearest store, road access and merchant density, which differ markedly between neighbourhoods.

Beyond food, Glovo’s search data revealed a 48% rise in baby‑product queries, 45% growth in beauty and personal‑care items, 42% in small electronics, and 40% in large appliances between January and September 2026.

While these search spikes signal broader consumer interest, they do not automatically translate into completed orders, highlighting the need for retailers to adapt catalogue accuracy, stock visibility and delivery handling for non‑food categories.

Kimani reported that online sales still represent only a single‑digit share of Jaza’s overall revenue, but they provide incremental demand without displacing the core physical‑store business.

The overall lesson for retailers and delivery platforms is that expanding coverage alone is insufficient; success depends on matching product assortments, pricing and fulfilment capacity to the specific shopping routines and alternatives present in each neighbourhood.