About 52 per cent of micro-retailers (small shops) in Kenya are finding it difficult to access financing in the wake of Covid-19, a survey by TechnoServe shows. Micro-retailers who adopted digital strategies recorded a more than 50 per cent increase in sales, enabling them to weather the Covid-19 pandemic as they continued to reach their customers. "Micro-retailers that adopted digital solutions have been more resilient through the Covid-19 pandemic," said Alice Waweru, the entrepreneurship portfolio lead at TechnoServe. The forum emerged from the Smart Duka initiative, a program that seeks to support micro-retailers and improve shops’ financial returns and growth. Mastercard Foundation, which is working with TechnoServe, has reported an increase in demand for digital services.

Source: The Star December 14, 2020 00:56 UTC