After difficult years marked by high inflation and tight household budgets, Kenya’s FMCG sector is finally showing signs of renewed life. With inflation stabilising, shoppers are shifting from coping behaviours towards a more deliberate value-seeking mindset, and this behavioural change is beginning to reshape consumption patterns across the country. Our new findings show a sector in transition, as households make more planned shopping trips, explore a wider repertoire of brands and gradually rebuild their confidence.
A market moving towards value
During the height of inflationary pressure, Kenyan shoppers relied on coping strategies such as buying less, choosing cheaper stores or selecting low-priced products. Now, as pressure eases, households are adjusting once again. In the past year, shopping trips have risen by 8.0%, while basket size has remained almost flat at 0.3% and spend per trip has increased by 3.4%, largely due to modest price movement. Rather than cutting back, consumers are visiting stores more often and evaluating their choices more closely in search of better value. Essentials such as food, personal care and dairy continue to drive this recovery, acting as the foundation of household shopping routines and reinforcing the need for brands to offer more than competitive pricing alone. Innovation, relevance and clear reasons to buy are becoming increasingly important in this more considered environment.
Life-stage dynamics are also playing an important role. Younger shoppers aged 18 to 34 have contributed most to the rise in trip frequency, reflecting their more active and flexible shopping habits. Meanwhile, older and middle-class shoppers continue to drive spend per visit, prioritising reliability and trusted value. These differences show that there is no single Kenyan shopper profile, that’s why winning in 2026 will require an understanding of how motivations shift between households and regions. Except for Rift Valley, where consumers are visiting stores less often but spending more each time, most parts of the country are exhibiting similar value-seeking behaviour as inflation settles.
More trips, more choice, more opportunities
The rise in shopping frequency is also reshaping the competitive landscape for brands. More visits naturally create more opportunities for brands to be chosen, and this has contributed to a broadening of brand repertoires across households. As consumers seek value, they are more willing to try alternatives, which in turn has helped more brands achieve growth this year. Despite increasing competition, the familiar laws of brand growth remain unchanged. Brands that succeed are those that expand penetration and ensure they remain mentally and physically available whenever and wherever shoppers are choosing.
The Brand Footprint 2025 ranking reflects this momentum. Only three brands improved their position in Kenya’s top ten most chosen FMCG brands of 2024: Mount Kenya Milk, Festive and Toss, with Toss entering the ranking for the first time. One of the standout performers is Raha, now the seventh most chosen FMCG brand in the country and the fastest shopper recruiter, having grown penetration by 10.4%. These examples show that even in a recovering market, consistent recruitment remains the clearest route to sustained growth.