China Town Super Store in Uganda, Giant Supermarket with Tiny Prices
Updated: Sep 14
The newly opened China Town Super Store in Uganda caused commotion at Lugogo Mall from the first day of opening due to the unbelievably low prices customers have posted on various social media channels.
In this post we will talk about some of the prices from around the social media buzz and try to compare those with local prices on Jiji Marketplace and Jumia Online Shopping mall. I will share some of the videos I have come across while I was scrolling through social media channels like TikTok and searching in Google for “China Town in Uganda”.
What is China Town Super Store Uganda?
China Town Super Store Uganda is a new Chinese Supermarket store that opened at Lugogo between Saturday 31st of August and Sunday 1st of September. Chinatown Supermarket Uganda occupies the former Shoprite space near former Game store. They deal in almost everything from home and office furniture, to flower pots, ladies bags, Table Lights, and other Chinese electronics, just to mention a few.
When did Chinatown Supermarket in Uganda Open?
Before we get there, on May 5th, a video was posted on which seems to be the original or official TikTok channel of China Town Supermarket.
This is how the script goes;
“We are happy to release the information about the opening of Chinatown Supermarket here. The edges of this 6,000 square meter Supermarket is in Kampala, the beautiful capital of Uganda. In order to make it more convenient for citizens to buy goods. The address we choose is Lugogo Mall. The best location in the center of the city where there are sufficient parking spaces and comprehensive supporting facilities. We will provide the best quality and most affordable products from China and the local area to meet the one stop shopping needs of you, your family and your company. Let’s look forward to working together.”
Looking through the comments, there were questions like; Is it open now? When is it opening? And similar questions.
At the time, I believe they had already recruited a number of Ugandans working day and night to see Chinatown Super Store in Uganda launch.
On May 20th, another video was posted on the same TikTok channel. This video continues to confirm that a Supermarket that integrates Chinese and Ugandan merchandise was slowly emerging.
The video also seems to extend employment opportunities to Ugandans by encouraging them to apply for jobs through the mail box on this TikTok channel that is not yet confirmed to be Chinatown Uganda official TikTok channel as per September 2024.
Some comments here suggest that people actually want Chinatown in Jinja, Kabale and other some-what local areas in Uganda claiming their prices are high in their areas. They heard Chinatown products prices are very low.
While on the other hand, traders in Kampala, are complaining how these unbearable low prices are affecting their businesses and sales.
On June 6th, another video which claims to be an official recruitment video, was posted on the same TikTok channel with the handle @chinatownuganda. At this moment the renovation of the Supermarket was in the finishing phase. Positions advertised in the video included HR Manager, and Store Manager.
In this video description, it’s clear that many Ugandans had already submitted their resumes but the management probably hadn’t found an HR to handle these hard-work ready and passionate workers willing to put in the time and effort and take a step to change their lives. The interviews were to be communicated.
Surprisingly, at least to those who don’t follow Capital FM Uganda. On Saturday 31st, August, Chinatown Supermarket officially opened for the first time. Gaetano Kaggwa must have been some of the first people there.
What Caused the Chinatown in Uganda Hype?
To me actually, I thought it’s the Shop & Win promotion that was posted on the Chinatown Uganda Super Store entrance causing this commotion. But I had the chance to overhear some customers who actually confirmed some of these super low prices.
And I believe some of the TikTok videos from the first people who got the chance to enter without commotion sparked this congestion and the concert-full of Ugandans the next day.
All eager to confirm these low prices and perhaps buy some stuff for themselves and their loved ones of course, thousands of Ugandans lined up outside Chinatown store with a line extending to Carrefour Supermarket and Cafe Javas and the crowd covering entrances to offices and banks around Lugogo mall.
Are China Town Uganda Products Prices Really Cheap?
On Monday which was September 2nd, 2024. The third day after the Chinatown Supermarket being opened, a Concert-full of people from all over Uganda still showed up as early as 5am to take advantage of the situation.
By 7am, these people had occupied almost 70% of the Lugogo mall parking space. This probably scared off the manager and they later wrote a note saying “We Shall Not Open Today”.
However, this didn’t stop the “Chinatown concert” from going on. People went on to stand and even sit on the pavements and cover shop entrances for almost all the shops around the area, banks, offices, and even the Carrefour Supermarket.
I guess this is why Uganda Police had to step in and try to keep order given the huge and barely controllable crowd. Some say it was a bomb threat that forced Uganda Police to Close Chinatown. But is it really Police that closed Chinatown or Chinatown closed the Chinatown Super Store? Stick around and you will find out.
Chinatown Super Store Uganda at 10pm on Monday
I had the opportunity to overhear some people who might have gotten the chance to confirm some of the low prices as we are going to explore.
But this Chinatown promotion also, the Shop & Win promotion Pullup banner that was displayed at the entrance of Chinatown Super store, I think was a bit misleading or maybe I just misunderstood it. The Pullup banner had a List of Prizes to be won and among them were Motor Bike, Fridge, 43' Global star TV, 32 Inch TV, Speaker and then a single price of UGX 50,000.
Now at first glance you might think all these products prices combined is UGX 50,000. Looking at the last 2 lines, you might think a 32 Inch TV plus a Speaker is just UGX 50,000. But later, I came to learn this is one of those promotions where you buy something and get something else as a bonus.
China Town Uganda Products Prices List
Ugandans like cheap things. But who doesn’t? This could happen in the United States if a store opened up tomorrow with the cheapest merchandise. This could happen anywhere in the world where a cheapest store opened.
The prices of products at Chinatown Super Store in Uganda, in my opinion are fair to a certain extent. Not necessarily too cheap as the hype suggests.
For example, I saw one video that showed decently looking Table lamps at UGX 50,000 and a Pack of Cloth Handers (10pieces) at just UGX 6,500. I mean it could be difficult to find such an item at the same price in Uganda. But I believe Marketplaces like Jiji and Jumia have similar items around the same price. Since I personally like Shopping Online.
Below let’s break down some of the prices as seen in this TikTok video from tiktok.com/@kialubega.
Chinatown in Uganda Supermarket prices List
Table Lamps: UGX 50,000
Power Bank: UGX 93,000
Aldepo Earbuds: UGX 32,000
Feeding Bottle 🍼: UGX 12,000
Men’s Slippers: UGX 25,000
Ladies handbag 👜: UGX 48,000
Dressing Mirror: UGX 185,000
Hand Mirror 🪞: UGX 38,00
Luggage Bag 🧳: UGX 145,000
Chiq 190L Refrigerator: UGX 720,000
Hisense 4K Digital TV: UGX 8,400,000
Bedsheets: UGX 45,000
Pack of Cloth Handers (10pieces): UGX 6,500
Children’s Toys: UGX 36,000
Earrings: UGX 3,500
Frying Pan: UGX 12,000
LG Washing Machine: UGX 2,200,000
As you can see, these Chinatown Supermarket prices don’t seem to be much different from our local store prices. And that’s why I say the promotion on the Chinatown in Uganda Super Store entrance created this hype besides the TikTok videos.
The other promotion that I believe created the commotion at the Chinatown Uganda Lugogo mall is the buy 2 get one free. Which is a sales and marketing strategy that never seems to fail.
Chinatown Uganda Hype on Prices
A couple of days before the hype on Chinatown Supermarket products prices, Capital FM Uganda had posted a couple of videos on their TikTok channel with the text “Chinatown Coming to Uganda”.
Capital FM Uganda, however didn’t mention any prices in the video. In fact they probably intentionally avoided showing the prices in the video.
Besides the hyper market products that were imported from China, there are also a handful of locally hand-made merchandise by Ugandan manufactures.
This according to Pulse.ug Chinatown in Uganda article “Products and Prices: Inside China Town Lugogo Store (Videos)”, aligns with the government policy and subsequent agreement with the Supermarket owners to allocate 40% of shelf space to locally manufactured goods.
This is partly why some Ugandan retailers have raised concern over Manufactures selling directly to consumers at cut prices and causing an unmatched competition to the local retailers.
Why was China Town in Uganda Closed?
The Sales manager of China Town International in Uganda, David Kabalage via Capital FM Uganda TikTok channel, gives you the proper reason for closing Chinatown Super Store in Uganda within 1 day of opening. And it doesn’t involve Police as many people have been claiming in the Social Media hype.
In fact, his disclaimer about the Chinatown Supermarket-hype was that Chinatown didn’t pay for any partnership with any Social Media influencers that were sharing Chinatown products prices list videos.
The Sales Manager here, Mr. Kabalage David, doesn’t mention when Chinatown Super Store will reopen. But according to speculations already circulating, that it would reopen within a week.
Was ChinaTown Supermarket Lugogo mall Closed by Uganda Police?
Spokesperson for the Kampala Metropolitan Police, Patrick Onyango, said on NTVUganda YouTube channel video titled “China Town management ordered to install barriers to contain crowds”, that;
“The number of people who were flocking that place for shopping were overwhelming for their local security (private security guard), Secondly, the number of people who were entering that place was over 3000. And the place has only one entry and one exit, so we were trying to avoid Stampede in the place…”
So now you know why the Police actually intervened.
Are ChinaTown Social Media Influencer-like prices really True?
Some people in comments sections just take what they see or hear and don’t go a step further to make their own research. But even if you were just to take what you see in the videos, what price would you take from the following Chinatown TikTok video for example?
As you can see, it’s pure Content for likes not for Love of helping people know what’s actually on the ground. Here is another TikTok super-hype video on Chinatown products prices.
Conclusion
Until they reopen, I hope this was eye-opening on the products prices in China Town Super Store in Uganda. I know you have heard many price variations from all-over social media influencers but this post is full of actual prices from the people that had the first glance at China Town in Uganda products.
One of my friends said that perhaps this was probably another marketing strategy that Chinatown implemented. And to some extend I might agree. Who knows?
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See you on the other side of the Internet hype.
