Supermarket chain Nakumatt Holdings has started selling basic home commodities bearing its brand.

The products, under the Nakumatt Blue Label include household cleaning products, sugar, wheat flour, maize flour and selected grains which will be available in its stores across the region. It also plans to unveil a line of spring water, ready to eat snacks, detergents and spices.

The retailer said it had put in Sh200million into the private label brands venture which it will carry out through contract-manufacturing model.

The manufacturers retained by Nakumatt have been selected from a panel of industrialists with experience in contract manufacturing for multinational and local Fast Moving Consumer Goods marketers.

"As a regional retailer, we have in the last few years watched helplessly as local manufacturers' are driven out of business through rising imports of hitherto locally produced goods due to the overall high cost of production for most multinationals locally," said Nakumatt Holdings managing director Atul Shah in a press statement.

The venture will also be reaching out to local small and large manufacturers providing them with an alternative opportunity to manufacture and retail quality products under its brand name.

Its competitors Tuskys, Uchumi and Ukwala have also been selling in-house branded products, mostly grains and freshly baked products.

The Blue Label products will be priced fairly lower than the competitors to entice shoppers.