Thread by @mmnjug

20yrs ago if you'd have told Posta which was then KP&TC that one day their Money Order business would be made obsolete by a small company hived from them, they'd have laughed you out of town.

15yrs ago if you'd have told BBK and StanChart that the biggest threat to their lunch was not even the then struggling KCB but a 4yr old mobile phone company, they'd have asked you for 5 more referrals to open a bank account.

Years ago, owning a telephone, at home, was a big thing. If you had told KP&TC that a handheld device would actually run them out of town, they'd have disabled your landline.

Years ago, Posta's EMS Speed post was the fastest overnight courier service in Kenya.... Before Securicor, today's G4S came calling...

Today, the biggest threat to G4S, Wells Fargo etc in Kenya in the overnight courier service business is not global giants like UPS, DHL or FedEx....

It's Modern Coast, Mash EA, Coast Pekee....

20yrs ago, Kenya Breweries Ltd was Nairobi Stock Exchange's top counter and top taxpayer.... If you'd have told kina Jeremiah Kiereini that their biggest competition for Kenyans' cash wasn't the unknown Keroche but a mobile phone company, he'd have looked at you with disdain.

Back to the courier service:

If you've made any online purchase from Jumia, Masoko or any other online sellers, how long does it take for the parcel to be delivered to you?

If I recall correctly, my first purchase from @JumiaKenya was in 2015.... And I received it in about 4 days in Malindi from Nairobi.

I have made subsequent purchases from Jumia and their delivery period averages 4 to 7 days through Posta or Wells Fargo, though it now seems like Wells Fargo is their choice of courier these days.

This year I purchased stuff from @KilimallKE which took about 8wks to be delivered and even after delivery, I was still receiving SMS that my parcels are on the way... 😂😂😂😂😂

My book purchases from @TextBookCentre comes through @Posta_Kenya's EMS and takes about 3... Three days from Nairobi...

I have no idea what Posta peeps do.

There's a curious observation I've made from @MasokoKe who deliver through Wells Fargo.

If I make purchases before 2pm, I usually receive an SMS from Wells Fargo of their arrival at 11pm the following day.

Book purchases through @NuriaStore come overnight through Mash EA or Modern Coast which are my preference, I usually receive an SMS from them when the parcel has been sent and the following morning at 6am when the bus arrives in Malindi.

My last book orders from @RuganoBooks took 3days to arrive in Malindi from Nairobi. This was through @Modern_Coast.

The delay came about because Rugano sent the book through Modern Coast's Nakumatt Prestige station which is more of a collection point than a sending station.

For sending out stuff from Malindi, I prefer @Modern_Coast if the receiver prefers to collect at Nakumatt Prestige...

Any other parcel, I normally use Mash EA who, these days, will sent a text that the recipient has collected the parcel.

When sending stuff to Mombasa, the local shuttles will deliver in under 3hrs.... Something you can't get with G4S or even Wells Fargo.

Sending stuff to Nyeri from Malindi, depending on the parcel, Genesis bus and EMS Speed Post deliver within 3 days. The choice is determined by the value of the parcel.

I was excited when I read that Amazon was in talks with Posta Kenya for the last mile delivery across Kenya... That would require a complete overhaul of their operations....and so much more.

Still waiting for this to happen.

For @MasokoKe @JumiaKenya et al... I'd suggest they look for ways to work with @Modern_Coast Mash EA and @coastbuskenya because they have the true overnight delivery across Kenya.

I forgot to mention the courier costs from Malindi to Nairobi:

A4/A5 envelope:

Modern Coast - 200/-
Mash EA - 250/-
G4S - 500/+
Wells Fargo - 500/+
Posta EMS Speed Post - 250/300

The choice becomes clear on who to avoid.