What do Ikeja residents really think about Bokku Supermart?
In pidgin English, the word 'Bokku' loosely means surplus, a reflection of the store’s promise to make essential goods more affordable.
With Nigeria’s core inflation rising by 20.3% in August 2025, the cost of living keeps climbing and many Ikeja residents are turning to cheaper stores for relief.
For shoppers like Alice Pelumi in Iju-Ishaga, that store is Bokku Supermart.
“Their products are cheap and service is fast,” she told Ikeja Record.
The supermarket chain opened its first store in Nigeria in 2022, introducing a low-cost retail model that quickly caught the attention of many Ikeja residents.
In pidgin English, the word ‘Bokku’ loosely means surplus, a reflection of the store’s promise to make essential goods more affordable.
Bokku’s stores are modest in size and focus on stocking items such as bread, milk, rice, butter, and soft drinks.
The store also markets to wholesalers but limits how much any one entity can purchase. Bokku says this is to ensure availability for smaller buyers.
On social media, the Bokku brand is associated with affordability. Food YouTuber and author, Yemisi Odunsanya, also known as Sisi Yemmie, described Bokku as her go-to store.
However, not everyone shares the enthusiasm for Bokku. A creative designer who lives in Ogudu, Chimaobi Ifeji, told Ikeja Record that Bokku’s appeal fades once you look beyond its pricing.
“Yes, they do have some essential products but not all. I never find all the things I need, this is why I don’t shop there,” Ifeji said.
The allure of bread
Like Jendol and Old English, Bokku operates its own bakery. Its branded bread, Treos, is one of its best-known products.
The bread sells out fast, with queues often forming as people wait for fresh batches from the bakery.
The demand was so high that, according to BusinessDay, Bokku employed 200 bakers in 2023 to meet daily demand, allowing some retailers to buy 15–20 loaves at once for resale.
For Chinenye Okechukwu, an Ogudu resident, Bokku bread is the main reason she visits the store.
“Pringles and their bread is the reason I love to shop there,” Okechukwu told Ikeja Record.
The popularity also sparked debate online about whether it was the best bread in Lagos.
Keeping prices low
To keep prices low, Bokku emphasises reducing costs. One example is not hiring baggers to assist at checkouts.
“Everything has a cost,” the company explained in an Instagram post. “Also baggers cost money. Retailers have to add this cost to the prices of their products. So you pay for them indirectly. We hope you do not mind to pack your bags yourself.”
Even before the Lagos state government banned single-use plastics in 2023, Bokku required shoppers to bring their own bags, reuse empty cartons, or purchase nylon bags at the store.
“Wherever we can, we avoid any cost which potentially increases the sales price of our products,” a sign in one outlet said.
Growth and reach
In December 2023, Bokku celebrated serving one million customers across its then 45 stores.
A March 2025 report by The Intel Point noted that Bokku has become the largest retail chain in Nigeria by store count, with more outlets than Addide, Marketsquare, Justrite, and Shoprite.
According to the company’s website, Bokku currently operates over 150 outlets across Lagos.
Despite its rapid growth, some Ikeja residents are asking for more stores.
“I would love them to open more branches in Lagos, I know they have many stores in Lagos but they are not in some areas and they should open up in other states in Nigeria,” a regular customer, Mary Akinwale told Ikeja Record. ✚