Christmas garlands were never really a Kenyan thing. A few years ago, most consumers didn’t even know about these long strands of artificial cypress that are hung as Christmas decor. But now it has become one of Nairobi’s most profitable holiday decorations, and business owners are now making a killing from it.
It is a Tuesday in November, only a few weeks into the festive season, and already the hunger for Christmas garlands has taken on a frantic, almost comic urgency.
A woman on TikTok posts her Christmas decorations that she had bought from Panda Mart and China Square stores, and the questions start coming in: “Where did you get the garland?” “I went there, and they are over?” “I asked the attendants to bring down the garland on display. Another woman had been eyeing it, but the moment she heard the price, she quietly walked away. I needed eight pieces for my staircase, and at Sh3,450 each, I walked out having spent nearly Sh28,000.”
Gladys Nyambura of Glahpe Suppliers displays various Christmas décor items on November 26, 2025.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
With many Kenyans now eager for their homes to have the same holiday charm and style they admire in US and UK houses, the Christmas garland has become the most sought-after décor.
Gladys Nyambura, who has a home décor shop, Glahpe Suppliers, in Nairobi’s Central Business District, says demand for Christmas garlands picked up much earlier than usual this year, pushing her to stock up as early as October.
Ms Nyambura, whose business sells mainly online through Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, brought in 2.5-metre garlands retailing at Sh3,500, only to sell out in weeks, even before Christmas.
“This is our best Christmas so far. We have never sold out this early. Right now, all the Christmas stock is gone,” she tells BDLife, adding that restocking was no longer viable because new consignments, sourced from China, would only arrive after the festive season, likely in January.
A round door wreath available at Pesabiz KE Shop on November 26, 2025.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
She attributed the surge largely to increased visibility through social media, which has changed how consumers view decorative items previously seen as non-essential.
“Before, people did not really understand how to use garlands. Now, with exposure on social media, they can see how it works as a table runner, on door frames, stairways or even fireplaces,” Ms Nyambura says.
She adds that the garlands often act as an entry product, helping drive the sale of other décor items. “It’s rare for someone to buy just one item. If they’re buying a garland, they’ll likely add a Christmas tree or other decorations, which has boosted our overall sales,” she says.
New business opportunity
With rising Christmas spending, entrepreneurs are seizing new opportunities, even temporarily abandoning their usual products. Salome Mwazo, who runs a small shop called Pesabiz in the city, is now selling Christmas décor before she switches back to books in January.
She sells from lights to trees, but the Christmas garlands are the fastest-moving items.
A 2.5-metre snow-white garland available at Posh Abodes on November 26, 2025.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
“Customers started buying as early as late October. Many use garlands to decorate walls, TV stands or staircases, often inspired by Pinterest,” she says, adding, they are preferred because they are also cheaper compared to trees, if someone is buying one piece.
Another seller is Evelyne Karimi, the founder of Nairobi-based home décor business Posh Abodes, says the rush has peaked around popular colour themes, particularly red, gold and combinations of white and red.
“These sell out first,” she says, adding that some variations are already out of stock and while she imports most garlands, she has had to supplement supply from local distributors. “This is a good season for riders, too. We don’t have enough, so we’re experiencing delays,” she says.
Now three years into the business, Ms Karimi says rising demand is driven by growing awareness around home décor and a desire by households to create festive spaces. Her typical customers include families, corporate clients and operators in the short-stay accommodation market such as Airbnbs.
Priced between Sh3,000 and Sh3,500, Ms Karimi estimates that garlands have lifted her overall sales by at least 20 percent so far.
Fresh competition
Salome Mwazo of Pesabiz KE Shop arranges Christmas décor items on November 26, 2025.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
Veteran sellers are facing competition as more entrants seek to cash in, but sales are still holding up surprisingly well.Jackueline Mutheu, the proprietor of Arvani Home Essentials, is in her third year of selling Christmas garlands. Ms Mutheu says she began stocking them after noticing a gap for classy festive accessories in the market.
“The first time we tried, it worked, so we brought more. People are investing more in quality and uniqueness,” she says, adding that festive décor now accounts for nearly half of her overall sales during the Christmas period, driven largely through exposure on Instagram and TikTok,” she says.
She sources from China.
“The snow-flocked version with lights is the fastest mover,” she says.
With more shops now stocking them, garlands now account for about 15 percent of her total sales so far.
