Over the past 30 years, Keells has grown into one of Sri Lanka’s most trusted supermarket brands. From a single outlet in 1991, it has since expanded to a 139-store network with 9 vegetable and fruit collection centres and a 260,000-square-foot distribution centre. Across all these locations is a team of over 6,000 professionals working together with more than 3,000 farmers and over 100 suppliers, all united by a simple mission: to improve the nation’s quality of life by making fresh, trusted, and affordable products widely available. Along the way, it has weathered countless challenges, from economic crises to pandemics.
Keells’ strong positioning is underlined by its recognition as the most valuable supermarket brand with a valuation of LKR22.7 billion and the Strongest Brand in Sri Lanka, according to Brand Finance. Even through periods of economic stress, the retailer recorded high revenue growth in FY 2024/25, supported by larger basket sizes and rising footfall as household confidence improved alongside a stabilising economy. Its investment in cohesive marketing campaigns has boosted its appeal among middle-and upper-income shoppers, while continued brand consistency has reinforced trust among mass-market consumers.
Beyond these efforts, Keells has strengthened its farm-to-shelf traceability programme, ensuring fresh produce from farms reaches store shelves within 24 hours. This focus on transparency and freshness, combined with a scale-up of its cold-chain and distribution infrastructure, has further elevated customer confidence and guaranteed a wider selection of local and imported goods. By anchoring its purpose to real improvements in everyday life, Keells has positioned itself as more than a supermarket, but rather as a quality-driven, innovative retail experience that resonates with Sri Lankan shoppers across segments.
Although economic indicators have begun to stabilise, many Sri Lankan households continue to feel the impact of prolonged high living costs, making affordability a crucial priority. As such, Keells is working to protect consumer purchasing power through competitive pricing, loyalty-driven promotions, and a strong own-label range priced below other brands. The company is also investing in modern retail technology, from data-driven insights to e-commerce and self-checkout systems. At the same time, its supply chain partnerships, community meal programmes, and focus on sustainability aim to balance scale with social responsibility. Serving millions of Sri Lankans each month, Keells continues to reinforce its purpose-driven mission and community impact across every province it operates. Aravinda Wanniarachchi, Chief Financial Officer – Retail Sector and Executive Vice President of John Keells Holdings PLC, along with Nilusha Fernando, Head of Marketing, Keells Supermarkets and Senior Vice President of John Keells Holdings PLC, outline how Keells is using its core strengths to navigate an evolving market, maintain trust among Sri Lankan shoppers, and push for higher industry standards to shape the future of Sri Lankan retail.
Keells has become synonymous with modern retail in Sri Lanka. How has the brand evolved, and what is the brand’s core proposition today?
Nilusha: Since we opened our first store in 1991, Keells has grown into a much-loved and trusted household name and has kept pace with the constantly changing needs of our consumers. Today, we are a growing supermarket chain comprising a 139-outlet network, supported by 9 vegetable and fruit collection centres and changed the look and feel of the Keells brand while also resetting the brand so that our core purpose of ‘improving the quality of life for the nation’ became the driving force and foundation for Keells to stand tall as a ‘proudly Sri Lankan’ brand.
Nilusha Fernando, Head of Marketing, Keells Supermarkets & Senior Vice President of John Keells Holdings PLC
It was only by strategically strengthening this brand identity that we were able to overcome some of the toughest challenges Sri Lankans have seen in recent years. The Easter Sunday bombings in 2019, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, were events that exacerbated pre-existing economic weaknesses that led to a fully blown economic crisis in 2022. Throughout these times, our core purpose remained our North Star. It guided us by helping drive strategy and action towards maintaining our hard-earned reputation as a reliable and responsible brand that puts the needs of our customers, team members, communities, and the country first.
What have been the constraints in translating brand ambition into a consistent customer experience across geographies and store formats?
Aravinda: As we continue to expand our retail footprint across the island, the reach and impression of the Keells brand have also grown in direct proportion to the scale of our operations. Today, we have more than 6,000 team members, supported by a supply chain of over 3,000 farmers and more than 100 suppliers, with our operations spread across over 145 business locations. With that kind of scale and spread, especially for a service-focused brand like ours, making sure the customer experience stays consistent is naturally a challenge.
However, the foresight with which we carried out the rebranding exercise in 2017 and 2018 helped us define a strong, nation-focused brand identity. At the same time, we shaped a brand voice that could reach and resonate with stakeholders across the Keells value chain. That thinking has helped us to stay aligned with our brand ambition and deliver a consistently strong customer experience across Sri Lanka. We’re still working to finetune that alignment today as we look to localise our brand voice and adapt our content. This means being thoughtful about language and cultural nuances so we can resonate with the different regions and communities we serve.
As the cost of living continues to pressure consumer choices, how is Keells navigating the tension between affordability and brand-led differentiation?
Aravinda: With rising costs and reduced disposable incomes, we see more customers choosing budget friendly purchases and being more selective about where their money goes. There’s a shift in priorities; essential needs are prioritised over discretionary spending. Given this challenging operating environment, we are also responsible for the crucial role we play as one of Sri Lanka’s leading supermarket chains to meet the evolving needs of our consumers. We are reminded in our position day in and day out that these are families that rely on Keells for their everyday needs.
Because our core purpose is to improve the quality of life for the nation, we are always searching for ways to help customers manage their household budgets. At the same time, we recognise that many shoppers are tempted to go for quantity over quality when times are tough. We engage with our customers regularly to understand their concerns and pain points, what they see as essential, and what they look for when visiting a Keells outlet. We combine that feedback with insights gained through our ongoing investments in advanced data analytics and emerging technologies, so we can take a more targeted approach to deliver better deals on the items they consider essential.
We keep working to offer competitive prices on the items most people have in their shopping baskets while pricing our own label products 10% lower than other regular brands. This combination of competitive pricing and smart promotions, together with our promise of freshness, quality, trusted food, and an enjoyable shopping experience, ensures customers get exactly what they need during this time. In that sense, the affordability Keells provides has become a core part of how we stand out, and it’s one way we deliver on our purpose of improving people’s quality of life.
How are insights from private label performance and loyalty programmes influencing broader brand decisions and retail strategy?
Nilusha: Our data analytics journey goes back 8 years, when we first began using digital tools and systems to improve customer experiences. Over the past few years, we have been leveraging data and insights towards improving our decision-making process as well as our day-to-day operations. In the past, we have relied heavily on our decades of experience, intuition, and collective industry and market knowledge to drive our retail strategy. But now, by combining our experience and intuition with data we can measure and understand, we’ve gained a deeper picture of what consumers want and how they behave.
Data collected through our loyalty programme, Nexus, has enabled us to identify products, including our own labels, that are in high demand among consumers. This, in turn, has enabled us to provide promotional pricing for various products as well as personalised offers tailored and targeted towards individual customers, further enhancing their customer experience. By analysing customer purchase patterns within the loyalty programme, we also aim to identify and capitalise on unmet needs or gaps in the market. By doing so, we’re working towards developing new products or modifying existing ones to better meet consumer demand, thereby further strengthening customer loyalty.
Today, we use data far more systematically to shape our brand decisions and retail strategy. At the same time, we’ve upgraded and kept investing in the tools and technology needed to make those improvements possible.
What structural changes have been made within the business to align operational execution with the expectations the Keells brand now carries?
Aravinda: We continue to make giant strides in retail innovation as we adapt to evolving expectations of delivering the Keells brand promise. Over the past several years, we have been implementing internal structural changes focused on improving operational efficiencies while also investing in our teams and our communities. We have largely streamlined our business processes, spanning from sales to logistics, and have created a more centralised model across various operations, including procurement, storage and distribution.
On the customer-facing side, we have allocated and optimised resources to ensure our customers’ needs are met across any channel they choose to engage with us. Internally, over the years, we have invested in building a supportive work environment backed by the latest technology, agile practices, and a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We have introduced a decentralised learning platform to support the continuous development of our team members, giving them career opportunities to grow and thrive. Additionally, we have developed an app for all internal communications, and we continue to invest in the recognition, health, and well-being of our teams.
Across the supply chain, Keells works with multiple stakeholders to ensure we support our farmers with the right expertise, tools and technology to obtain fresh, nutritious harvests and greater yields. We also work to support our communities in meaningful and positive ways through our preschool children’s meal programme, which has provided over 300,000 meals in over 70 preschools island-wide. Beyond all of this, we are working on numerous initiatives across our supply chain as well as our retail chain to minimise our impact on the environment.
In 2017 international brand consultancy, Whippet, designed a new visual identity for Keells supermarkets including a new logo.
To what extent is the brand prepared to compete beyond physical retail, whether through e-commerce, delivery, or digital platforms and how is that reflected in brand architecture?
Aravinda: Consumer convenience will always remain a key priority for Keells. We have identified the importance of meeting our customers where they are, so if it means they choose to shop with us via our e-commerce website, app or via quick commerce platforms, we need to ensure we provide the convenience they seek within the shortest possible response time. We have always led the way in retail technology, whether it be by launching the first e-commerce website by a Sri Lankan supermarket chain in 2002, or making self-checkouts and ‘scan & go’ experiences available at stores. Given our tech-savvy consumer expectations and the rapid pace at which emerging technologies such as AI are evolving, it is no longer a choice but a necessity that brands adapt and learn to evolve in this highly competitive landscape.
What risks do you see in being positioned as both a mass-market retailer and a brand aspiring to lead on sustainability, health, and product quality?
Nilusha: I believe we cannot separate our role as a mass-market retailer from our commitment to product quality, affordability, and sustainability. While recognising changes in consumer expectations, our brand promise remains focused on guaranteed freshness, value for money, and an enjoyable shopping experience. At the same time, our core purpose ensures these promises are delivered without depending on premium pricing. We are committed to making good-quality food accessible and affordable for the wider mass market.
A strong focus on sustainability is also deeply ingrained in our core purpose. We see this as a shared responsibility among all stakeholders, and our focus on these efforts helps us stand out from our competitors. This commitment is also a reason why people remain loyal to our brand, as we give back to our communities and the environment.
Looking ahead, what strategic role will the Keells brand play in shaping consumer behaviour or influencing broader industry standards in Sri Lanka’s evolving retail economy?
Nilusha: Keells aims to continue being the retailer of choice for customers who wish to shop for the freshest and highest-quality products at affordable prices, while also being a highly sought-after employer for the aspiring youth of Sri Lanka. We will continue to lead the industry in bringing best-in-class customer experiences in-store along with the latest in technology. Furthermore, Keells is a partner of the Sri Lanka Retailers’ Association and is actively involved in driving policy change and supporting the modern retail industry to become a powerhouse and a major contributor to the national economy.
Further information about the 100 Most Valuable Brands in Sri Lanka:
Sri Lanka’s Top 100 Most Valuable Brands
Introducing Brand Finance and Sri Lanka’s Most Valuable Brands
Brand Valuation Methodology: Identifying Sri Lanka’s Top 100 Brands