Described as one of Africa's largest retailers of food, general merchandise and clothing, Pick n Pay's (PIK) on Thursday announced the opening of its first Mauritian store in Bagatelle's Mall of Mauritius.
Pick n Pay's strategy into Africa had mainly been through partnering with locals and the franchise route where local experts own the franchise in their own communities.
Already boasting a total of 775 stores, made up of Hypermarkets, Supermarkets and Family Stores, the company said it would open a further two stores in the next year as it continued its expansion strategy into African countries.
According to Pick n Pay's head of group enterprises, Dallas Langman, the first Mauritian store was approximately 4,000sqm and would offer over 16,000 different products including a clothing offering. "Based on our comprehensive research and assessment, Mauritius has one of the most successful and competitive economies in Africa, providing further impetus for our investment into the country.
"Naturally, one of the main benefits to the local economy will be employment and the first store will employ approximately 100 local residents. The employment figure is set to grow as the company grows its store numbers in Mauritius," Langman said. He added that the group aimed to support local suppliers as much as possible.
Pick n Pay's strategy into Africa had mainly been through partnering with locals and the franchise route where local experts own the franchise in their own communities. However, there were instances such as with stores in Zambia, where the company would develop corporate-owned stores, it said.
The Mauritian stores would be run by franchisees and would be a significant draw-card through its offering of an appealing array of products to Mauritian residents and tourists," Langman said.
"Finding local suppliers and entrepreneurs requires determination and effort but it is integral to our model.
“It is our intention to ensure that local farmers and suppliers are supported as much as possible in order to stimulate further economic growth in Mauritius," Langman said.
Pick n Pay's expansion into Mauritius followed its first store opening in Mozambique in June and its second store opening in Zambia in March. The company envisaged opening two more stores in Mauritius in the next year. Last year, Pick n Pay also announced the purchase of a further 24% of Zimbabwean operation TM Supermarkets, increasing its shareholding to 49%.
The company also conducted retail operations in Namibia, Botswana and Lesotho. "We plan to open stores in Malawi and Angola in the future. We are set to continue along this expansion path in a planned and deliberate way," Langman said. - I-Net Bridge
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