Choppies has opened one more store in Bulawayo. This will be the retailer’s 33rd store in the country and its 18th in the city alone. The new store, in Parklands, takes the space left behind by Bon Marché.
Botswanan retailer Choppies has just opened a new outlet in Bulawayo, in southwest Zimbabwe. The new store is a Choppies Superstore and is located at Parklands Shopping Mall, where competitor retailer OK Zimbabwe used to operate its up-market banner Bon Marché. Bon Marché closed its Parklands outlet – and only one outside Harare – in March 2017, due to poor business. Choppies Zimbabwe’s management is confident that the new store will have good results given that it is targeting a different set of customers and servicing not only the Parklands area but also Kumalo, Mahatshula and Killarney. Additionally, the fact that the store has parking space, according to company representatives, also differentiates it “from other stores in the city centre”, catering to drivers.
Store Entrance of the new Choppies Superstore in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Source: Choppies Zimbabwe
This is Choppies’ 33rd outlet in the and the company’s 18th branch in Bulawayo. This expansion consolidates the already strong position Choppies occupies in Zimbabwe’s retail landscape as one of the leading modern grocery retailers in the country. Choppies operates 33 stores in the country, across several cities. According to Trendtype’s Retail Database Tracker, it is the top modern retailer in Bulawayo by store numbers, marginally losing on floorspace marketshare to TM Supermarkets. However, the company still plans on extending its footprint in Bulawayo. Choppies Zimbabwe’s marketing director, Mrs. Trashmah Kazembe said that Choppies is looking at “other areas in the city that have not been catered for like the airport, Cowdray Park and there is still potential for us to open more outlets in the city. We feel there are some suburbs in the city that need convenient shopping so we are going to grow,”
Choppies Zimbabwe operates in a partnership with local retailer Nanavac Investment (Pvt) Ltd. The retailer recently made the headlines due to a battle over its control that can have important consequences on the future of the company and its investors. The news come as Choppies undergoes the implementation of a massive expansion operation of its store network. The retailer is opening new stores not only in Zimbabwe but in Kenya, Zambia, Mozambique and South Africa as well.
