The Shoprite store in Circle Mall, Jakande, Lekki area of Lagos has on Friday commenced activities after a 24-month closure.
GoldenNewsNg reports that the economic activities at the mall were brought to a halt following a series of looting incidents which occurred on the heels of the nationwide #EndSARS protests in 2020.
Mr. Hubertus Rick, Chief Executive Officer of Retail Supermarket Nigeria Ltd (RSNL), owners of Shoprite in Nigeria, said the mall’s reopening was in line with the RSNL’s quest to make formal retail formats accessible to more Nigerians while rebuilding the economy.
This, he explained, was over the years, Shoprite Nigeria had made significant contributions to the nation’s economy.
He noted that the company currently boasts of 10,000 staff; directly and indirectly employed with a supply chain of more than 300 leading Nigerian suppliers, and partnership with many small businesses, farmers, suppliers of an assortment of local brands.
“Two years ago, we made a tough decision to shut down operations at the Shoprite Circle Mall in response to the insecurity situation.
“The closure was in the interest of our customers as well as our staff as we had to prioritise the safety of lives and properties ahead of other interests.
“Today, we’re happy to commence operations again as we have put measures in place to ensure the safety of all who will walk through our doors.
“We are aware of the impact that the closure has had on our supply chain as well as the business at large.
“As we reopen this store and other outlets in subsequent months, we are prioritising ensuring a safe shopping environment for our customers while expanding our retail network,” he said while conducting journalists around the shopping mall.
He stressed that, the outlet was the first opening under Nigeria ownership, not the last one, as they would be about four more openings this year or within the next six months, including Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Benin, ‘So there is more to come here in Nigeria and I am really happy to announce that, I am really happy about the team here which did a great job to make this happen here in Lagos’.
“As we reopen this store and other outlets in subsequent months, we are prioritising ensuring a safe shopping environment for our customers while expanding our retail network,” he said.
