Springfield Makro re-opens

FOLLOWING months of closure as a result of the unrest in July, retail giant Makro will be re-opening its branch in Springfield on December 13.

This was according to Unathi Gqamane, Makro’s salesman who has been with the store for about six years.

“I am excited about all the remodelling that we have done.

“I mean, we are one of the oldest stores in the group, and with the looting in July, most of our infrastructure was damaged and now almost everything in the store is new.

“Our customers can look forward to a great experience,” said Gqamane.

Gqamane was excited about the store’s re-opening date, since he was unsettled and anxious about whether or not the store would be ready in time.

“We have been putting things back together for about three weeks now and I have to say, I was pretty anxious about meeting the deadline.

We have made remarkable progress and it’s exciting to see our silver lining,” he said.

Makro’s salesperson Shereen Gianchand said seeing what the looting and violent protest did to the shop was heartbreaking.

“I have been here for 29 years and what the looters did was heartbreaking. The store is my second home.

“Seeing it on the news brought tears to my eyes. But now I am excited about the re-opening,” said Gianchand.

She pleaded with citizens not to ever entertain the idea of looting again, but rather actively look for employment.

Sue-anne Jones, Makro Springfield general manager was just as ecstatic about the re-opening.

Jones said that they had been working tirelessly for the past four months rebuilding the store.

“We are so excited to finally let our Springfield community know that we’re back.

“In the past four months, we have been hard at work rebuilding the store while doing our best to offer support to our affected staff,” said Jones.

There were no job losses as all employees are back.

Additionally, Makro continued to pay their salaries despite the financial loss the store went through because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We put the welfare of our people first. Our Makro staff in Kwazulu-natal received care packs immediately following the looting and destruction.

“We also ensured that all staff in the affected stores remained in their jobs. We know that the re-opening is as important to them and it is to us.

“It really reinforces our commitment to them and the community,” she said.

The Springfield store guarantees its customers an incredible experience since its new innovative design would enhance their shopping and service experience.

The store’s new design is inclusive of customer focused hubs with updated digital tills and earth-friendly store architecture aimed to reduce Makro’s carbon footprint.

“We’re back! And our staff cannot wait to welcome our customers back into this amazing store. We invite one and all to join us as we cut the ribbon and open our doors again,” said Jones.