Supermarket Owners: "We Have Been Profiting After The Closure Of Shoprite"

Some Supermarkets and stores in Akure, Ondo State, are now profiting heavily from the closure of popular mall, Shoprite.

Prior to this, there has been xenophobia attacks by the youths between Nigeria and South Africa migrants which led to shutting down of Shoprites in Nigeria 

It was observed that impatient customers have begun seeking other means to purchase items in the state by approaching supermarkets and street stores in the city.

It was gathered that several supermarkets across Akure on Thursday, was filled with customers trooping in to purchase various items.

Manager of one of the stores in the city, Abimbola Chukwudi, said that indeed sales had increased for them since the Shoprite outlet in Akure was shut down.

According to her, they were currently overwhelmed with the influx of customers and wish business can remain like this for them.

She said, “We have been witnessing improved sales and high influx of customers in our store since Shoprite was shut down in Akure due to the protest by some youths.

“In fact, to withstand the large number of customers, we now open all doors to the supermarket so that customers can go in and out easily.

“To be honest, we have been profiting from the closure of Shoprite and we are very happy about this.”

It is the same story for Bimbo Adebakin whose supermarket in the city has also witnessed increased patronage.

According to the middle-aged woman, since the closure of Shoprite, business had flourished so much that she had been smiling to the bank.

“I have requested for two salesgirls to join the four people working at my supermarket at the moment because of the large volume of customers we have been recording since Shoprite was shut down,

“Even customers that had forgotten us for a long time, they have started patronising us again. This is indeed a blessing in disguise for people like me,” she said.

It was a similar tale of job for supermarket and store owners, who said that the entire situation was a way God had used to prosper their businesses – many of which had come under severe threat of even extinction since the arrival of the South African company in the city.

Also, a customer, Iyabo Adebayo, reported that she has had to rely on supermarkets around her to purchase needed items since the closure of Shoprite in Akure.

“Since Shoprite was shut down, we have to seek another means to buy our goods.

“We have been getting every item need at many of these stores and that is why we are not really feeling the closure of the popular mall,” she said.