Actress and producer Drew Barrymore will be coming to South Africa — well, her range of appliances will be.
A staff of 80 will be managing the sale of products largely sourced from local suppliers, complemented by a curated selection of global brands, at the first Walmart-branded store in the country.
It will be located at Clearwater Mall in Roodepoort, to the west of Johannesburg.
The product offering comprises fresh and frozen food, groceries and consumables, as well as curated health and beauty; apparel and baby; sports and outdoor; homeware; electronics; toys and seasonal departments.
Barrymore’s Beautiful range of small appliances includes pastel-toned air fryers, kettles, blenders, toasters and stand mixers.
Expanding on the role of global brands in the product assortment, merchandise vice-president Mark Scott said: “A key objective has been to broaden product choices in a way that creates a sense of discovery, where shoppers are pleasantly surprised by options that bring interest and excitement to their everyday shopping experience. While Drew Barrymore’s Beautiful range delivers this in spectacular fashion, we also see it in simple moments, for example, our sweets and confectionery aisle features international favourites such as Mike & Ike, Reese’s, Warheads, and Nerds — brands not commonly found in South Africa."
Miles van Rensburg, Massmart president and CEO, said the store will incorporate a customer-centric design characterised by bright lighting, spacious aisles, intuitive inter-department flow and efficient checkout, supported by friendly, helpful service.
The store manager is Onicca Mothapo, who has 20 years of experience in retail.
Commenting on her appointment, Mothapo said: “Opening this store is deeply personal. From where I began my career as a store cashier, I could never have imagined that I would one day grow to become store manager for the first Walmart store in Africa.
“I’m particularly proud of our partnership with Africa Food for Thought. Through this initiative, our store will be supporting eight early childhood development centres in the broader community, starting with donations of appliances, catering equipment and multi-purpose furniture.”
The store opening date will be released “in the next few weeks”.
TimesLIVE
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