Last year we reported on this site how the folks at Woolworths SA have been trying to cover their tracks after they were caught out for not wanting to hire white staff. At the time Justin Harrison, an internet marketing guru started blogging about the clothes and food chain advertising for staff vacancies while specifying that only blacks need apply. In fact the advertising stated that their jobs were open only to African, Coloured and Indian candidates.
Now it is being reported that Woolworths Holdings will cut its prices by up to 30% from August in a bid to gain market share in Africa.
The AestAfrican reports the firm’s profits jumped by 70% after it dropped prices by 30% in Australia.
Woolworths Africa group chief executive was in Kenya to open its eighth store in the country in a joint venture with Deacons, which owns and manages various international fashion brands. “We seek to change the perception of buyers on Woolworths which is viewed as shops for the upmarket especially in Kenya our newest market,” he said in an interview with The EastAfrican.
In a statement to Fin24 the company said: “We’ve learnt from years of trade locally and elsewhere that value for money is important to our customers.”
We kind of know that Woolies has been taking most South Africans for a ride all along. The rich elite in their 4X4s liked the idea of sending their kids to private schools and being seen hanging around in Woolies spending to much money for grub in fancy packaging. That’s their problem.
For us normal folk its a slap in the face that Woolies now admits they have been ripping people off to the tune of 30% while also being racist. They might as well employ Julius Malema to design their next clothing range, make their furniture and od their VAT returns.
Woolworths has 60 stores in 12 African countries outside South Africa. They are: Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, Lesotho, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland and Ghana.
