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LARGEST WOOLWORTHS STORE IN AFRICA OUTSIDE SOUTH AFRICA OPENED IN KAMPALA
On Tuesday 20th December 2011, the largest Woolworths store in Africa outside South Africa, opened its doors to shoppers in Kampala, Uganda amid pomp and fanfare. Located off the Northern By-Pass road in the new Metroplex Naalya Shopping Mall, the newest Woolworths store will offer the widest range of Woolworths products ever seen in East Africa in a uniquely pristine shopping environment.
Speaking to the press shortly before the store was launched, the CEO of W- Stores Co Ltd Mr. Ali Mufuruki likened the last three months to a roller-coaster ride that saw a new store open at the Grandocean Baraka Plaza in Dar es Salaam in September. Another store was opened at the Tirupati Mazima Mall in the Nsambya area of Kampala in October and now the third store at the Metroplex Mall in Kampala.
"This brings the total number of Woolworths stores owned by the company in Tanzania and Uganda to seven, up from four only three months ago. We have invested 3 million dollars into the business in order to raise our brand presence in the region to a new level. We have done this in response to strong customer demand for a better and fuller offering of our products whose popularity has been growing steadily since we opened our first store in Dar es Salaam twelve years ago," said Mufuruki.
“Woolworths recently launched Pan African strategy is showing early signs of success. Our more than 70 years of retail experience, financial resources and commitment to play a leading role in Africa's economic growth story over the next decades together with the local knowledge and strong business leadership that our local partners bring to the joint venture is an unbeatable combination. We see our business growing from strength to strength as we continue to add more territories to our operations and deepen our brand presence in every country where we operate. This is what has happened in Kampala today and we are very pleased with the developments there", said Glenn Gilzean, Woolworths group director for retail operations.
The well attended opening ceremony was officiated by the Chairman of the Uganda Investment Authority Mr. Patrick Bitature who in his speech, thanked Woolworths for its confidence in the Ugandan market, for creating badly needed jobs and for being an exemplary corporate citizen and good taxpayer over the years. "We are very proud of your achievements and wish you all the best in the future", he added.
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