Monday, January 15, 2024 – The Retail Supermarkets Nigeria Limited (RSNL), operator of the Shoprite franchise in Nigeria has finally closed its Ado Bayero Mall Store, Kano, Kano State Northwest Nigeria.
On December 14th
last year, Shoprite announced the closure of its Ado Bayero Mall Store, Kano
from January 14, 2024.
A video Imran Muhammad shared on his X, seen by
SaharaReporters shows empty shelves in the Kano Mall.
A voice in the 27-second video lamented that only drinks
were still available at the Shoprite store at the time it was being shot.
In a closing announcement dated December 7, 2023, signed by
Mubertus Rick for the company, the company said the decision to close the store
was taken after careful evaluation of its financial situation and the current
business climate.
Titled: "Ado Bayero Mall Store Closing
Announcement," the announcement addressed to employees reads: "I
regret to inform you that our Stores in Ado Bayero Mall, Kano, Kano State will
be closing its doors on January 14, 2024. This decision was not made lightly,
as we understand the impact it may have on our employees and the community.
"However, after careful evaluation of the financial
situation of the store and the current business climate, we believe it is the
best course of action for the long-term growth of our organization.
"We understand that this news may be difficult to
digest, and we want to assure you that we are here to support you during this
transitional period. Your well-being is our top priority, and we will do
everything we can to assist you in finding new opportunities within our
company.
"We encourage you to apply for any vacant positions in
our existing stores across the country through the Human Resources department.
Additionally, we will be opening new stores in the coming months, and you are
welcome to apply for employment there as well.
"We deeply appreciate your dedication, hard work, and
commitment to our company throughout the years. Your contributions have been
invaluable, and we are grateful for the value you have brought to our team.
"As we navigate this transition, we will ensure that
the process is as seamless as possible for everyone involved. In the upcoming
days and weeks, we will provide you with more information regarding severance
packages and other important details.
"Once again, we want to express our gratitude for your
contributions to our company's success. We hope that you will stay connected
with us as we move forward. If you have any questions or require assistance,
please don't hesitate to reach out to me, the Chief Operating Officer, or our
Head of Human Resources."
According to information on its website, RSNL launched its
first Nigerian store in Lagos in December 2005 and has expanded to 26 outlets
across 14 states in the country. The company also has a 4,732-square-meter
distribution centre in Lagos, which facilitates direct delivery from local
farmers for Freshmark-Shoprite’s fruit and vegetable procurement and
distribution arm.
Some Nigerians have decried the closure, noting that the
company has thrown hundreds of Nigerians back into the labour market at a time
when the country is facing a ravaging economic crunch.
@Nwafresh wrote: "At least they kept to their words
thereby making people unemployed this hard January. God is watching."
@Emmbee_brown lamented that the closure was a result of the
“bad economic policies” of President Bola Tinubu’s administration at the
federal level.
"This is so sad that Shoprite finally shut down
operation in Kano. The effect of the Economic policies," he said.
kano Shoprite Closed it Operation. https://t.co/RNWZ1vbb5J pic.twitter.com/OJQB6yC1p1
— Imran Muhammad (@Imranmuhdz) January 15, 2024
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