Durban – Ten under-performing Game stores will be closed, and one of them is in Westwood Mall, Westville, outside Durban.
That was according to Game vice-president Andrew Stein.
Stein was responding to questions sent by the Daily News regarding the closure of the Westwood Mall store and reopening of the Game West Street store which was looted and destroyed during civil unrest last year.
“Game recently announced that we are closing 10 under-performing stores of which Westwood is one of these stores. We anticipate that the store will close in about three months,” Stein said.
“As part of the closure process we are liquidating stock, and so you will notice that we are having clearance sales in these selected stores, of which Westwood is one.
“Game is also working with affected staff to help them find positions elsewhere within the Massmart group. This has been and remains a priority for us,” Stein said.
Meanwhile, last week the Massmart group reopened Game West Street in Durban more than a year after it was looted and damaged during civil unrest in July 2021.
“Game West Street was one of our first Game stores ever and we were delighted to be able to reopen it after it had been badly damaged in the KZN unrest,” Stein said.
He said the store has been completely remodelled according to the all-new Game look and feel.
“Our initial customer feedback was above our expectations. We have also extended our homeware and lighting ranges while introducing new products such as clothing, which our customers have responded to exceptionally well,” Stein said.
In a statement last week, Game revealed that Game West Street had been serving customers for more than 50 years.
“Durban is the home of Game. It’s where we opened our first store 52 years ago and the West Street store is particularly important to the community.
“Some of our shoppers have been coming to Game since they were children, shopping with their parents – so we wanted to ensure we reopened this store with the latest from Game, which includes a brand new look, expanded ranges and additional services,” Stein said.
He said they had improved accessibility, navigation and visibility in the store to provide a more seamless and convenient shopping experience for the Game customer.
In addition, the store features new and expanded categories such as clothing basics and homeware.
“We have worked to ensure that our customers will easily be able to identify where they can find added value on their everyday needs at Game.
“Part of this means making sure that our customers understand our 52-year-old Price Beat Promise. If a customer finds an exact product cheaper elsewhere, we’ll then not only match the price, but we beat it by 10% on the difference,” Stein said.
Game has also introduced installation services for those customers buying electronics or appliances that require careful installation in their homes, as well as an in-store Tech Squad who will assist customers with set-up, upgrades and troubleshooting on smartphones, tablets and laptops purchased at Game.
Convenience is key in the new Game store, where customers can buy airtime, bus tickets, transfer and draw money as well as pay electricity and DStv bills.
Daily News