Game sources local suppliers in Namibia

Game not only has a commitment to creating jobs in the regions within which it operates, but also to providing local businesses with opportunities to grow. Turner said that the retail?s two Namibian outlets ? Game Windhoek which opened in 1996 and Game Oshakati which opened in 1999 ? already provided permanent direct employment to 155 Namibians.

He said the success of these two stores has a powerful knock-on effect to local business as the stores work closely with local companies that handle deliveries, provide cleaning services, security, repairs and after sales service for branded goods sold in the stores.

?On a daily basis we make use of overnight delivery contractors to send stock purchased by customers across all parts of the country. All maintenance, electrical and systems requirements are contracted locally which, again, creates employment and helps develop local business in Namibia,? Turner said in a press release.

According to Turner, local business can only benefit from local operations supplying Game stores. Game currently has 34 local suppliers in Namibia and is in the throes of listing a further eight suppliers.

He is confident that it will grow its local supplier base even further in months to come.

Between June 2010 and June 2012, products sourced from companies based in Namibia accounted for approximately 20 per cent of consumer purchases from the stores. Turner said that at this stage, water, paint, beer carbonated drinks, dried fruits and nuts, garden and patio furniture and a range of paint chemicals come from local producers. Other categories of goods are sourced from local suppliers who obtain their goods from countries including South Africa.

?Game is going all out to identify locally manufactured goods and we will prioritise local suppliers,? Turner said. ?We are in the process of creating additional space in store to accommodate dry groceries. Although we will probably have to import from South Africa at the outset, we are committed to soliciting locally supplied/manufactured products wherever possible,? he added.

Game is in the throes of planning to include Foodco, an exciting new grocery ?store-within-astore? that offers private label fresh produce, dry goods and health and beauty products, into its Namibian stores. ?Should Foodco be given the go ahead to move into Namibia, we anticipate substantial local supply opportunities applicable to perishable foods,? said Turner.

The concept was successfully piloted in the Western Cape (South Africa) at the beginning of 2011 and has been rolled out in 17 selected stores over the past year. ?Essentially, this is a no frills, just value approach to buying food. We stock a complete range of groceries, the freshest fruit and vegetables, bread and milk. We source only the lean and tender prime cuts which are all pre-packed for convenience.?

Turner emphasized that, as an established retailer, Game is aware of the many challenges facing local and emerging businesses and would go all out to accommodate them in its supplier listing. This includes a specially formulated package that includes fair and simplified trading terms.