South African supermarket chain closes down

Ho, June 23, GNA- The decision of PEPKOR, the South African operators of PEP Stores, to close down all its 16 branches in Ghana would leave Ho with no branch of the well known supermarket.

PEP Stores remained in Ho after MELCOM, another super market chain, closed its Ho branch for lack of business.

Mr Bernard A. Acheampong, Ho Branch Manager of PEP Stores, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Monday that the June deadline for the PEP Stores shutdown might be extended because a few of the branches, including that of Ho, still hold a considerable amount of stock which needed to be sold.

He said the PEP stores fold up in Ghana was as a result of the decline of business fortunes of the mother company.

Mr Acheampong conceded that sales output at the Ho branch had been bad lately and attributed it to the massive inflow of smuggled goods into the area to undercut t! heir prices.

He said initially, PEP Stores Ho branch had a good turnover but business slumped considerably especially in the outerwear, including shoes and dresses. Mr Acheampong denied speculations that goods sold by PEP Stores were of low quality, saying that all goods have quality ranges.

''PEP Stores branches in Achimota, Kaneshie, Madina, Nima, Kokomemle all in Accra, Cape Coast and Tema Community Two are among those already closed down while the branches in Ho, Tamale, Tarkoradi are among a few operating to clear stocks.''

Mr Acheampong declined to say what agreement management and workers had reached on payoffs.