As the local economy continues to slow down, retail chain Spar at Arcades Shopping Mall has announced that it will be closing down.
In a notice to suppliers, Spar Country Manager Ken Darby said the closure is due to the non viability of the business.
Mr Darby revealed that 29th March 2020 is the last day of trading.
He did not disclose the number of jobs to be lost or the impact on jobs following the decision.
“The store will run the February Month-End promotion while reducing stock. We will in April be moving any remaining stock and equipment to our other branches, or storage within Lusaka,” Me Darby wrote.
He said all other corporate stores will remain open.
More money in their pockets, no jobs and higher taxes,pabwato….what a bunch of jokers…
Mr Spar just compete….with poor economy people still buy and eat.
Bye bye Polio from SA
“Unprecedented Development” by P.F, M0nk3y’z.
P.F HAS FINALLY SUCCEEDED IN DESTROYING ZAMBIA.
PF will blame UPND for spar’ s closure.
TOO SAD. THAT SUPERMARKET ADDED VALUE TO ARCADES. I HOPE IT WILL NOT BE TURNED INTO A BAR OR NIGHT CLUB. OR ANY OF THESE POOR SHOPS PRETENDING TO BE SOMETHING. MAYBE SHOPRITE CAN TAKE IT UP. YOU PEOPLE FROM LUSAKA YOU STILL HAVE THE MALL NEAR UNZA SO DO NOT WORRY SO MUCH.
It’s an opportunity for the ZNFU to fill up the gap and it’s incumbent upon every Zambian to support them because their members have found it almost impossible to sell their products to these chain stores. And anyway it didn’t make much business sense to have these shops almost everywhere, which market did they target because there are similar shops at Manda Hill, East Park and Airport turnoff? If they don’t support Kabwe farmers by buying from them I see those at Kabwe closing soon
A SAD DEVELOPMENT! THE ECONOMY IS SO BAD THAT IT FEELS AS IF THE COUNTRY IS IN A WAR SITUATION. ELECTRICITY IS A PROBLEM; GOOD FOOD IS A PROBLEM; FUEL IS VERY EXPENSIVE; DEFORESTATION IS ALARMING BUT NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE; THERE MANY EMPTY SHOPS AT THESE SHOPPING MORE!
WE NEED A CURE TO THIS SICKNESS. SEER 1 HAS ALREADY GIVEN US THE DIAGNOSIS.
Zambians never cease to amaze me, not sure whether it is low level knowledge or outright ignorance. These closures and openings are all part of the business world we leave in. Everywhere in the world these things happen. But when they happen in Zambia people blame the Govt of the day all the time. In South Africa standard bank closed more than hundred branches, this spar has been very uncompetitive they need to change their pricing model. Citizens cannot continue to subsidize those high prices.
Spar is very expensive compared to other retail chain stores. Let them close down and go. Afterall we have got a lot of these foreign shops
You guys ..what is the problem. Any business person if he is not making profit closes and relocates elsewhere where he can make money. So why talking like dull people??
Massmart ie Game, Dion and Makro stores in SA are closing down and retrenching staff. WHO IS TO BLAME?
Spar has closed many shops before. The one along Kafue Road closed down immediately it opened due to competition from surrounding PnP Makeni Mall and SHoprite COSMOPOLITAN mall. Why haven’t they closed Spar Chawama and one in Garden house area.It is because they enjoy monopoly in that area. Once big guys move in you will them scampering out of the area.Why is it thatnew entrants like are making it big? It is just Business Decision and not Government to be blamed.
People have no money…..unfortunately there is nothing to point to things improving anytime soon.
A sure way to improve the economy is a GRZ 100% commitment to support of farming outputs to neighbouring countries.
Zambia should by now have captured the southern DRC food market.
Spar closing its outlet will result in Zambians losing jobs. That should have any reasonable person concerned.
The big question is why the economy is slowing down.
From 7% GDP down to less than 2% in just 8 years.
We need to put a stop to this.
THIS HAPPENS EVERY WHERE ITS NOT ONLY IN ZAMBIA THAT YOU FIND THIS HAPPENING EVEN COUNTRIES WITH BIGGER ECONOMIES LIKE THE USA THE SAME DOES HAPPENS ,WE SHOULD ALSO TRY TO PROMOTE LOCAL BUSSINESES FOR BETTERMENT OF THE COUNTRY
That arcades mall will be a white elephant soon….its location is quite bad for businesses…. If a retail store trading in food and everyday necessity stuff are making losses what more not so much every day needs like clothes….the plan of mall there not so good
It gotta dawn at some point to us to say that these foreign based investors are almost always shortlived.
Here only to make money. If money can’t be made? They leave. It makes huge business sense.
I know of one Government parastatal offloading 130 to 140 employees on account of hard times.
In a nutshell it is not personal, it’s business.
Of course businesses close everywhere now and then – but not for the same reasons. Some non-business climates are ‘man made’, through lack of proper planning or vision.
People of Zambia should not see this as a good development by saying these foreign stores should go back. This is a very sad development and an indication that PF has failed to inspire the economy or even put together some hopeful indicators that things will turn around soon. The closure is not due to competition, but poor economy. People don’t have expendable income meaning there are aisles that people don’t even visit in that store. Some goods are expiring on the shelves. Now ask PF supporters what is there to support. Poverty? Unemployment? Bad policy? Corruption? Dictatorship? Bill 10? Wrong leaders that have failed you? Ba Lungu bufungufungu ubwalalike ba mungulube insala. You will wait and wait there’s no turn around from Lungu. He will not do any better. He has maxed out…
Where is Suprem furnishers;funishing World and many more? They left along time ago.These private businesses have the right to re-locate and other will remain or come or Open yours
Macys is closing alot of its outlets here in the US…..more than 5000 people will lose their jobs…retail business is not easy…too much overhead expenses
Let us start ZCBC please. UPND are losers! President Lungu has worked very hard for Zambia. We need him to continue developing this country! They are scared of him and hate him because they know they can’t beat him! Zambia in the Sun!
KMart has closed so many outlets in the USA. One shop nearby just closed about three months ago. UPND will continue to Hallucinate about Zambia and not about a Privatisation thief in their ranks.
Can we revamp NIEC Stores please?
If it really isn’t viable, maybe smaller traders can take up that part of the business that is. Or else if the business can be refocused into profitability, there might be an opportunity for someone else to fill Spar’s shoes. Times are hard right now, but when one door closes, sometimes another one opens, and opportunities can come along at any time.
This has nothing to do with a bad economy or no business. Spar over the years have built themselves a reputation for having ridiculously high prices. They have just failed to compete with pick n pay and shoprite who are busy opening new outlets every two months. So how can it be bad economy when others are expanding.
From the way things look , it’s as if this PF GRZ only had 5 ministries……….
Ministry of borrowing…
Ministry of issuing tenders …..
Ministry of presidential Travel….
Ministry of religious affairs…..
And ministry of home affairs to fix any opposition
There was no minister overseeing industry implementation, there was no ministry seeing that Zambia becomes a bread basket of our region, etc etc , nothing
Sometimes economic growth out grows certain business models. You have to change with the times. You can’t keep doing the same thing in a very progressive economy like Zambias. Kz
Now, a new ministry of Mall closures will emerge
Shoprite just opened in woodlands and are opening a new one opposite Kabwata Police. Choppies is equally popping up everywhere. PnP has an upmarket niche which they are servicing quite well. Spar, with their super high prices have simply failed to compete and capture their market share. Across the road PnP at East Park are thriving! If you can’t compete, cheerio Spar!
This is not news naimwe. Businesses close down branches and open new ones. It’s not something to gape about. It’s a normal operational occurrence. If Spar decides to close down its business in Zambia then that would be news.
Remember supreme furnishers,smart centre , Ackerman’s Dunn’s,Anglo American etc.Don’t be fooled.They have made money and will come under a new management.
Thank PF only for this