That is how long-time departmental store, Greatermans,
operated by the Meikles Group along Harare’s Jason Moyo Avenue, exited the
retail scene.
Months later, shoppers were to discover that the
“renovations” were in fact meant to change the line of business as the store
morphed into a supermarket.
Greatermans’ exit mirrored that of many other departmental
stores in Zimbabwe that have had to close shop in the face of a tough operating
economic environment.
The influx of cheap imports into the country has not helped
the situation. Apart from Greatermans, the country used to boast of a
plethora of departmental stores like Barbours, which was also operated by the
Meikles Group.
The famous Haddon & Sly Store, which set up shop in the
country’s second largest city, Bulawayo, in 1894, felt the pinch of economic
hardships and closed shop last year.
Known for offering quality shopping experience,
departmental stores were special, having a whole floor with a specific range of
merchandise and staff offering personalised care.
“Every one of the big departmental stores offered credit
terms and expert advice on a wide range of services.
“They featured very much in our home decorating and
designing and had experts in everything from kitchen appliances to
curtain-making, from school uniforms to musical
instruments, books, stationery and the latest long-playing
records.
“I miss those days very much,” said a nostalgic John
Robertson, who grew up when these shops were operating in full throttle.
“Some of the best in days gone by were the Railway Co-op in
Bulawayo and the Farmers Co-op in Harare,” the renowned economist added.
“We also had Haddon & Sly, Sanders, Barbours, Checkers,
Greatermans, Store Brothers and Tedco.
“We still have clothing specialists like Edgars and
Truworths, but they used to have strong competitors like Zippers, McCulloch
& Bothwells, H E Harris, Eric Davis and
Winsons.”
Former Meikles employee Stephen Chitima spoke of the high
standards that characterised the departmental stores as he relived his work
experience.
“I was based at Meikles head office and I could easily
navigate any of the departmental stores,” he said.
“I remember that was way back in 2003 just after I had
completed my A’Levels.
“The departmental stores were really a pride of the nation,
even tourists visiting the country would not want to miss the shopping
experience.
“The standards, aesthetics and etiquette were synonymous
with that of First World stores, something that I truly miss.”
Chitima added: “At Barbour’s there used to be a gentleman
with an English accent who used to operate the lift and he would direct clients
on where to find items on each floor.
“Working for the TM group was such a marvel. The
departmental store staff used to wear respectable uniforms and we really had a
sense of belonging.
“At time clients would request for a paper bag or carrier
bag even after buying small stuff just to use for other errands. The branded carrier bags signified a top quality brand.
Gone are those days.”
“What has led to the demise of departmental stores in
Zimbabwe?
The answer lies in Zimbabwe’s deepening economic crisis,
which has been punctuated by a pressing liquidity crisis and massive job losses
as many hundreds of companies have been
forced out of business.
As a result, there has been widespread proliferation of
informal traders selling anything and everywhere.
With severely eroded disposable incomes, the general public
has no option but to embrace the street traders who are usually a cheaper
option. Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president Sifelani
Jabangwe said the classic departmental stores where people could just walk in
for the experience had since disappeared on the back of an underperforming economy.
“We have certainly seen the demise of departmental stores,”
he said. “It is as a result of the declining economy where smaller
and nimble-footed, agile shops have taken over the departmental store concept.
“As well we have seen that it has disappeared because the
middle class that has been decimated. We now have a small group that fits into that class.”
Economist Clemence Machadu believes the proliferation of
cheap second-hand imports that are smuggled into the country and sold on the
streets had changed the retail
architecture of the country and has occupied more space for
a departmental store set-up.
“The small and informal guys normally have cheaper
substitutes because they cheat many statutory taxes and costs and are free
riders in many facets; and therefore pose real
competition to big retailers,” he said.
“In the case of departmental stores, there is a new focus
now on having a smart portfolio of profitable goods, which bring value to the
business, as opposed to housing
everything just for the sake of it.
“The emergence of e-commerce has also seen many slow-moving
consumer goods being now sold online, as opposed to displaying them in the
shop, especially considering the fact
that space is now expensive and scarce.
“Another major factor is the supply bottlenecks being
experienced, and lack of foreign currency to guarantee consistent supply and
replenishing stock timeously.” Standard
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