It was with great sadness that we read of Borrowdale Brooke SPAR shutting down. Many of us were shocked and wondered what exactly went wrong, and if things were bad for you what more for the average Joe like us?
We’re not too sure what caused you to close, at least it’s nothing like the Arundel SPAR incident of last year.It would be great if you’d shed some light on what caused you to close, so that we can draw lessons from this.
One would have thought that if any business was to succeed it would be you guys, after all you had it “all” going for you. You were in the ‘right’ location, right in the heart of where the money is!
Who wouldn’t want to target buyers in Borrowdale Brooke? When we also look at what you were selling/offering, many-a-time we’d remark that your products/prices are suited for people in the ‘Brooke’.
But alas.
Where to from here for Borrowdale Brooke SPAR?
Now that you have decided to close shop, I’d have thought the most logical thing for you to have done is to ‘relocate’.
Looking at the area that you were located and the type of clientele that you served, me thinks that the probability of having an online store and having users to buy from you are quite high. More so since users can now conveniently shop and pay online using services like PayNow.
I would have thought that an online store, where users can check the prices of goods and even make purchases would be ideal.
If you do this, targeting former shoppers at Borrowdale Brooke SPAR, and it proves to be a success (after all these are the people with a large disposable income and fast internet access) then there will be an opportunity this will cascade downwards to other income brackets. After all just about anyone having internet access can use the website.
Do you have any plans to go online? Would you need any assistance in setting up a website? I’m sure readers here on Technology Zimbabwe will be more than willing to help (maybe get paid for it as well) and hopefully we can work towards solving the e-Commerce opportunity here in Zimbabwe.
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They need to tear that shack of a shopping center down and build a proper irem there mhani. I’m thinking in the style of the Commons at Calabasas (Google image search it please) . That would be a perfect fit for that area, maybe even draw crowds away from Sam Levy’s…
commons is lovely!
https://www.google.co.zw/search?q=commons+at+calabasas&biw=1160&bih=754&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=rlENVLW9EInvaJHmgbAI&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ
“I would have thought that an online store, where users can check the prices of goods and even make purchases would be ideal. – yes very ideal but what about the costs associated with an online store? It takes some retailers like PnP, takealot, Mr Price, Woolies to make this a reality. And it is expensive. Which market would they target? Time frame for goods to be delivered. I do not want to sound like pessimist but one has to be real about these services. Food needs immediate delivery. Is there such a service/delivery system that can do this? Which cards are allowed? And education of online buying. My thinking is that the new import duty tax killed of this store plus others will follow soon.