Woolworths clearly has an eye (and the guts) for opportunity. In a bid to cash in on the resurrection of the Jhb city centre, the group will open the first Woolworths ‘Micro’ Food store on Harrison Street at the end of September. And, based on its success, the group says it will open similar stores in other South African cities.
The gradual return to the city of top-notch businesses during the last few years, coupled with planned improvements in public transport – Gautrain and Rea Vaya bus rapid transit (BRT) – look set to re-create a substantial inner city workforce with purchasing power to match.
The convenience store will be located in the same Amdec Property Developments building as several companies, giving those co-tenants doorstep proximity and shopping convenience. The building itself is situated within walking distance of the government precinct and the Gauteng Legislature building. It’s an egg waiting to be fertilized.
Stocked with lunches and prepared meals, as well as basic groceries, the 500m2 store will service the needs of that human concentration, making it unnecessary for them to make food stops en route home.
There is also a concerted effort, on the part of both government and the private sector, to draw residents back to the CBD. This has taken the form of new housing estates and the conversion of old and neglected buildings to stylish apartments. That residential community could also come to play a vital role in the long term viability of the undertaking.
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