Watch out Cashbuild, Massmart are hammering a big old stake into the dusty earth of Gauteng, launching its new Builders Superstore brand in two locations, Tembisa and Evaton. The format is aimed at competing aggressively for the lower-income homebuilder’s and home improver’s buck, specifically in the areas of price, assortment, in-stock, customer experience and convenience, and differentiating itself from the other Massbuild brands with a range of fit-for-purpose quality products. The rollout is also going to be on the aggro side: five test stores in Gauteng townships in the next 12 months, then another five the year after that, reaching into Limpopo, the North West and Mpumalanga, then 60-plus nationally within five years.
Comment: A business which taps into the DIY spirit of SA’s poorest citizens seems like a worthwhile way to go, commercially and socially.