Walmart’s arrival in SA triggered massive mall foot traffic and renewed competition as shoppers flock to Clearwater and Fourways stores.
Hot damn, y’all! Good ole boy Donny may not want to have much do with us – what with all the “terrible things” happening here – but that ain’t deterred one of Uncle Sam’s cultural icons, Walmart, from wantin’ a piece of that good ole South African pie.
Landlord Hyprop says the day the Walmart store opened, foot count at Clearwater Mall was around 85 000, compared to the average for Saturdays of about 37 000.
Moneyweb tells us some were there simply to see, but most shopped.
And it was no different at Fourways Mall store last Saturday.
ALSO READ: Clearwater Mall sees 85 000 people in one day, thanks to Walmart opening
Every second trolley that was being pushed through the mall and its car park appeared to be Walmart blue.
It’s a brave move from the Yanks and their local partners, because our big boy retailers – Shoprite Checkers, Pick n Pay and even Woolies and Spar – are no mugs when it comes to hard sell.
One thing none of those local outfits has yet, is the meme reputation Walmart has earned in the age of social media for the – let’s just say – strangeness of their customers… and what they wear. Or don’t.
South Africans are casual but not that casual… Perhaps a Walmart wave is loading…
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