Clicks - feel good, pay less
Building strong customer relationships
Retail company Clicks strives to make daily essentials affordable to locals
Clicks Group operates more than 800 retail stores in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland and Lesotho. There are currently 24 Clicks stores open in Namibia, with the furthest located in Katima Mulilo.
The retail outlet provides products and goods in different categories, which include beauty, healthcare, personal care, babies, home and electrical hardware. These categories are monitored weekly to compare their performance to the previous year. This way of monitoring growth allows a hands-on approach that helps to improve the availability and pricing of goods.
Clicks is passionate about its customers; believes in integrity, honesty and openness; cultivates understanding through respect and dialogue, is disciplined in its approach and delivers on goals.
Ongwediva Clicks branch store manager, Emilie Ndjendjo, says working for the company is not only fun, but exciting and geared towards great customer service. “This is exactly why customers return to our store,” she said.
Private-label brands
Each category of products sold within the store comprises of uniquely branded goods as well as private-label brands. Unique brands include Maybelline, Neutrogena, Catrice and GNC Live Well while private-label brands include Safeway, Essentials, Smartlife and Dryprotect.
According to Clicks Group Limited, private-label products offer better value to customers while entrenching loyalty to the brand and enhancing profitability. The range of private-label, scheduled generic medicines was increased from 76 to 100 lines at the stores, and has been well-received by customers and pharmacists. The Clicks chain plans to increase, and expand, private-label sales of front shop products.
More stores
Still in the expansion phase, and after finding solid ground again following the onset of Covid-19, Clicks is considering opening more stores to make sure that Namibians have easy access to products found within the outlet. The company has plans to open more stores in Katutura, in Windhoek, as well as towns such as Omuthiya.
With three area managers looking after 24 stores in Namibia, Clicks country store manager, Corne Visser, says the managers ensure smooth operations at all stores in Namibia. They are based in the north, south, coast and central parts of Namibia, with allocated teams.
Upwards and forwards
Recently, the company has implemented a trainee store manager programme that is accredited. The first 10 programmes took place in March. The aim is to train those already within the company to one day take over managerial positions and tasks, once they become vacant. The trainee store managers complete four modules next week and will then write an exam, registered with the Business School of Excellence, to determine whether they pass or fail.
The training is continuous and is awaiting a new intake of ten trainee store managers in August.
“The reason for this program is also to create depth in a managerial concept. This is due to an observation that there are few people in Namibia. When we recruit people for managerial positions, a lot of them do not have great theoretical knowledge as compared to practical experience. These need to complement each other,” said Visser. He added that the company aims to not only work to link top positions to lower positions, but also to link lower positions to take up top positions within the company. “As our business grows, we can employ more locals and keep the work moving forward,” he said.
Happy culture
The company is determined to keep a great working and learning environment with its employees. Northern area manager, Adolfine Muniazo, who has been in this position for three years, has learned and grown from challenges. “I enjoy the company culture and make sure to learn through any challenges. My first year of work was not as smooth, but I managed to be free and communicate in order for me to grow and expand in the great work environment at Clicks,” she said.
Currently, Clicks Namibia employs 458 people in positions that include flexi workers, shop assistants, cashiers as well as managerial positions, which comprise of service advisors, assistant store managers and store managers.
The retail outlet provides products and goods in different categories, which include beauty, healthcare, personal care, babies, home and electrical hardware. These categories are monitored weekly to compare their performance to the previous year. This way of monitoring growth allows a hands-on approach that helps to improve the availability and pricing of goods.
Clicks is passionate about its customers; believes in integrity, honesty and openness; cultivates understanding through respect and dialogue, is disciplined in its approach and delivers on goals.
Ongwediva Clicks branch store manager, Emilie Ndjendjo, says working for the company is not only fun, but exciting and geared towards great customer service. “This is exactly why customers return to our store,” she said.
Private-label brands
Each category of products sold within the store comprises of uniquely branded goods as well as private-label brands. Unique brands include Maybelline, Neutrogena, Catrice and GNC Live Well while private-label brands include Safeway, Essentials, Smartlife and Dryprotect.
According to Clicks Group Limited, private-label products offer better value to customers while entrenching loyalty to the brand and enhancing profitability. The range of private-label, scheduled generic medicines was increased from 76 to 100 lines at the stores, and has been well-received by customers and pharmacists. The Clicks chain plans to increase, and expand, private-label sales of front shop products.
More stores
Still in the expansion phase, and after finding solid ground again following the onset of Covid-19, Clicks is considering opening more stores to make sure that Namibians have easy access to products found within the outlet. The company has plans to open more stores in Katutura, in Windhoek, as well as towns such as Omuthiya.
With three area managers looking after 24 stores in Namibia, Clicks country store manager, Corne Visser, says the managers ensure smooth operations at all stores in Namibia. They are based in the north, south, coast and central parts of Namibia, with allocated teams.
Upwards and forwards
Recently, the company has implemented a trainee store manager programme that is accredited. The first 10 programmes took place in March. The aim is to train those already within the company to one day take over managerial positions and tasks, once they become vacant. The trainee store managers complete four modules next week and will then write an exam, registered with the Business School of Excellence, to determine whether they pass or fail.
The training is continuous and is awaiting a new intake of ten trainee store managers in August.
“The reason for this program is also to create depth in a managerial concept. This is due to an observation that there are few people in Namibia. When we recruit people for managerial positions, a lot of them do not have great theoretical knowledge as compared to practical experience. These need to complement each other,” said Visser. He added that the company aims to not only work to link top positions to lower positions, but also to link lower positions to take up top positions within the company. “As our business grows, we can employ more locals and keep the work moving forward,” he said.
Happy culture
The company is determined to keep a great working and learning environment with its employees. Northern area manager, Adolfine Muniazo, who has been in this position for three years, has learned and grown from challenges. “I enjoy the company culture and make sure to learn through any challenges. My first year of work was not as smooth, but I managed to be free and communicate in order for me to grow and expand in the great work environment at Clicks,” she said.
Currently, Clicks Namibia employs 458 people in positions that include flexi workers, shop assistants, cashiers as well as managerial positions, which comprise of service advisors, assistant store managers and store managers.
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