adminis set to be renamed PEP, another low end chain in South Africa.
Middle market Express Stores, part of the Edgars group, will rebrand to Jet.
An official at Power Sales confirmed plans for the re-branding adding that this was going to be done in stages.
“Yes we are considering changing the name of our shops to PEP though this process will take some time as we will start with a few branches and if the response is pleasing, we will then change all the branches,” she said.
She said there won’t be any major changes in terms of their range of products as their products were similar to those that were being sold by their sister company PEP.
“This is just a marketing strategy and I can say at the moment it is still experimental so if the outcome is unfavourable, we will quit the re-branding plan.
“As you know people can be resistant to change so the success of this whole venture is totally in the hands of the customers because at the end of the day they are the centre of attraction,” she said.
The official said Power Sales was going to come up with new promotions and an improved store layout to support the re-branding.
Power Sales is known for selling a wide range of products from women’s wear, kids wear, men’s wear, stationery and toys among other things.
Efforts to get a comment from senior management were fruitless as they were committed to other duties.
Meanwhile, Edgars Stores Limited said two of its subsidiaries — Express and Express Mart Stores — will in the next few months rebrand to Jet to service customers’ changing needs.
Jet is a leading South African clothing and footwear retail chain.
Edgars group managing director Ms Linda Masterson said the rebranding exercise was a Zimbabwean initiative.
“This rebranding of Express to Jet has nothing at all to do with South Africa. It is a Zimbabwean initiative.
“We have rebranded our stores to Jet in order to supply our customers changing needs and to give them more style for less price.
“We source our merchandise for Jet Stores from both our loyal Zimbabwean manufacturers and from suppliers in other Sadc countries,” she said in a written response to questions from Business Chronicle.
She said their South African counterpart had given them sole permission to use the Jet brand and to buy Jet branded merchandise from their suppliers.
“Nobody else in Zimbabwe has permission to use the Jet brand or sell products which have Jet owned labels such as Network, Massumi, Enzo, Jet Kids, and many others.
“This will allow us to better service our customers’ changing needs.
“This process will take place over the next few months as we introduce the new Jet brands and concepts to our customers and roll out the change to all stores countrywide.
“We will introduce focused merchandise assortments that cater for our customers’ different lifestyles, offering a wider variety of product at even better prices, providing more style for fewer prices,” she said.
She said they have already been testing the new brands.
“Already the response to the new brands that we have been testing in all Express and Express Mart stores has been excellent. We will continue phasing out our old brands and labels to make way for the new, providing our valued customers with continuity on wanted product lines while improving the assortments our customers are voting for.”-The Chronicle
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