Makro Springfield gives R400 000 pet food to SPCA

Makro Springfield, which was hard hit by the looting and civil unrest in July, is set to reopen its doors and has marked the occasion by gifting R400 000 worth of pet food to needy animal rescue organisations across KwaZulu-Natal.

 Makro Springfield general manager, Sue-Anne Jones said that some of the store’s pet food stock had been damaged during the looting but a large amount of it was untouched. She said the store had decided to donate R400 000 worth of its pet food stock to several SPCA branches, including Highway, Pietermaritzburg, Amanzimtoti, Springfield, Eshowe, Richards Bay and Empangeni.

“We took a decision to remove the stock and donate it as we were cleaning up the store and it was the right thing to do,” Jones said.

Makro Springfield is set to re-open its doors on Monday, 13 December 2021 after several weeks of halted operations. 

“We are so excited to finally let our Springfield community know that we’re back,” Jones said.

“In the last four months, we have been hard at work rebuilding the store while doing our best to offer support to our affected staff,” she she said. 

She said that to mitigate further personal loss, Makro had taken steps to support its KwaZulu-Natal Makro staff. The retail giant redeployed Springfield staff to other stores while the damaged premises was being rebuilt.

“We put the welfare of our people first. Our Makro staff in KwaZulu-Natal received care packs immediately following the looting and destruction. We also ensured that all staff in the affected stores remained in their jobs. We know that the re-opening is as important to them and it is to us. It really reinforces our commitment to them and the community,” Jones said.

She said the new Springfield store offered customers a refreshed and innovative design that would enhance their shopping and service experience. The enhancements include customer focused hubs, digitally enhanced express checkout tills and an earth-friendly store architecture, aimed to reduce Makro’s carbon footprint. 

“Our staff cannot wait to welcome our customers back into this amazing store. We invite one and all to join us as we cut the ribbon and open our doors again,” Jones said.