By Atoyebi Nike
Retail Supermarkets Nigeria Limited (RSNL), operator of Shoprite in Nigeria, has announced plans to reopen some of its recently closed outlets in time for the fourth-quarter shopping season. The move comes after a restructuring aimed at tackling persistent operational challenges.
Bunmi Cynthia Adeleye, RSNL’s Chief Strategy Officer, said the reset involves adopting smaller, more efficient store formats, boosting local sourcing, offering competitive pricing, and strengthening liquidity management. “This is not a collapse; it is a reset… We are coming back bigger and stronger to serve Nigerian customers better than ever before,” she said.
The company confirmed that closures were tied to working capital constraints and unreliable power supply in some malls, which disrupted fresh produce operations. Recently, Shoprite outlets in Ibadan and Ilorin shut down, sparking customer concern.
Shoprite entered Nigeria in 2005 and grew to 25 stores before its acquisition by RSNL from South Africa’s Shoprite Holdings Limited. Despite steady growth, the retailer has faced profitability hurdles in Nigeria’s inflation-hit retail sector, leading to temporary shutdowns such as the Kano outlet in early 2024.
