SA’s one stop stationery shop, PNA to open flagship stores in Windhoek
South African one-stop stationery shop, PNA has expanded its football into Namibia with two flagship stores scheduled to open in June, a statement released this week said.
These will be helmed by franchisees and store owners, Chris and Tana Van Der Merwe at Wernhil Shopping Centre and Maerua Mall outlets and are set to bring an extensive product range of stationery, art and craft materials, recreational and educational books to the Namibian market.
“We successfully sourced and appointed a management team with vast experience in both the retail and stationery field and truly believe that with this team we will be able to exceed all expectations. All stakeholders went out of their way to accommodate and assist our teams in Windhoek. Namibian hospitality and friendliness humbled me, bringing this endeavour even closer to our hearts. There is no doubt in my mind that the market is ready to welcome the PNA brand in Windhoek,” Chris van der Merwe said.
With 114 independent owner-run franchise stores in South Africa, the PNA group has grown from its humble beginnings in 1992 to become a reputable, sought-after franchisee entity and one of the market leaders in the competitive books, arts and crafts and stationery sector.
To ensure that the product selection and offer meet the requirements of the Namibian community, a PNA team was sent to Namibia to do some old-fashioned legwork. The brief was simply to find out what the Namibian people want and find Namibians that could assist in making this happen.
Herman Botha, PNA Group Marketing & Sales Executive said, “Our business structure is tried and tested and works well, so our franchisees feel safe having robust resources at their disposal. We continually adapt operations to simplify communications and processes while boosting efficiency.”
Meanwhile, with this exciting venture PNA is creating employment opportunities in Namibia, and is also actively seeking opportunities to support local businesses and suppliers, he added.
“We are committed to not only supplying a comprehensive range of products, but our key strategy is to also support Namibian businesses. This extends to our CSI initiatives supporting local charities too. PNA aims to become Namibians’ first choice for quality and service,” he concluded.
