Choppies Corporate Brochure

Endeavour Magazine • November 2012 •17

PUTTING THE “SUPER” IN

SUPERMARKET

Choppies Enterprises

Unity in diversity, Choppies is a unique name in Botswana with a turnover above 1000 million Pula per year spread across the country where they have over 50 stores, handle more than 45,000 products and employ a family of 4000 service oriented staff.

“We provide the best quality products and the highest service,” Mr Ramachandan says, “With a smile and value for your money.”

There is a simple, driving mission behind the company to be the best service provider in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG). This is a position that they currently firmly

18Endeavour Magazine • November 2012 •

Recently listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange CHOPPIES GROUP is a name that is synonymous with quality, the highest levels of customer satisfaction and employee loyalty. In Botswana they are not only a household name but the household brand. Chief Executive Officer Ramachandan Ottapathu spoke with me regarding the important steps that Choppies have taken to secure their position as leaders in their industry and they’re plans to continue into 2013.

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dominate however Mr. Ramachandan understands that their position is dependent on them making use of the best business practices in the industry and by setting the standards.

“Our mission is always to be the leader in this industry,” he continues.

How is this achieved though? The story behind Choppies is an impressive one. From humble beginnings in 1986 with one supermarket named Wayside in LOBATSE, the unit has grown into the leading retailer group in the FMCG industry in Botswana. It holds over 30% of the retail market share and serves the population in all the nooks and corners of the vast land extending from Pitsane to Shakawe. Over 70% of the local farm produce is marketing through their outlets alongside 45000 products and their own brands.

The answer to how, is simple. Their vision, which is simple but poignant, to satisfy all their customers’ needs fully. This, begins with the employees.

Choppies is a well-oiled machine, consisting of a team of highly qualified professionals from various disciplines including engineers, Chartered Accountants, Information Technology (IT) experts and Business and Finance professionals. Over and above the group of professionals, Choppies stores in Botswana are bolstered with a strong workforce consisting of citizen employees and expatriates.

“It starts at the employee level,” Mr Ramachandan explains, “The employees are looked after and trained,

provided with the tools they need to offer our customers the full service they expect and this extends beyond just working in the stores but also the infrastructure we’ve set up to support our shops. There is a philosophy in Choppies which we strongly uphold and have introduced pension schemes for our staffs which is a rare thing here.

“We also believe in supporting young talent and we not only employ the youth but also train them periodically to develop them professionally so that they can meet quality and service standards as required by our valued customers.”

Their infrastructure is supported by two warehouses, one packaging unit and a strong logistics division. Most of the shops are equipped with a Bakery, Butchery and Takeaway section in addition to normal super market facilities to cater for all the basic shopping needs as well as taking those inevitable spontaneous purchases into account.

With goals to be the best in Africa and to expand beyond their home country borders Choppies has a firmly established footprint in Botswana and South Africa providing employment to more than 1600 people in the country.

“South Africa is a good and applicable market that is similar to that of Botswana,” Mr Ramachandan reveals, “It is conducive to what we can offer and was the best option for expansion,”

“We are looking at other countries but we prefer to grow via small steps providing a solid foundation on which to launch any new objectives,” he continues.

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“Winning with Customers & Shoppers” is a fundamental priority of Nestle Southern Africa, we want to engage with “all” customers, big & small, modern & traditional, wherever Nestle products are sold. Nestle as a manufacturer recognises the different dimensions of doing business across Southern Africa & wants to simultaneously grow its business profitably with all customers at the same rates as they are growing their different categories that we compete in. Joint business planning is an enabler to this process, thus enabling Nestle Southern Africa as business to be relevant, to achieve its growth objectives & together we can “Win with Customers & Shoppers”.

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We thank Choppies Group for their continued support and wish them good luck for the future.Kenzo Enterprises (Pty) Ltd

+267 391 2379 | [email protected]


In Botswana, the company operates from their state of the art warehouses located in Gaborone and Lobatse. In Gaborone they have sixteen stores while in Lobatse they own six. The design and set up of each of the stores vary in size from 1500 to 3000 Square meters, depending on the region and the surrounding population to ensure easiest access to their stores.

In order to assure continuous supply in all our shops in the most expedient way, the group owns a fleet of more than 200 commercial vehicles which carry out all the transportation requirements. In South Africa, the group is concentrating on the North West province where shops have already been opened in Zeerust, Swartruggens, Northam, Koster, Litchenburg, Mafeikeng, Phokeng, Carltonvile and Rustenberg.

All business activities are intended to provide an overall positive impact on the customers as well as on the society as a whole. Sustainable development is the philosophy and Choppies aim is to deliver economic, social and environmental benefits, through operations.

Choppies currently helps employees to integrate into the society. A number of individual training programmes are designed to achieve this goal. Choppies organizes different sports activities, festivals and other types of entertainment for their personnel and their families. Choppies is passionate about sports and has always provided support to a number of sports events. Choppies is also one of the biggest contributors to Football Development Appeal (FODA).

Choppies sponsors the Lady Khama Charitable Trust Event. We have proved our commitment by donating a number of houses for the destitute. Donations and free supply of food is given to many charitable organizations. We have followed a well thought of recruitment plan for the disabled which has been diligently followed, making their lives better. This action by Choppies shall be noted as the first amongst local companies to help the disabled, thereby contributing towards one of the most crucial pillars under Botswana’s Vision 2016 which is to become “ a just and caring nation”.

Ahead of the green movement that is sweeping across the world, Choppies have always endeavoured to avoid or minimize the impact on the environment in all their business activities engaged in. With this in mid the companies’ logistics operations are designed to be as green as possible and sourcing decisions have become stringent so that environmentally damaging products are not procured and distributed. This follows suit with a philosophy shared by many of the top global companies that to ensure change needs to start internally by promoting best practices.

And what is in store going into 2013 for a company as forward thinking with its employees and so considerate with its customers?

“2013 is looking to be an exciting time,” Mr Ramachandan concludes, “We are heavily involved in a number of community upliftment projects which are of particular interest to us as this helps us encourage growth amongst our staff as well as the on-going mission to be the best.


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Choppies Enterpriseswww.choppies.co.bw+267 318 6658

Written by Daemon Sands

Choppies Corporate Brochure

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