Checkers has opened a 1,000 square metre fully halal-certified store at Crawford Centre in Athlone, which the retailer says is its first of its kind in the Western Cape.
Fatima Pearce and Fehmz ribbon cutting.
Image: Supplied
Checkers has opened its first fully halal store in the Western Cape.
Located at the Crawford Centre in Cape Town, the new branch officially opened its doors on Thursday to a large group of excited shoppers, staff and business representatives.
"On behalf of, first of all, the Shoprite-Checkers Holding Group, and on behalf of Fatima and her staff, we'd like to welcome you here this morning," a representative announced prior to the ribbon-cutting.
"I hope that you're going to have a wonderful shopping experience, but it's going to be a partnership between us and our customers."
Following the welcoming remarks, the opening was blessed with a short dua alongside a recitation of verses from Surah Ar-Rahman by a young Qari.
Zunaid Essop, Checkers’ divisional head buyer, said: “We are delighted to open our first halal Checkers store in the Western Cape in Athlone. Customers can look forward to a world-class retail offering that is uniquely tailored to the tastes and values of the local community.”
The new 1,000 square metre store in Athlone has created 70 job opportunities within the local community, including 26 new positions. Checkers said the branch was developed in collaboration with the Muslim Judicial Council of South Africa and is fully halal-certified across all departments.
What you will be getting inside the new Crawford Checkers.
Image: Supplied
Ismael Ebrahim of the Mabel Property Development Group said the new Checkers Foods Crawford store was designed to offer Athlone and surrounding communities a retail experience tailored to local needs.
At the opening of Crawford Centre, "we can say, alhamdulillah, that it is the first halal store in the Western Cape,” Ebrahim said. “KwaZulu-Natal had two stores launched last year, so we have tried very hard to work together with Checkers. They have delivered an amazing store curated for the community and the surrounds, with an offering that speaks to the people.”
Ebrahim said the store had been certified by the Muslim Judicial Council of South Africa.
He said Mabel had identified a shortage of formal retail in historically marginalised communities.
“We have noticed that formal retail has been under-supplied in previously marginalised communities,” Ebrahim said. “Many of our people travel to large shopping malls to do their shopping, while more privileged neighbourhoods have convenient, well-curated stores that look and feel professional, and are secure and safe.
“We, as Mabel, would like to bring an offering closer to home, so people do not have to drive to the Atlantic Seaboard or Canal Walk to do this kind of shopping.”
Checkers Sixty will also be available for your delivery needs.
Image: Supplied
For some of the suppliers present at the opening, having products on the shelves of a major retailer marked an important milestone.
Bibi’s Kitchen representative Saeed said the launch was the company’s first listing with a large retail chain. “This is officially our first stocking at one of the big retailers,” he said.
Food influencer Fehmida 'Fehmz' Jordaan, who assisted store manager Fatima Pearce with the ribbon cutting, said the store’s halal convenience section was among its standout features. “I can just grab most stuff here,” Fehmz said while looking at the range. “Everything is halal.”
She said the opening was particularly meaningful because of the role local suppliers could play in the store.
“Every time I see something like this happening in communities, that help communities, that don't just stock products that communities need, but use communities to stock their stores, it really makes me happy.
“It makes me so excited.”
Springbok lock Salmaan Moerat was among the shoppers at the opening. His appearance drew attention from shoppers, but he remained focused on his own grocery shopping as the store filled up around him.
“Alhamdulillah, it is a fantastic development for the area,” Moerat said. He confirmed to IOL that his recovery from a recent injury was progressing extremely well.
He is set to leave South Africa with his family on Sunday, August 30, to take up a three-year contract with La Rochelle in France.
For the residents who spoke to Moerat and watched him move through the store, his presence added to the sense that the launch had become a community occasion rather than a standard retail opening.
Store Manager Fatima Pearce.
Image: Supplied
Store Manager Fatima Pearce proudly told IOL that the scale of the turnout was already her highlight of the morning. “We had so many people stopping us, walking through, asking, ‘When are you guys opening this?’,” she said. “I’m very grateful for the turnout and the support from the community.”
She said the store’s halal focus would help it attract shoppers from Athlone and surrounding areas.
“I think what sets us apart is obviously the halal part,” Pearce said. “That is the clientele that we’re going to attract, and we hope we will become their number one place to shop.”
Pearce said the project had also shown how strongly residents wanted a retail offering that reflected their needs. “It really sets a milestone going forward to unite the Muslim consumers in Athlone and surrounding areas,” she said.
“People had put everything aside and have come to celebrate the day with us here.”
As the launch programme came to an end, the store settled into the ordinary rhythm of a supermarket.
Trolleys moved through the aisles, shoppers examined the new range, and conversations continued between the bakery, deli, and fresh produce displays.
Checkers Foods Crawford is open from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday.
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