The Achimota Retail Centre marked half a decade since its establishment with a wonderful ceremony on Saturday.
Staff and customers of the Mall, which first opened in October 2015 and has fast become one of the most-patronised retail venues in the country, were rewarded for their loyalty.
Speaking at the event, George Adjei-Ampofo from Growthpoint Investec African Properties, who are the majority shareholders in the ARC spoke about the positive impact made by the Mall on, not just its frequent customers, but the communities that surround it as well.
He added that the Mall was committed to promoting local content by offering its clientele a well-balanced tenant mix, with close to half of the shops being Ghanaian.
“The Achimota Retail Centre is an open Mall which, unlike the other malls now springing up in Ghana, is very unique in the way it blends with nature and welcomes its customers and patrons. It is for this reason that we are extremely happy about having been of satisfactory service to our customers and neighbouring communities for the past five years,” he said.
At the event, a number of the Retail Centre’s longest-serving staff, including the overall best security personnel, Randy Quarteyson; the overall best cleaner, Fidel Castro Mensah, were presented with citations and cash prizes.
Shoppers were also given a chance to win some great prizes in an exciting quiz that tested their knowledge of the Mall and its shops, with the top three walking away with a couch, a fridge and a washing machine.
Mr. Adjei-Ampofo told reporters after the ceremony that despite the great successes the Achimota Mall has chalked over the last five years, management believes that the Retail Centre has the potential to achieve even more.
“Everyone will say they want more and wish that they could have achieved more. Some Malls have come and not survived the last five years. Having survived five years and having tenants who have been with us for all that time, that’s a good thing and we want to push forward,” he said.
While many businesses, particularly in the retail sector have been forced to go under due to the coronavirus pandemic, the ARC has been able to strengthen its position as a leader in the sector, due to adequate planning and effective strategies.
“The key word is strategy; how you come out with a strategy that wins. Basically, you need to identify all the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. Occasionally we do a SWOT analysis where we identify the threats and opportunities and deal with them as and when we need to. Over time, when you do that, when these shocks come up, you can sustain the business.”
When asked what plans the ARC has for its customers over the next five years, Mr Adjei-Ampofo insisted that the Mall was planning to increase its appeal to a wider demographic, while maintaining the quality of service it has become renowned for.
“It’s going to be a good tenant mix, you’re going to have more entertainment and a lot of recreational activities for the kids as well.”
Located at Dome, off the Accra-Nsawam highway, Achimota Retail Centre introduced modern, one-stop retail services to the south-eastern quarter of the capital five years ago and now serves diverse income categories from almost a dozen adjoining communities in the Ga East Municipal Area.
The Mall sits on a total land area of 35, 790 square metres with over 40 shops and is anchored by two renowned tenants; Shoprite and Game.
