Seven liquor stores in the Grahamstown CBD alone are apparently not busy enough. Checkers Supermakert on High Street is expanding by adding a bottle store sometime this year. The shop is located where the clothing store “Jessica’s” once stood inside the Checkers Shopping Arcade.
Seven liquor stores in the Grahamstown CBD alone are apparently not busy enough. Checkers Supermakert on High Street is expanding by adding a bottle store sometime this year. The shop is located where the clothing store “Jessica’s” once stood inside the Checkers Shopping Arcade. Grahamstown’s Checkers has sold wine in-store for many years but are moving on to the more profitable terrain of hard liquor.
However, confusion has arisen owing to a sign on the window of the new store. The sign states that Checkers is fully licensed to sell liquor and has the opening hours of the store displayed.
Shoprite Checkers' Head of Communication, Sarita Van Wyk, was reluctant to divulge details of the new move. “[Checkers] would prefer not to provide information at this stage as a licence has not yet been issued and the store is, therefore, not operating.”
This disparity of information supplied by Checkers has confused some residents. Wendy Madikwa of Joza has been waiting outside the new store in the hope of employment.
“I think the new store will be good for the community because it will create new jobs, Madikwa says, I have been waiting for it to open since they put up the store times. I have told my sister because maybe she can get a job there too.”
Many members of the public are pleased that Checkers will be opening a bottle store and are curious about the opening date. However, some felt that another liquor store is unnecessary given the already copious number of bottle stores in such a small town.
Rhodes student, Cara du Toit, feels that “opening another bottle store, when there are already more than enough, will only further the stereotype that Grahamstown is a drinking town- which is detrimental”.
Van Wyk says that the store will be opening in the “near future”- a vague message for those in search of employment or simply a good bottle of tequila.
