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Joshua Doore shuts doors in Namibia

Joshua Doore shuts doors in Namibia

PROMINENT furniture retailer Joshua Doore yesterday notified staff that it was about to close down its operations in Namibia.

Anxious staff called The Namibian throughout yesterday after a group of executives arrived from South Africa and, almost simultaneously, entered all shops throughout Namibia to inform staff of the closure. All attempts by The Namibian to get comment on the planned closure were unsuccessful yesterday as the group executives spent much of the day in meetings with management and questions were referred to directors in Johannesburg.Staff claimed that they wanted to approach their union representatives to negotiate on their behalf but the executives made it clear that they did not come for negotiations.Yesterday’s notices were surprising since the JD Group which owns Joshua Doore reported sales surged 23 per cent for the four months ending in January as they cashed in on the sharp rise in consumer spending due to the strengthened South African Rand.The furniture retail sector was helped by the closure of about 200 stores in the past two years, increasing the value of the remaining outlets.The JD Group had said that all its branches performed well for the four months to January.They listed on the Namibian Stock Exchange in August 2001 and are dual-listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.All attempts by The Namibian to get comment on the planned closure were unsuccessful yesterday as the group executives spent much of the day in meetings with management and questions were referred to directors in Johannesburg.Staff claimed that they wanted to approach their union representatives to negotiate on their behalf but the executives made it clear that they did not come for negotiations.Yesterday’s notices were surprising since the JD Group which owns Joshua Doore reported sales surged 23 per cent for the four months ending in January as they cashed in on the sharp rise in consumer spending due to the strengthened South African Rand.The furniture retail sector was helped by the closure of about 200 stores in the past two years, increasing the value of the remaining outlets.The JD Group had said that all its branches performed well for the four months to January.They listed on the Namibian Stock Exchange in August 2001 and are dual-listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

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