SA Healthcare Retailer Clicks Group Announces Its SMME Supplier Listing Platform
SA Healthcare Retailer Clicks Group Announces Its SMME Supplier Listing Platform. SA healthcare retailer Clicks Group has announced the launch of its SMME supplier listing platform, reaffirming its incubation support for SA black-owned businesses. The launch forms part of a larger strategy the Group has undertaken to support SMMEs across the supply chain, says Clicks Group Corporate Affairs Director Bertina Engelbrecht.
“Since 2005 to date, we have grown local hair care brands on the shelf by over 743%, with a significant investment in black women-owned businesses. It has been extremely rewarding to see local brands such as AfroBotanics, AfriBerry and Portia M become established and enjoying success in the local market. Portia M has experienced rapid exponential growth to the extent that it can no longer be classified as an SMME,” Engelbrecht told Venture Burn.
“The Clicks Group recognises that SMME development is critical in creating jobs and building a healthier economy,” Engelbrecht added. “We are committed to removing barriers and have worked hard to implement a SMME trading framework that will ease entry into the Clicks eco-system.”
Clicks Group is a retail-led healthcare group which has been listed on the JSE Limited since 1996. Through market-leading retail brands Clicks, GNC, The Body Shop and Claire’s, the group has over 840 stores across southern Africa. Clicks Group is a leader in the healthcare market where Clicks has the largest retail pharmacy chain with over 600 in-store pharmacies, while United Pharmaceutical Distributors (UPD) is South Africa’s leading full-range national pharmaceutical wholesaler. The company was founded in Cape Town by Jack Goldin in 1968.
According to Venture Burn, the group intends to target over R4,5-billion worth of procurement spend with black-owned SMMEs over the next three years. Since January, Clicks has helped to bring six new black-owned suppliers in the haircare and personal care sectors to market, including Masodi Organics’ range of natural hair and body products and AfroBotanics’ new multicultural hair range, Kaio. A further 12 suppliers are planned for launch by the end of 2021, over and above the eight black-owned SMMEs currently listed.
