Eight Game stores are closing, with 700 jobs under threat

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Eight Game outlets will be closing soon, Massmart confirmed on Tuesday. Some 700 employees could potentially lose their jobs.

Three months ago, the group started with a section 189 retrenchment process with these workers. 

"We are still in discussions with staff to finalise closure dates," a spokesperson said. "As is always the case, we will apply our best efforts to identify opportunities for redeployment of the affected staff members within the broader Massmart Group."

Game has been a thorn in the side for Massmart, being the major contributor to the company's loss of more than R900 million in just six months to end-June. At its results presentation last month, the company said it wanted to "divest" from 14 Game stores in east and west Africa, as well as 15 Game stores in South Africa.

At the end of last year, it identified 13 local stores that were "underperforming [and] non-core", of which eight will now be closed.

Game is currently running an advertising campaign for the shutdowns, proclaiming that "everything must go" at these stores, with large discounts on all products.

Last month, Massmart's US owner, the retail giant Walmart, announced that it wanted to buy out minority shareholders and delist the company from the JSE. Massmart also owns Makro and Builders Warehouse.

Analysts say this will allow Walmart to restructure Massmart, with more store closures and other painful measures – away from public scrutiny.

It has already closed the Dion Wired business, and sold off Cambridge Food, Rhino and Massfresh stores to Shoprite.