Ghana’s leading retail brand, Melcom, has officially opened its 38th branch in Accra to augment a nationwide network of shop outlets.

At a short ceremony in Achimota yesterday, sod was cut to commission “Achimota Melcom” as an emporium for that suburb of Accra.

The beautiful edifice, which is basically a four-storey reinforced concrete structure, with a single level basement parking lot, is to follow in the Melcom tradition of serving as a hypermarket, as it sits directly opposite the Neoplan Station.

Melcom’s Director of Communications, Mr. Godwin Avenorgbo, yesterday said in a welcome address that the new outlet, which has since become a landmark in Achimota, sets new standards for ensuring safety and security in all of Melcom’s business premises.

A team of elite designers included a structural engineer, a Traffic Impact assessor, hydrological surveyor and a geotechnical investigator had worked on the building to ensure it meets all safety standards.

Achimota Melcom officially opens

“We have already made public a summary of all observations with regard to quality control during the construction phase of the structural framework. That report states:

“The reinforcements were installed in accordance with the structural design. The strength of the concrete mix was in compliance with specific designs strength. It can be assured therefore that this building has been duly constructed as per the approved structural designs.”

Built by contractors ACEC Investments, Achimota Melcom has as other accessories, concrete roof-top with parapet walls purposely designed to serve as a roof.

The value addition of the imposing edifice include a disability friendly entranceway, a shelf scheme that enables easy identification of products on offer, classic and visible merchandising, fully ducted air conditioning, an elevator and a stairway with comfortable gradient.

For customer service, Achimota Melcom has a purposeful “meet and greet” that is calculatedly warm and welcoming, Mr. Avenorgbo had announced.

Additionally, Melcom’s Mcafe Food Service, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and has set up in the North Kaneshie Melcom Plus branch, has been set up in the Achimota branch too.

The commissioning event had been graced by high profile personalities, including traditional, religious and political leaders. Deputy Minister for Trade, Robert Ahomka Lindsay, had been there as guest of honor.

Mr. Lindsay celebrated Melcom as a success story and proud Ghanaian brand, saying he hoped the respected reseller which is already present in all 10 regions of Ghana, will expand into all the 216 districts of the country soon.

He also said he hoped that other entrepreneurs would emulate Melcom and pursue quality in all they do.

In respect of the quality that went into the construction of the Achimota Melcom building, he said it was in good order in a country where markets burn too often. All vantage points of the Achimota Melcom building are fitted with fire extinguishers with multiple emergency exits.

According to the Deputy Minister, government is pursuing a 10-pillar agenda to encourage entrepreneurship as a way of job creation for the youth and that retail trade is one of the pillars.

He said improvement in service delivery, like is being pursued by Melcom, is one of the ways of making made in Ghana goods irresistible.

Melcom’s Group Chairman, Mr. Baghwan Kubchandani, expressed gratitude to Ghanaians for patronizing the Melcom brand over 28 years that Melcom has been in existence in Ghana. As a third generation Indian in Ghana, he said Ghana has long become a home for him.

The chief personage behind Melcom had owned 50% of the defunct Glamour Departmental stores and served as its Managing Director before Melcom started in 1989.

Now with a presence in all the 10 regions of the country, Melcom is aiming to expand into all 216 districts of Ghana in the near future.

The company operates a local content policy that has resulted in 34 out of 38 Branch Managers of Melcom being Ghanaians. By February, next year, Melcom will only have one expatriate branch Manager, its Director of Communications said.

Already, at the top managerial level, Ghanaians have a strong presence including in the Group General Manager and Director of Communications portfolios.

Melcom has also established a platform – Made in Ghana – for the exclusive promotion of goods made in Ghana. Mr. Godwin Avenorgbo announced that Achimota Melcom would be one of the principal centers for the ‘Made-in-Ghana; promotions.

“It gives me great pleasure therefore to extend to you Countrymen and women a warm hand of friendship as we welcome you to the official opening of Melcom Achimota Branch,” Mr. Avenorgbo had officially commissioned.

The commissioning of the 38th branch of Melcom comes at a time that the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) has conferred the award of Best Retail, 2016 Hall of Fame (Elite Category) on the Melcom Ltd.

A win of the Elite Category of the award is an upgrade from the Best Retail category which Melcom has won over ten consecutive years.