The local manufacturer was founded in a garage in the mid-1980s, and now employs more than 50 people - mostly female - within its production facility. The factory houses a printing facility, five assembly lines and two sub-assembly lines to produce an exclusive range of small household appliances for the Shoprite Group.
The range of Mellerwarebasics appliances include kettles and hot plates, retail from R149.99 each, and is available exclusively from Shoprite, Checkers and Usave supermarkets nationwide.
"This exclusive partnership with the Shoprite Group has enabled us to uplift the local community by developing skills and creating employment, as well as make quality but affordable small appliances more accessible to consumers through their supermarkets,” says Aidan de Vos, managing director of Creative Housewares of which Mellerware is the original brand.
Maude Modise, general manager: enterprise and supplier development at the group, comments: “The Shoprite Group is committed to increasing localisation of goods, delivering quality products at great value and reducing our environmental impact. Our partnership with Mellerware ticks all of these boxes.”
Shoprite reports having drastically reduced the number of imported appliances available from the group’s stores, in its continued efforts to source locally and create employment opportunities.
