Pick n Pay Namibia, a subsidiary of Ohlthaver and List Group, has closed two of its stores at Keetmanshoop and Windhoek's Eros Residential Area, citing the poor operational performance of the outlets.

Keetmanshoop store PnP opened its doors in February 2013.

The Ohlthaver and List Group spokeswoman,  Roux-che' Locke, confirmed the closure of the stores.

She said the decision was taken after deliberation by the executive management.

"If you look at the current condition of the stores, if you are at Keetmanshoop for that matter, it would require significant investment to improve operational performance and remain competitive in an already stretched market, so for the PnP brand to be equitable, it needs to drive perception and experiences that are valued by customers and that also build loyalty and trust. So, these stores in their current format and condition did unfortunately not achieve this, and hence the lack of financial performance, so that coupled with the current economic climate and store performance, you know unfortunately we are not able to justify an investment at this stage."

Locke says no staff members have been retrenched as a result of the stores' closure.

"We are however pleased to state that no one of the PNP Keetmanshoop or Eros Stores was retrenched during the process; in fact, we have retained all our permanent employees from both stores and offered them a relocation package. Only six of the twenty Keetmanshoop employees declined this offer for obvious and personal reasons."