Publications
Partners
- Massmart's Builders has flagged shortage of inverters at its stores and suppliers.
- Consumers rushed to buy backup power in response to Stage 6 load shedding earlier this year.
- The group expects supply to normalise in November.
- For more financial news, go to the News24 Business front page.
Builders, one of the largest DIY chains in SA, has flagged a shortage of inverters at its stores and suppliers following the scramble by consumers to secure back-up power in response to the country’s unprecedented load shedding in July and October.
In response to questions from News24, Builders, which is owned by JSE-listed Massmart, confirmed that due to the "unexpected Stage 6 load shedding in July and October" there had been an increase in inverter purchases "which cleared most stock on retailers’ shelves and supplier warehouses". It confirmed the shortage was experienced nationwide.
Mpeyake Khosa, Builders SA electric and alternate power buyer, said that while the industry had made efforts to "play catch-up, most retailers and vendors were "still sold out and currently waiting for stock as we speak".
He said logistics supply chains had also been a big challenge for suppliers due to the "increasing unit costs, shipment by shipment", as well as the Transnet strike in October, which "added to the impact on movement of stock".
"As a result, vendors have had to opt for air freight to catch up with demand and brands have resorted to assembling their inverter trolley units locally to meet demand."
Khosa expected supply to normalise by mid-November based on indications from its suppliers about stock arrivals.
Builders is one of Walmart-owned Massmart’s top brands with 109 stores across Southern Africa.
Build it, which is owned by Spar and had 394 stores as at March 31, has also experienced an uptick in demand for inverters, but says its supplier has stock available.
"We have seen a significant increase in the demand for alternate power solutions. Many of our stores stock small portable inverters on wheels that are activated manually. Our supplier currently has stock available and so do our Build it stores who range these inverters," said Chris Quayle, marketing executive for Build it.
He said most of its stores do not stock large inverters, but that Build it was planning to extend its offering and was "investigating solutions to cater for the full spectrum of consumer needs".
