The opening of the new Woolworths Wonderboom Junction on 23 October marks another important milestone for South Africa’s leading quality retailer. The store, in Annlin Ext 43, Pretoria, is Woolworths 400th and opens just one week shy of 77 years after the first Woolworths store opened in Cape Town on 30 October 1931. Woolworths has pursued a fairly aggressive expansion programme over the past decade, having opened some 230 stores since 2000. In addition to full-line stores which have ensured a strong presence in most new shopping centre developments, the retailer has placed a strong emphasis on opening food stand-alone stores in convenient suburban locations. In the 2007/2008 financial year, Woolworths opened 40 new stores, bringing total trading area to over 478 000 m2. The latest new addition to the Woolworths family is a 2700 m2 full-line store. Commenting on the opening of the 400th Woolworths, Chief Executive Simon Susman said, “It has always been our objective to provide our customers with both quality and convenience. Our expansion programme is geared towards bringing Woolies products closer to ever more communities throughout the country.” Beyond bringing quality and convenience closer to home, every new Woolworths store strives to make a difference in the local community. The Wonderboom Junction store, for example, has formed a supportive partnership with a local primary school and plans to invest further in the community through long-term development programmes. Ends