Stilfontein sport


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Latest features Forthcoming features Subscriptions Job classifieds Tweet August/September 2010 Retailer showcase: He attributes his success to: Offering the right, good quality, products at the good price; Always giving the customer the benefit of the doubt and always making him believe he is right, even though you know he is so wrong, because that will encourage him to return. “It doesn’t help to fight with a customer, you can’t win.” The way you treat and approach people makes a vast difference to their shopping experience — friendliness and caring about their needs make a vast difference. He inspires loyalty in his staff members. One of them, Lenie Schenk, who celebrated her 83rd birthday on the day of his golden anniversary, worked for him for twenty years before she retired. Golden anniversary for Stilfontein Sport Over the past 50 years Willie Cilliers has grown a small sport store into a large multi-department store that meets the needs of the Stilfontein community On August 6th this year Willie Cilliers celebrated his golden anniversary in the sports trade… on that day in 1960 he and a friend bought the struggling Stilfontein Sport from Tim van der Merwe. During the past half century Cilliers (who became sole owner thirty years ago) grew the small shop into a successful double storey department store, offering employment to nine people and catering for the sport, school and clothing needs of customers in this Northwest mining town. He was a provincial rugby player and active member of the Bethal rugby club when a friend, the Joubert component of clothing dealer Joubert & Jacobs in Potchefstroom, contacted him with the suggestion that they buy Stilfontein Sport. At that stage Cilliers had ten years’ experience in retail, working for the Bethal co-op, and had little hesitation in accepting his friend’s invitation to branch out on his own. Not even the fact that he sold a total of 25c worth of goods on the first day could dampen Cillliers’ enthusiasm. “I didn’t know a lot about the industry — I only knew how to play rugby and golf — but I persevered and we were blessed. We got excellent support — we cater for 15-16 schools in the area, and the local community supports us.” That enabled him to grow and expand Stilfontein Sport into a large department store created by adding a mezzanine floor to the building he owns. The top floor now houses the schools department, while the sport, arms and ammunition and ladies and men’s clothing departments are on the ground floor. It also enabled him to trade through the recession, although customers in the area are losing their jobs, and the surrounding mines are cutting back on spending on sports equipment. He also inspired and helped his son, Andre, to start and grow the Thambazimbi Sport store. Aged 77, Cilliers is thinking about retirement, but for the time being he is enjoying his golden anniversary in the sports trade. * Read our copyright notice before making use of this article Back to retailer showcase

August/September 2010

Retailer showcase:

He attributes his success to:

Offering the right, good quality, products at the good price;

Always giving the customer the benefit of the doubt and always making him believe he is right, even though you know he is so wrong, because that will encourage him to return. “It doesn’t help to fight with a customer, you can’t win.”

The way you treat and approach people makes a vast difference to their shopping experience — friendliness and caring about their needs make a vast difference.

He inspires loyalty in his staff members. One of them, Lenie Schenk, who celebrated her 83rd birthday on the day of his golden anniversary, worked for him for twenty years before she retired.

Golden anniversary for Stilfontein Sport

Over the past 50 years Willie Cilliers has grown a small sport store into a large multi-department store that meets the needs of the Stilfontein community

On August 6th this year Willie Cilliers celebrated his golden anniversary in the sports trade… on that day in 1960 he and a friend bought the struggling Stilfontein Sport from Tim van der Merwe.

During the past half century Cilliers (who became sole owner thirty years ago) grew the small shop into a successful double storey department store, offering employment to nine people and catering for the sport, school and clothing needs of customers in this Northwest mining town.

He was a provincial rugby player and active member of the Bethal rugby club when a friend, the Joubert component of clothing dealer Joubert & Jacobs in Potchefstroom, contacted him with the suggestion that they buy Stilfontein Sport. At that stage Cilliers had ten years’ experience in retail, working for the Bethal co-op, and had little hesitation in accepting his friend’s invitation to branch out on his own.

Not even the fact that he sold a total of 25c worth of goods on the first day could dampen Cillliers’ enthusiasm. “I didn’t know a lot about the industry — I only knew how to play rugby and golf — but I persevered and we were blessed. We got excellent support — we cater for 15-16 schools in the area, and the local community supports us.”

That enabled him to grow and expand Stilfontein Sport into a large department store created by adding a mezzanine floor to the building he owns. The top floor now houses the schools department, while the sport, arms and ammunition and ladies and men’s clothing departments are on the ground floor. It also enabled him to trade through the recession, although customers in the area are losing their jobs, and the surrounding mines are cutting back on spending on sports equipment.

He also inspired and helped his son, Andre, to start and grow the Thambazimbi Sport store.

Aged 77, Cilliers is thinking about retirement, but for the time being he is enjoying his golden anniversary in the sports trade.

* Read our copyright notice before making use of this article

Back to retailer showcase