There has been a ”slight dip” in the number of people shopping at Pick ‘n Pay during the past two weeks, as fears of a poisoning scare begin to bite.
Chief executive Sean Summers said on Thursday that the dip was understandable as there were ”heightened concerns out there”.
The poisoner sent a package of Pick ‘n Pay products spiked with cyanide to the company’s head office in May, along with a letter threatening to place similar items in stores if demands for money were not met.
Pick ‘n Pay decided on June 29, after a seven-week silence, to warn the public and withdraw the targeted products after a 79-year-old woman ate a sardine that was found to be laced with cyanide.
Since then a young girl in Johannesburg and a KwaZulu Natal customer had eaten contaminated foods. All the customers are said to be in good health.
Summers a number of people had telephoned the retailer’s customer call centre this week and complained of ”upset tummies”. Nineteen people had been sent for blood tests and test results ”came back clear”.
Summers said they had had no further contact with the extortionist, whom he said had drilled a tiny hole into the bottom of the sardine can, injected cyanide and then re-sealed it.
”Our whole emphasis is on running the company and dealing with issues of public safety,” said Summers.
”We’re all working under a lot of pressure”.
Although some shoppers may be staying away, a survey has showed
that the poisoning scare had not dented customer loyalty.
According to Research Surveys, most of the 500 respondents in Gauteng, Cape Town and Durban, said they were determined to show their support for the retailer.
Eighty-seven percent of all respondents polled agreed that they wanted to show support for Pick ‘n Pay and would make a point of shopping there.
This figure climbed to 91% among respondents who were regularly shopped at the supermarket. – Sapa