Latest news with #Shoprite
Time Out
21-07-2025
- Business
- Time Out
More reasons to shop in Midrand: New Shoprite store opens
The Midrand shopping scene has just expanded. An exciting new Shoprite store is opening on Old Pretoria Road. "The store will is opening this week on the 24th," says Wonder Wattie, the branch manager. Wonder says the action is intended to help the retail brand to reach a wider audience and lower the nation's unemployment rate. "We are just trying to grow our business," says the branch manager. "We are the number one South African leading employing company. We are trying to assist people who are not working," he adds. This will be the second Shoprite store in Halfway House. Wattie says the old Shoprite located at Boulders Shopping Centre will still be operating. "The store opens from 7 am until 7 pm on weekdays, on Saturday from 7 am until 6 pm, and on Sundays from 7 am until 4 pm." Boulders is not the only shopping centre in Midrand which expanded recently. San Ridge Square recently welcomed two restaurants - Bao & Tea and Golden Rose. In April, Waterfall Walk shopping centre also opened on the corner of Allandale and Bekker Road next to Mall of Africa.
The Citizen
16-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Retail sales: South Africans spent R19.6 billion on clothes and furniture in May
Consumers spend R87.5 billion on retail sales since the beginning of 2025 and mostly paid for their shopping with credit. South African consumers spent a whopping R19.6 billion in May on clothes and furniture, although momentum in the retail sector seems to be slowing. According to the retail trade sales numbers issued by Statistics SA today, retail trade sales, measured in real terms (constant 2019 prices), increased by 4.2% in May compared to May 2024. The largest positive contributors to this increase were retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (12.5%) and general dealers (3.6%). Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales increased by 0.1% in May compared to April after month-on-month changes of 1.1% in April and -0.3% in March. Retail trade sales increased by 3.5% in the three months ended May 2025 compared to the three months ended May 2024. ALSO READ: How Shoprite made R20 million profit per day But retail sales were flat for past three months The largest positive contributors to this increase were again retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (9.5%) and general dealers (2.8%). Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales were flat in the three months ended May 2025 compared to the previous three months. The largest negative contributors were retailers in food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores (-2.2%) and textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (-0.4%). The largest positive contributors were all 'other' retailers (1.4%), retailers in hardware, paint and glass (0.7%) and general dealers (0.2%). This chart shows that consumer demand has strengthened since early 2024, thanks to lower interest rates and favourable inflation: ALSO READ: Index reveals consumers are willing to spend money, but not too much No surprises in retail sales for May Jee-A van der Linde, senior economist at Oxford Economics Africa, says there were no surprises in the retail sales numbers for May. 'South Africa's retail trade sales growth moderated in May in line with our expectations. 'We predict private consumption growth to remain a key driver of overall economic growth this year, underpinned by easier monetary policy and low inflation.' Van der Linde points out that momentum in the retail sector seems to be slowing, with sales of 4.2% in May compared to a year ago after the 7.0% recorded at the start of 2025. 'Although we expect consumption growth to moderate over the coming quarters, households will remain a key driver of overall economic growth this year, underpinned by easier monetary policy and low inflation. 'We forecast a 25 basis points interest rate cut in the third quarter, followed by another incremental cut in the first quarter of 2026. Meanwhile, consumer confidence recovered during the second quarter, with middle- and high-income households – the most sensitive to interest rate changes – posting the strongest quarterly improvements. 'This latest data release aligns with our view of subdued economic activity in the second quarter, and we continue to forecast real GDP growth of 0.8% this year.'
The Citizen
15-07-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Local retailers donate to Bombani shelter ahead of Mandela Day
As Mandela Day edges closer, and organisations ramp up efforts to give back to their communities, Southern Africa Partners (SnAPSA) and two local supermarkets spared a thought for the society's most vulnerable citizens who are affected by the alarming rate of abuse against women and children. On July 14, the community-based non-profit organisation SnAPSA went to Shoprite in Alexandra Plaza and Boxer at the Pan Africa Shopping Centre to collect items donated for the benefit of women and children at the Bombani Shelter—a haven for abused women and children. Shoprite donated preloved clothes, while Boxer donated food items to the value of R600. Read more: Bombani Shelter empower its women to celebrate Womens Month According to Shoprite's store manager, Thabiso Mashitwa, after SnAPSA dropped one of their donation boxes at their store, staff members demonstrated their willingness to donate some of their preloved clothes. She emphasised the importance of their participation, noting that it means a lot to both the store and the staff. 'There are people out there who do not have food or clothes. For the mere fact that we, as Shoprite, can ensure that at least a single child or woman gets clothes to wear, it means a lot. Those who donated, we know that at least one or two children will be able to get clothes,' she noted. She also lauded SnAPSA for the initiative and for involving them in it ahead of Mandela Day. 'I am also grateful to have a team behind me who donated their preloved clothes. I wish we could do more. All I can say [to SnAPSA] is please remember us again,' she said. Boxer's assistant store manager, Gift Maila, also expressed pride in their involvement in the initiative. 'We pride ourselves on giving back to the community. That is our motto; we strive to be the people's champion within the communities we serve. So, us doing this today, giving back, is what we do.' One of the mentors at SnAPSA, Zamashasha Hlengwa, expressed gratitude to the stores for their donations. Hlengwa noted that they will give the donated items to women and children at Bombani on July 17, ensuring that they have a fun day. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Zawya
11-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
AI is transforming retail experiences in South Africa
Walk into any South African retailer today — whether online or in-store — and artificial intelligence is quietly shaping your experience. That personalised promotion on your phone, the strategic placement of products that catch your eye, the seamless checkout process: AI has moved from research labs to the retail floor, transforming how we shop in ways most consumers never notice. This isn't just about automation or forecasting models anymore. AI is fundamentally changing how retailers design, market, and deliver experiences in real time — and it's happening faster than most people realise. The South African AI retail revolution Local retailers are already embracing this shift. Pick n Pay's AI-driven app unifies delivery, loyalty programmes, and digital payments in a single interface. Checkers' Sixty60 continues to dominate same-day delivery through intelligent logistics. Shoprite is using machine learning to redesign store layouts, analysing aisle flow, shelf placement, and shopper interaction patterns to turn layout design from guesswork into precision science. Beyond the major chains, innovative startups like Faro are using AI to transform global fashion waste into affordable luxury. Even the physical space where you walk, pause, or make impulse purchases is being redesigned by algorithms trained to track shopper behaviour and boost conversions. The global context Internationally, the stakes are even higher. Brands are experimenting with "agentic AI"—autonomous systems that make decisions, trigger actions, and interact with customers without human intervention. In Asia, livestreamed, AI-curated shopping events are driving entire retail economies. In Europe and the US, recommender engines powered by customer data contribute to up to 40% of sales. This global momentum raises a crucial question: where does that leave South African retailers? Behind, if we're not careful. The opportunity and the challenge South African consumers are tech-savvy, mobile-first, and value-driven. They demand hyper-personalised offers, frictionless service, and transparency. AI doesn't just make this possible — it makes it scalable. Yet many retailers still treat AI as a future project rather than the competitive advantage it already represents. What's missing is a fundamental mindset shift. We need to stop viewing AI as merely a tool and start recognising it as a force multiplier that can predict and deliver what shoppers want before they even ask. The responsibility factor But with great insight comes great responsibility. As we rush to adopt AI, we must confront difficult questions: Are we collecting, storing, and using data ethically? Are we transparent about how AI influences pricing and product visibility? Are we building for trust, not just conversion? The bottom line AI won't replace retail therapy, but brands that harness it effectively will absolutely replace those that don't. The question isn't whether AI will transform retail—it's whether South African retailers will lead that transformation or be left behind by it. The choice is ours to make, and the time to make it is now. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Daily Maverick
10-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
After the Bell: Purpose, paycheques and cold mornings
Most people will rely on the money for their sense of purpose. It's easy, it's simple and you know how to assess what you are offering when compared to your competitors. But money might only take you so far. I would imagine that if, like me, you live on the Highveld, you are finding getting up in the mornings a little difficult at the moment. The first clue hits me every morning. As I reach for my phone, there is a blast of cold air under the three blankets that I've been under all night. And there is nothing about my phone that is intrinsically worth it. What I really want from it is to find out what happened overnight. How the world changed (and what happened in Washington…). I realise that I'm a little addicted to news. And while this can be problematic (my wife gets suspicious if I look at my phone for more than two minutes), generally speaking it's an addiction I'm happy to live with. This is because I know I am incredibly lucky. I wake up with purpose every morning. I see journalism as a sense of mission, as something that is important. I was reminded a little bit of that while I was speaking to Johann Kotzé, the CEO of AgriSA, on The Money Show on Wednesday night. He told the most wonderful story about how he still remembers walking behind the plough on his father's farm. He was just five years old. And the smell of the earth, the soil that his father picked up for him to touch, all of that is still with him. No matter where he is in the world, the moment he smells rain he is reminded of that moment. When the disinformation about farmers and land is flying, it must be really useful for him. It gives him a reason to keep going, to keep up the good fight as he sees it. I've often been struck by the sense of mission, of passion, that people who work for NGOs have. They will put in hours and hours of really hard work, often unpaid, because they have a sense of purpose. Companies try to harness this, of course. They try to give their workers a sense of mission. I know we are all motivated by different things, but I think there are some things many of us have in common. Many of us will perform for a team. No one wants to be the person who lets a team down. It goes back to the moment you were no longer the person picked last to play soccer against the other side. And that sense of a team can involve thousands of people. It's why so many companies spend so much time and money on workshops and get-togethers, and strangely dangerous Christmas parties. If you're Shoprite, you want to feel like a winner. If you're Pick n Pay, you want to feel like the contender. You could have class, you could be somebody. And you get those things by working with the rest of the team. I do wonder if some teams are harder to motivate than others. I mean, if you're leading a group of people in the online gambling space, I'd expect it to be tougher to motivate them than say a group of pediatric nurses. That said, money works. There are millions of people, probably the majority of our workers, who aren't lucky enough to have that purpose at work. Instead, their purpose is about money. They are working to live. But more importantly, they are often working for other people to live. Nothing can give you purpose like family. I know so many people who literally work every hour of the day just to give their children a slightly better chance in life. If I were a boss interviewing for positions, I might well favour single parents just for this reason. You know that they are going to add value to your company and won't cause any trouble simply because they will rely on their salary so much. And it is obvious that this is what motivates the online gambling crowd. I do think that some people are able to make work fun though. I've been in a position where I look forward to arriving at the office because I know there will be commentary and gossip about the events of the day. And if you can harness that, you really can get a lot of value out of people. Most people, though, will rely on the money. It's easy, it's simple, you know how to assess what you are offering when compared to your competitors. But money might only take you so far. People will work for it, but you have to pay for it. What you really want is people who will give you a lot more value than you pay for, because they believe in the cause. You need something to get them out of bed in the morning.
