All South Africa articles – Page 3

News
Walmart to focus on expanding existing operations

2012-04-18T16:31:00Z

Walmart is to concentrate on expanding its operations in existing markets rather than entering new locations this year. However, the retailer is still looking at possibilities to enter new countries and acquire technology and other capabilities.Walmart highlighted it has no plans at present to enter Russia but said it would ...
News
Competition Appeal Court rejects Walmart and Massmart merger

2012-03-15T07:00:00Z

The Competition Appeal Court has dismissed an application by the government to review the decision to approve the merger between Walmart and local retailer Massmart. According to Judge Dennis Davis, there was not enough evidence to conclude that public concerns regarding the impact on employment and small and medium-sized businesses ...
News
Woolworths reports sales increase

2012-02-23T07:00:00Z

Woolworths’ sales rose 11.1% to R14.2bn (£1.22bn) in its first half to the end of December 2011. Food sales increased by 11.7%while clothing and general merchandise was up 10.1%. Operating profit rose 27.8% to R1.4bn (£120.7m). While strong sales growth was recorded in the second quarter, Woolworths attributed part of ...
Gallery
Mr Price Group, South Africa

2012-02-20T07:00:00Z

Refurbs, revamps, remodellings (call them what you will) are relatively frequent occurrences, but instances of retailers changing several fascias at one go are thin on the ground.
News
Pick n Pay’s chief operating officer to leave

2012-02-16T07:00:00Z

Pick n Pay’s chief operating officer Nick Badminton will leave the retailer by the end of this financial year, February 28. He will, however, assist the company during transition. Pick n Pay chairman Gareth Ackerman will become executive chairman, responsible for strategy, and deputy chief executive Richard van Rensburg will ...
News
Pick n Pay reveals details of store rebranding scheme

2012-02-02T07:00:00Z

Pick n Pay has revealed details of its store rebranding scheme in Zimbabwe, following the increase of its stake in TM Supermarkets.Seven out of approximately 40 TM stores will be rebranded as Pick n Pay with a total investment of approximately $13m (£8m) earmarked across the business for store operations.Head ...
News
Turnover improves at Shoprite

2012-01-26T07:00:00Z

African grocery retailer Shoprite issued results for the first half of its financial year to December 2011. Turnover improved 13.2% to ZAR41.1bn (£3.3bn) while like-for-likes rose 8%. In its home market, the retailer’s sales increased 12.3% and by 6.8% on a like-for-like basis. Official statistics put food inflation at 9% ...
News
Massmart reports sales increase

2012-01-20T07:00:00Z

Retail and wholesale group Massmart has reported that sales rose 15% to R31.6bn (£2.56bn) during the first half to the end of December 2011. Like-for-likes increased 9.2% during the same period.The announcement follows several price promotions during the half, triggered by Walmart’s acquisition of a 51%majority stake in June 2011, ...
News
Massmart receives approval from Competition Tribunal

2012-01-09T07:00:00Z

Grocery retailer Massmart has received approval from the Competition Tribunal to acquire Fruitspot and Rhino Group via two of its subsidiaries. Massmart, which revealed plans to buy fresh fruit and vegetable wholesaler Fruitspot through its Makro cash-and-carry subsidiary in July 2011, was given conditional approval.The tribunal said: “In the merger ...
Analysis
Which are the most exciting emerging markets?

2012-01-06T07:00:00Z

So where will you head off to in 2012? To help plan your international forays this year, Rebecca Thomson considers some of the most exciting emerging international retail markets in the most unlikely of places.
News
Clicks Group announces preliminary financial results

2011-10-31T07:00:00Z

Health and beauty retailer Clicks Group has announced its preliminary financial results for the year ended August 31. Group retail turnover increased by 10.9% to ZAR10.8bn (£847.5m). The core Clicks drugstore network reported sales up 13% with operating profit soaring 25.8%.Meanwhile, the Musica music and video store chain announced a ...
Analysis
South Africa’s Pick n Pay seeks to follow Tesco’s lead

2011-10-28T00:00:00Z

South Africa’s second-largest grocery retailer Pick n Pay has launched a premium private-label line.
News
Builders Warehouse enters Botswana

2011-10-24T07:00:00Z

Builders Warehouse, the DIY chain operated by Walmart-controlled South African retail and wholesale group Massmart, has entered Botswana, marking its first step outside its home market.Llewellyn Walters, chief executive of Massmart’s DIY holding Massbuild, said: “We look forward to bringing customers the best choice at the lowest possible prices, with ...
News
Pick n Pay enters Mauritius

2011-10-10T07:00:00Z

Pick n Pay has entered Mauritius with the launch of a 43,000 sq ft franchise superstore and plans to add two further outlets in 2012. The move is part of the retailer’s foreign growth strategy across the sub-saharan region. Having withdrawn from Australia this month, Pick n Pay now has ...
News
Woolworths confirms expansion plans

2011-09-16T07:00:00Z

South African retailer Woolworths has confirmed it plans to expand its presence in Sub-Saharan Africa by more than doubling its store numbers on the continent. The move comes in response to Walmart’s African market entry in June.Woolworths spokesman John Fraser said: “We are now getting very serious about Africa expansion ...
News
Pick n Pay to invest in Sub-Saharan operations

2011-09-08T07:00:00Z

Grocery retailer Pick n Pay has confirmed it will use the Aus$215m (£141m) generated from the sale of Franklins in Australia to invest in its Sub-Saharan operations. The retailer will focus on growth, customer loyalty and improved distribution. The confirmation comes two months after Walmart’s entry into South Africa, which ...
News
Zara makes African debut

2011-08-16T17:12:00Z

Spanish clothing chain Zara, owned by Inditex, will make its African debut at the Sandton City shopping mall in Johannesburg on November 10. Zara has chosen to enter South Africa through the corporate store route, paying import duties at cost instead of opening through franchise outlets where it would need ...
News
Pick n Pay considers job cuts

2011-07-13T09:39:00Z

Grocery retailer Pick n Pay is considering cutting 3,100 jobs, equating to 8.5% of its non-franchise sales floor workforce, due to decreased profitabilty.The retailer announced a drop in operating profit of 14.2% to R1.4 billion (£12.5m) at the end of its last financial year ended 28 February.Pick n Pay operations ...
News
Massmart to focus on integration with Walmart

2011-06-29T00:00:00Z

Massmart has said that it is focused on integration with Walmart now that the deal has been approved, particularly in terms of governance, procurement processes and sharing best practice. Massmart chief executive Grant Pattison said the company is first and foremost putting in place measures to implement the conditions the ...
News
Pick n Pay to face competition from Walmart

2011-06-24T00:00:00Z

Pick n Pay chairman Gareth Ackerman has said the grocery retailer is ready to face competition from Walmart once it enters South Africa. “We have modified our business to deal with the challenges,” he said.After exiting Australia, Ackerman confirmed that Pick n Pay will now focus expansion exclusively on markets ...