South Africa’s leading retailer and largest private-sector employer, Shoprite, has strengthened its footprint by opening 81 net new stores in the first quarter of its 2026 financial year, while achieving an 8 percent increase in group sales despite ongoing challenges for consumers.
This progress brings the group closer to its ambitious target of launching 309 outlets over the full year, a move expected to generate over 10,000 new positions and underscore its commitment to employment in a strained economy.
The bulk of the expansion occurred within South Africa, with 72 stores added locally under established brands like Shoprite, Checkers, Usave, and LiquorShop, as well as emerging concepts including Petshop Science, Uniq, Checkers Outdoor, and Little Me. These developments align with Shoprite’s broader ecosystem approach, enhancing its retail offerings and supporting sustained investment amid a cautious trading backdrop, as reported by BizNews.
The core Supermarkets RSA division, encompassing the group’s primary food retail operations, delivered a 7.9 percent sales uplift, surpassing overall market growth by 1.7 times based on NielsenIQ metrics. Shoprite maintained its emphasis on affordability, recording average selling price inflation of just 1.4 percent—well below the national food and non-alcoholic beverages inflation rate of 5.1 percent reported by Statistics South Africa. In September alone, price changes at its value-oriented banners were even more restrained, registering zero percent for Shoprite and a slight deflation of 0.4 percent for Usave, reflecting rigorous cost controls to ease pressure on households.
Beyond South Africa, supermarket operations across seven other African nations posted a 12.9 percent sales increase in rand terms, or 10.9 percent on a constant currency basis, bolstered by three additional stores. Complementary segments, such as Medirite pharmacies, the OK Franchise network, and pharmaceutical wholesaler Transpharm, collectively advanced sales by 4.8 percent, with Medirite leading at 12.3 percent growth.
Shoprite’s focus on workforce development remained prominent, having added 8,723 jobs and opened 281 stores in the prior financial year. Through initiatives like the Youth Employment Service Programme, the group trained 2,663 young people, nearly all of whom secured roles within the company, while over 17,800 staff received promotions for their contributions. The Retail Readiness Programme equipped a further 3,349 participants with essential skills, backed by more than R85 million in funding, enabling over 1,000 to join Shoprite and preparing others for broader opportunities in the sector.
The retailer affirmed its status as South Africa’s top private employer and leading participant in youth employment schemes, prioritising job creation as a core pillar. In a strategic divestment, Shoprite finalised the disposal of its furniture operations outside South Africa in October, with the sale of remaining local furniture assets—including OK Furniture and House & Home—to Pepkor still awaiting competition authority clearance, allowing greater concentration on its dominant grocery business.
Looking ahead, the group plans to issue an interim sales update by late February 2026, followed by half-year results in March, positioning it to capitalise on its omnichannel strengths and expanding store network in a gradually recovering market.