Pick n Pay launches new concept store in South Africa – with a first for the whole group
South African retail group Pick n Pay has launched a new-generation concept Hypermarket store in Bloemfontein as part of the group’s wider refresh of its footprint in the country.
The new store, which is a revamp of the previous outlet at the Southern Centre mall, offers an expanded range of products and introduces fresh foods and a first-ever dining experience for the group—a sit-down sushi bar.
The larger product range includes indoor and outdoor items, as well as DIY and tech.
In terms of dining, the store offers the first sit-down TiMe coffee area in a Hypermarket, as well as the group’s first-ever seated sushi area, called Sue Shi Sushi.
This is an extension of the popular sushi bar offering that has featured in select supermarket stores, Pick n Pay said.
The store will also offer a wider selection of fresh produce, including an expanded cheese range, gourmet butchery, and a bakery.
The grocery range has also been expanded, with additions including bulk cleaning products, pet care, sweets and catering supplies.
Pick’n Pay said the new Hypermarket concept is designed to strengthen the format’s role as a one-stop shopping destination.
The relaunch forms part of Pick n Pay’s ongoing investment in renewing its store network, as the business continues to evolve its stores and formats.
The Bloemfontein Hypermarket originally opened in 1977 and is the fourth Hypermarket to be revamped, following three revamps towards the end of 2025 and the opening of a new Hypermarket in Pietermaritzburg.
The Hypermarket format has been part of Pick n Pay’s history for over 50 years, with the first store opening in Boksburg in 1975.
Pick n Pay owns and operates 23 Hypermarkets, making up a small fraction of the 992 group-owned stores recorded at 1 March 2026.
The group has been implementing a wide-sweeping store reset programme as part of a turnaround strategy to reduce losses.
Store closures as part of its turnaround
In its latest financial year, ending March 2026, Pick n Pay said it had largely completed the store reset programme.
The retailer closed 56 stores across South Africa during the year, aiming to restore profitability and strengthen operations across the group.
Turnover in the core Pick n Pay business declined by 1.6% due to the impact of store closures linked to the reset strategy.
The company closed 39 company-owned stores during the financial year, although this was partly offset by 33 converted openings.
Pick n Pay Clothing continued to expand despite the broader restructuring, with store numbers increasing from 396 in March 2025 to 419 by March 2026.
The biggest reduction came in the franchised business. Pick n Pay’s franchised supermarket footprint declined sharply from 260 stores in 2025 to 211 in 2026.
The retailer also significantly reduced its franchised liquor network, closing 29 liquor stores during the year under review.
Overall, company-owned stores increased from 971 to 992 over the period, but franchised stores declined from 697 to 620. This resulted in a net closure of 56 stores nationwide.
Despite the closures, Pick n Pay said there were signs that its operational turnaround efforts were beginning to gain traction.
Company-owned supermarkets recorded like-for-like sales growth of 3.9%, up from 3.3% in the previous financial year.
The retailer also kept internal selling price inflation at 1.9%, below South Africa’s food inflation rate of 4.4%.
In its latest trading update for the 20-week period to July, the group noted an upward trajectory.
While market conditions remain highly constrained, the group noted that its key segments were gaining traction.
“PnP Clothing is regaining its momentum, and PnP SA Supermarkets is showing an improved like-for-like performance relative to H2 FY26,” it said.
Despite this improvement, the group added that “much remains to be done” to meet the break-even profit target.
Pictures of the new Pick n Pay Hypermarket concept
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