The store inside a store making Woolworths R200,000 a week
A High Court ruling has gone in favour of Woolworths, allowing the retailer to open its WCellar in its Dainfern store, which is expected to generate roughly R10 million in annual turnover, or R200,000 a week.
At the end of August 2026, Woolworths announced its new Gauteng Food Emporium in Dainfern Square, an upmarket outlet for the retailer.
Woolworths said at the time that the new emporium would have its most extensive food offerings in one place, with specialised sections and premium products.
With the new store, Woolworths planned to launch a WCellar, the retailer’s dedicated wine and alcohol sales outlet.
However, plans for this WCellar were cut short after the group could not get a licence to sell alcohol from the Gauteng Provincial Liquor Board.
Woolworths first applied for a liquor license for the store in October 2022, which was conditionally approved by the provincial board.
The conditional approval was given, pending photos of the finished store and a site inspection, with no compliance period given.
After this, Woolworths’ store in Dainfern faced several delays, and construction only began in March 2026, with the store opening in August of the same year.
Shortly before the store was set to open, the Gauteng Provincial Liquor Board said the application to sell alcohol had lapsed, and that Woolworths would have to submit another application.
Following this, Woolworths approached the Gauteng High Court, seeking approval of the liquor license and an urgent interdict allowing them to sell alcohol, pending a decision.
The High Court ruled in favour of the retailer, allowing it to sell liquor at the Dainfern Emporium while the second part of the case is deliberated.
The court also ruled that “a punitive costs order is justified”, meaning the provincial liquor board will be required to pay Woolworths’ legal team’s costs for the first part of the case.
R200,000 a week for Woolworths
The High Court’s ruling mentioned the lost revenue Woolworths would incur if its Dainfern Liquor store remained closed.
The court said the business segment is expected to generate R10.4 million in annual turnover, which would be lost if the WCellar were closed.
“It projects annual gross turnover of R10.4 million, equating to approximately R200,000 per week in foregone sales,” the High Court said.
“Each week that the applicant cannot trade, it suffers permanently lost revenue and customer diversion to competitors.”
The court also noted that Woolworths suffered financial losses due to being prevented from including the WCellar in its offerings when the Food Emporium launched.
“The launch momentum of the Food Emporium, a flagship development, is a discrete and unrepeatable commercial event,” it said.
Woolworths Dainfern Emporium was launched as a flagship store for the retailer, with several high-end offerings including:
- “A beautifully refreshed Florist, offering fresh seasonal blooms and thoughtfully curated arrangements.
- The What’s Cooking Bar, where customers can discover recipe inspiration and sample delicious products.
- An expanded Bakery, featuring freshly baked artisanal breads and pastries.
- Dedicated Fishmonger and Butcher counters operated by knowledgeable staff who can offer expert advice.
- A Specialist Cheese counter showcasing an extensive selection of local and international cheeses.
- A Sushi Counter preparing fresh sushi daily.
- An Elevated Pantry with an expanded range of premium local and international pantry favourites.”
While the new store had an expansive offering when it launched, the retail giant argued that it lost money by not having a WCellar included at opening.
The High Court agreed with Woolworths and said the financial harm was directly caused by the Gauteng Liquor Board’s refusal to finalise the group’s application.
“The harm flows directly from the Board’s refusal to finalise an application that had received conditional approval, after the applicant had completed the premises in accordance with its undertakings,” the court said.
The ruling allows Woolworths to temporarily sell alcohol at the food emporium, but the court will decide whether to approve the group’s full liquor license at a later date.
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