New store with lower food prices than Checkers and Pick n Pay

·21 Sep 2025

Best Before, which is disrupting the South African retail market with low prices on everyday products, has expanded its footprint with a new store in Centurion, Gauteng.

Best Before was founded in 2017 by Mark Gordon and Alain Soriano to disrupt the South African food retail sector with affordable products.

The retail chain’s strategy includes selling short and past-dated quality food and personal care products at highly discounted prices.

It should be noted that Best Before does not sell anything past its use-by date. “All our lines come from trusted and reputable suppliers with stringent quality control,” it explains.

Best Before also negotiates favourable pricing with food producers and passes these savings to its customers.

Gordon and Soriano launched a Pilot Store in Wendywood, Sandton, which proved that there is a strong demand for their offering.

After the success of the first Best Before store, they expanded their partnership with many of South Africa’s largest food suppliers to deliver quality food at great prices.

They expanded their footprint in Johannesburg with new stores in Woodmead, Edenvale, Fourways, Northcliff, Krugersdorp, and Boksburg.

In October 2024, Best Before launched its first store in Pretoria. The new outlet is based in Atterbury Lifestyle Centre, nestled in Faerie Glen, east of Pretoria.

Best Before has taken over the space of Petzone, which, along with its parent company, Westpack Lifestyle, has fallen on hard times.

The Best Before management said the new Pretoria store was one of the largest in the group’s portfolio, and it was an instant hit.

Recently, Best Before introduced a selection of unique imported products, marking a first for the South African market.

These new offerings feature prominent brands such as Mountain Dew, Oshee, Côte d’Or, Toblerone, Hershey’s, Bokomo, Caffelux, Willards, Koo, Robertsons, and Labello.

New Best Before store opens in Centurion

On 29 August 2025, Best Before further grew its footprint with its latest store opening in the Centurion Lifestyle Centre.

It was an instant hit. Gordon told BusinessTech that thousands of people visited the new Best Before store within the first few days.

He said the record number of shoppers shows the importance of Best Before’s offering, which makes everyday products more affordable to South Africans.

BusinessTech visited the newly opened Best Before store in the Centurion Lifestyle Centre, and it was very popular.

Numerous shoppers supported Best Before even though they had other options in the same shopping centre, including a flagship Pick n Pay Hypermarket.

The main reason is affordability. Best Before’s deals offer a discount of between 20% and 40% over Pick n Pay and Checkers.

The lower prices see many people buying their basics, including food and household products, from Best Before.

They will then purchase the remaining products they need, which Best Before does not stock, at the larger retailers.

The new Centurion Best Before store forms part of the retailer group’s strategy to open new stores every year.

Co-founder Alain Soriano previously said their ambitious growth is fuelled by surging demand from consumers eager for more affordable shopping options.

The success of the new Best Before store in the Centurion Lifestyle Centre shows that the brand has a strong future ahead.