Store cheaper than Checkers and Pick n Pay launches nationwide delivery
Best Before, which is disrupting the South African retail market with lower prices than retailers like Checkers and Pick n Pay, has launched nationwide courier delivery.
Best Before is a unique retailer which sells short and past-dated quality food and personal care products at highly discounted prices.
The retailer 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 was founded in 2017 by Mark Gordon and Alain Soriano to disrupt the South African food retail sector with affordable products.
They realised that there was a strong market in South Africa for affordable everyday products, as many households were struggling.
Gordon and Soriano launched a pilot store in Wendywood, Sandton, and it was an instant hit. The demand data showed that the strategy was effective.
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.
The retailer negotiates favourable pricing with food producers and passes these savings to its customers. It is a winning formula.
The founders began rolling out more Best Before stores across Gauteng to serve clients in other areas.
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 the Atterbury Lifestyle Centre in the east of Pretoria.
On 29 August 2025, Best Before further grew its footprint with its latest store opening in the Centurion Lifestyle Centre in Pretoria.
The Best Before management stated that the new Pretoria store was one of the largest in the group’s portfolio and 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.
Best Before nationwide online shopping
Towards the end of 2025, Best Before started offering nationwide courier delivery through its online shopping portal.
Previously, its online shopping service was only available to Gauteng residents. However, it had always planned to roll this out to other provinces.
The new nationwide courier delivery means that people across South Africa can order Best Before deals with lower prices than other retailers.
The retailer also has the option to collect their order from a Best Before store near them by selecting ‘collect from store’ during checkout.
“Collections and in-store transfers take up to 5 working days to prepare. Once your order is ready, you’ll be notified to pick up your goods hassle-free,” it said.
The nationwide delivery followed Best Before introducing 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.
These products are typically lower-priced than those of prominent retailers such as Pick n Pay, Checkers, Spar, and Woolworths.
A recent comparison of Best Before’s weekly deals showed that these products cost 46% less than at a traditional supermarket.
Inside a Best Before store
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