{"id":845878,"date":"2025-12-10T09:26:23","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T07:26:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=845878"},"modified":"2025-12-10T09:26:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T07:26:28","slug":"100-new-spar-stores-coming-to-beat-checkers-woolworths-and-pick-n-pay-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/business\/845878\/100-new-spar-stores-coming-to-beat-checkers-woolworths-and-pick-n-pay-in-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"100 new SPAR stores coming to beat Checkers, Woolworths, and Pick n Pay in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Spar plans to launch gourmet stores across South Africa to target the premium market by offering shoppers a high-quality grocery experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The retailer wants to launch up to 100 new gourmet-format stores aimed at the premium end of the grocery market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The retailer said the goal is not to glamorise the brand but to fix longstanding inconsistencies in how Spar stores look and operate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This will be done while competing more effectively with Checkers, Woolworths, and Pick n Pay, especially in areas where shoppers increasingly expect a higher-end experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking to Daily Maverick, Spar CEO Angelo Swartz said<\/a> that the retailer\u2019s biggest challenge has been the wide variation between stores operating under the same banner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For decades, identical Spar signage appeared in areas with very different consumer needs and store standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This made it difficult for the group to communicate what level of service or product quality shoppers could expect when walking into any particular outlet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Swartz, the new gourmet concept is intended to create clearer differentiation, helping customers understand the purpose of each format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted that several Spar stores\u2014especially in parts of Cape Town\u2014have already been offering more premium-style products and services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new format formalises that approach, allowing Spar to distinguish stores that cater to higher-income markets without confusing core customers who remain focused on price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The move also reflects the realities of a market where Checkers, Pick n Pay, and Woolworths have grown rapidly at the top end. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With competition intensifying, Spar\u2019s strategy is partly about limiting customer loss to rivals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swartz described the Gourmet concept as providing \u201cstrategic coverage\u201d in areas where shoppers are increasingly opting for more curated and convenience-focused grocery experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group plans to open three to four Gourmet stores in 2026, starting in Cape Town and Johannesburg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the medium term, between 70 and 100 such stores are planned nationally, using a mix of conversions and new developments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A more premium shopping experience <\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
Spar Gourmet launched at the Zimbali Oasis in KwaZulu-Natal<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Spar has already launched its first Gourmet outlet<\/a> at the Zimbali Oasis in KwaZulu-Natal. The store, situated in an upmarket leisure development, offers features not typically found in standard Spar stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This includes more specialised butchery cuts, a wider wine selection, and a stronger focus on ready-made meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The layout and product range are aimed at matching customer expectations in affluent areas rather than setting a new universal standard for the entire group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The store serves as a test case for Spar\u2019s attempt to create clearer distinctions between its different store formats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The retailer\u2019s shift comes at a time when it is trying to stabilise its performance in South Africa after facing significant financial losses in its international operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its latest results<\/a> for the year ending 26 September, Spar reported a profit of R1.1 billion from its continuing operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, its discontinued operations, which include its troubled Swiss and English businesses, recorded losses of R6.1 billion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These setbacks have put more focus on its Southern African division, which continues to perform better despite pressure on consumer spending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Locally, the business benefited from improved wholesale execution, enhanced retailer support programmes, and lower fuel-related logistics costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These factors helped stabilise operations in the second half of the financial year. Merchandise revenue in Southern Africa grew 2.9% in the second half of FY2025, lifting full-year revenue by 2.3%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sales in the groceries and liquor segment rose 1.9% year-on-year, while its Build it division increased revenue by 2.4%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spar\u2019s diversification efforts also include expanding into pet retail through its Pet Storey concept, launched in September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swartz said this category is growing quickly and was previously dominated by smaller independent stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the end of November, Spar had converted all 12 of its Pet Masters stores to the new format, and early indications point to further expansion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Spar plans to launch gourmet stores across South Africa to target the premium market by offering shoppers a high-quality grocery experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":845884,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9872],"tags":[853,9838],"class_list":["post-845878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-south-africa","tag-spar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/845878","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/92"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=845878"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/845878\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":845972,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/845878\/revisions\/845972"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/845884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=845878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=845878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=845878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}