SA’s largest corporate employer, Shoprite, has expanded its store network, adding more than 80 stores in the first quarter of its 2026 financial year and grew sales despite a continuously subdued trading environment.
This moves the group nearer to its goal of opening 309 stores, which are expected to create more than 10,000 jobs in this financial year.
The group on Monday said it grew sales 8%, supported by strong performance in its core SA supermarket business and continued expansion. It added 81 stores in the period to end-September with 72 of them opening locally.
Most of the new stores were opened under the Shoprite, Checkers, Usave and LiquorShop banners, alongside newer formats such as Petshop Science, Uniq, Checkers Outdoor and Little Me. The expansion reflects the retailer’s ongoing investment in its store network and the broader retail ecosystem strategy.
The Supermarkets RSA segment, which includes Shoprite, Checkers, Usave and LiquorShop, increased sales 7.9%, outpacing market growth 1.7 times, according to NielsenIQ data. Despite sustained consumer pressure, the group said, it maintained its low-price strategy, with selling price inflation averaging just 1.4% in the quarter, far below the national food inflation rate of 5.1%.
During the AGM on Monday, chair Wendy Lucas-Bull told investors that inflation at its price-fighting chains was even lower, at 0% for Shoprite and minus 0.4% for Usave in September. The group said it remained vigilant in managing costs to sustain affordability for customers.
In the 2025 financial year Shoprite added 8,723 jobs and created 281 stores. Lucas-Bull said the group also made a big impact through the Youth Employment Service Programme, training 2,663 unemployed youth, with 2,646 of them securing jobs at Shoprite. More than 17,800 employees were promoted “in recognition of service”.
She said through the Retail Readiness Programme 3,349 individuals were trained for retail work with more than R85m spent on training. More than 1,000 joined Shoprite while the rest were equipped to pursue opportunities elsewhere.
“At Shoprite job creation remains critically important,” she said.
“We are proud to be SA’s largest private sector employer and the largest contributor to the Youth Employment Service Programme.”
Outside SA, Shoprite’s supermarkets in seven other African countries grew sales 12.9% in rand terms and 10.9% in constant currency. The group added three stores in these markets during the period.
Other segments ― including its Medirite pharmacies, OK Franchise division and pharmaceutical distributor Transpharm ― collectively grew sales 4.8%. Medirite’s sales rose 12.3% while OK Franchise increased 4.3% and Transpharm 2.7%.
The group confirmed that the sale of its non-SA furniture businesses was completed in October with the sale of its remaining furniture businesses in SA still pending competition and regulatory approvals.
Shoprite is selling its furniture business, including OK Furniture and House & Home, to Pepkor as it believes it lacks the scale to compete effectively in this sector compared with its core food business.
The group said it would release its interim sales update by end-February 2026 and report half-year results in March.
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