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SA’s Pick n Pay wants to open 100 new stores in the next three years

By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2024

Supermarket chain has been playing second fiddle to market leader Checkers, but believes it’s now back on the right track. 

South Africa’s Pick n Pay supermarket and retail group, which has been struggling for some time to compete with rival Checkers, is planning to open 100 new stores within the next three years.

Pick n Pay Clothing has performed better than the group’s supermarkets

This is according to several local media reports quoting CEO Sean Summers, who has been leading a turnaround strategy for the business. 

 

Once the darling of South African shoppers, it has since fallen on harder times. Despite this, it continues to be the second-largest grocery chain in the country. 

 

More recently, Pick n Pay has been known for closing underperforming outlets rather than opening new ones, and reportedly closed 17 stores in the past few months. 

 

But it seems that times are changing. “We’re on a journey; we’ve commenced. We’re in a profoundly different place to what we were in six months ago, never mind a year ago,” Summers is quoted as saying by Business Report. 

 

“As part of an ongoing revitalisation effort, the company aims to refresh existing stores that have been ‘left behind” amid the competitive landscape of grocery retailing,” Business Report states. It further quotes Summers as saying the stores “need to be modernised and brought up to speed”. 

 

Former CEO came back to lead turnaround 

 

Summers was previously CEO of Pick n Pay between 1999 and 2007. He was reappointed in late 2023 when the incumbent, Pieter Boone, left suddenly after just two-and-a-half years in the role. 

 

Among the bright spots for Pick n Pay amidst the challenges of its supermarket business, however, has been the performance of its mostly stand-alone Pick n Pay Clothing outlets.  

 

According to a company press release, the retailer has added 32 new clothing stores to its network to date in 2024, with plans to open another 12 by the end of the year.  

 

Many existing stores, such as at Rosebank and Mall of Africa in Johannesburg, as well as at Gateway in Durban, have also been revamped as part of its expansion strategy for the clothing business. 

 

There are now 386 standalone corporate Pick n Pay Clothing stores. The value-based clothing retailer also has a presence in over 100 Pick n Pay supermarket stores.

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    Dr Kin Kariisa

    Group CEO - Next Media

    Dr. Kin Kariisa is an extraordinary force at the helm of Next Media Services, a conglomerate encompassing NBS TV, Nile Post, Sanyuka TV, Next Radio, Salam TV, Next Communication, Next Productions, and an array of other influential enterprises. His dynamic role as Chief Executive Officer exemplifies his unwavering commitment to shaping media, business, and community landscapes.
    With an esteemed academic journey, Dr. Kariisa’s accolades include an Honorary PhD in exemplary community service from the United Graduate College inTexas, an MBA from United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya, a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Huazong University in China, and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Makerere University.
    Dr. Kariisa pursued PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands. As a dynamic educator, he has shared his expertise as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at both Makerere University and Radboud University.

    Dr Kin did his PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radbond University in Nigmegen, Netherlands. He previously served as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and Radbond University in Netherlands.

    Dr Kin did his postgraduate courses in Strategic Business Management, Strategic Leadership Communication and Strategies for Leading Successful Change Initiatives at Harvard University, Boston USA.

    • Other current and previous roles played by Dr Kin Kariisa:
    • Lecturer of e-Government and Information Security to graduate students at Makerere University, Kampala and Radbond University in the Netherlands
    • Director of Eco Bank Uganda Limited, one of the largest banks in Africa
    • Chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters, an umbrella industry association for all Television, Radio and online broadcasters in Uganda.
    • Chairman of Board of Directors of Nile Hotel International, that owns the leading hotel in Uganda, Kampala Serena Hotel.
    • Chairman of Board of Directors of Soliton Telmec Uganda, the leading telecom company in Optic fibre business managing over 80% of optic fibre in Uganda.