South Africa’s biggest food retailer is growing fast. Shoprite has opened more than 260 new stores in the past 12 months. The company now runs 2,747 outlets across the country. Many of these new stores belong to Shoprite’s newer brands. Some focus on pets, outdoor gear, and baby products. The retailer is making shopping easy for South African families.
Strong Growth for Shoprite
Shoprite released its business update on Monday, 2 February. The report covered the six months ending 28 December 2025. The results show the company is doing well. Sales grew by more than 7% during this period. Total sales reached R136.8 billion.
The company expects profits to grow by over 10%. Full results will come out in March. This growth shows that Shoprite remains the top food retailer in South Africa.
New Store Openings
Over the past year, Shoprite opened many different types of stores. Here’s what they added:
- 50 new Shoprite stores
- 42 Usave stores
- 32 Checkers stores
- 4 Checkers Hyper stores
- 81 LiquorShop outlets
These new stores make it simple for customers to shop closer to home. The company is bringing shops to more neighborhoods.
Newer Brands Growing Fast
Shoprite’s newer store formats are performing very well. These brands grew sales by 71.2%. That’s a big jump. Let’s look at each brand.
Petshop Science is leading the way. The pet store chain added 45 new locations this year. It now has 173 stores across South Africa. Shoprite launched this brand in April 2021. It was the first South African supermarket to sell pet products in standalone stores. In just over three years, Petshop Science has become very popular. South Africans love their pets, and this brand makes it easy to find everything they need.
Checkers Outdoor added five new stores. It now has 31 locations. This brand sells camping gear, outdoor furniture, and sports equipment. It’s perfect for families who enjoy the outdoors.
Uniq Clothing by Checkers also opened five new stores. The brand now has 35 outlets. Uniq started in March 2023 at Canal Walk in Cape Town. It sells premium everyday clothing for families. You can find Uniq in most major shopping malls now. The brand offers simple, quality clothing at good prices.
Little Me focuses on baby products. This brand closed two stores during the year. It now has 10 locations. Little Me was launched in 2021.
How Main Brands Performed
Shoprite’s traditional stores also did well. Shoprite and Usave stores grew sales by 5.1%. Checkers and Checkers Hyper did even better. They recorded growth of 8.9%.
The Sixty60 delivery service continues to boom. This on-demand platform grew sales by 34.6%. Customers can order groceries on their phones. Delivery is quick and easy. South Africans love this simple shopping option.
Challenges and Opportunities
Shoprite faced some challenges during this period. Selling prices for products went down. From November to December 2025, there was deflation. This means prices actually dropped instead of rising. Lower prices are good for shoppers. But they can squeeze profits for retailers.
Despite this challenge, Shoprite still grew faster than competitors. The company grew 2.3 times faster than the overall market. This shows Shoprite’s strong position.
Beyond South Africa
Shoprite also operates in other African countries. The company added 15 new stores outside South Africa. It now runs 272 stores across seven countries. These international stores grew sales by 12.1%. They now make up 8.4% of total company sales.
Other Business Areas
Shoprite runs more than just supermarkets. The company also operates:
- OK Franchise stores
- Transpharm and Medirite Pharmacies
- Red Star Wholesale Catering Services
- Computicket (ticket sales)
These businesses grew sales by 3.5%. They represent 7.3% of total group sales.
What’s Next
Shoprite will release full results on Tuesday, 3 March 2026. The company expects strong profit growth. Earnings per share should increase between 5.2% and 10.2%.
The retailer continues to expand. New store openings show confidence in South Africa’s economy. Shoprite is making shopping more convenient. Whether you need groceries, pet food, outdoor gear, or baby products, there’s likely a Shoprite brand store near you.
The company’s success comes from understanding what customers want. They offer quality products at fair prices. Shopping is kept simple and easy. With over 2,700 stores, Shoprite serves millions of South African families every day.
