Long time since the page Retailadvice has posted new content. The good news is we are back with a vengeance with the intention to put South African retailers in the spot light and highlight the stores which are genuinely customer friendly, and point out the stores which are only interested in taking from your wallet with no real concern for you the customer or the service they provide.
Let’s start with some updated comments on the supermarket business at this time (September 2024).
Many, many years ago, I would only buy groceries from Pick n Pay and would never go into a Shoprite or Checkers store. Today that trend for me has completely reversed with my regular shopping done in my local Checkers. I avoid Pick n Pay as the shops, staff, offers, ambiance have absolutely no attraction for me. I could go into a Pick n Pay and shop in a dirty old fashioned store environment with limited product range and get attitude from the check out clerk when I pay, or I could go to the Checkers down the road and spend my time in a newly refitted modern store with great presentation, great promotional offers and some really competitively priced items. I might even have a coffee from Starbucks or sandwich from Kauai, all shops inside the Checkers store.
The bottom line is Pick n Pay are so far behind I have absolutely no reason to spend any time under their roof. The brand just projects old fashion and cheap, even when on the odd occasion I buy a Sunday Times newspaper, the Checkers dropout is a full size glossy paper ad, and the Pick n Pay one is printed on cheap paper and a sorry reproduction with not great offers.
Let’s talk about the third wheel in the grocery market, Woolworths foods. I have no doubt this business offers top quality and for that you pay a premium. I often see shoppers in my local Convenience mall which has a Woolworths foods and Super-spar, shop both stores one after the other. They go into the Spar and buy the basics, like milk, bread, dog food, yogurt, coffee etc, then they go into the Woolworths and buy the Chicken fillets, beef burger patties and rump steak. For example you can pay R89,99 for 200 grams Nescafé in Spar and R109 for the same item next door at Woolworths. That’s my first article to kick off the new Retailadvice page enjoy the read much more to come.
Enjoy your shopping
