Shoprite Surges Ahead with Record Earnings and Bold Expansion in 2025

Shoprite’s record-breaking run: Why the retail giant is winning while rivals struggle

South Africa’s retail heavyweight Shoprite is having a blockbuster year. While some competitors are shrinking store networks or fighting to stay profitable, Shoprite is charging in the opposite direction — and it’s paying off in a big way.

The group expects its full-year earnings for 2025 to jump by more than 20%, powered by a relentless expansion drive, a thriving online delivery business, and an unbroken streak of market share gains that now stretches to five years.

The numbers tell a powerful story

For the year ending June 2025, Shoprite forecasts headline earnings per share to rise between 15% and 25%. In its core South African supermarket business, which makes up the bulk of its sales, revenue grew 9.5% — comfortably outpacing inflation.

Total sales hit R232 billion, with R195 billion of that coming from South African operations alone. The retailer’s like-for-like growth reached 4.8%, while internal selling price inflation was just 2.3%, lower than the national average.

Checkers and Checkers Hyper — including the popular Checkers LiquorShop — saw sales leap 13.8%, while Shoprite and Usave chains climbed 5.9%. Sixty60, the group’s on-demand delivery app, rocketed ahead with a 47.7% jump in online sales.

A retail strategy that bucks the trend

While rivals like Pick n Pay and SPAR have been scaling back or restructuring, Shoprite has been on a building spree. Over the past year, it opened 194 new supermarkets in South Africa alone — 43 Shoprite stores, 38 Usave outlets, 29 Checkers branches, and three Checkers Hyper stores.

It’s not stopping there. The group also grew its specialist offerings:

• LiquorShop: 81 new outlets across Checkers and Shoprite

• Petshop Science: 60 new stores, now totalling 144 nationwide

• Checkers Outdoor: 8 new stores (28 in total)

• Uniq Clothing by Checkers: 10 new stores (30 in total)

• Little Me: 1 new store (11 in total)

These moves show a confidence few competitors share in today’s challenging retail climate.

Focusing on what works — and letting go of what doesn’t

Not every part of Shoprite’s empire is growing. The group is actively exiting its furniture business, selling the segment to Pepkor. The sale has been approved in all relevant countries, but a legal intervention by Lewis Stores has delayed finalisation.

Shoprite says it remains confident the deal will go through, freeing it to double down on its high-performing grocery, liquor, pet care, and clothing divisions.

The Takeaway

Shoprite’s strategy is clear: stick to its strengths, grow aggressively in areas where customers are loyal, and adapt quickly to changing shopping habits — especially online. In a year where many South African retailers are treading water, Shoprite is showing that bold moves can still win big.

Source:Business Tech 

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