Jolly green retailer SPAR has aspirations of targeting the posher punter, just like Woolies and (to an as-yet inconclusive degree) Checkers before it. “The strategy includes converting high-end niche SPAR stores while also opening new locations,” says SPAR Southern Africa boss Max Oliva. “We anticipate around 30 to 40 SPAR Gourmet stores though no fixed timeline has been set.” The Gourmet format will target customers in high-end residential and urban areas, with a focus on premium food, coffee, bakery and indulgent products, with a curated assortment tailored to meet the needs of a more affluent shopper base. At the same time, the business will also revamp the SaveMor chain, its answer to Boxer and Usave. It seems that these stores may initially be opened under ownership by SPAR rather than by members; the business owns several of its own store licences.

Comment: An excellent idea. There are some SPAR’s already successfully targeting that demographic – much may be learnt from their ranging and assortment.

Look, now is not the time for post-mortems. Nor, for that matter, pre-mortems. But the fact remains, that 20 years ago, when we emptied our first wastebasket in the Tatler newsroom, Pick n Pay was worth R11.2bn, and Shoprite an unpromising R7.1bn. Today, Shoprite could be yours for a cool R163bn, while its old nemesis, including the newly unbundled Boxer Superstores, comes in just south of R40bn, with both units roughly equally valued. What’s up with that? Victor Mupunga of Old Mutual Wealth Private Clients thinks he knows. Shoprite, he says, consistently reinvested more of its capital into expanding its distribution network, store footprint, and IT systems, while Pick n Pay has favoured paying the punters high dividends over growth, forking out 76% of its earnings as dividends on average. In more positive Pick n Pay news, since the business announced its partnership with FNB’s eBucks in November, FNB Private clients who opted in have increased their spend, and 90% of this growth is from customers who previously spent less than 20% with Pick n Pay but have now shifted to the retailer as their primary grocer.

Comment: Hard lessons for a business that seems to be lining its ducks up once more.

Yet another Pick n Pay location has fallen to the relentless red wave: the Shoprite Group will be opening a Checkers in Hyde Park Corner where once a Pick n Pay stood. Don’t panic though – you will remember that Pick n Pay CEO Sean Summers said last year that over 100 stores would close or be converted to Boxer stores as part of the retailer’s turnaround strategy; 32 such closures have already happened. Moving on, Massmart has announced the 250 potential suppliers who have been selected to present their products to the Group’s buyers at its inaugural ‘Growth Summit’, to be held in early April. Participants include over 200 South African companies, with the remainder representing 11 other African countries. “This initiative aligns with our strategic objectives of driving local production, boosting exports, and ensuring inclusive economic participation across the continent,” observes no less a personage than Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Parks Tau.

Comment: A competitive forum for these suppliers, but a great opportunity.

How is the US government’s new tariff regime going for the world’s biggest retailer? Not so grand, TBH: to deal with the fallout from the actions of the Trump regime, Walmart is doing what any self-respecting retailer would do and asking some of its Chinese vendors for price cuts of as much as 10% to keep the punters happy. “Our conversations with suppliers are all aimed at making our purpose a reality for millions of customers, and we will continue to work closely with them to find the best way forward during these uncertain times,” said the Big Feller. “Walmart’s demand for Chinese suppliers to bear the full tariff burden is unreasonable and disrupts fair competition and international trade order,” huffed China’s state broadcaster CCTV in response. Many Chinese suppliers are currently running their businesses at razor-thin margins; 10% is a big ask.

Comment: 4D chess, or a sledgehammer swung by a big, angry president? This one is not that tricky.

Anglovaal Industries Limited, as we used to call it at the Illovo Club, has turned in a very solid set of interims, all things c. To wit: a +10.2% rise in something they’re calling “attributable profit” to R1.36bn for the first six months through December, in the face of a constrained consumer environment, supply chain disruptions, and global inflationary challenges. This on revenue which rose only +1.1% to R8.47bn, in a tough retail environment and operational challenges in the food and fishing businesses. Digging in further, its slightly eccentric fashion retail portfolio faced challenges like supplier issues and global supply chain constraints, and the I&J division was hit by weaker demand and lower selling prices for abalone, and historically low catch rates. But AVI’s strong cash generation and operational discipline saw a 34.2% return on capital employed – and a healthy bottom line.

Comment: Sell more, spend less, basically. And if you cannot achieve the former, the latter will do in a pinch.

In one of its periodic knee-jerk reactions, the National Department of Health has slapped a blanket ban on cannabis and hemp products in foodstuffs. All well and good (and we’re not saying it’s us) for those who have taken an unwitting bite of a dodgy brownie and found themselves supine, hours later, contemplating the interplay of light on the leaves of the Ficus in the corner… where were we? Ah yes. So this ban includes not only products containing the active ingredients of THC or CBD, but also non-psychoactive derivatives like hemp oil and seeds, which are excellent on a salad and which form a niche but growing category on the shelves of health stores and certain supermarkets. “These products contain negligible THC levels and are entirely distinct from unregulated cannabis edibles that do not adhere to safety or labelling standards,” says COO of medical cannabis consultancy group AKOS Bio Connor Davis.

Comment: Hemp has had a rough go since the competitive paper milling industry under newspaper baron William Randall Hearst targeted it for elimination in the 1930s. It would be a shame if this economically promising and sustainable crop was forced to return to the shadows.

Our on-again, off-again Budget finally saw the light of day last week, and suffice it to say you cannot please all the people all the time – particularly when you raise VAT 0.5% in an already-strained economy. “Budget 2025 hurts people and the economy,” says highly-respected food-affordability research house the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD). They calculated that a standard basket of food will add R10.80 onto VAT, increasing the total basket to R5 324.02 from R5 313.22. They did note with approval the addition of four new zero-rated items – 2kg chicken feet; 2kg gizzards; 2kg chicken livers; and six cans of canned baked beans, which could potentially result in a savings of R59.46 for consumers on the same basket if retailers decide to pass the savings on.

Comment: For many poor South Africans, a VAT hike of 0.5% is far from marginal. We as an industry have a role to play on creatively mitigating the pressure for them.