Pick n Pay began the implementation of its turnaround strategy at the end of 2014, after a period of declining market share and a rocky start to the belated kick-off of centralised distribution. How’s the strategy working? Pretty well, if you look at sentiment around the interims: turnover up +5.1% to R39.3bn, and profit up +14.9% to R438.8m. And this as the cap on nine straight periods of growth, which, says Mr Brasher, demonstrates that Pick n Pay has the right plan to modernise the business, reduce costs and deliver better value for customers. Over the past six months, they’ve opened 63 new stores, 40 company-owned outlets and 23 franchise stores. Beyond our borders, they’re picking up steam, too, with 142 stores now trading, turnover up +12.6% to R2.3bn and profit before tax up +22.3% to R126.8m.

Comment: Pick n Pay is one of the main poles of our great retail tent. It’s good to see the business sentiment shifting, although much of this success will depend on the ability to land the supply chain efficiencies required.

Dis-Chem’s inaugural interims then; their coming-out ball if you will: interim revenue up +14% to R9.95bn, with after-tax profit jumping a rosy +37.4% to R409m for the six months to end August. Just how do they do it? “The increase is a result of the additional centralisation of vendors and better trade terms with suppliers,” avers Mr Saltzman, “as the group continued to increase market shares across our core categories.” When you get big, you get buying power, in other words, in the event that there are any non-analysts among our readers. Emulating other major players in this space, Dis-Chem is split into a retail and a wholesale division, with the former contributing 91% to total sales of R9.6bn and the latter pumping sales, with growth at +21%, but taking a R53m pre-tax loss in the process. Plans for a turnaround include greater sales into Dis-Chem, its ‘The Local Choice’ (TLC) franchisees, and into the independent pharmacy trade.

Comment: Selling wholesale to your minor competitors is an interesting model… one we are seeing being more deeply explored in a few places. #TiRetailTrends2018

What’s up with Choppies since we last heard from them? 40 new stores, that what. Well, not right now, but in the very near future. They plan on breaking ground in Namibia for the first time by the end of the year, then it’s all systems go, with new locations planned for South Africa (13), Zambia (8), Kenya (4), Tanzania (3), Mozambique (3), Zimbabwe (2) and Namibia (3). This as they announce their switch to profitability in South Africa after several lean and no doubt worrying years. Back home in Botswana, Choppies is under fire for paying its South African workers far more than they receive in Gabs. Erstwhile co-founder and current 19.5% owner, Ramachandran Ottapathu, is having none of it, however, pointing out somewhat refreshingly that it costs twice as much to live in South Africa as it does in Botswana.

Comment: A snappy little operation. While Choppies’ room for growth in SA might be constrained, it’ll be interesting to see how they fare in other African geographies, insofar as geographies is an actual word.

Premier Fishing and Brands has its eye on a majority share of the Talhado Group for the purposes of acquisition, mentioning the tidy sum of R106m, the specificity of which announcements suggests that the deal is probably agreeable to both parties and, Competition Commission permitting, as good as done. The Talhado Group, as those versed in matters pelagic could tell you, makes its crust by pulling squid – or chokka in the local vernacular – out of the cool and teeming waters off Port Elizabeth. Talhado and its associated businesses can float 17 chokka boats on a good day, and are also in possession of a commodious cold room facility. Talhado is the biggest player in squid in South Africa, and the acquisition would doubtless do much to strengthen the hand of Premfish as it executes on its strategy of diversification. Also synergies and efficiencies. Also, Talhado raked in R51m after tax last year.

Comment: Cue to a stirring shanty here. Nice one, Premier, provided it all goes through.

Keeping one jump ahead of the law these days is that cheeky rascal Coca-Cola, which is evolving so they tell us to become something known as a “total beverage company”. This means they’ll be rethinking drink ingredients and package sizing, diversifying their product ranges across such categories as juices, iced tea, and purified water, and even looking into entirely new categories like dairy products and ready-to-drink coffee. This as today’s modern consumer hankers after something a little healthier than what was traditionally on offer, and as no less an authority than the World Health Organization recommends that added sugar make up no more than a tenth of your daily calories consumption. Accordingly, Coke has already reduced the sugar content of 200 of its beverages globally, with 30% of its almost 4,000 beverages now in the low or no-sugar categories.

Comment: We are in a time of massive and in many ways positive change, and this move to healthy consumption is part of that.

The Consumer Price Index, by which inflation is measured, climbed to 5.1% year on year in September, from 4.8% in August, after a 67c increase in the petrol price threw a spanner in the works, pushing transport inflation up to 5.6% after August’s more manageable 3.9%. This means that a rate cut is unlikely as inflation edges back into the higher end of the Reserve Bank’s target band, by the devil’s arithmetic which sees South African consumers getting punished for their wildly profligate habits, like feeding the kids and catching a taxi to work. All is not lost however; the fuel price should come down sometime later this year, and with it inflation. The big surprise this week, though, was retail sales, which rose a pleasing +5.5% for the month of August, although not so much in our own dear industry, which came off the boil a little.

Comment: Next week, no doubt, we will have something to add about Minister Gigaba’s mini budget. Until then, the picture is of an embattled economy which in our unfathomable South African way still manages to stay afloat.

Excellent work from Massmart, which is bringing along 33 smaller businesses in its Supplier Development Programme. Of these, 13 are private label projects, eight are import substitution projects and six are exporting products as far afield as New Zealand. One such is Umlilo Charcoal out of Hartebeespoort, which supplies briquettes to all Builders stores in Southern Africa and in addition to New Zealand, also exports to the Middle East and Walmart Chile, Chile being a place, we are told, where cooked meat is much esteemed.

In the UK, Sainsbury’s is rolling out its ‘Chop Cop’ one-hour delivery service. Retailers all over the show are shedding thousands of jobs in anticipation of the economic fallout of Brexit. And Aldi and Lidl keep growing their market share as anxious Brits scurry about in search of quaffable downmarket bubbly. Over in Trumpsylvania, in the meantime, experts believe that Lidl is going to grow after its teething problems these past few months, and a similar picture of an Aldi/Lidl axis (are we allowed to say that? Ed) should emerge that side of the pond.

A handsome new Pick n Pay flagship in the leafy environs of Constantia, where the coiffed and tweeded locals will have full run of the comprehensive product ranges, open, easy-to-navigate spaces, and a host of value-add services. One of the several jewels in this crown is the fresh department, where, they tell us, you will encounter “cauliflowers … as colourful as carrots and potatoes the colour of peonies.” Not to mention the poke bowls in the sushi bar. Yes, we said sushi bar.