Profitability, collaboration and customer focus emerged as defining themes at the Trade Intelligence Retail Conference 2025, where industry leaders gathered to discuss the future of South African retail.

Pick n Pay’s Managing Executive Dave Ramsden set the tone: “It is all about growth, but at profit. Sales at margin.”

Speakers stressed that collaboration between retailers and suppliers is no longer optional. “You can’t have an ‘us versus them’ anymore… when you don’t work together, you both lose,” said Moeng Setiloane of Clicks Group. Ramsden added, “Everything starts with trust… partners rely on each other to be honest and straightforward.”

 

Partnerships and shopper centricity were framed as critical in a climate of economic uncertainty and supply chain disruption. Paul Vos, Regional MD of CIPS Southern Africa, cautioned: “The future is unpredictable, it’s messy, and it’s disruptive. No supply chain is immune to that. What we need are supply chains that are resilient, ethical, and adaptable.”

Trade Intelligence’s Nicola Allen reinforced the shopper lens, unpacking how the meaning of ‘value’ shifts across different channels. She noted that understanding what shoppers prioritise has never been more important to guide retailers’ and suppliers’ strategies.

 

 

Building on this, Trade Intelligence’s Carey Leighton and Kerry Elliot shared forecasts pointing to both risks and opportunities across the FMCG landscape. “We need to build channel strategies aligned to the shopper mission – why does the shopper come to you, and what are they looking for?” said Elliot. Leighton highlighted e-commerce, discounters and health & personal care specialists as standout growth areas, noting that Shoprite’s Sixty60 has already reached nearly R19 billion in turnover and is growing at close to 50% year-on-year.

Innovation was also a strong thread, with speakers showcasing new models to unlock growth. Yebo Fresh’s Jessica Boonstra highlighted how digitisation is reshaping access to goods in township markets, while Flow, Woolworths, Clarins and Zapper demonstrated the potential of commerce media to connect brands with shoppers.

 

 

Community inclusion featured prominently. Big Save CEO Tony Ferreira urged suppliers to back township entrepreneurs: “Our biggest drive is to empower people to be successful with the support of brands… let’s show dignity back to the spaza owner or the entrepreneur.” Mustard Finance shared how credit partnerships with informal traders have delivered a 99.9% repayment rate.

 

Speakers also urged a global perspective. Lucy Vallender, Chief Knowledge Officer at Smollan Global Knowledge Office, stressed: “Future-forward retail means tapping into global shifts while tailoring them to South African realities.”

In closing, Trade Intelligence General Manager Janene Laas summed up the challenge ahead: “Growth without profit isn’t sustainable. None of us can do this alone. And the shopper will always be the ultimate judge.”

 

CONFERENCE RECAP Click here to read key takeouts shared by each speaker at the conference.

 

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS

The 2025 Ti Retail Conference was brought to you in partnership with CIPS and Flow. 

 

CIPS (the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply) is the global professional body for procurement and supply chain management, setting standards and driving best practice across industries.

Flow is a South African commerce media company that helps retailers and brands monetise retail media channels and connect more effectively with shoppers.

Chat to any member of the Flow team: sales@flowplatform.com OR Click here to book a free targeting consultation and stand to WIN a pair of AirPods Pro if you book a consultation in September 2025.

---

The Ti Retail Conference 2025 made clear that profitable growth, collaboration, resilience, and customer focus will define the future of South African retail. The conversations captured here reflect both the challenges we face and the opportunities ahead — a reminder that while disruption is inevitable, progress comes when the industry works together.

Trade Intelligence exists to equip retailers, suppliers and service providers with the clarity to make smarter moves in a changing market. If you’d like to discuss how these insights apply to your business — or access the full range of Ti reports and advisory solutions, get in touch with us.