By now, you must have heard the big news that Walmart will be opening branded stores in SA later this year. So no “powered by Walmart” under the store name… no, no. The actual Walmart name will appear, yellow spark and all, on the storefront. “Walmart’s South African stores will offer a wide range of merchandise, including fresh groceries, household essentials, apparel and technology,” says Kath McLay, Walmart International President and CEO. “Walmart also will offer a variety of locally sourced products. By partnering with South African suppliers and entrepreneurs, Walmart will bring its signature Every Day Low Prices and global standards to the market, while celebrating the country’s rich culture.” With locations already being developed (we wonder if the first stores may be sites formerly inhabited by other Massmart stores, Game perhaps?), the official opening dates will be announced in October. Exactly what will happen to Massmart’s iconic and recognisable banners – Game, Makro, Builders – remains to be seen. Judging by what Walmart has done in other markets, it is likely to be a mix of both rebranding and a multi-banner strategy.

Comment: We’re sure cash-strapped South Africans will welcome the new trading brand that promises good value through Walmart’s strategy of EDLP. This could be the game-changer that will likely put some real pressure on local competition.

Huge kudos to Shoprite, Pick n Pay, and Clicks, which waved our industry’s flag high by taking home top honours at the 2025 South African Loyalty Awards. Now in its seventh year, the awards celebrate the most impactful loyalty programmes across retail, QSR, leisure, and financial services. But let’s break it down:
Shoprite – Xtra Savings was named ‘Best Retail Loyalty Programme of the Year’ for the fifth consecutive year. The Big Red One was also ‘Highly Commended’ in three other categories: ‘Most Innovative Use of Technology for Loyalty’, ‘Best Use of Gamification’ and ‘Best Long-Term Loyalty Programme’.
Pick n Pay – Won ‘Best Short-Term Loyalty Marketing Campaign’ alongside FNB eBucks for their ‘Burger Friday’ campaign. ‘Smart Shopper Price Palooza’ received two ‘Highly Commended’ honours for ‘Best Short-Term Loyalty Marketing Campaign’ and ‘Best Use of Multi-Channel Loyalty Communication/Engagement’. ‘Burger Friday’ was also ‘Commended’ for the ‘Best Strategic Use of Data Analytics/CRM’.
Clicks – Leader of the wins, however, was Clicks ClubCard, which was named winner in three categories, ‘Industry Team of the Year’, ‘Best Use of AI to improve loyalty experience/Performance’ and ‘Best Use of Informative Content to Drive Loyalty’. It was ‘Highly Commended for ‘Best Strategic Use of Data Analytics / CRM Applications’, ‘Best Partnership Programme’, ‘Best Programme: Retail’ and ‘Best Long-Term Loyalty Programme’ and ‘Commended’ for ‘Best Use of Gamification’.
And although not strictly a pure FMCG retailer, mention must also be made of Takealot, whose TakealotMORE programme walked away as the winner of the ‘Best New Programme’ category.

Comment: Congrats to one and all. According to the latest Truth & BrandMapp Loyalty Whitepaper, nearly eight out of ten South Africans state that loyalty influences where they buy groceries – proof, if any more were needed, that in the race for the biggest shopper basket, loyalty programmes are the secret sauce.

Independent retailer Big Save is making a bold play for the Guinness World Records, hosting 2,500 ‘braaiers’ at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria next Wednesday on Heritage Day. While braai station tickets are already sold out, the event also offers a full-day music festival featuring big names like Mi Casa, GoodLuck, Boohle G, Biggy, Lee Cole and Kurt Darren. There will also be food trucks, a family zone, activities for the kids and an 18+ beer garden for their frazzled parents. All proceeds will go towards Trek4Mandela to help provide 1 million meals on World Food Day 2026.

Comment: Keen to join in the gees? Buy your festival tickets here: http://www.howler.co.za/worldsbiggestbraai

There’s a pretty good chance that Walmart’s ‘branded’ arrival in SA will rock not only the brick-and-mortar space, but online shopping too. So let’s have a look at the current situationship between our online shoppers and their preferred platforms. According to World Wide Worx’s 2025 Online Retail in South Africa report, of the 1,400 South African residents surveyed, 16% said they most frequently use Checkers Sixty60, versus 8% for Pick n Pay asap! and 7% for Woolies Dash. Takealot remains the overall leader in e-commerce at 45%, with Checkers Sixty60 rapidly growing, especially in the Western Cape. Next, believe it or not, Pick n Pay Clothing has been operating for 23 years now, and has reached the commendable milestone of its 400th store, opening in Westgate Mall in the GP. The new store features PnP Clothing’s latest store design concept, offering a spacious layout and an “immersive customer experience”, as well as using eco-friendly paints, hangers made from recycled milk cartons, and energy-efficient equipment. A new store format also for Woolworths, which, after the big reveals in Durbanville and Tygervalley, has opened another Food Market store in Ballito on KZN’s north coast. As is the case in the other stores, Ballito boasts an improved Our Kitchen counter, an expanded butchery with in-house experts, a fishmonger, a bakery and patisserie, an elevated pantry experience with global cuisines, and a confectionery and wine alcove. And finishing off with the Dapper One, Woolworths has been named one of the ‘World’s Most Trustworthy Companies’ for the third consecutive year, and the top in South Africa, according to a ranking by global news magazine and website, Newsweek. The ranking is based on extensive independent surveys and evaluations, and interestingly includes a social listening analysis with 500,000 mentions gathered online.

We’ll tackle this week’s international stories in alphabetical order, because why not… so please take the stage first, US retailer Albertsons, which is now using Google Cloud’s new conversational AI solution, designed for business-to-consumer retail, to personalise experiences for online shoppers, thereby streamlining operations, and (why do it otherwise?) increasing revenue. Practically speaking, the platform transforms the shopping experience from a passive, keyword-based search to a proactive, personalised conversation… basically like holding a sales agent or personal shopper in the palm of your hand. Want to make lasagna for dinner? Just tell it so, and the ‘agent’ can automatically add all the necessary items to your cart. Or maybe you’d like to see how that vase looks in your living room… just ‘try it out’ using augmented reality tools. We can’t wait to see who will be the first to bring this to SA… although we already have a hunch who it might be. Over in the UK, discount retailer Aldi just keeps growing, with plans to open 80 new stores over the next two years as shoppers continue to turn to lower-priced retailers. And then Asda is focusing on Express supermarket formats right now, opening them in high-footfall urban areas and transport hubs as the demand for convenience store formats continues to grow in Blighty. Finally, we close off with Morrisons, which is offering workers in emergency services, NHS, social care, teaching, armed forces and other public service professions 10% off food and drinks in its 344 cafes and Brew coffee shops when they present their Blue Light Card.

Comment: We know of similar initiatives being done here on an ad hoc basis – a small way to thank those who get up every day to do jobs that are so often thankless.

Following the news of its acquisition and potential delisting reported in July (read here), Adcock Ingram, South Africa’s second-largest pharmaceutical company, may now move into the obesity drug market. Yes, because Natco Pharma, the Indian multinational that has made the offer to buy minority shares in Adcock, is preparing to be the first in the world to launch a generic version of semaglutide, the active hormone in popular GLP-1 drugs (like Wegovy and Ozempic) used for weight loss. Originally designed to help diabetes sufferers regulate their blood sugar levels, the GLP-1 class of drugs is all the rage abroad, with celebrities and influencers openly attributing their dramatic weight loss to the treatment. If the Natco-Adcock deal goes through, it would mean that Adcock is in pole position to tap into the growing demand for these obesity drugs in SA.

Comment: The use of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss is set to fundamentally reshape the wellness category in South Africa, and we will see ripple effects far beyond the pharmacy. In addition to the direct impact on weight loss, GLP-1 drugs create immediate, secondary demand for products that support the user journey, as well as managing common drug side effects. Key growth areas will be nutritional supplements (for nutrient loss), high-protein offerings (for muscle preservation), supportive skincare, and digestive aids to manage side effects. This is a massive innovation catalyst for both food and non-food FMCG categories.

One of South Africa’s most iconic advertising slogans is being axed, or squashed… as the case may be. This is because Liqui Fruit has been ordered by the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) to stop using its “Nothing But Fruit” payoff line, following a consumer complaint that the line is misleading as the product contains added flavourants and preservatives, not just pure fruit. Liqui Fruit argued that the slogan was a long-standing trademark and that consumers would not take it literally. The ARB maintained that the claim was deceptive, but will still allow Liqui Fruit to label its products as “100% fruit juice”. Still with beverages, but of the wine kind, thanks to a partnership between polymer company Safripol, Polyoak Packaging, and Packamama, the first locally manufactured eco-flat wine bottle, made from over 25% recycled PET and which is fully recyclable, has landed in SA. The flat bottle with screw cap is made from 25% recycled material and is 80% lighter than glass, which means space and weight saved per pallet and on the shelf.

Comment: Not to mention the picnic basket.