At Trade Intelligence, we’re all grocery shoppers, which makes analysing and commenting on the FMCG retail industry feel very ‘real’ and relevant because the subject matter is close to home – not that one needs a daily presence at the literal coalface to have an opinion on a topic, but it certainly keeps work interesting.

However, with it being our jobs to be looking beyond what’s on the shelf, to the strategies, routes to market and shopper behaviour underpinning FMCG retail, we often forget that the average grocery shopper is simply trying to stock their grocery cupboards, looking for good deals, tut-tutting at out-of-stocks, and probably not even fully focused on their shopping (distracted by meal planning, checking WhatApps, wondering if they’ve brought enough shopping bags, keeping track of the kids, dodging their chatty neighbour, plotting their route home…).

That being said, there has been a lot in the news over the past few months about Pick n Pay’s turnaround strategy, SPAR’s leadership shifts, another set of good Shoprite Group results, the arrival of Walmart etc. and we were curious as to whether grocery shoppers paid attention to any of this, or whether there was some kind of ‘word on the street’ as to which retailers are perceived to be doing well. Or badly

So we asked them in our latest shopper survey, among our usual questions about promotions, private brands, reward programmes and the like.

Most shoppers perceive the retailers they are shopping at to be ‘doing ok’. This is human nature – shoppers are simply more likely to choose the retailer(s) they know through experience. Although there is an interesting spike for Makro: only 3% of our sample shop there for groceries, but 24% perceive it to be performing well.

On the other side of the spectrum, Game, OK and Pick n Pay are the retailers most likely to be suspected of NOT doing that well, albeit at low levels (all under 10%).

We suppose our survey respondents could have asked AI for its view, but most seem to have gone with gut feel – which is just the way we like it.

On the subject of AI, our survey also found that it is certainly starting to make itself part of South Africans’ lives. A Google-Ipsos report from early 2026 reveals that 70% of South African adults have used an AI chatbot, ahead of the global average. In our survey, 18% of shoppers said they were using AI “all the time”, with a further 37% saying they use it “occasionally”. The “all the time” figure is – perhaps not surprisingly – driven by Gen Z, 30% of whom say they are using it this often.

One in five shoppers said they hoped to be using AI to do their grocery shopping for them within the next year. This is almost certainly an overstatement of genuine intent, given that even 10% of those who aren’t currently using AI at all expressed an interest in having it handle their grocery shopping within the year.

In short, shoppers have a lot to process right now, with or without AI, and not least of all the price and availability of petrol. Good news for FMCG retail is that people will always need groceries… the bad news is that the competition for a share of these beleaguered grocery budgets is only intensifying.

Decode shopper behaviour

The latest Trade Intelligence SA Grocery Shopper Report gives users the insights to decode shopper needs and behaviours along their path to purchase. It looks at where shoppers spend, factors influencing their ability to spend, and provides first-hand insights from shoppers themselves. This year’s report also includes a new deep dive into the impact of online gambling and gaming on grocery budgets, and – spoiler alert –  it certainly isn’t negligible.

For clients who have specific problems to solve or need direction on specific commercial objectives, Trade Intelligence also offers bespoke shopper research, in addition to our syndicated reports. Our team will gladly help you determine which option works best for you and your business, ensuring you make an informed decision that maximises your strategic outcomes.

Contact us for more details or to explore our insights with the help of our team. We’ll guide you to the solutions that best meet your needs.