The short version: Clicks releases a ‘muted’ set of HY results due to growing competition and strained shoppers

Late last week, Clicks presented its half-year results for the six months from 1 Sept 2025 to 28 Feb 2026, describing its performance as “muted” amid increased competition and financially stretched shoppers. It broke down its report card by its four strategic pillars, listed below:

• On maintaining value, promotional sales increased to almost half of its turnover (47.8%), while generic medicines increased to 58% of pharmacy sales
• In terms of differentiation, performance was supported by private label, which now contributes 31.3% of sales in the front shop and 12.6% in pharmacy
• WRT personalisation, the Group continued to leverage its 12.9 million active ClubCard members, which contributed 83.7% of sales
• And on enhancing convenience, online sales increased +17.9%, and the Group reached the important milestones of 1,000 stores (finishing the period at 1,003) and 800 pharmacies

For greater detail on these and other metrics, read our one-page summary of the results here.

The short version: Boxer launches retail media division, BMedia

Introducing BMedia, Boxer Superstores’ brand-spanking-new retail media division, which will bring both endemic (i.e. FMCG brands you would typically find on a store shelf) and non-endemic (e.g. insurance companies, banks, etc.) advertisers into direct contact with Boxer’s shoppers. What Boxer is achieving here is not only an alternative revenue stream, but demonstrating that such sophistication and forward thinking is not just the domain of the big guys (read Shoprite). “Retail media isn’t just an add-on; it is a critical growth engine for Boxer’s future,” says Paul Coetzee, Group Executive: Commercial, Marketing, Retail Media and Factories. And heading up this growth engine will be Managing Director Adrian Naidoo, who joins Boxer from global media agency Mindshare.

The short version: Woolworths breaks up with long-time chocolate supplier, Beyers

This story gets a little sticky, so we’re going to keep to the facts as they’ve been presented to us. After 34 years of working with and for Woolworths, independent chocolate maker Beyers has entered liquidation. Things began to sour between the two some four years ago, when Beyers bought a second factory to supply the likes of Checkers and Pick n Pay, when (according to Beyers) the exclusivity agreement between the chocolate maker and Woolies had lapsed. “Not so,” said The Dapper One, which then (reportedly) demanded that the second factory be closed. Beyers refused because of the size of the investment and the jobs that would be on the line, so Woolworths started to reduce its orders. Before the kerfuffle, Woolworths accounted for about half of Beyers R300m turnover, so it’s easy to see how losing its biggest client would place the chocolate supplier in all sorts of financial trouble. Attempts were made to consolidate Beyers into a single facility to no avail, and earlier this year, Beyers’ bank opted to proceed with liquidation.

The short version: Pick n Pay launches GO | Dis-Chem initiates section 189| Happy Birthday to Game | Walmart trains content creators

After a rather dry spell of news that got our researchers a little worried, this week the floodgates of retail news have opened. Here’s a look at the best of it, wrapped up in our usual short and sweet way:

After a successful launch in Botswana last year, Pick n Pay is testing a new convenience format here at home called Pick n Pay GO. While the format is operating in partnership with Vivo Energy in our northern neighbour – and therefore focuses on forecourt retailing – here in the Beloved Country, Pick n Pay GO will be what they are calling a “non-exclusive convenience format”, which we think means Pick n Pay can open them anywhere they like, as opposed to its Pick n Pay Express stores at bp forecourts. It’s unclear how many GOs have opened already, but we’re told that the focus will be “in high-traffic locations and purpose-built for convenience”, offering on-the-go convenience meals and other groceries for those seeking a quick in-and-out shopping experience.

Next, news from Dis-Chem is that it has initiated a section 189 process, or in other words, retrenchments. “Without context, when people hear section 189, they immediately default to large-scale retrenchments,” said CEO Rui Morais. “The process we’re undertaking is designed to enable a new head office operating model, which will see an additional 200 jobs added to key head office departments.” It is reported that 500 people have been invited to participate in the process, in what the business is calling a “strategic evolution”. We will bring you more details as they unfold.

Then, we wish a very happy birthday to that pink retailer, Game, which opened its first store in Durban 56 years ago. The retailer will be celebrating through “strong birthday deals” on essentials like flour, maize meal, rice and baby nappies, as well as products that one would more typically associate with a birthday promo like TVs and fridges. Many happy returns to you, dear Game.

And in closing, Walmart, together with Google and in partnership with Fluence Africa, recently hosted a first-of-its-kind YouTube creator training session at Walmart Fourways. Creators participating in the full-day workshop received insights into YouTube’s latest tools, platform updates and algorithm trends, produced content live within the store, using its aisles, products and spaces as their backdrop and put their learnings into action immediately, by publishing and engaging with their audiences in real time.