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Pick n Pay plans for launch Pick n Pay Mobile, as well as Boxercom, under its Boxer chain, the retail group said Tuesday during its tentative results presentation for the six months ended Aug. 30.
The global Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for access to more affordable mobile data, as more people have had to work and study from home due to the lockdown. Pick n Pay CEO Richard Brasher explained that supplying data is the only sensible direction the supermarket can take in the face of Covid-19.
“In a spirit of innovation… we intend to launch Pick n Pay Mobile and Boxercom in the not too distant future… Data is now the crucial elixir of life. I think it is important because it has helped people stay connected during the course of this pandemic with friends and family. It is important for education and entertainment. “
The retailer hasn’t revealed much more about its plans yet. Several South African companies have launched Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) offerings in recent years, including First National Bank and Mr Price Group. To date, all MVNOs in South Africa have joined the Cell C network.
Pick n Pay president Gareth Ackerman said the retailer has also noticed an increase in online sales during the blackout period. He says his online team worked almost non-stop to increase their footprint and delivery spaces to keep up with demand. “Our clients responded very well to the measures we put in place to keep them safe.”
Increased demand
He noted that the demand for click-and-collect services also increased rapidly during the various levels of blocking. “We responded well to the increased demand for online shopping. Pick n Pay Online is the largest online grocery offering in Sub-Saharan Africa. We were also the first retailer to launch an on-demand app through a partnership with Bottles, turning it from an online liquor platform to a grocery app in just four days, ”Ackerman said.
The group announced Tuesday that it had concluded a deal to buy on-demand online grocery delivery company Bottles to strengthen its e-commerce business. The acquisition is expected to be completed in November.
Bottles launched in 2016 as South Africa’s first on-demand alcohol delivery app and partnered with Pick n Pay in 2018. It was the first app that promised 60-minute delivery. As the global pandemic gripped South Africa and caused a lockdown in late March, Bottles redesigned its app and emerged with a new offering to deliver Pick n Pay grocery essentials to customers on demand.
Since its move to grocery stores on March 31, the app has achieved more than 700,000 downloads, with more than 350,000 registered users. The service offers more than 7,000 products at store prices, with an average delivery time of 90 minutes.
Following its launch in 2001, Pick n Pay Online now covers more than 150 stores nationwide.
Pick n Pay also launched an online clothing platform in August. The group opened 11 new clothing stores during the period and closed six underperforming units. “The group is confident of the opportunity to grow its apparel business through targeted investments in independent apparel stores, additional space in hypermarkets and supermarkets, and an expanding digital reach,” Ackerman said.
Investment in its digital platform and mobile technology has generated double-digit growth in online sales every year for the past five years. “This provided the group with a great competitive advantage as it entered the Covid-19 crisis.”
- This article was originally published on Moneyweb and is used here with permission.
- The article includes additional reports from TechCentral.
