Massmart reported that sales for the 19 weeks ended May 10 were severely hit due to Covid-19 regulations limiting trade in the majority of general merchandise, home improvement, and alcohol products.

Good morning. These are extraordinary circumstances to be presenting our results. I am sorry that you are not with us in the traditional way. But you will understand why we are presenting the results this way.

Pick n Pay today published its annual results for the year ended 1 March 2020. The Group delivered turnover growth of 4.7% in a tough trading environment. The Group’s South African operations delivered turnover growth of 5.1% against a strong prior year base, reflecting operational challenges in the second half of the year including the impact of a sustained programme of load-shedding and some supply chain labour disruption. 

Massmart, owned by US multinational retail giant Walmart, yesterday reported total sales of R22billion for the 13 weeks to end March, representing a marginal 1.3 percent year-on-year increase as the subdued economy continues to take its toll on hard-pressed consumers.

Panic buying as consumers prepared themselves for the lockdown saw Woolworths Foods' sales volumes jump 27.6% compared to the same month in 2019.

Shoprite, the owner of Checkers and Usave stores, says it gained market share in its half year to end-December, with store expansion helping it achieve almost double-digit sales growth in its core SA business.

Woolworths on Thursday (20 February), reported a substantial drop in earnings for the 26 weeks ended 29 December 2019, leading to a reduced interim dividend.

It was South Africa’s leading discount retailer before its costly move into fresh food.The plan by JSE-listed retail giant Massmart to expand its popular discount retail chain Game into a fully-fledged food retailer has failed.

Pharmacy group Dis-Chem said on Wednesday (19 February 2020) promotional campaigns and a wide product range helped it fend off the effects of load shedding in the 22 weeks to February 2, when it grew its market share.

Tiger Brands, which has spent the past year doing damage control in the wake of the listeriosis outbreak of 2018, says it has made “good progress” in its plans to sell its Value-Added Meat Products (VAMP) division.

Spar’s offshore investments are doing more poorly than local and African sales as it struggles in Switzerland and experiences marginal growth in its Irish business.

South African retail group Woolworths says that a constrained economy and power supply issues negatively impacted its operations in the half year period ending 29 December 2019 – but its food sales remained resilient.