Checkers FreshX wins with premium, innovative store format
By Diane Silcock
THE strong set of results recently published by the Shoprite Group for the year ended 29 June 2025, where they reported having surpassed the R250 billion sales mark, undoubtedly suggests that Shoprite Checkers is serving their customers well. One of their top priorities mentioned by Shoprite Checkers CEO Pieter Engelbrecht, is their strategy to continue the conversion of existing stores to their winning FreshX format.
Checker’s FreshX format forms part of its value focused premium offer which Engelbrecht says has gone from strength to strength. He reports that sales grew by 13.8%, contributing an additional R11.6 billion. While he notes that gains are across the board, “noteworthy this year was Checkers’ growth in fresh together with improvements in ranging and promotional execution.” He says they remain of the view “that Checkers’ incredible success in terms of its vision to democratise premium food retail, remains underrepresented in the South African market”.
IMS has helped changed the face of new-generation Checkers stores
A company that works closely with Checkers is IMS, which has been instrumental in bringing world-class, creative and innovative merchandising solutions to the South African retail space. IMS South Africa CEO Steyn Laubscher, relates how IMS started the evolution with Checkers 18 years ago introducing creative ideas to delight consumers, creating authenticity and a homely atmosphere to enhance the shopping experience.
“It’s been incredible to have partnered with the innovative Checkers team who has been so willing to implement new ideas and take risks,” Laubscher says. “Being able to assist them with the whole evolution of their new FreshX supermarkets is a privilege. It’s a new concept that they are rolling out, and it places them at the forefront of innovation in the retail merchandising space,”
Retail merchandising with a touch of Argentine magic
With inspiration from IMS Argentina, and catering for discerning customers, consumers walking into Checkers FreshX supermarkets are treated to a ‘fresh food theatre’ with an easy-to-navigate layout that takes them through a world-class selection of premium products and specialist in-store service departments. Lauscher says it’s like incorporating your corner bakery and butchery into one store that in addition to selling fresh fruit and vegetables, also offers convenience and home-style meals.
The ingenious format also includes a quality coffee bar, sit-down sushi counter, a wine cellar that has a large touchscreen (the size of a television screen), enabling consumers to find a wine in their price range, according to their mood, get the list of ingredients and even what cheese it’s best paired with.
Many of these stores also offer in-store brand leaders, such as Kauai, Starbucks coffee, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and an in-store, specialty Lindt counter.
As pioneers in South Africa, being the first to come up with and implement the characterful cabinet designs that have helped change the face of new-generation Checkers stores, IMS continues to enhance the retail landscape with new ideas and manufacturing excellence.
Added to their creative solutions that imbue the Argentine magic, what’s equally important to IMS is looking for technologies and ways to lower energy consumption as the overhead cost of refrigeration in a retail store is significant.
With the retail space expected to become more competitive with Walmart retail stores opening soon, Checkers’ continual innovativeness in attracting customers into their stores countrywide, may well give them the edge.
