Johannesburg - A sales update from JSE-listed Shoprite shows the retailer is outperforming its competitors and gaining market share, says a veteran retail analyst.
"It's astonishing," says Nedcor Securities retail analyst Syd Vianello after Shoprite said sales for the six months to end-December rose 27.3% to R29.6bn. Like-for-like (same store) sales were up 22%.
"If you consider that Shoprite's first-quarter sales were up 35.9%, this means that sales at local stores could have been up by 29% in the three months to end-December. These figures are excellent and show the company has gained market share."
Shoprite's sales update is a stark contrast to the overall performance of SA's retail sector in 2008. The sector officially entered into recession in November 2008 after six consecutive months of contraction, according to Statistics SA, as consumers struggle to keep up with the rising cost of living.
Sales at Shoprite's South African supermarkets, which include the Checkers and OK brands, rose by 24.5% and by 20.0% on a like-for-like basis.
Shoprite marketing director Brian Weyers attributes the group's performance to "the fact that it has the lowest prices" and service levels which "are ahead of the market due to the group's own distribution chain, which contributes to financial efficiencies and better stock planning".
Ealier in January, competitor Pick n Pay said 15% growth in headline earnings for the year to end-February "were not impossible".
At the same time Game, Makro, Dion and Builders Warehouse parent Massmart said sales for the 26 weeks to December 28 rose 13.2% over the prior period to R22.8bn, with 12-month rolling inflation estimated at 9.9%. Comparable-store sales increased 11.9%.
Value wins
At Massmart's Masscash division - which houses its cash & carry CBW and Shield brands, aimed at the emerging market in rural and peri-urban areas - sales rose by 17.3%, with inflation of 15.9%.
Shoprite did not provide inflation figures for the period, but given that its flagship Shoprite brand services the middle-income and poorer segments of the consumer market, it generally reports a higher average rate of inflation as it sells higher quantities of less-processed goods like maize meal.
Shoprite's furniture division, which includes OK Furniture and House & Home, bucked the overall recession in durable goods sales, with sales growing by 13.3%. "This means second-quarter sales could be up by as much as 16%, which puts its competitors to shame."
Shoprite said sales in its furniture division "are still affected by the higher interest rates as well as low inflation".
Vianello says net growth in store space, higher inflation, excellent marketing and its market position have contributed to Shoprite's success.
"Shoprite's position in the bottom end of the market means it has benefited from more people employed and government grants, although I don't believe grants would propel sales at the rate reported."
Weyers says South African consumers are becoming more discerning and cost-focused, and look for value for money. "Consumers are trading down on brands and pack sizes. Also, there is a move from aspirational and indulgence categories to functional and practical ones."
Balance
In December, trade union Solidarity put the number of retrenchments in the financial services, manufacturing, mining and automotive sectors at more than 24 000 over the six months to December.
Vianello thinks there are more retrenchments to come, but pending rate cuts should mean that people with incomes will spend more. Economists forecast that the SA Reserve Bank's monetary policy committee will cut the prime lending rate by 300 basis points over the course of 2009.
"Whether the number of retrenchments will be so bad as to have a material impact on sales remains to be seen. However, the price of petrol is now at levels seen in January 2007; this has resulted in big savings and people should feel a bit easier in their spending."
Sales at Shoprite's non-South African operations were "ahead of budget", with turnover in rand terms growing by 54.0% and, on a like-for-like basis, by 50.3%. Rand weakness was the main contributing factor, Shoprite says.
Vianello says many of Shoprite's most profitable non-SA markets are in resource-driven economies such as Nigeria, Angola and Botswana, and that the growth rate is not sustainable.
"With demand for commodities having weakened, these currencies could weaken and the economies' purchasing power could come down."
- Fin24.com