South African superstore retailer Pick n Pay is continuing its transition into a mostly online business by ramping up its Takealot partnership, turning more Pick n Pay stores into pickup points. The initiative began with two stores back in 2023, and has now grown to 30, with ambitions to push to 36 by the end of the year.
Takealot picks up the slack
The retailer continues to slowly close more of its stores across the country, as it transitions its physical buildings from standalone stores into warehouses that hold goods waiting to be shipped and delivered. This partnership should help the company with the transition as it lends its physical locations to a growing Takealot platform that, granted, has expanded to more than 100 pickup points around SA. But it still isn’t enough.
The online sales platform has struggled to justify a warehouse/pickup point presence in townships, mostly due to crime. Pairing with established stores will help take off security pressure, while also providing access to a larger, though still precarious, customer base.
Takealot‘s chief marketing officer, Karla Levick, explains, “Instead of waiting at home for a delivery or making a special trip, customers can collect their orders at a time that works for them.”
With Pick n Pay’s 2,200 branches across southern Africa, the retailer’s online platform already processes over 14,000 Pick n Pay collections monthly. More than 45,000 unique customers have used the service to date.
