Pick n Pay unveils new-look Hypermarket with first-of-its-kind offering

Bloemfontein – Pick n Pay has unveiled a revamped Hypermarket in Bloemfontein featuring new dining options, an expanded fresh-food offering and a wider range of general merchandise as the retailer continues its store renewal programme.

The Southern Centre store has been transformed into a new-generation Hypermarket offering products ranging from groceries and fresh food to indoor and outdoor goods, DIY products and technology.

The revamped store introduces two firsts for the Pick n Pay Group: a seated sushi area, called Sue Shi Sushi, and the first sit-down TiMe coffee area in a Hypermarket.

Pick n Pay said the sushi concept builds on the sushi bars already available at selected supermarkets, while the expanded fresh-food offering includes a larger cheese selection, gourmet butchery, bakery and more fresh produce.

The grocery range has also been expanded to include bulk cleaning products, pet-care products, sweets and catering supplies.

According to Pick n Pay Investor Relations, the Bloemfontein store originally opened in 1977 and is now the fourth Hypermarket to undergo a major revamp following three refurbishments towards the end of 2025 and the opening of the new Pietermaritzburg Hypermarket.

“The idea was to bring together the things customers already come to a Hypermarket for,” said Jarett Van Vuuren, Pick n Pay’s Head of Retail Hypermarkets, adding that the new layout was intended to make the shopping experience easier while strengthening fresh food and meal solutions.

Smaller, more profitable store base.

The latest investment forms part of Pick n Pay’s broader turnaround strategy, which has focused on reshaping its store network, closing underperforming outlets and investing in stores considered capable of delivering stronger returns.

BusinessTech reported that Pick n Pay closed 56 stores across South Africa during the financial year ended March 2026. Despite the restructuring, company-owned supermarkets recorded like-for-like sales growth of 3.9%, compared with 3.3% the previous year.

The retailer has previously said its strategy is to move away from pursuing scale at all costs and instead concentrate on a smaller, more profitable store base.

In September 2025, Business Day reported that CEO Sean Summers was positioning the Hypermarket format as part of the company’s turnaround, with the group focusing on “a smaller, more profitable, higher-quality store base”.

The strategy has also included converting selected supermarkets into Hypermarkets. Pick n Pay opened its first Hypermarket in Pietermaritzburg in September 2025 after converting its Midlands Liberty Mall supermarket, introducing expanded general merchandise, fresh-food and convenience offerings. The move formed part of the retailer’s national turnaround strategy.

The renewed emphasis on fresh food comes as Pick n Pay seeks to regain ground in categories where competitors have strengthened their positions.

Sunday Times reported in May that fresh food had become the retailer’s strongest growth driver, with Summers saying: “Our fresh growth at the moment is, in fact, of all of our growth vectors in the company, currently number one.”

The Bloemfontein launch therefore represents more than a store refurbishment, forming part of Pick n Pay’s attempt to modernise its traditional Hypermarket model while offering customers greater variety, convenience and an expanded food experience under one roof.

However, the retailer acknowledges that its turnaround is still a work in progress. In its latest trading update, Pick n Pay said its supermarket performance had improved, but “much remains to be done” before the group reaches its break-even profit target.