Retailer Pick n Pay is relaunching its iconic No Name brand as part of its turnaround strategy, as CEO Sean Summers says the refreshed range will bring better quality and stronger customer value following store closures and business restructuring, according to TimesLIVE.
But as per Sean’s comments in an interview with Business Times (BusinessTech), the brand is being ‘radically revamped’ after years of inconsistent quality and product range.
“A lot of work has been done to clean out a lot of the items that were poorly conceived as part of the brand at the time they were put together,“ he said.
Sean added that Pick n Pay had got rid of a lot of items that should never have been in No Name, signalling a return to quality and customer focus.
Over the next year, shoppers can expect a redesigned No Name range, refreshed packaging, improved product standards, and a clearer identity within stores.
The goal, according to Sean, is to make No Name not just a budget brand, but “a well-known, leading house brand” that can stand up to its competitors.
This revamp forms part of a much broader effort by Pick n Pay to regain profitability and market confidence following significant losses.
Pick n Pay declared a staggering R4 billion loss in the 2024 financial year after the failure of its Ekuseni Strategy. When Sean returned as CEO in late 2023, he took on the challenge of steering the company through a demanding retail environment marked by rising costs and strong competition.
A key element of his turnaround plan has been to trim down the retailer’s footprint, as Pick n Pay has closed or is in the process of closing a total of 59 unprofitable supermarkets, equating to about R4 billion in lost sales.
However, Sean insists this is part of a strategy to strengthen the core business rather than shrink it.
“The optimisation of our store estate has removed a large number of loss-making stores out of the system,” he explained. “The smaller store estate allows us to serve our customers better and to support our long-term sustainable growth.”
He further emphasised that Pick n Pay is not “in a race to see which retailer has the most stores”, hinting that a leaner, more focused approach could deliver stronger results in the long run.
First published by Cape {town} etc
Compiled by Lulama Klassen
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