Boxer Superstores has long been a jewel in the Pick n Pay crown, growing footprint, bringing the convenience, value, and dignity of modern retail to under-served South Africans, and shooting the lights out (albeit to the tune of unspecified numbers) quarter after quarter. Now Boxer has found a new role, as a template for the repositioning of its Pick n Pay Value supermarkets as an aspirational but affordable store for middle and lower-income customers. According to CEO Pieter Boone, Boxer is a highly effective discount format, offering value to shoppers through lean and efficient store and supply chain operations. In line with the Boxer model, says Boone, the Group is streamlining the operating model of its Pick n Pay Value stores, and reducing the size of the range by up to 40%. Back to Boxer – the business will break ground in its new Gauteng DC at the end of the year. Once opened in 2023, it will serve over 100 stores and underpin Boxer’s accelerated growth strategy.

Comment: Globally, the no-frills discounter model has been a howling success. Locally, this approach will enable Pick n Pay to compete more effectively with Shoprite’s Usave brand.

One of the truly inspiring stories of this difficult year has been the Elangeni Green Zone, a community garden established by homeless unemployed men on a vacant plot of land behind the titular hotel on Durban’s Golden Mile beachfront strip. The men broke ground on 16 June, securing permission from the eThekwini Municipality to cultivate their urban strip, and garnering great volumes of social media attention. And having sold direct to growing numbers of Durbanites, the farmers have picked up their first major client in the form of Boxer Superstores. Not only will Boxer stock their spinach, tomatoes and peppers, the retailer is also donating seedlings, drums, gumboots, food safety guideline booklets, cleaning and hygiene products. “Boxer is incredibly proud to be the first retailer to buy in bulk produce from the Elangeni Green Zone and we are committed to assisting these men with advice, further support and growth,” says Deon Wessels, Boxer’s Head of Department: Fresh Produce.

Comment: Not just a heart-warming story, a model for how food can be produced and jobs created around the Beloved Country and beyond.

Big news from Boxer Superstores, a shining star in the Pick n Pay firmament, which has just opened its fourth DC, a 15,000m2 space in Koppiefontein, near Polokwane. It will support Boxer’s 25 superstores in Limpopo and its 14 in Mpumalanga, and will no doubt serve a whole lot more in the years to come. Taking a peek under the bonnet as it were, the facility houses 10,000 storage locations and 2,200 pick faces, with 18 outbound doors for loading and 6 inbound doors for receiving. And really getting into the details now, the DC’s machinery will run on lithium-ion batteries, which save energy and reduce charging time. “The benefit of having the stores in this region DC supplied will be massive,” says Logistics Head of Department for Boxer’s Inland Division Sibusiso Dhladhla, “And the frequency and service levels will ultimately benefit our end customer, the Boxer shopper, which is great.”

Comment: Have we ever mentioned how much we love the supply chain? A latecomer to the notion of centralised distribution, the PnP Group has embraced it warmly in latter years, to its great benefit.

Big up to Boxer Superstores, which have quietly achieved a major milestone with the opening of its 300th store. Boxer, you will recall, began life as single cash & carry in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal, back in ‘77. It caught the attention of Pick n Pay, which duly acquired the business some 18 years ago. Boxer expanded out of its stronghold in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, and now trades across our nine provinces and the Kingdom of eSwatini, as a modern supermarket offering both attractive prices, value-added services and the pleasures of contemporary retail to every community in which it operates. A mark of Boxer’s success has been the fact that it never takes its shoppers for granted. “It is our shopper who decides what supermarket is offering the best deals all under one roof,” explains Marketing Director Andrew Mills. “And every day, when we open our doors, we owe it to ourselves to be top of our shoppers’ minds so that they choose Boxer as their supermarket of choice.” For more info, have a look at their press release here .

Comment: This attitude and its ongoing success have steadily improved Boxer’s standing in the Pick n Pay Group, and in the South African retail firmament.

Boxer Superstores have built their brand on providing quality goods at affordable prices in a store environment that offers shoppers the enjoyment of the modern retail experience. They’ve also located themselves firmly with the communities they serve, and this means running one of the strongest community outreach programmes in the Republic. One particular area of focus has been in youth sports, in areas where there is often an excess of passion and talent, but few facilities. Like, for example, Umzumbe, near Hibberdene on KwaZulu-Natal’s majestic South Coast. There, the young players of the Real Stars Football Club, which practices at Umzumbe Primary School, are decked out in uniforms. And boots, all provided by Boxer, who were approached by manager Michael Ngcobo to help out. For the full article click here .

Comment: A blip on Boxer’s bottom line, but one of many such projects, and a very big deal for the future stars of Umzumbe.

A whole bunch of store openings this past week, each with something to teach us about the strategies of the respective retailers. First up, Boxer Superstores, still on the march to dominance as a national discount supermarket, bringing the value, enjoyment and dignity of modern retail to all South Africans, with the opening of its latest store in Mamelodi. Makro, sticking to its knitting whilst introducing impressive big box store operations and shopper experience innovation, opened their state-of-the-art Makro Cornubia store in the densely-populated outskirts of Durban today. Look out for the photo feature which Trade Intelligence research team will be publishing, Shoprite, still expanding strategically in the motherland despite setbacks here at home, opened its second store in Kenya, in Nairobi’s Garden City Mall. And Pick n Pay continues to grow the franchise division beyond our borders, with the opening of its 22nd Namibia store operated by the Ohlthaver & List group, in Ondangwa.

Comment: Despite the difficult trading conditions, this is not an industry in disarray.

Boxer have always seen their stores as more than simply grocery retail. Now they’re offering their customers full-service banking, in partnership with TymeBank, whose EveryDay account Boxer are offering at a low cost with no monthly fees, unlimited free card swipes and free cash withdrawals at tills. And in an environment where sometimes overly complex bureaucracy remains a significant barrier to social mobility, shoppers can open the account providing simply their thumbprint as ID. Goodbye complicated application processes, hello personalised VISA card in just five minutes. The TymeBank offering also comes with 30 minutes of free Wi-Fi in Boxer stores daily, speeding up transactions. Shoppers can withdraw and make deposits, do EFTs and set up debit orders, at any Boxer or Pick n Pay till point. TymeBank is owned by African Rainbow Capital, a fully black-owned and controlled investment business.

Comment: Excellent work, Boxer, who are tackling the challenge of providing SA’s unbanked with a new kind of banking solution head on.

Boxer Superstores have just opened their latest super in the newly-opened Peddie Plaza Shopping Centre in the Eastern Cape. Did we say super? Not so fast: “We're not a supermarket, we’re a discounter,” says national operations director Chris Theron, referring to the business model which has proved so successful and which seems tailor-made for the South African context. A pillar of the Boxer business is its engagement with the communities it serves. “With this store we've created 80 jobs for the local community, while for 15 managerial positions, we have promoted our staff from neighbouring stores, to afford them the chance to grow,” says Mr T. The business will bring the full Boxer experience, with its modern store design, payment facilities, cash withdrawals, a deli, fruit and vegetables and a bakery to a previously under-served community.

Comment: Another local landmark. Nice work Boxer.

Congrats and kudos to Boxer Superstores this week, who celebrated the opening of their 250^th  outpost, in Jeppe Street, Jozi. Situated in the iconic building that formerly housed the Johannesburg CBD Post Office, Boxer’s 250^th  addition boasts 2,300m² of its latest new generation specs on offer. The discounter’s arrival also brought traffic to a complete standstill with a tickertape parade of stunt bikers as customers ran in to fill their trolleys. The rise of Boxer as a home-grown power of retail in response to the demand among Southern African shoppers for a place where they will find value, services and the dignity of a pleasant and modern place to shop has been one of the great stories of the last decade.

Comment: 250 not out – a score that Faf’s boys would have loved in the sub-continent this week.

Nice work from Boxer, which after 41 years in business has just broken ground for the first time in the historic – even iconic – surrounds of Lenasia, where it has been warmly welcomed. Introducing the concept of discount retailing to the South African shopper, Boxer has taken determined steps to redefine its retail business model in response to a trading context which requires tight stock management, deep knowledge of the shopper, connectivity into the community and efficiency resulting in cost-savings through the value chain. With community retailing and shopper engagement being a core principle of successful retailing today, most staff are locals, including the store manager, Jessica Pillay. “I grew up in Lenasia, and still think of Lens as my community,” she says. “I am so happy to open the first Boxer Store in this area.” Boxer has built its reputation not just on offering value to its middle and lower income shoppers, but on providing them with the dignity and enjoyment of the modern retail experience, which in the case of the Lenasia store includes specialist departments like butchery, bakery and deli, as well as the standard lifestyle services which shoppers have come to expect from their supermarkets like airtime, utility payments, and cash withdrawals.

Comment: A true pioneer of the South African retail scene – one which has adapted its trading model to profitably survive and thrive in the SA’s trading context.

Here’s a link to a heart-warming story from our friends at Boxer, whose Enterprise and Supplier Development programme helped a photographer with an understanding of the Boxer business set up her own business, assisting her with getting it correctly registered and up to date with its tax admin, helping her acquire equipment and get her BBBEE certification.

Comment: Nation building, in microcosm. Nice.

Boxer Stores is relaunching the popular money transfer service to its customers, allowing transfers of up to R5,000 daily, with a monthly limit of R15,000, using a Boxer Money Services or Pick n Pay Smart Shopper card, from any Boxer or Pick n Pay till point, with a code applicable only to the transfer in question.

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Congratulations to our friends at Boxer Superstores for picking up top prize in the Trade category of the KZN Top Business Awards, ahead of fellow-finalists Hirsch’s and Sparkport Pharmacies. KZN has been a springboard for Boxer into the wider realm of South African trade, where it has established itself as a major retail brand.

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In the 12 months to Feb 2017, Boxer Superstores opened a very healthy 25 new stores, including 11 in its new generation discount supermarket format.  Boxer’s intention is to have “more stores serving more communities”. How’s that going? So far, so good: they’ve opened a store in Worcester, a couple in KZN, one in Swaziland and one in the North West. And that’s in the space of just one month. Then, as you might recall, a little while back they opened the one in Mitchells Plain, on the site of the first Pick n Pay store opened in a township under the Group Areas Act. The store was opened with Raymond and Wendy Ackerman, CEO Richard Brasher and cricketer JP Duminy in attendance. Thus far, the community is rewarding the historic opening with sales: “We are more than pleased in the progress that we are seeing in the store,” says Boxer Marketing Director Andrew Mills.

Comment: The rise of Boxer as a power of retail is one of the most satisfying stories of the last decade.

Boxer continues to head West, opening its second store in the Fairest Cape last week in the heart of Mitchells Plain’s Town Centre. A Pick n Pay store for close on 40 years, the spot was renovated in just over a month, opening its doors as a shiny new Boxer to the loyal Mitchells Plain community. The store boasts the immaculate flow, space and value-adds that we have come to expect from Boxer Discount supermarkets and brings the Group’s tally to 234 Boxer stores nationwide. For a take on the grand opening from our very own on-the-ground reporter, click here.

Comment: Light-footed stuff there from the champ, who continues to bob and weave its way across SA.

Mum’s the Word if you put Brasher on the spot to give you the lowdown on Boxer’s financial performance, as Pick n Pay does not segment the Boxer numbers. They did, however, allude to the importance of Boxer’s increasing importance to the Pick n Pay stable, reporting strong turnover growth as a result of price investment…something every South African welcomes with open arms. Strong gross profit performance was attributed to greater participation of its butchery, fresh produce and value-added convenience categories. Celebrating the 40th milestone with a total of 232 stores is something to be proud of.  25 new Boxer stores were opened over the past year, delivering on the Group’s promise to open new stores in communities which it had previously not served. Refurbishments are a plenty, bringing the total New Generation Boxer stores to 41. 

Comment: More stores serving more communities, keep going Boxer.

Once again tapping into the zeitgeist and giving South Africans not just what they want but always what they need, Boxer Superstores and partner Sunlight have just completed a phenomenally successful run of their promotion/TV show/CSR Project “Dreams Come True at Boxer with Sunlight”. By purchasing any two Sunlight products from Boxer stores nationwide, shoppers were able to enter the competition, which saw winners receive assistance in making their personal dreams come true, from the relatively humble, like a once-in-a-lifetime holiday in Durban, to the truly inspiring, like a R50,000 makeover for a childcare centre in Lusikisiki. Over the duration of the campaign, the “Dreams Come True at Boxer with Sunlight” competition received almost 50,000 unique entries and every one of those dreams were listened to by the dedicated “Dream Team” at Boxer. For more on this great campaign, click here.

Comment: Excellent work, which comes from the heart of a truly great South African retail brand.

A great one-two combo this last week from Boxer – not only has it opened its 200th store, but the brand new Boxer Nonkqubela, in Khayelitsha, represents Boxer’s very first store in the Fairest Cape. Now the Pugilistic One can justly lay claim to the title of National Retailer, in keeping with parent company Pick n Pay’s strategy of turning the chain  into a fully-fledged national brand. Boxer Nonkqubela has a sharp and snappy layout making it easier for customers and their families to stock up on everything from fresh fruit & veg to household essentials in what they themselves have called “(South) Africa’s favourite discount supermarket”. And rounding off the one-stop shopping experience, it will provide Capetonians with the opportunity to make third-party payments, buy electricity or airtime, withdraw money at the ATM or at the tills etc. etc. etc.

Comment: Congratulations, and we’re looking forward to see where Boxer will bob and weave its way to next.

Five years ago, to the relief of suppliers and shareholders alike, the Pick n Pay Group made its move towards centralised distribution. Now Boxer, the rising star in the Group, has jumped on board with both feet, opening a 10 000m2 warehouse in Cato Ridge, just up the N3 from head office in Westville. The new facility is their second foray into warehousing – the first was a very successful 4500m2 shed in Prospecton – and was designed and built entirely according to Boxer’s own specs, with room aplenty for shelves over 13m tall and space for 14000 pallets. The DC runs an automated replenishment system with a nominated order day for stores from a set range, picking and packing immediately, ensuring next day delivery, or a delay of one day for stores in the Eastern Cape. And excitingly, an IT system geared up to control the approximately 1,1 million cases of stock; plus 30 shiny red branded DC trucks to service its KZN & EC stores. Comment: Excellent news and a big step for an exciting business.

Comment: Excellent news and a big step for an exciting business.

Boxer Superstores, which over the past difficult few years has been something of a jewel in the Pick n Pay crown, is launching a bold new ad campaign which promises to be the first of its kind in SA retail. To get its message across, “We Speak Low Prices” utilises the trusty vehicle of wireless radio, still the medium of choice for the overwhelming majority of South Africans. The campaign also features a competition, “What’s the Low Price?”, by which listeners are rather cleverly induced to have in their hands a copy of the latest Boxer broadsheet before they can successfully compete. And, this being 2015, and social media being cheap, the whole shebang will be rounded off with a presence on the likes of Facebook. 

Comment: A clever, pragmatic and no doubt cost effective use of all media, from the basic leaflet on up. Go Boxer.

Visitors to the Trade Intelligence website today will find an exciting new feature under the Boxer Superstore section of the Trade Profiles. This is the Boxer Superstore Investor Relations page, a collection of material for those who wish to find out more about one of SA’s most dynamic and innovative retailers. The page contains links to a number of valuable resources, including the latest media releases, stories and sound bites, as well as the Boxer Trade Profile itself. “We have got a great story to tell,” says Boxer Marketing Director Andrew Mills, “And we want to share it with our friends and stakeholders – like our suppliers, property developers who are looking at Boxer as a possible anchor tenant, and the media itself.” 

Comment: To have a look at this feature, click <a href="http://www.tradeintelligence.co.za/Boxer-SuperStore">here.</a>

Boxer, who have not often graced these columns in the past, are having something of a run of it these days, in part because the business itself is going such great guns. Last week some of our staff attended the launch of their EasyCover Funeral Plan, a JV with Nedbank and a typically Boxer initiative, which allows punters to insure up to 15 family members, with payments ranging from R14.90 to R82 per month. Nedbank, you will be interested and probably surprised to learn, now strategically views Boxer as its best channel into the mass market and this venture cements its tradition as the first bank to go seriously into the retail sector, again with preferred partner Pick n Pay. After the launch, our bright-eyed young cub reporters visited the venerable Mpumalanga suburb Boxer in KZN, now undergoing a revamp, and not before time, with both Pick n Pay and SPAR setting up shop, as it were, in the hood.

Comment: Simple, innovative, relevant. Vintage Boxer.

Having begun life as a handful of privately-owned retail-wholesale hybrid stores in the bucolic retreats of KZN, Boxer Superstores has evolved to fast become a retail model of How It Is Done, and the rough-hewn gem in the Pick n Pay crown right about now. And if by some slim chance they were not yet significantly on your radar, how’s this, they’ve just opened their 150th store, having cut the ribbon on 20 new stores in 2012 alone. One of the reasons for their success – and perhaps for the slightly below the radar nature of their impressive growth – has been their strong local focus, as a brand which both courts and supports the communities in which its stores are located, spending millions over the years on bringing a relevant value for money offering, on the donation of staple foods, services and funds to those in most need, and tens of millions on community initiatives through its willingness to evolve the brand to the ever changing needs of all South African shoppers.

Comment: And all this at arm’s length from the mothership, which gives them a lot of latitude to keep on doing well what they’re doing right.

Boxer Superstores, which is one of the brighter stars in the Pick n Pay firmament, is once again doing its bit for the youth of South Africa, sending 45 of them from all over the country on its annual Youth Leadership Programme, held each April in Zinkwazi on the KZN coast. Boxer, as you may know, have a particularly active and relevant programme of community engagement.

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