The Shoprite Group has launched its new ground-breaking digital business hub, ShopriteX, a combination of data science, technology, and innovation to provide an enhanced customer experience.
An incubation over the past year, ShopriteX has already delivered two industry-leading innovations: Xtra Savings – South Africa’s fastest-growing rewards programme with 20 million members to date – and Checkers Sixty60, the first on-demand 60-minute supermarket grocery delivery service in South Africa.
“We are serious about being Africa’s most customer-centric retailer” comments Pieter Engelbrecht, CEO of the Shoprite Group. “The launch of ShopriteX represents our investment in fit-for-future precision retail, which is increasingly digital and data-led”.
The launch of ShopriteX is part of the retailer’s strategy to grow its ecosystem of value for consumers and to monetise new and diverse revenue streams.
At the ShopriteX offices (above the new Checkers Hyper Brackenfell flagship store in Cape Town, next to the group’s home office) its division’s 250-strong team, including data science, e-commerce, and personalisation experts, are working side by side with Shoprite’s combined IT team of over 1 000 people to create and to implement new innovations.
The new offices are also home to the latest retail innovation, Checkers Rush, an automated, cashless, ‘no queues, no checkout, no waiting’ concept store, where employees can grab products and walk out. Using advanced AI camera technology to identify the products being taken off the shelves, Checkers Rush bills users’ bank cards upon exit.
This is one of the numerous digital innovations under development. “The next era of growth for us is about precision retailing. ShopriteX will use our rich customer data to supercharge a ‘Smarter Shoprite’ and ultimately fuse the best of digital with our operational strength across the African continent” says Engelbrecht.
“Shoprite to the power of X represents the exponential growth opportunity when you combine the best of data, tech and talent with the scale of the Shoprite Group” comments Neil Schreuder, Chief of Strategy, and Innovation.
This is evident in the response to Sixty60 and Xtra Savings.
Sixty60 is South Africa’s number one grocery app, having been downloaded more than 1.5 million times. Operating nationwide from 240 stores which serve as micro-fulfilment centres, Sixty60 has created 2 870 new jobs and it has delivered more than 1.5 million orders in under 30 minutes over the past year.
Xtra Savings, on the other hand, has signed on 20 million rewards members through a 100% paperless sign up. 750 million personalised offers were sent to Checkers customers with R5.3 billion in Xtra Savings recorded over the past year.
Innovations such as Sixty60 and Xtra Savings have seen the team scoop up 17 innovation awards in the last year, and Schreuder says the group is “just getting started.”
“Through a culture of innovation and start-up-like pace, our teams are making grocery shopping more personalised for customers while removing friction from the retail experience” he concludes.
