Retail

The two brothers behind South Africa’s biggest independent retailer taking on Checkers, Pick n Pay, and SPAR

Bianke Neethling • 25 June 2026

Brothers Mike and Brian Coppin opened a fresh produce store in Cape Town more than three decades ago, not knowing that this would kick off one of South Africa’s biggest business success stories.

Today, Food Lover’s Market has stores throughout South Africa, Namibia, and Southern Africa, and is one of the largest independent retail groups in the country.

It also boasts beloved businesses like FreshStop, Market Liquors, and Seattle Coffee Company in its stable.

This business empire began with a single store in Cape Town when the Coppin brothers decided to open their own fresh fruit and vegetable store.

Before this, the brothers had worked as trainee managers at a retail organisation, but woke up one day and decided to strike out on their own.

The brothers’ connection to the grocery retail industry is deep-rooted, with their father, Aubrey Coppin, having been a director of OK Bazaars for 40 years.

Thus, the brothers bought Carrot King in Access Park, Cape Town, and got to work designing their own store, which was then called Fruit & Veg City.

“We did everything ourselves: we built the office, laid the bricks, painted the bins over the weekend. I think we built the shop in about 5 days,” Mike said in a 2021 interview.

He explained that they had always wanted to provide customers with the best quality fruit and veg, while also providing the best value in town.

“We promised them that if it was growing in South Africa, we would stock it. So, we had the range of fruit and veg, and then we gave them the best service,” Brian said.

This focus on high quality, great service, and value for money allowed the store to take off rapidly.

Mike said that, within a month of running the store, it was expanded from 1,000 m² to 3,000 m².

Within 18 months, the brothers had opened a second and third store, as they wanted to see how well their model would work across multiple stores.

At that stage, the brothers were only interested in selling fresh produce and had no desire to become a full-fledged supermarket.

The store continued to focus on fresh produce for five years, going from strength to strength, when the brothers decided it was time to expand their offering.

“We started adding some departments like dried fruit and nuts, juice on tap, milk on tap, and really it was creating that whole ‘market’ feel,” Brian said.

This would lay the foundation for what would one day become one of South Africa’s most impressive supermarket empires.

The Food Lover’s Market empire

In an interview with Bizcommunity in 2023, Brian explained that the brothers did not foresee the success that would come from their one store in Cape Town.

“At no time did we think we were building a brand of this size. We were just two youngsters trying to open a fruit and vegetable business that the customers would love,” he said.

The brothers also had people telling them that their model would not work, that it was too similar to SPAR and Pick n Pay’s offering, and that they would never be able to compete.

However, these people were proven wrong. Brian explained that Food Lover’s Market came at the perfect time to take advantage of shifts in the local retail market.

When the brothers were looking to expand their business, the big retailers were exiting municipal markets, leaving a gap for Food Lover’s Market to fill.

Once the brothers were certain their model would translate well across multiple stores, they began franchising Fruit & Veg City in areas outside the Cape Town CBD.

This skyrocketed the brothers’ success, and bigger retailers started to take notice. Therefore, to up their game, the Coppins started diversifying their offering even further.

They opened butcheries, bakeries, fish departments, delis, and sushi bars across the store base.

Brian said they visited international retailers such as Waitrose in the UK and Whole Foods in the US to learn how they can become the best-in-class fresh-food destination in South Africa.

And, it worked. Food Lover’s Market continued to expand, achieving rapid growth despite stiff competition in the form of JSE-listed retailers like Shoprite, Pick n Pay, and SPAR.

Today, there are over 100 Food Lover’s Market locations in South Africa, and significantly more when considering its sister brands.

This is because the Coppins’ success did not stop at Food Lover’s Market. They also developed FreshStop, the fastest-growing convenience store chain in South Africa.

This business came about when Chevron decided to focus on providing fuel and was looking for retailers to propose a new convenience brand for its forecourts.

Today, FreshStop has more than 300 locations across South Africa and is competing with the likes of Woolworths Foodstop, Pick n Pay Express, and SPAR Express.

Another major win for the Coppins and Food Lover’s Market was their acquisition of a major stake in Seattle Coffee Company.

The partnership was formed while the Coppin brothers were building FreshStop, and they were introduced to Seattle’s founders.

“We quickly realised that this was the most exciting coffee brand in the country and wasted no time making a deal to buy a controlling stake in Seattle Coffee, but it is still run by the founders, Barry Parker and Pete Howie,” Brian told Bizcommunity.

Today, both Brian and Mike are still involved in their booming business empire, overseeing the company’s continued expansion and working alongside the group’s over 17,000 team members.

“You go to Food Lover’s Market, and it’s certainly got the senses around you: the fruit and veg, the bakery, the butchery, the fish you’re buying for that night or that weekend,” Mike said.

“And it’s an enjoyable shopping experience, and that’s what makes it different – it’s a fresh shopping experience.”

“Food Lover’s Market has always been about innovative food, always about changing the way people think about food, it’s about the theatre of food and this whole market opportunity,” Brian said.

“Few people remember the first steps of starting a business, but it feels like yesterday to us. We remember the thrill of working alongside family, new friends and partners to open that first store in Access Park in Cape Town.”

“We held onto our dream, often wondering if we would achieve what we set out to do, but we never gave up.”