Three retailers taking over South Africa

Most South Africans are actively seeking discounts, a trend which has opened the door for value-driven eCommerce sites like OneDayOnly and retailers like Boxer and Best Before to take over the country.

Even though inflation has eased, consumer spending has slowed. Research from Bateleur shows that between 60% and 65% of South Africans actively seek discounts.

OneDayOnly, which offers a new lineup of discounted products every 24 hours, has seen this shift play out in real time.

Internal data revealed that nearly half (45% to 50%) of its customers cite “excellent discounts” as the main reason they shop on the platform.

This figure underscores how value, or perceived value, has become a key motivator for purchases, especially when this is tied to the idea of saving in this economic climate.

“In today’s economy, shoppers are far more intentional,” said Laurian Venter, Director at OneDayOnly. “They’re comparing prices, timing purchases, and actively seeking out discounts.”

“For retailers, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity. It is no longer enough to be online; you need to offer real value.”

Discount hunting and shopping for value isn’t limited to online stores. Discount retailers are also incredibly popular in South Africa.

For example, Boxer, a subsidiary of the Pick n Pay Group, added 48 net new stores in the 53 weeks that ended 2 March 2025, bringing its total estate to 525 stores.

At the same time, its parent company has struggled. After Sean Summers departed as CEO in 2007, Pick n Pay began to fall behind and become less competitive, which allowed Shoprite to become the market leader.

Pick n Pay’s performance continued to deteriorate throughout the years, reaching a low point in May 2024, when the retailer reported being technically insolvent for the first time in its listed history.

Due to its lacklustre performance, it has had to close stores, some of which have been converted into Boxer locations.

In the year that ended 2 March 2025, Boxer completed 15 store conversions from Pick n Pay to Boxer, including 8 Superstores and seven liquor stores.

Best Before, a discount store chain that offers lower prices on fast-moving consumer goods close to or past their best-before date, has also performed well in South Africa.

In October 2024, the retailer opened its first store outside Johannesburg, in Pretoria, bringing its presence to seven stores.

What South Africans are shopping for

Beyond discounts, OneDayOnly found that consumer behaviour is also reflected in what South Africans choose to buy.

The most popular product categories in 2025 include homeware and everyday consumer goods, such as Dove and House of Coffee.

However, South Africans are also willing to indulge if the deal is good enough, as seen in the sold-out 90% off gym memberships and R19 Lift flight tickets offered by OneDayOnly.

This suggests that consumers are not necessarily discerning about what they spend on, but rather how much.

“While people are looking for ways to stretch their rands, they’re not unwilling to treat themselves, as long as the value feels too good to pass up,” Venter added.

“Whether it’s a bag of coffee or a flight across the country, the right deal can turn a want into a justifiable spend.”

Venter said South Africans’ willingness to splurge for the right deal is especially evident with social media trends.

As the #CleanTok community took off, OneDayOnly noticed a steady rise in homeware and cleaning appliances, selling over 4,500 robot vacuums and 6,900 organisational glassware this year.

The platform’s data also revealed that the average cart value sits at around R1,100, further evidence that shoppers are not holding back entirely, but are instead shopping with more purpose.

Around 13% of purchases use short-term credit options like Payflex or MobiCred. This shows that some consumers are also using flexible payment options to manage their budgets.