Shoprite’s Sixty60 is growing nearly 5x faster than its supermarkets

Shoprite’s Sixty60 generated R25.5 billion ($1.6 billion) in sales in the year ended June 2026, as the retailer’s on-demand digital platform grew 34.5% during the 12 months.

Sixty60 is growing nearly five times faster than Shoprite’s core South African supermarket business, which grew 7.1% over the same period, the Group noted in its operational update on Wednesday. 

The numbers show how the retailer is turning its vast physical store network into infrastructure for a rapidly expanding digital commerce business. The broader Shoprite Group has almost 3,000 stores across South Africa, giving Sixty60 a vast physical network from which to fulfil online orders.

Shoprite reported R270.8 billion ($16.8 billion) in sales from continuing operations, up from R252.7 billion ($15.7 billion) in 2025, adding R18.1 billion ($1.1 billion) in sales. But the standout growth came from its digital commerce platform, which the group said is included in the reported sales of the supermarket’s brands, including Shoprite, Usave and Checkers, during the year.

The R25.5 billion ($1.6 billion) generated by Sixty60 represents sales flowing through the digital platform and already captured within the results of the retail brands.

“Sales from the segment’s on-demand digital commerce platform Sixty60, included within the reported sales of the underlying retail brands, increased by 34.5%, measuring R25.5 billion ($1.6 billion,” Shoprite said in its operational update.

The growth gives Sixty60 a key role in Shoprite’s retail ecosystem. Its R25.5 billion ($1.6 billion) in sales is equivalent to almost 9.4% of the group’s total reported sales, although the company does not report Sixty60 as a separate revenue segment.

According to the update, the platform’s rapid growth is happening alongside an aggressive expansion of Shoprite’s physical footprint. Its Supermarkets South Africa (Supermarkets RSA) business, which contributes 84.5% of group sales, opened a net 262 stores during the year, taking its corporate-owned and operated store base to 2,839.

That physical network gives Shoprite an advantage in a digital grocery market where delivery speed and proximity to customers are critical. Rather than replacing its stores with an online operation, the retailer is using its existing infrastructure to support digital orders.

The contrast in growth rates is stark. Supermarkets South Africa sales grew 7.1%, while Sixty60 sales rose 34.5%. Shoprite’s broader group sales increased 7.2%.

Shoprite’s digital growth comes as it keeps prices competitive. In South Africa, the company said its internal selling price inflation was just 0.8% for the year, below the 3.9% inflation recorded for food and non-alcoholic beverages by Statistics South Africa. 

“Like-for-like sales increased by 2.0%, reflecting the Group’s continued efforts to support customer affordability,” the company stated.

At the same time, the supermarket chains’ other brands, Checkers and Checkers Hyper and Checkers LiquorShop, grew sales by 10%, compared with 4.3% for Shoprite and Usave, including Shoprite LiquorShop.

The results suggest Shoprite is not replacing physical retail with digital commerce. Instead, it is connecting its store network to digital demand, giving Sixty60 a ready-made fulfillment footprint for its R25.5 billion ($1.6 billion) in sales.

Shoprite expects its headline earnings per share from continuing operations to rise between 9.7% and 14.7% for the year. The company will release its full 2026 results on September 1, 2026.

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