Spar Group is determined to play a significant role in the on-demand grocery delivery space in South Africa despite coming from behind, its omnichannel executive for Southern Africa has told TechCentral.

Speaking to the TechCentral Show, Blake Raubenheimer took the publication’s editor, Duncan McLeod, through the retailer’s plan to compete directly with the likes of Shoprite Holdings’ Sixty60, which gained an early market lead during the Covid lockdowns.

Spar has every intention of becoming a meaningful player in app-based on-demand deliveries, according to Raubenheimer, who unpacked the retailer’s plan to gain market share in the increasingly competitive but fast-expanding segment with Spar2U.

South Africa’s grocery sector has become increasingly competitive as price-conscious consumers look for value, convenience and distinctive products.

Shoprite and Woolworths are keeping their rivals on their toes as they continue to sign up customers. Pick n Pay, which is also coming from behind, is aggressively targeting the space, too.

In this episode of the TechCentral Show, Raubenheimer discusses:

* How Spar’s business model – the vast majority of stores are run by franchisees – has complicated its move into the on-demand grocery game, and how it's working to turn this to its advantage;

* How Spar is working to convince consumers to try Spar2U over other on-demand services;

* The group’s broader omnichannel strategy, where the retailer is positioned in the market, where it wants to get to, and how it plans to do it;

* Its focus on the township and rural markets through partnerships with companies like KasiD and Delivery Ka Speed – and why it’s important;

Spar’s partnership with Uber Eats;

* How Spar’s SAP enterprise software implementation in KwaZulu-Natal went awry and how it impacted the retailer; and

* What Spar is working on from a technology perspective.

Don’t miss a fascinating discussion about how technology is transforming the retail industry in South Africa. TechCentral