Retail group Spar has announced that it will be launching an online shopping and delivery platform in selected Johannesburg stores towards the end of March 2022.
Dubbed SPAR2U, the e-commerce platform will deliver both groceries and liquor, with the service already being piloted in some stores.
“This platform will be available in a group of stores in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg by the end of March 2022,” the group said in a financial statement this week.
“Interest levels from Spar retailers to utilise the new platform remain high and this will enhance the group’s ability to assist retailers in driving improved consumer service and engagement going forward.”
SPAR2U launches in a crowded online same-day delivery space – with Pick n Pay, Woolworths and Checkers all offering same-day delivery services.
“Although many of our retailers have been quick to respond to consumers’ needs for online shopping, we have recognised the need for a sophisticated offering tailored for our unique business model,” Spar’s chief executive Brett Botten told shareholders.
“We believe that the Spar business model requires an online shopping solution that serves our Spar consumers but one which also will add value to our independent retail partners and the communities in which they operate.”
Checkers’ Sixty60 one-hour on-demand grocery delivery service launched in late 2019, just prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020.
Pick n pay acquired the Bottles app in October 2020, rebranding it to asap! in 2021. Woolworths launched its same-day service Woolies Dash in December 2020.
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