Boxer Superstores notches up successful year

Opening of Boxer Elim

With stores ranging in size from 1200 - 4000m2, its total trading space amounts to 158 588m2 with an average store size of 1030m2. The chain employs over 10 000 people in its stores located across South Africa and Swaziland.

Boxer marketing director, Andrew Mills, states the brand's growth is only possible because of the consistent and sincere focus each store has in providing for the needs of its local communities. "We believe that our success comes from adding value to our customers. We make every effort to understand our customers' needs, be passionate about the people we serve and appreciate the relationship we have with the unique and diverse population. A focus on who our shoppers are and what they need, keeps us strong and relevant in the market."

Looking ahead to 2013, the chain will continue in its ongoing fight to provide customers with lower prices by building the sustainability of the chain. "Our key focus for 2013 is to maintain our sustainable growth and continue to generate sustainable improvements in the lives of our customers through our affordable prices and community-based initiatives.

"The success formula is all down to focus. We know who our customers are and what is expected from our offering and with 150 stores and an aggressive planned store rollout programme for 2013, we are geared to maintain a healthy bottom line for the business," says MD, Eugene Stoop.

Steady growth over three decades

The company has grown steadily over the past 36 years to become one of the leading low-cost consumer goods retailers. First established in Empangeni in 1977, as a wholesale trader of staple foods, it positioned itself as a competitively relevant choice for the population it served. Following a name change to Boxer in 1991, the business repositioned itself from a wholesaler to a retailer, providing a wider range of products at affordable prices to South Africans. Today it is a fully-fledged supermarket chain.

The chain is more aggressively represented in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Northwest and the Free State. Swaziland marks its first step towards African expansion. In 2004, it diversified and extended its reach by introducing Boxer Build, a brand that focuses on providing affordable building supplies and hardware to its customers. In the same year, it became a subsidiary of the Pick n Pay group, which maintains an 'arm's length' approach in its involvement with the chain. The group also offers a Boxer Punch format of stores and Boxer Superliquor.