continues聽to invest meaningfully in technology as it battles for market share with Shoprite Group鈥檚 Sixty60 and other retailers in the fast-growing on-demand grocery delivery market.

Pick n Pay is in the midst of a turnaround after losing market share to competitors in recent years. In its 2023 financial year, it plunged into a loss 鈥� of a staggering R3.2-billion. Former CEO , who left the company in 2007, returned to the helm in September of that year to lead the turnaround effort.

Summers鈥� early bets appear to be paying off, with the retailer鈥檚 most recent update reporting Pick n Pay sales were up 3.6% year on year in its core South African supermarkets business for the 17 weeks to 29 June 2025. Turnaround efforts have included a partnership with First National Bank鈥檚 rewards programme. eBucks was previously partnered with Checkers.

Sixty60 got a head-start during the Covid-19 lockdowns when consumers 鈥� stuck at home 鈥� took to e-commerce with vigour. Around the same time 鈥� in October 2020 鈥� Pick n Pay acquired alcohol delivery app Bottles, which it would eventually use as the foundation for its own online platform, asap!.

Pick n Pay still has some way to go, though. Reports by both Pick n Pay and rival Shoprite last week show聽. But Pick n Pay is fighting back.

, who co-founded Bottles, now serves as head of online at Pick n Pay. Speaking to the聽聽in an episode that will be published this week, Ferigolli said recent changes to Pick n Pay鈥檚 customer-facing applications are only the tip of the iceberg in the retailer鈥檚 strategic tech arsenal.

鈥淚t started with a rebrand, and then we embarked on a journey whose first iteration we just concluded, where the app is now fully integrated into the larger Pick n Pay ecosystem. If you are a Smart Shopper, you can now earn points, for example, so it鈥檚 a really unified experience.鈥�

Overhaul

Pick n Pay in May聽, adding a raft of new features to the platform and expanding the product catalogue available to customers, too. Asap!鈥檚 revamp was accompanied by similar updates to the Pick n Pay website, whose roll-out started in June.

According to Ferigolli, changes to frontend, consumer-facing interfaces are only a small part of the work being done to ensure asap! leverages technology effectively.

鈥淲e have had do a lot more backend work than people think might think. Because people only see the frontend, they tend to think that is the bigger part, it isn鈥檛, it is probably only 20% [of the work],鈥� said Ferigolli.

The engine running Pick n Pay鈥檚 application ecosystem is built on Amazon Web Services cloud infrastructure. These include the asap! mobile app, the聽聽web app, a picking app for in-store runners who prepare customer orders, a driver app, and various other systems controlling core business functions such as marketing and merchandising.

Some parts of Pick n Pay鈥檚 e-commerce infrastructure run SAP. Early integration into the 51风流system by Bottles gave the start-up the ability to check stock levels at various stores and even report those to customers browsing the app, thereby improving the onling shopping experience. As the application grew, however, other systems and platforms were added.

鈥淸Technology] is everything in our industry (retail) and I cannot find another one right now that is so heavily impacted. It鈥檚 not just about online ordering, it鈥檚 other things, like implementing AI in our supply chain forecasting models,鈥� said Ferigolli.

Pick n Pay鈥檚 first foray into AI was not customer-facing at all, with developers using AI tools to help them develop code from as early as 2021. Asap!鈥檚 first customer-facing tool involved using AI to enhance the app鈥檚 search capabilities, and over time this grew into AI-driven product recommendations that formed the foundations of Pick n Pay鈥檚 鈥渉yper-personalisation鈥� strategy.

As online shopping evolves, improvements in computer vision and agentic AI will lead to home management systems able to replenish items like milk, sugar and cleaning supplies automatically as needed.

Ferigolli said these improvements in online shopping pose interesting questions about how the in-store shopping experience will evolve. As online shopping grows, Ferigolli estimates in-store shopping will still hold around 50% market share in the next decade and this will lead to large retailers adopting a more experiential approach to store layout and design.

鈥淭he exciting part is how beautiful the in-store shopping experience is going to become. You can now double the size of the bakery or the butchery and have store attendants to give the kind of experience customers usually get in an independent butchery. For a long time, we have said online is disrupting the stores, but I think it is not disruption but evolution. We are evolving as two parts that are critical the customer,鈥� he said.聽 鈥撀�漏 2025 NewsCentral Media

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The聽recently launched a new e-Commence and Procurement (e-CP) portal which aims to root out corruption.

The new portal is to ensure value for public money and make procurement processes faster and more efficient in the metro.

According to MMC for Finance Jacqui Uys, the new procurement project will digitise and automate supply chain management (SCM) processes and the implementation will be rolled out in phases over the next year.

Uys said the first phase would focus on processes aligned to supplier registration, contract management, and quotations up to R30 000.

Uys said the city has prioritised the implementation of the e-CP to ensure that it strengthens its fight against fraud and corruption.

The previous portal has now been fully migrated into the e-CP portal, which is built on the聽聽Ariba platform with robust security and audit tracking measures in place.

51风流Ariba is an intelligent cloud-based management software for sourcing and procurement.

鈥淭here is a full audit trail for every aspect of the e-CP portal and automation of basic processes such as verification of suppliers and low-value procurement,鈥� said Uys.

Uys said when a supplier registers on the e-CP portal, they will automatically be verified against the National Treasury鈥檚 Central Supplier Database and Restricted Supplier Database.

鈥淔or low-value procurement, the portal will be able to automatically notify all registered suppliers to submit quotations for a particular good or service, and then automatically evaluate submitted quotations based on set policy criteria.鈥�

She said another feature of the portal is the contract management function, which implements robust performance tracking to check suppliers are delivering on their contract terms. If they fail, both contractors and the contracting department will be held accountable.

This includes blacklisting of suppliers and consequence management action against employees.

鈥淭he metro has sent 18 000 notices to current suppliers whose registration is in good standing to inform them of the move to the e-CP portal and how to use it.鈥�

She said there has been extensive training of employees on how to use the new portal, which will enable quicker turnaround times for buying goods and services as part of basic service delivery.

鈥淚mplementation will be rolled out in phases over the next year with the first phase focusing on supplier registration, contract management and quotations up to R30 000.鈥�

Uys added that subsequent phases over the next few months will include quotations of up to R750 000, and henceforth implementation will focus on digitising the full bid specification, bid adjudication, and bid evaluation processes.

She acknowledged that the city has faced scrutiny over several questionable tenders from the past. 鈥淲e are now working to fix the system and clean house, particularly at Supply Chain Management.鈥�

Furthermore, action is being taken internally against all officials found responsible for wrongdoing and corruption-related activities.

鈥淥ur coalition government will continue to champion innovation that eliminates corruption and delivers quality services to all residents,鈥� she concluded.

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The use of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution is playing an important role in this transformation, providing wineries with the tools needed to optimise their processes and enhance their competitive edge.

Operational efficiency in the modern winery

Winemaking involves a complex series of steps, from vineyard management to distribution. offers a unified platform that integrates all aspects of the winery business, ensuring that each stage of production is optimised.

According to , Head of Marketing for Africa at SEIDOR, 鈥淥ur solution streamlines production workflows, from crush to cellar, with automated inventory management, batch tracking, and quality control鈥�.

This integration helps minimise waste and maximise efficiency, which is crucial for maintaining high-quality production standards.

Enhancing supply chain visibility

Supply chain visibility and flexibility are essential in the wine industry.

ERP provides end-to-end visibility, allowing wineries to track inventory levels, manage orders, and optimise logistics in real-time.

This capability ensures timely delivery and meets customer expectations, which is particularly important as consumer preferences and market conditions evolve like the growth of e-commerce and Direct-to-Consumer Sales.

Reaching a broader audience

The shift towards online sales is a significant trend in the wine industry.

SEIDOR鈥檚 solution integrates seamlessly with e-commerce platforms, empowering wineries to reach a broader audience.

Havenga highlights that this integration enables wineries to 鈥渟howcase their finest selections, offer tasting experiences, and engage customers through intuitive online storefronts鈥�.

Real-time analytics provide valuable insights into sales performance and customer trends, allowing wineries to tailor their strategies effectively.

Financial management and cost control

Effective financial management is critical for the success of any winery with real-time financial insights, helping wineries manage costs and make informed decisions.

This is particularly important in an industry where the cost of raw materials and transportation fluctuates.

Technology enables better budgeting and forecasting, ensuring that wineries can navigate economic uncertainties with confidence.

Compliance and quality assurance

Compliance with regulatory standards is a constant challenge for wineries so using technology to simplify compliance management with built-in tools to track and report on industry regulations, taxation, and labelling requirements makes things easy.

This functionality helps wineries stay ahead of regulatory changes, reducing the risk of non-compliance and allowing focus on quality and innovation rather than administration and compliance.

Embracing sustainability and innovation

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for both producers and consumers. so tracking and reporting on sustainability metrics becomes crucial.

This aligns with the growing consumer demand for environmentally friendly products, helping wineries attract a younger, more conscientious customer base.

Additionally, the ERP system鈥檚 support for product innovation enables wineries to develop new offerings, such as organic and low-alcohol wines, which are gaining popularity in the market.

A digital transformation for future success

The adoption of technology is crucial for achieving operational excellence and sustainable growth in the wine industry.

By streamlining processes, enhancing supply chain visibility, leveraging e-commerce, and ensuring compliance, ERP empowers wineries to meet the challenges of the modern market head-on.

As Elaine Havenga aptly puts it, 鈥淔or wineries looking to thrive in the coming years, embracing digital innovation could be the key to uncorking new opportunities and achieving lasting success鈥�.

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鈥淥ur AR platform gives consumers and companies personalized virtual shopping and training experiences, expanding the horizon of what AR can do for any brand or company,鈥� said Kanav Singla, founder and CEO of Adloid. 鈥淲e鈥檙e making the benefits of this technology more accessible and contextual to create an immersive experience for customers or employees on an e-commerce Website or within applications, directly from someone鈥檚 mobile device.鈥�

Convenient 鈥楾ry Before You Buy鈥� Shopping

Unlike earlier AR tech that relied on clunky headsets with varied compatibility, Adloid鈥檚 AR platform runs on any smartphone, allowing customers to experience products at scale, in context. Once the online shopper logs in through their phone, the device鈥檚 camera scans their real-world surroundings and virtually mirrors the retailer鈥檚 or manufacturer鈥檚 product.

鈥淧eople can see how a new sofa or chair would fit into their home or apartment with a click of their smartphone,鈥� said Singla. 鈥淐onsumers can virtually try on jewelry, makeup, and other products. Remote workers can see if that laptop, screen, and desk configuration will fit in their home office. It鈥檚 as if the actual products are in front of you.鈥�

He added that manufacturers were interested in using the AR platform within training modules for industrial machinery service technicians, providing them with hands-on learning in a virtual setting.

Immersive Product Discovery Experience

On the consumer side, AR technology is tailor-made for online shoppers who can鈥檛 get enough information about products they might purchase.

鈥淔or someone trying to decide between different car models, AR lets them virtually go inside the trunk to see how much space is in there,鈥� said Singla. 鈥淭hey can open and close the sunroof or try out the controls on the entertainment console, experiencing various car options before going to the showroom.鈥�

Automotive manufacturers are among the startup鈥檚 biggest customers, along with e-commerce platforms of all sizes, retailers with or without brick-and-mortar stores, and manufacturers located in the U.S., Germany, and India.

Augmented Reality Increases Sales

Some customers using Adloid have increased sales conversions from online channels up to 200%. One online retailer tripled the number of online customers who purchased consumer items after using the tool. AR also boosts customer engagement time viewing product images and videos from an average of 30 seconds to a whopping eight minutes.

鈥淚nstead of being limited by a finite number of pre-posted images or videos, AR allows people to interact longer with products in a more personalized way, creating a powerful sales channel that鈥檚 always on at the customer鈥檚 convenience,鈥� said Singla. 鈥淧eople can better understand how a product would fit into their lives, in many cases motivating them to make a purchase decision during that single online session.鈥�

Connected Data for Intelligent Enterprise

Adloid securely anonymizes all customer data and doesn鈥檛 store any personal images or other information once someone ends their AR session. However, organizations can extract valuable insights from the tool鈥檚 analytics.

鈥淎 car might come in six colors, but which ones are customers viewing the most? Companies can see what options people are most interested in, then connect back to inventory management to make sure they can meet market demands,鈥� said Singla.

Indeed, one of Adloid鈥檚 biggest strengths is working with the 51风流Startup Studio for India, startup accelerator program. Singla said that his team gained validation for product iterations, along with access to 51风流solutions, including , and the company鈥檚 enterprise customers.

鈥淲orking with a global leader like 51风流gives our product immediate credibility because we learned what customers were looking for,鈥� he said. 鈥淎dloid is integrated with , , and , helping companies connect data to become intelligent enterprises.

AR Bridges Gap Between E-Commerce and CX

Singla鈥檚 entrepreneurial spirit was initially sparked by his family, all of whom own businesses. He founded his first startup at age 21 during his undergraduate studies in engineering, then saw a major selling gap as e-commerce took off.

鈥淐ompanies went online with their catalogs, but customers couldn鈥檛 more fully experience these products,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 launched Adloid to turn e-commerce into 3D commerce where customers can try out products virtually on their mobile device. We expect AR will provide immersive experiences in more consumer and B2B online sites including fashion, travel and tourism, and large industrial machinery.鈥�

Follow me @smgaler.

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