SA firms improve position

SA firms improve position

RETAILER NEWS

Fin24 - Jan 30th, 11:04

Cape Town – South Africa's major retailers have risen in the rankings of the 250 global companies. Shoprite Holdings [JSE:SHP] still leads the local choir at No 92. This can be seen in Deloitte’s latest annual global retail report, Global Powers of Retailing 2012: Switching Channels.  

The research is based on sales in 2010, a period during which emerging market retailers struggled to grow their sales. In order to compare sales across the globe, the figures are presented in US dollars. According to its international ranking, there would indeed appear to be a Checkers around every corner. The Shoprite group is the largest retailer in Africa and the Middle East and was previously 95th on the global list. In 2010 sales were worth around $10bn.

Massmart Holdings [JSE:MSM] is the second largest in Africa and 126th on the global ranking, with sales of $7.6bn. Pick n Pay Stores [JSE:PIK] is not far behind at No 133, with $7.1bn in sales. It is the third largest on the continent. Spar Group [JSE:SPP] sales amounted to $4.7bn, making it the fourth largest in Africa and No 179 globally.

Steinhoff International Holdings [JSE:SHF], which made acquisitions in Europe just as the European credit crisis began, appeared on the global list for the first time at No 218. Group sales totalled $3.7bn.

Woolworths Holdings [JSE:WHL] improved from No 248 to 222, with sales worth $3.6bn. Metcash, which underwent restructuring lost its position on the list.

The strongest compound annual sales growth in the region was achieved in Africa and the Middle East during the past five years with growth of 15.4%, said Rodger George, Deloitte’s consumer business leader. Latin America came second with growth of 14.8%, but all the other regions grew less than 7.6%.