Shoprite announced that its Uniq by Checkers clothing chain has opened its 50th store in Sea Point, Cape Town. The company said the new outlet “marks a significant moment for a brand that is redefining what customers can expect from everyday clothing.”
Uniq, launched in March 2023, now operates in eight provinces and added 13 new stores in the last financial year. Head buyer Benise Spangenberg called the 50-store milestone “an incredibly exciting moment” and said it reflects strong customer response to clothing that combines quality fabrics, style and an accessible price.
Shoprite highlighted that the brand’s growth comes as the retailer opened 262 new stores across South Africa in the same period, bringing its total store count to 3,710. While the fashion segment still represents a modest share of the group’s turnover, the company claims the expansion shows strong demand for well-made, affordable clothing.
Uniq differentiates itself by offering self-checkout services. The store uses smart tags and radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology that lets customers scan items and pay without a cashier. Shoprite notes that this concept is common overseas but has been slow to appear in South African retail.
For independent clothing retailers, the rapid rollout of a large, low-price fashion chain may increase competition for foot traffic and price-sensitive shoppers. The move also puts pressure on established players such as Woolworths and Pick n Pay Clothing, which have larger store networks but face their own strategic challenges.
Source: Businesstech. For more retail news see Retail & Consumer.
The inaugural Uniq outlet opened at Canal Walk Mall in Cape Town back in March 2023, setting the tone for a brand that markets itself as “fashioned on simplicity, comfort, superior fabrics and value”. That first store showcased the range’s focus on premium basics that can be mixed and matched across colour palettes and textures, a positioning that the retailer says appeals to families seeking everyday wear without a premium price tag.
Pick n Pay Clothing, which entered the market in 2002, now operates 437 stores across South Africa, according to its most recent financial results. The chain’s like-for-like sales have risen at an average of 3.5 % over the past three years, a growth rate the company describes as strong relative to competitors. This performance illustrates how an established retailer can sustain incremental expansion while maintaining modest turnover in the fashion segment, offering a point of comparison for Uniq’s more rapid store rollout.
Woolworths has recently shifted its strategic emphasis toward its premium food business, describing the move as a reorientation around its market-leading food offering, which it views as its strongest competitive advantage. The group’s latest financial statements note that carefully selected adjacent categories will bolster the customer proposition and the overall ecosystem.
Self-checkout at Uniq stores relies on smart tags attached to each garment, which communicate with RFID readers embedded in the checkout stations. When a customer scans an item, the system instantly registers the product and updates the virtual basket, allowing the shopper to complete payment without a cashier’s intervention. Well-trained sales assistants remain available to help customers who need it, per the company’s own description of the format.
Looking ahead, the company’s expansion plan anticipates adding further outlets to reach a broader footprint, though exact timelines remain contingent on site acquisition and construction schedules. As each new store becomes operational, the integrated self-checkout system will be calibrated to local inventory, ensuring consistency across the network. This systematic approach aims to sustain the momentum highlighted by the recent 50-store milestone while maintaining the brand’s promise of quality, style and affordability.
