South Africa's Pick n Pay bets on essential staples to boost Black Friday sales

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 21 (Reuters) - South Africa's third biggest grocery retailer Pick n Pay is banking on staple grocery items to drive sales among cautious consumers in the crucial shopping month of November leading up to the holiday season.

The retailer has expanded its early Black Friday deals to prioritise everyday staples in response to a growing trend among shoppers to prioritise essential purchases during the annual sales event, it said in a statement.

Its decision is paying off as over just three days from last Friday to Sunday, when it launched its early deals, Pick n Pay sold enough sugar to sweeten over 70 million cups of coffee and enough rice to serve over two million meals, the retailer added.

Since the launch of its early deals, Pick n Pay said it is already seeing strong customer support for the promotional items in-store and across its online platforms.

Basic staple items like sugar, rice, toilet paper, and nappies were the major contributors. Shoppers are also buying cool drinks and cereals.

Its own private label was one of the top-selling brands, it added.

"Black Friday has evolved from a frenzy of splurging into a highly anticipated savings opportunity," Tessa Chamberlain, Marketing Director at Pick n Pay said.

"Many customers now carefully plan their shopping lists to make the most of the deals, and we work nearly a year in advance with suppliers to ensure we deliver unbeatable value that helps households stretch their budgets."

The retailer also has deals running for general merchandise items, ranging from electronics to big appliances and homeware, which remain popular for some.

Pick n Pay is the first major retailer to provide insight in how consumers are spending so far during the month long Black Friday shopping period, a critical sales driver for the sector ahead of the holiday season.

Retailers including Pick n Pay, Walmart owned Massmart, Amazon.com , Shoprite and Woolworths

kicked off the holiday shopping season earlier than usual, offering deals on goods ranging from toys and food to household items.

($1 = 18.1197 rand)

(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla; editing by David Evans)

((nqobile.dludla@thomsonreuters.com; +27103461066;))