Woolworths is rolling out a new kind of store that offers more services, specialist food counters and in-store experiences for shoppers, IOL reported.
The retailer said the new stores will put more focus on services. These range from beauty treatments and tailoring to bigger food counters, fresh bakery goods and recipe tastings.
The change comes as rivals such as Checkers push harder into the premium grocery market. Competition for shoppers who buy higher priced food has grown.
The format was first tried at the Woolworths store at Tygervalley in Cape Town last year. That store puts food, fashion, beauty and home goods together under one roof.
Shoppers at the new stores can get free tailoring on clothes bought in the store. They can also get bras measured and fitted, have denim lasered on RE: denim items and have gifts wrapped.
Many of the biggest changes are in the Food division. At Tygervalley, Woolworths opened a “What’s Cooking” bar. There, shoppers can taste products used in its Taste recipes and pick up ideas for meals.
The bakery at the store was made bigger. It now sells more artisanal breads and pastries, which are baked fresh every day.
The butchery, speciality cheese and fishmonger counters were also upgraded. Experts working in the store help decide which products are stocked.
The Global Pantry section was rearranged by type of cooking from around the world. It now includes Italian and Mexican food sections.
In Gauteng, the first Food Emporium opened at Dainfern Square. It has a larger bakery and separate fishmonger and butcher counters run by trained staff.
The Dainfern Square store also has a specialist cheese counter and a sushi counter that makes fresh sushi every day. Its pantry carries a wider range of local and imported products.
Woolworths said its Beauty division was also changed. It now offers beauty treatments and free hair and skin checks, with product suggestions for each customer.
The company said the Tygervalley store is its greenest full-line store so far. Most of its shop fittings are made from responsibly sourced timber and locally made boards.
The materials were picked because they can be reused or recycled later, according to the retailer.
Woolworths said the changes are part of its plan to shape its stores around what customers now need. It said Tygervalley was the first full-line version of the new format and that it plans to roll it out further.
Woolworths Holdings reportedly spent R2.4 billion on capital expenditure in its 2026 financial year. Growth projects made up a large part of that spending.
The company has named faster openings of next-generation stores as one of its investment opportunities.
In the year to June 2026, food turnover and concession sales rose by 5.7%, while Beauty sales grew by 7.9%. Online sales made up 7.3% of the company’s South African Food sales.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL. Image: IOL. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.