Food shines for Woolworths as retailer’s other divisions struggle
CEO Sam Ngumeni acknowledged that 2026 was a tough year for Woolworths
The Woolworths Group has identified its premium food division as the cornerstone of its future growth strategy, even as other divisions face challenges. Group CEO Sam Ngumeni revealed that Woolies Food propelled the retailer's performance in 2026, delivering above-market results. Despite the tough year for the company, driven by economic pressure and weaker consumer demand, food sales grew by 5.7% and the comparable-store basis grew by 3.7%.
The group's turnover and concession sales rose by 4.3% to R84.5 billion, with on-demand delivery contributing to a 19.6% revenue increase. Ngumeni stated that the food division is the country's most trusted grocery retailer and the group's primary engine of value creation. The retailer aims to leverage the success of its food division by incorporating complementary categories, thereby strengthening its offering and customers' spending within the Woolworths ecosystem.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
