BOXER vs SHOPRITE vs SPAR vs PICK n PAY

Since the start of the last decade in 2010, 4 shopping centers have been built in the community of Kaalfontein, Allandale and Ebony Park (KAE). This brings a total of 5 shopping centers in KAE.

These are namely, Ebony Park Shopping Centre which is the oldest and currently up for sale; Busy Corner Mall which opened on the latter part of last year; Yarona Shopping Centre in Allandale ; Archer Crossing who’s anchor tenant is Boxer Superstores and Kaalfontein Corner.

With the addition of bo ‘My Friend’ (Pakistani, Bangladesh and Somalian tuck shop owners) the competition for your money is tough as ever.

KAE residents are spoiled for choice when it comes to where they can do their grocery shopping. In this economic climate, it is important to identify which stores offer the most value for money.

We compared the prices for essential foodstuffs in the big retailers in KAE i.e Boxer, Shoprite, Spar and Pick n Pay.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

?Our team of reporters visited the respective stores and manually wrote down prices.

?Prices for Shoprite Yarona Shopping Centre where captured and not Shoprite Kaalfontein Corner as they have the same prices.

?Pick n Pay and Boxer are owned by the same company, Pick n Pay Group. However, both prices were captured as the stores cater to different markets.

?Prices are as of the weekend of the 24-26 January 2020.

?Normal prices were captured and not ‘specials’ as this would ensure our findings are a true reflection.

?South African household brands were used in our research and in some categories like eggs, we used the store’s generic products.

?Generic Products: Shoprite (RiteBrand), Pick n Pay (No Name Brand), Spar (Spar Brand) and Boxer (Best Cook/Golden Ray).

? The same quantities were used. In cases were one store didn’t have the same quantity. It was multiplied or divided to get equivalent quantity. For example, if store didn’t have 2kg but only 1kg. The 1kg price would be multiplied by 2 to get equivalent of 2kg.

? Vegetables were calculated per kilogram.

We tried our best in choosing a basket that will be representative of most households. Our basket includes brown bread, brown sugar, eggs, salt, cooking oil, maize meal, rice, vegetables, baked beans, bread spread, soap, toothpaste, pilchards tin, milk, cereal, milk and chicken mixed portion “Braai pack”.

KAE CONSUMER BASKET (listing from lowest to highest)

BROWN ALBANY BREAD ?

Pick n Pay R13,99

Spar R13,99

Boxer R14,49

Shoprite R15,99

BROWN STORE BREAD ?

Shoprite R4,99

Boxer R6,30

Spar R7,50

Pick n Pay R8,99

30 LARGE EGGS ?

Pick n Pay R39,99

Boxer R44,99

Shoprite R45,99

Spar R48,99

2KG BROWN SELATI SUGAR ?

Shoprite R27,99

Spar R33,99

Boxer R34,99

Pick n Pay R39,99

500g CEREBOS SALT ?

Boxer R7,99

Shoprite R7,99

Spar R8,99

Pick n Pay R17,49

2L GENERIC COOKING OIL

Pick n Pay R35,99

Boxer R36,99

Shoprite R44,99

Spar R46,99

10KG ACE MAIZE MEAL

Shoprite R64,99

Boxer R79,99

Spar R95,98

Pick n Pay R114,99

2KG TASTIC RICE ?

Pick n Pay R22,99

Shoprite R27,89

Spar R27,99

Boxer R39,99

VEGETABLES (Potatoes, Tomatoes, Onions, Cabbage, Carots) ????

Pick n Pay R62,95

Boxer R63,95

Spar R65,95

Shoprite R67,96

410g KOO BAKED BEANS ?

Boxer R11,99

Pick n Pay R11,99

Shoprite R11,99

Spar R11,99

500g RAMA

Shoprite R9,99

Boxer R21,99

Pick n Pay R24,99

Spar R24,99

500g KELLOGS CORN FLAKES ?

Boxer R36,99

Pick n Pay R37,99

Spar R37,99

Shoprite R39,99

500G SUNLIGHT SOAP ?

Shoprite R10,99

Pick n Pay R13,99

Spar R14,99

Boxer R15,99

400G LUCKY STAR PILCHARD ?

Spar R17,99

Boxer R19,99

Pick n Pay R21,99

Shoprite. R21,99

100ML COLGATE ?

Boxer R8,99

Shoprite. R9,99

Pick n Pay R11,99

Spar R14,99

1L CLOVER FRESH MILK ?

Boxer R14,99

Shoprite R15,49

Pick n Pay. R15,99

Spar R19,99

2KG GOLDI MIX PORTION ?

Pick n Pay R67,99

Boxer R68,99

Shoprite R71,99

Spar R71,99

Totals for the baskets Shoprite (R501,20); Boxer (R529,60); Pick n Pay (R549,29) and Spar (R567,29).

We found it interesting that only KOO baked beans had the same price across all stores. We opted not to compare meat (butchery) prices as there’s different grades and types of meat. For example, we found that Boerewors and Brisket meat sold at the retailers was not of the same quality. We will probably compare meat prices of Roots, Meat World and the soon to be open Kwiksave in the distant future.

As can be seen in the above data, competition is very rife and it benefits consumers by keeping prices low and the quality and choice of goods and services high.

The KAE News Consumer Basket will be done yearly in order to also track inflation. Suggestions are more than welcome.