02 Nov 2025 Pick n Pay revamps No Name brand as part of turnaround strategy
Pick n Pay is reimagining its iconic No Name brand as part of a sweeping effort to restore profitability and sharpen its value proposition ….
The relaunch, led by returning CEO Sean Summers, forms a central plank in Pick n Pay’s turnaround strategy following a difficult financial period that saw the group post a R4-billion loss in the 2024 financial year.
First introduced in 1976, Pick n Pay’s No Name range became a household fixture, providing cost-conscious South Africans with reliable alternatives to leading national brands. Nearly five decades later, the line has expanded to over 3,000 products across grocery, household, and personal care categories.
But according to Summers, not every product that carried the No Name badge truly reflected its intended promise. “A lot of work has been done to clean out the items that were poorly conceived,” he has noted in recent media interviews. “We’ve removed products that should never have been in the range.”
Over the next year, customers will begin to see a revamped and repositioned No Name line-up designed to compete head-on with SA’s strongest private-label offerings. The ambition, Summers says, is for No Name to become “a well-known, leading house brand” rather than simply a low-cost fallback.
Streamlining the business to rebuild strength
The product overhaul is part of a broader effort to simplify Pick n Pay’s business and focus on profitable growth. Since Summers’ return in late 2023, the group has been closing underperforming stores and refocusing its retail footprint.
During its most recent reporting period, Pick n Pay closed a net 59 supermarkets, with a few additional closures still to come. The company’s store rationalisation removed about R4-billion worth of unprofitable sales from the system. Summers maintains that this leaner footprint will ultimately improve service and efficiency:
“The smaller store estate allows us to serve our customers better and to support long-term sustainable growth,” he said.
He also emphasised that Pick n Pay’s strategy is not a numbers game. “We don’t see retail as a race to see who has the most stores,” he remarked.
Signs of progress
While the group remains under pressure, early signs of recovery are visible. In its interim results for the six months ended 31 August 2025, Pick n Pay reported a reduced headline loss of R439-million, nearly halving the R804-million loss from the prior year.
Trading profit rose by R227-million, supported by stronger cash flow and lower financing costs following a successful recapitalisation.
That recapitalisation — a two-step process involving a rights issue and the separate listing of Boxer, Pick n Pay’s fast-growing discount chain — injected billions into the balance sheet and improved liquidity. Boxer continues to outperform, with turnover growth of 13.9%, helping lift total group sales by 4.9% year-on-year.
Even so, the company has cautioned that its core Pick n Pay division will likely post a similar loss in the 2026 financial year as it continues investing in talent, systems, and store execution to reach a breakeven target.
A test of trust and brand equity
For retail analysts, the No Name relaunch is more than a packaging refresh — it’s a litmus test for how Pick n Pay can reconnect with price-sensitive shoppers while defending market share against agile competitors like Checkers and Shoprite.
If successful, the overhaul could breathe new life into one of South Africa’s best-known private labels, signalling that value retailing can coexist with innovation, consistency, and consumer trust.
Source: BusinessTech, Business Times