Africa’s largest retailer, The Shoprite Group, has successfully completed the implementation of its new POS system from GK in its 2,450 South African stores in just five months. With the project, the retailer has upgraded 29,191 tills across its home country, significantly improving transaction speed and efficiency. The rollout to stores located in the rest of Africa will begin early this year.
The implementation of GK Software’s new POS system represents a significant development in Shoprite’s efforts to enhance its omnichannel retail operations. By integrating all store processes into a single, efficient platform, the new system enables a seamless shopping experience across digital and physical channels, while increasing operational agility.
Within five months, the rollout was largely complete, covering 2,450 stores across Shoprite’s banner operations, including Checkers, Usave, LiquorShop, Little Me, Checkers Outdoor, and Petshop Science. The project involved complex logistical efforts, including the conversion of 43 stores in a single day and the overnight upgrade of 631 checkout lanes. In total, 58,382 hours were invested in the changeover.
Enhanced customer and employee experience
GK’s new system introduced larger, colour-coded screen display and an intuitive user interface, allowing cashiers to process transactions faster and more efficiently. Automated processes further simplify daily tasks, allowing staff to focus on customer interactions. “The implementation of the new POS system is a game-changer for us, it not only enhances our operational efficiency but also significantly improves the shopping experience for our customers,” says Chris Shortt, CTO of The Shoprite Group. The former Chief Information and Technology Officer of Shoprite’s competitor Pick n Pay joined the group in January 2024. His predecessor David Cohn, who started the project with GK, retired last year after serving The Shoprite Group for more than 20 years.
The technology delivers a number of enhancements, including a 60 per cent faster cash-up process, enabling employees to close trading days more efficiently. Refunds can now be processed directly at the point of sale, providing a smoother customer experience. The enhanced cash management system also improves financial oversight and reporting.
Rapid rollout of Africa’s first RFID self-checkouts
As reported by The Retail Optimiser, The Shoprite Group, together with GK, has launched the first RFID self-checkouts on the African continent with its banner operation UNIQ. The retail group’s senior executive requested the new clothing banner to be up and running in just six months. The UNIQ stores were to be equipped with RFID-based self-checkouts instead of traditional tills. Together, the teams from Shoprite Technology, GK, and the RFID technology provider Nedap had worked a miracle. The first RFID self-checkout on the African continent worked extremely well when shoppers placed their items in the self-checkout wells. By June 2023, The Shoprite Group had nine UNIQ stores in operation across South Africa.
