Pick 'n Pay announced that it's looking to open a store in Ghana next year.The retailer already operates in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland.

It says these businesses have been doing extremely well, hence its expansion to West Africa.

Pick n Pay said on Tuesday that its turnaround was gaining momentum as it reported profit of R321.4 million for the first half, a 23.1 percent improvement on the R261 million recorded last time.

The supermarket group said it had raised turnover by 8.5 percent in the six months to the end of August, from R32.1 billion to R34.9 billion, despite an increasingly challenging market environment.

The company says it will remain focused on improving its operational efficiency in all countries it operates in.

No report about the grocery group would be complete without at least one tiny little mention of Stikeez so let’s get those little monsters out of the way now.

The Stikeez campaign, in which customers spending a certain amount were given small toy characters for their own little monsters to collect obsessively and stick to dashboards and fridges, was run during the period under review.

It captivated many children and even some bloggers, with at least one widely shared report suggesting they were the work of the devil. Pick n Pay described them somewhat less emotionally as “a fun thank you to Pick n Pay customers for their custom and loyalty”.

A statement from the group said it was improving efficiency all round and winning back customers by creating a better customer experience.

The turnaround programme has included closing some underperforming stores and refurbishing others. New and refurbished stores have wider aisles, enhanced lighting and signage, “dedicated product-category alcoves for easy store navigation”, faster checkouts, Wi-Fi connectivity and automatic ordering and replenishment.

The group, which employs close to 50 000 people in its corporate business and roughly the same number again through its franchisees, launched a “war on waste” campaign in July.

The campaign makes commitments on reducing food waste and energy usage as well as a pledge to create 5 000 new jobs a year between 2015 and 2020 – representing 20 new jobs per day.

“We are already demonstrating meaningful progress, with 1 800 new jobs created over the reporting period,” it said.

Headline earnings per share came in at 32.94 cents, 24.2 percent up from 26.51 cents last time, and an interim dividend of 11.60 cents per share was declared, representing a 23.4 percent increase on 9.40 cents.

- Africa News Agency