By: Myles Illidge - MyBroadband

It is cheaper to shop using Checkers’ Sixty60 grocery delivery app for everyday grocery items than to use Pick n Pay’s asap! service, a MyBroadband analysis has revealed.

Shoprite launched its Checkers Sixty60 online shopping platform and same-day delivery service in November 2019, and it has grown rapidly since.

As of July 2023, the retailer’s grocery delivery app had over 3.9 million downloads, and the service had expanded to 466 Checkers stores by September that same year.

More recently, Checkers Sixty60 recorded 63.1% sales growth during the first half of Shoprite’s 2023/24 financial year.

Shoprite said Checkers Sixty60 led the charge in helping grow the company’s sales during the first half of the financial year.

Although slightly down from the 17.5% half-year sales growth the year before, Shoprite reported sales growth of R121 billion — or 13.9% — for the first half of the 2023/24 financial year.

Pick n Pay CEO Sean Summers, who was recently brought back to right the ship after the company posted dismal financials, acknowledged the success of Sixty60.

“Pick n Pay launched home delivery when I was still here,” he said, referring to his first stint as chief executive between 1999 and 2007.

Summers added that Checkers had done a better job at offering a great home delivery service, allowing it to overtake Pick n Pay.

Grocery delivery price comparison

MyBroadband created a theoretical shopping basket comprising ten products common to Checkers Sixty60 and Pick n Pay asap! to determine which is more affordable.

The basket total for Checkers Sixty60 was R698.91, including delivery, while the products basket costs R782.90 from Pick n Pay asap!.

Of the ten items compared, Checkers Sixty60 was cheaper for five and matched Pick n Pay’s pricing for four products.

Therefore, Pick n Pay asap! was only cheaper for one product, namely, a 200g pack of Eskort streaky bacon, which it sold for R49.99. Checkers Sixty60’s pricing is R4 higher.

Checkers Sixty60 was significantly cheaper for 1kg of Grabouw Thick Boerewors and an 18-pack of Baby Soft 2-ply toilet paper.

Buying the boerewors through Sixty60 costs R89.99, while a pack of similar weight costs R121.99 through Pick n Pay’s delivery service.

Checkers Sixty60 sells the 18-pack of Baby Soft toilet paper for R34 less than Pick n Pay asap!.

Both online grocery delivery services offered similar pricing for a two-litre bottle of house brand full cream milk, a two-litre Coca-Cola Original, a 100g pack of Pringles, and a 900g pack of Lancewood cheddar cheese.

They both charge R35 for delivery.

Below is a table comparing Checkers Sixty60 and Pick n Pay asap! across ten products common to each store. If an item was cheaper at one store, we highlighted the lower price in green and higher in red.