One year after partnering on the Vitality HealthyFood benefit, Checkers and Discovery can report a growing shift toward healthier grocery habits in South Africa – driven by meaningful rewards and everyday convenience.

The HealthyFood benefit rewards Vitality members for purchasing any of the over 2,500 approved healthy food products – available at Checkers, Checkers Hyper and Checkers Foods stores nationwide, as well as via Checkers Sixty60.

Since 1 September 2024, Checkers customers have added more than 60 million HealthyFood products into their baskets. Over the same period, Vitality members earned over 1.6 billion (~R160m) Discovery Miles for choosing healthier products in-store and online.

Checkers achieved 17.7% sales growth in fruit and vegetables this year, underpinned by its strategy to compete in the more affluent grocery sector, with a focus on health-conscious, as well as ethically and environmentally responsible, higher-income shoppers. This record growth was supported by the Discovery Vitality HealthyFood partnership and the continued expansion of the retailer’s FreshX supermarkets.

The trend extends beyond fresh produce. Checkers has also seen strong uptake in its Simple Truth private label wellness range which delivered a 24.6% increase in sales this year. The brand was developed to meet growing consumer demand for healthier, more affordable and sustainably produced products – reinforcing the broader shift in shopper behaviour toward better choices.

“The partnership between Checkers and Vitality HealthyFood is just another way the Xtra Savings rewards programme is helping customers make better choices everyday – and rewarding them for it. We are excited to deliver even more healthy rewards this year, on top of the over R1bn in instant cash savings our members already enjoy every single month.” 

- Meredith Allan, General Manager for Strategy and Rewards for the Shoprite Group

HealthyFood rewards are paid out monthly in Discovery Miles, which can be used like cash to spend, save or reinvest. The structure allows members to benefit instantly from better choices without needing to opt into complex points systems or wait for long-term targets to pay off.

“Our goal with Vitality is to create environments that nudge people toward better choices – not once-off, but consistently. The Checkers partnership supports this mission with scale, simplicity and impact,” says Celeste Williams, Head of Marketing for Discovery Vitality.

To benefit from the programme, Vitality members can select Checkers as their primary HealthyFood partner in the Discovery app where they can either sign up to Xtra Savings or have their profile linked automatically.

• Over 60 million healthier products have been purchased in-stores and via Sixty60 since Checkers partnered with Discovery Vitality just over a year ago.
• It has also delivered an 18% increase in fresh fruit and vegetable sales, driving real behavioural change among South African shoppers.
• In total, Vitality members have earned more than 1.6 billion Discovery Miles for making better food choices.

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