Pick n Pay app drives 40% year-on-year growth following major tech overhaul

Pick n Pay's reimagined asap! delivery app is delivering impressive results, with on-demand grocery retail turnover growing 40% year-on-year in the first half of FY26, following a complete technology transformation in April.

The next-generation app continues to be profitable on a fully costed basis, reflecting operational discipline and scale efficiency as the service expands across South Africa, and has driven a 131% growth in first-time buyers since launch, with 78% of these new customers originating from the revamped platform. The service now offers over 44 000 items across 620 stores nationwide, supported by more than 2 500 drivers.

"The three full years of work to completely overhaul the app's technology infrastructure, both on the back-end technology and on the front-end, have been worth it," said Enrico Ferigolli, Pick n Pay Executive Head: Online. "Customers can now shop, earn, and save all in one seamless, intelligent and rewarding experience."

The new asap! app has achieved a 4.3 out of 5-star rating on both the Play Store and Apple App Store, mostly outperforming all competitors in the category. Customers have particularly praised the ability to select preferred stores for delivery, access to Pick n Pay's national network of hypermarkets with extended product ranges, and the functionality to spend Smart Shopper points.

The app's search functionality has been significantly enhanced with a refined AI engine that delivers superior results. “A search for "vegan", for example, returns over 1 200 results – considerably more than our competitors.” The intelligent search prioritises results based on individual shopping behaviour rather than simple keyword matching, and can even accommodate spelling mistakes.

"The large majority of shops start with a search, so we optimised this feature," Ferigolli said. "This best-in-class search knows what you previously bought, prioritising search results that match your shopping behaviour."

Pick n Pay's full website relaunch, which enabled on-demand ordering capability, has resulted in over 200% growth in weekly website orders. Growth remains strong across company-owned stores and franchise supermarkets have become a significant contributor to online expansion, demonstrating the strength of Pick n Pay's national network and trusted partnerships.

The refreshed user experience has driven a meaningful increase in basket value, and a new content management system allows the team to merchandise the app and make upgrades without releasing new versions.

Building on its successful partnership with FNB, Pick n Pay will introduce eBucks spending functionality in the asap! app in 2026. The retailer started participating in the FNB eBucks PayDay promotion in November offering customers free delivery and special asap! deals on the 15th of every month.

"The FNB partnership has been extremely successful for us and we continue to invest in it," said Ferigolli.

“We have ambitious plans for further innovation in the coming year, including shopping lists, easy re-ordering of previous purchases, and meal planning features to help customers answer the question of ‘what's for dinner’ more easily.”

The retailer will also integrate more Smart Shopper loyalty programme benefits into the app and continue working to optimise delivery speed and minimise stock-level impacts on customer expectations.