This SA retailer promises cheaper prices
With a 43% savings compared to traditional retailers, this might be the future of successfully shopping on a budget.
You might not expect it, but a South African retailer is quietly carving out a name for itself as the country’s most most-effective supermarket.
The secret behind its consistently low prices? A smart (and safe) concept that some shoppers might initially overlook.
Founded in 2017 by Mark Gordan and Alan Soriano, Best Before stores specialise in discounted products that are either short-dated or past their best-before dates.
Due to the nature of the products' shelf dates, the company can keep its costs low and promise consumers savings of between 28% and 43% compared to traditional retailers.
According to Business Tech, Best Before operates by buying large volumes of products nearing their best-before dates at heavily discounted prices – savings that are then passed directly onto consumers.
The shelves are stocked with well-known and trusted brands such as Cadbury, Toblerone, Cook n Bake, and All Gold, alongside other household names including Clover, Bakers, Halls, Game, Black Cat, Craft, Nescafé, Pepsi, and Anat.
Recently, they expanded their offering to include imported favourites like Mountain Dew, Côte d’Or, Hershey’s, Bokomo, Willards, Koo, and Labello.
While Best Before stores are currently only located in areas around Gauteng, their success rates show great promise.
The brand has rigorous quality control measures that help ensure it delivers safe products to its customers.
They even refund their customers on products that don't meet their satisfaction.
Best Before currently has stores in Wendywood, Sandton, Boksburg, Edenvale, Fourways, Northcliff, Krugersdorp, and at the Atterbury Lifestyle Centre in Pretoria.
Due to growing demand, Soriano shared that the company plans to open at least one new store each year.
While the focus remains on major cities, there are plans to expand into smaller towns as well.
Best Before also offers online shopping for customers in Gauteng, with intentions to roll out its e-commerce service to other provinces soon.
The retailer is continuously expanding its product range and is actively seeking partnerships with suppliers holding surplus stock to establish long-term collaborations.
With more South Africans feeling the pressure of rising living costs, Best Before is fast emerging as a practical solution to the country’s affordability crisis.
For more information on the differences between food production dates, read here.
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