Grocery Retailers in Pakistan
Grocery Retailers in Pakistan
Grocery Retailers in Pakistan
Passport
Euromonitor International
Passport
TRENDS
Trends and changed in grocery retailers in 2012 were in line with the ongoing changes in retailing over the review period with no significant new changes introduced to alter dynamics. Traditional grocery retailers experienced slower growth of 10% compared to modern grocery retailers which increased by 18%. Modern grocery retailers is growing from a comparatively small base in terms of value sales but is at the forefront in terms of visibility and popularity amongst consumers. In line with changing lifestyles and demands of an urbanising population, consumers are going for one-stop solutions, lured by better prices, wider range of products, better, more professional service and shopping convenience at modern grocery retailers making them less dependent on neighbourhood grocery retailers. This also means that instead of shopping for necessary items on a daily/weekly basis, consumers are shifting towards buying their grocery needs on a monthly basis. Other grocery retailers was the biggest channel in current value sales terms in 2012, with 76% share. Led by the wide network of government-owned Utility Store Corps Utility Store, these retailers serve the local population through discount pricing and easy access to a large variety of products. Present in large cities, small towns and villages, these retailers cover a wide range of the population and are attractive places to shop from for a large segment of the population. As the face of the government in retailing, expansion in the number of outlets and use as a tool to provide relief from high inflation were the major activities occurring in this channel in 2012. Hypermarkets was the fastest growing channel in 2012 due to its small base. Current value sales grew by 75% in 2012, mainly due to the opening of a new (second) outlet in a high street mall (Dolmen Mall) in Karachi. Karachi is the largest city in Pakistan and also its business hub tapping into this area is an important step forward for hypermarkets. Hyperstar is the currently the only player in hypermarkets and is planning on opening a third outlet in Karachi in the latter half of 2012. Supermarkets was also one of the top performing channels amongst grocery retailers in 2012. Current value sales grew by 14% in 2012 which is above the average for grocery retailers and outlets grew by 3% which is much higher than 1% for grocery retailers as a whole. Rising popularity of this channel amongst consumers in urban centres led to more of them frequenting supermarkets for their regular grocery needs. More outlets provided greater coverage of urban centres, making it easier for consumers to opt to shop at supermarkets instead of their neighbourhood small grocery stores.
Euromonitor International
Passport
The share of groceries in supermarkets declined steadily over the review period, falling from 76% in 2005 to 73% in 2012. In the case of hypermarkets, the share of groceries fell from 68% to 67% from 2009 to 2012. This indicates that these modern grocery retailers are paying more attention to non-grocery items by giving them more shelf-space this is caused by the higher margins often associated with these items and the strategy of these retailers to provide greater product variety to consumers. Another reason for this trend can be the profile of the consumers visiting supermarkets and hypermarkets urban middle to upper class shoppers are increasingly spending more on non-essential grocery items as incomes and lifestyles improve. Discounters was not present in Pakistan in 2012. There was a growing trend towards convenience in grocery retailing in Pakistan in 2012 as convenience retailing is an upcoming modern retailing channel. There is little consumer awareness or demand for more convenience stores as consumers are attuned to the traditional form of grocery retailing, but current sales are growing at a substantial pace and the trend is likely to catch on as urban consumers will appreciate the services that convenience stores has to offer. The unique selling point of forecourt retailers is that its operating hours and the association with petrol pumps and CNG stations. Consumers are spending more and more time waiting in lines at CNG stations and petrol pumps due to the frequent load shedding of CNG, especially in the winter season. Forecourt retailers witnessed an increase of 14% in current value sales in 2012. Domestic retailers completely dominated grocery retailers with only a few exceptions such as Hyperstar in hypermarkets. With the uncertain investment climate, not many foreign retailers have entered or are operating in Pakistani grocery retailers and growth and sales are almost completely driven by domestic retailers. Convenience stores grew by 18% in current value terms, which is much slower than the rapidly growing hypermarkets but marginally faster than the growth rate of supermarkets at 14%. This can be attributed to the more widespread coverage of convenience stores and the value consumers place on extended store timings. Independent small grocers also competes through location and relationship with customers proving to be its anchoring force. Its key strength is its longstanding presence and the convenience of location which is a major factor in a time of fuel shortages and high fuel prices, which make transportation an expensive commodity. Independent small grocers grew by 13% in current value terms in 2012. In 2012, the largest part of food/drink/tobacco specialists was accounted for food specialist retailers. This is because food is a daily necessity while consumption of drink and tobacco is limited to smaller population segments. Additionally, drink/tobacco specialists are decreasing in popularity, as these products are stocked by general grocery retailers with a much wider presence and even current specialists are moving towards expanding their product range to stay in business. Food/drink/tobacco specialists grew at a strong pace of 16% in current value terms in 2012 in response to growing population and demand for better quality food among Pakistans urban population. New outlets of successful chains such as Rahat Bakers, Gourmet Foods and Shezan indicated the consumers demand for quality and standardised products. Other grocery retailers include kiosks, market stalls and street vendors with a primary focus on selling food, drink and tobacco. In addition to this, other grocery retailers also includes Utility Store operated by Utility Store Corp of Pakistan, a government-run entity. This channel also includes health food stores, confectioners, newsagents, food and drink souvenir stores and regional speciality stores. Other grocery retailers increased by 9% in 2012 in current
Euromonitor International
Passport
value terms, slower growth than posted in 2011 due to tough economic conditions for the lower strata of the society which form the main consumers in this channel. Other grocery retailers also faced strong competition from modern retailing channels. Internet retailing of grocery products was negligible in Pakistan in 2012, with most emerging internet retailing websites focusing on non-grocery items such as electronics and apparel.
TRADITIONAL VS MODERN
Traditional grocery retailers continued to dominate grocery retailing in Pakistan. This is because Pakistan is still a developing country and a large proportion of its population lives in rural areas where the reach of modern grocery retailing has not yet extended. Even in urban areas, traditional grocery retailing has strong roots and deep linkages with society. However, the value share of modern grocery retailers is on the rise due to gradual acceptance of modern retailing among Pakistani consumers, mainly in the middle and upper class of urban populations. In particular, hypermarkets and convenience stores are rapidly gaining acceptance and value share in urban and suburban areas. Traditional grocery retailers remains an important channel in Pakistan because it is deeply rooted in the social and economic systems of society. From the credit lines extended by independent small grocers to local neighbourhood communities to the omnipresence of Utility Store outlets across the country, the traditional channels are very much alive and dominant in the system. Modern retailing appeals to a particular segment of society due to their lifestyle and income groups, and it is rapidly gaining acceptability. The value share of traditional grocery retailers declined over the review period. This is because many Pakistani consumers switched to modern grocery retailers in search of greater convenience such as longer opening hours, better service, including clearly labelled prices, as well as a wider range of products and higher product quality, specifically food which was kept fresh through the use of refrigeration and imported premium brands. Realising the potential of modern grocery retailing, many supermarkets and hypermarkets are expanding or have plans to expand into Pakistans suburban areas. There are no specific government measures in Pakistan aimed at promoting either type of grocery retailing channel over the other. Traditional grocery retailers continued to compete on low prices and personal relationships with customers. This channel usually chooses strategic locations such as neighbourhood centres and busy markets in order to capture local customers. There is also some level of support seen in the form of trade unions that attempt to protect the businesses from any aggressive new entrants. Given that many traditional grocery retailers are small family-run businesses, they may not have specific strategies in place to compete with modern grocery retailers. For many traditional grocery retailers in Pakistan, it is very much business as usual with no thought-out strategies in the face of the threat of modern grocery retailing formats.
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Utility Store Corp of Pakistan led grocery retailers during 2012 with a value share of 4%. Utility Store Corp operated 6,012 outlets in Pakistan during 2012, an increase of 312 outlets from the previous year. The wide spread of its outlets across Pakistan makes it convenient for consumers to easily access the companys outlets. Utility Store Corp witnessed the highest increase in value share in grocery retailing in 2012. This was due to the sharp increase (6%) in the number of outlets and the strategy to open mega stores in select places which has also helped boost sales. In tough economic times
Euromonitor International
Passport
with high inflation, the widespread network and the discount pricing that these retailers offer is a welcome sight for consumers. There were no mergers and acquisitions in 2012. Different grocery retailers leverage on different strengths in order to attract customers. Many traditional independent small grocers have established good relationships and a high level of trust with their customers, especially those operating in rural areas and small towns. On the other hand, modern grocery retailers focus more on product variety and the high quality of their goods as well as more efficient customer service such as transparent pricing with clear price label displays, electronic cash registers and the choice of either cash or credit card payment. Moreover, large grocery retailers are able to offer their products at lower prices and frequent discount promotions as they operate on a much larger scale. Both modern grocery retailers and traditional grocery retailers in Pakistan have different strengths in terms of regional coverage. Supermarkets and hypermarkets focus on major cities, where the population concentration is high and the population is relatively affluent in order to maximise sales and profits. However, these large retailers have yet to expand into Pakistans less affluent areas. Convenience stores are mainly located in cities, suburbs and town centres, where they provide extended opening hours and modern retailing facilities in order to meet the growing demand for convenience shopping. Traditional small grocers benefit from the widespread presence of these types of outlets throughout the country. Domestic retailers increased in value sales more than international retailers during 2012 due to better knowledge of consumer tastes and the cultural and the business environment in Pakistan. Additionally, they have a widespread network of outlets and strong personal relationships with consumers. Modern and traditional grocery channels in Pakistan appeal to different target audiences. Modern grocery retailers offer a greater variety of products but at above-average prices, while also offering convenience, transparent transactions using electronic cash registers and a better quality customer service, all of which are important to middle and upper-middle income consumers. Traditional grocery retailers, on the other hand, appeal to lower middle-income consumers, who account for 15% of the total population, and for whom price, convenience and location are the most important factors. There were no key new entrants in grocery retailers in 2012.
PROSPECTS
Grocery retailers in Pakistan is expected to decline by a constant value CAGR of 1% over the forecast period. The main reason for the negative growth is the high level of inflation that leaves the otherwise impressive current value growth to be insignificant in comparison. Modern grocery retailers is predicted to grow by a constant value CAGR of 4%, while traditional grocery retailers is estimated to shrink by a constant value CAGR of 1% over the forecast period. As urbanisation in Pakistan is likely to continue, modern grocery retailers will continue to enjoy high growth. Other grocery retailers will continue to grow and will remain dominant in retailing in Pakistan, particularly in small towns and rural areas. However, due to the rise of modern retailing and increasing urbanisation, this channel is expected to decline by a constant value CAGR of 2%. Hypermarkets is projected to be the fastest growing retailing channel in constant value terms, with a CAGR of 14%. This is due to several factors. Hypermarkets attracts consumers by offering a wide range of products including non-grocery merchandise. Product variety and convenience are important draws for customers. Secondly, the rapid pace of urbanisation in Pakistan is driving the expansion of hypermarkets such as Carrefour and the Metro Groups
Euromonitor International
Passport
Real chain. Many of these new outlets are located in out-of-town sites or as the anchor stores in new shopping centres. Convenience is expected to gain currency in grocery retailers in Pakistan as modern retailing outlets become more prevalent. Some customers may switch from independent small grocers to modern retailing channels for the various benefits on offer such as higher quality products, transparent pricing, and reliable customer service and extended opening hours. Riding on the wave of the growing popularity of modern grocery retailers, both convenience stores and forecourt retailers will enjoy steady growth. Furthermore, this growth is expected to be faster than the growth expected in independent small grocers. The growth of small grocery retailers formats is expected to be slower than that of hypermarkets and supermarkets. Food/drink/tobacco specialists is expected to post strong growth, increasing by a constant value CAGR of 4%. In particular, chained food specialists such as Gourmet Foods and Shezan Confectionaries are likely to open more outlets in Pakistans cities in order to cater to the growing demand coming from the increasing population. As consumers in Pakistans cities acquire more sophisticated tastes and become more affluent, demand for fresh bread and confectionery is also expected to grow. Other grocery retailers is expected to experience a fall in sales, declining at a constant value CAGR of 2%. This is despite the stellar performance of Utility Store, as kiosks, market stalls and street vendors, which comprise the bulk of other grocery retailers, are likely to lose sales to modern grocery retailers, which offers a larger variety of fresher products. Internet retailing will continue to remain negligible through to 2017.
CHANNEL FORMATS
Chart 1 Modern Grocery Retailers: Shell Select in Islamabad
Euromonitor International
Passport
Source:
Euromonitor International
Chart 2
Euromonitor International
Passport
Source:
Euromonitor International
Chart 3
Euromonitor International
Passport
Source:
Euromonitor International
Chart 4
Euromonitor International
Passport
Source:
Euromonitor International
Chart 5
Euromonitor International
Passport
10
Source:
Euromonitor International
Chart 6
Euromonitor International
Passport
11
Source:
Euromonitor International
Chart 7
Euromonitor International
Passport
12
Source:
Euromonitor International
CHANNEL DATA
Table 1 Sales in Grocery Retailers by Channel: Value 2007-2012
PKR billion, retail value rsp excl sales tax 2007 Modern Grocery Retailers - Convenience Stores - Discounters - Forecourt Retailers -- Chained Forecourt Retailers -- Independent Forecourt Retailers - Hypermarkets - Supermarkets Traditional Grocery Retailers - Food/Drink/Tobacco Specialists - Independent Small Grocers - Other Grocery Retailers Grocery Retailers
Source:
2008 68.0 32.3 7.8 7.8 27.9 1,328.8 18.6 165.3 1,145.0 1,396.8
2009 86.0 42.3 8.7 8.7 2.0 32.9 1,388.5 25.4 191.1 1,172.0 1,474.4
2010 103.8 52.8 9.4 9.4 3.0 38.5 1,443.2 31.7 210.3 1,201.3 1,547.1
2011 124.0 64.4 10.8 10.8 4.0 44.8 1,634.1 38.0 238.6 1,357.4 1,758.1
2012 146.5 76.1 12.4 12.4 7.0 51.0 1,797.3 43.9 269.4 1,484.0 1,943.8
54.1 24.4 6.8 6.8 22.9 1,256.4 14.5 139.8 1,102.1 1,310.5
Euromonitor International from official statistics, trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews, trade sources
Euromonitor International
Passport
13
Table 2 outlets
2007 Modern Grocery Retailers - Convenience Stores - Discounters - Forecourt Retailers -- Chained Forecourt Retailers -- Independent Forecourt Retailers - Hypermarkets - Supermarkets Traditional Grocery Retailers - Food/Drink/Tobacco Specialists - Independent Small Grocers - Other Grocery Retailers Grocery Retailers
Source:
2008 4,316 3,865 313 313 138 442,684 20,896 375,142 46,646 447,000
2009 4,558 4,102 316 316 1 139 450,613 20,954 380,214 49,445 455,171
2010 4,766 4,302 321 321 1 142 456,940 21,064 383,214 52,662 461,706
2011 4,883 4,410 325 325 2 146 462,232 21,169 384,714 56,349 467,115
2012 5,003 4,520 330 330 2 151 464,317 21,264 386,014 57,039 469,320
4,012 3,568 309 309 135 435,227 20,586 370,214 44,427 439,239
Euromonitor International from official statistics, trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews, trade sources
Table 3
% current value growth, retail value rsp excl sales tax 2011/12 Modern Grocery Retailers - Convenience Stores - Discounters - Forecourt Retailers -- Chained Forecourt Retailers -- Independent Forecourt Retailers - Hypermarkets - Supermarkets Traditional Grocery Retailers - Food/Drink/Tobacco Specialists - Independent Small Grocers - Other Grocery Retailers Grocery Retailers
Source:
2007-12 CAGR 22.0 25.5 12.7 12.7 17.4 7.4 24.8 14.0 6.1 8.2
2007/12 Total 170.7 211.6 82.0 82.0 122.7 43.1 203.0 92.7 34.7 48.3
18.1 18.3 14.3 14.3 75.0 13.8 10.0 15.5 12.9 9.3 10.6
Euromonitor International from official statistics, trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews, trade sources
Euromonitor International
Passport
14
- Convenience Stores - Discounters - Forecourt Retailers -- Chained Forecourt Retailers -- Independent Forecourt Retailers - Hypermarkets - Supermarkets Traditional Grocery Retailers - Food/Drink/Tobacco Specialists - Independent Small Grocers - Other Grocery Retailers Grocery Retailers
Source:
2.5 1.5 1.5 0.0 3.4 0.5 0.4 0.3 1.2 0.5
Euromonitor International from official statistics, trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews, trade sources
Table 5
% retail value rsp excl sales tax Company Utility Store Corp of Pakistan Carrefour MAF Hypermarkets Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd PSO Outlets Ltd Shell Pakistan Ltd Chevron Pakistan Ltd Others Total
Source:
2008 3.4 -
Euromonitor International from official statistics, trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews, trade sources
Table 6
% retail value rsp excl sales tax Brand Company Utility Store Hyperstar Utility Store Corp of Pakistan Carrefour MAF Hypermarkets Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd PSO Outlets Ltd Shell Pakistan Ltd Chevron Pakistan Ltd
Euromonitor International from official statistics, trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews, trade sources
Company
2009
2010
2011
2012
Euromonitor International
Passport
15
Utility Store Corp of Pakistan PSO Outlets Ltd Shell Pakistan Ltd Chevron Pakistan Ltd Carrefour MAF Hypermarkets Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd
5,550 177 67 33 1
5,650 179 68 32 1
5,700 182 68 31 2
6,012 185 70 32 2
Others Total
Source:
449,343 455,171
455,776 461,706
461,132 467,115
463,019 469,320
Euromonitor International from official statistics, trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews, trade sources
Table 8
Company Utility Store Corp of Pakistan PSO Outlets Ltd Carrefour MAF Hypermarkets Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd Shell Pakistan Ltd Chevron Pakistan Ltd
Euromonitor International from official statistics, trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews, trade sources
Table 9
PKR billion, retail value rsp excl sales tax 2012 Modern Grocery Retailers - Convenience Stores - Discounters - Forecourt Retailers -- Chained Forecourt Retailers -- Independent Forecourt Retailers - Hypermarkets - Supermarkets Traditional Grocery Retailers - Food/Drink/Tobacco Specialists - Independent Small Grocers - Other Grocery Retailers Grocery Retailers 146.5 76.1 12.4 12.4 7.0 51.0 1,797.3 43.9 269.4 1,484.0 1,943.8 2013 147.2 77.6 12.8 12.8 4.9 51.8 1,750.2 44.9 267.7 1,437.6 1,897.4 2014 153.3 79.7 13.3 13.3 6.8 53.4 1,721.8 46.3 268.3 1,407.2 1,875.1 2015 160.6 82.0 13.9 13.9 9.1 55.5 1,701.5 48.0 267.7 1,385.7 1,862.0 2016 168.9 84.8 14.4 14.4 11.6 58.1 1,695.7 50.3 270.3 1,375.2 1,864.6 2017 175.9 87.3 13.9 13.9 13.6 61.0 1,691.1 52.7 273.5 1,364.9 1,867.0
Euromonitor International
Passport
16
Source:
Euromonitor International from trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews, trade sources
Table 10 outlets
2012 Modern Grocery Retailers - Convenience Stores - Discounters - Forecourt Retailers -- Chained Forecourt Retailers -- Independent Forecourt Retailers - Hypermarkets - Supermarkets Traditional Grocery Retailers - Food/Drink/Tobacco Specialists - Independent Small Grocers - Other Grocery Retailers Grocery Retailers
Source:
2013 5,109 4,610 339 339 3 157 465,933 21,349 387,014 57,570 471,042
2014 5,205 4,691 346 346 4 164 467,602 21,445 387,964 58,193 472,807
2015 5,293 4,761 355 355 5 172 469,315 21,531 388,864 58,920 474,608
2016 5,356 4,809 361 361 6 180 470,856 21,639 389,642 59,575 476,212
2017 5,394 4,833 365 365 7 189 472,133 21,736 390,226 60,171 477,527
5,003 4,520 330 330 2 151 464,317 21,264 386,014 57,039 469,320
Euromonitor International from trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews, trade sources
Table 11
% current value growth, retail value rsp excl sales tax 2012-17 CAGR Modern Grocery Retailers - Convenience Stores - Discounters - Forecourt Retailers -- Chained Forecourt Retailers -- Independent Forecourt Retailers - Hypermarkets - Supermarkets Traditional Grocery Retailers - Food/Drink/Tobacco Specialists - Independent Small Grocers - Other Grocery Retailers Grocery Retailers
Source:
2012/17 TOTAL 20.1 14.7 12.5 12.5 94.9 19.8 -5.9 19.8 1.5 -8.0 -3.9
3.7 2.8 2.4 2.4 14.3 3.7 -1.2 3.7 0.3 -1.7 -0.8
Euromonitor International from trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews, trade sources
2016/17
2012-17 CAGR
2012/17 Total
Euromonitor International
Passport
17
Modern Grocery Retailers - Convenience Stores - Discounters - Forecourt Retailers -- Chained Forecourt Retailers -- Independent Forecourt Retailers - Hypermarkets - Supermarkets Traditional Grocery Retailers - Food/Drink/Tobacco Specialists - Independent Small Grocers - Other Grocery Retailers Grocery Retailers
Source:
0.7 0.5 1.1 1.1 16.7 5.0 0.3 0.4 0.1 1.0 0.3
1.5 1.3 2.0 2.0 28.5 4.6 0.3 0.4 0.2 1.1 0.3
7.8 6.9 10.6 10.6 250.0 25.2 1.7 2.2 1.1 5.5 1.7
Euromonitor International from trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews, trade sources
Euromonitor International