Shoprite Usave Launches R1 Biscuits: A Game Changer for Affordable Shopping

• Shoprite’s Usave brand is selling packets of 18 private-label biscuits for just R1, a price point the CEO believes is unique to South Africa
• By using its large scale and high-performing supply chain, the brand cuts costs and offers its customers prices that its competitors struggle to match
• The retailer plans to double its number of Usave stores to 1,000, using small-format container stores to reach customers in townships, deep rural and informal areas

Shoprite Holdings is proving that it can still offer extremely low prices despite a tough economy, which sees many citizens struggling to put food on their tables. The retail giant is using its size to win over more local customers with hard-to-beat prices.

An article shared by the local publication, the Daily Investor, on 4 March 2026, dives deep into the Usave wing of the Shoprite group, which is now selling items at a price that seems almost impossible in today’s world.

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The success of the Usave brand

The above-mentioned publication reports that the Shoprite CEO Pieter Engelbrecht explains that the company is likely the only retailer in the world selling a packet of biscuits for R1, an amount that cannot even buy a sweet in other countries. The R1 deal includes a packet of 18 biscuits, which the CEO says is designed to bring a smile to children’s faces while remaining profitable for the business through volume of sales.

The growth of the Usave brand

The Usave brand is growing fast, with 42 new stores opened in the last year alone and hundreds more in planning. Many of these are township stores, which are small shops built out of shipping containers to fit into the busy kasi’s and informal settlements. By keeping its product range small and focused on essentials, the CEO explains that Shoprite can negotiate better deals with suppliers and pass those savings to the shoppers.

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Affordable shopping at Usave stores

Usave is a low-cost supermarket that focuses on saving customers money by cutting out unnecessary extras. These small stores are located in the heart of local communities, making it easy for people to buy everyday essentials. By keeping things simple and offering their own affordable brands, Usave ensures that everyone can access quality food and financial services at the lowest possible prices.

4 Briefly News Shoprite-Checkers related-articles

• A man showcased extremely cheap Shoprite ready meals, stating he was set on a budget that he planned to only buy food again in January 2026.
• A Shoprite employee shared his remarkable career advancement, which started with him being a grocery general assistant and progressed to being a sales manager.
• A local woman walked into Shoprite with just R30 looking for something to eat, and came out with a full lunch and dessert, leaving online viewers impressed.
• A customer managed to buy a 3.5-kilogram T-Bone dry-aged steak valued at R632.32 for R95 after spotting a pricing mistake made by his local Checkers store, sparking a massive debate about consumer rights.

Source: Briefly News