Inside Pick n Pay’s turnaround: Sean Summers says the mountain climb has just begun

In this conversation, Sean Summers, CEO of Pick and Pay, discusses the significant turnaround the company has experienced over the past two years. He highlights the improved energy within the stores, the financial performance, and the importance of community engagement through sponsorships. Summers emphasises the strategic vision for Pick and Pay, focusing on quality over quantity, and outlines future plans for sustainability and growth..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.Watch here.Listen here.BizNews Reporter.Sean Summers, the veteran chief executive of Pick n Pay, has become synonymous with one of South Africa’s most closely watched corporate comebacks. Since returning to lead the retailer two years ago, Summers has set about reviving a once-proud brand that had lost its way. Speaking in an interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, he reflected on the company’s progress, challenges, and future ambitions.When asked about the atmosphere within Pick n Pay compared with two years ago, Summers was quick to point out how far the business has come. “It’s dramatically improved,” he said. “We’ve made significant progress in getting our 60,000 people pointing in the right direction. You can feel the energy now when you walk into a store.”Summers is known for spending time on the shop floor, engaging directly with staff and customers. “From the feedback I get from our call centre, there’s a lot of positive sentiment coming through,” he added..A hard-won financial turnaround.The financial results for the six months to the end of August 2025 showed a substantial improvement. While Pick n Pay remains in the red, its headline loss has narrowed by 45%, from a billion rand to 300 million rand. “It’s a very good performance in a tough market,” Summers explained. “Consumers are struggling across South Africa, but we’re pleased with the progress. Would we want more? Absolutely - but we’ll take it one step at a time.”Some of the recent investor excitement, however, has been driven by Boxer, the low-cost retail chain of which Pick n Pay still owns 65%. “Boxer has been absolutely stellar,” Summers acknowledged. “Much of the share price movement reflects Boxer’s performance. The market hasn’t yet priced in the full Pick n Pay recovery - it’s not a case of if, but when.”.A company rediscovering its identity.Summers is candid about the company’s past missteps. “Pick n Pay was hollowed out from the inside. Nothing that happened to us was inflicted externally,” he said. “We lost our corporate muscle memory. Like an athlete returning to form, we’re rebuilding that from the ground up.”He insists the company’s renewed mission is not about size, but quality. “We’re not in a race to have the most stores. We want to be the best supermarket chain in South Africa again..Rebuilding from the ground up.Part of that rebuilding involves closing underperforming stores and refurbishing key sites. “We’ve shut quite a lot of non-performing stores - about R4 billion of sales removed - but our like-for-like sales are up,” Summers explained. “The clean-up is nearly done, and now we’re starting to grow again.”Seventeen store revamps are planned before the end of the year, with major projects lined up for 2026, including Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront and Canal Walk. “We still have fantastic real estate, but we’ve been underinvested. Now we’re correcting that,” Summers said..A unifying force.Pick n Pay’s recent sponsorship of the Springboks has brought a sense of pride and unity to the organisation. “The Springboks are one of the few things that truly bring South Africans together,” Summers said. “The enthusiasm within the company has been extraordinary. It’s not just about professional rugby - we’re supporting grassroots and school-level rugby too, which is a real force for good.".Looking ahead.Summers describes the company’s progress using a mountain-climbing analogy. “We’ve got to the base station and bought our ticket,” he said. “We’re about to get on the cableway - we’re leaving base camp. It’s taken a lot to get here, but now the journey really begins.”Despite being contracted until 2028, retirement isn’t on his mind. “It’s not about my time,” he said. “The real measure of success will be in five to ten years, when people drive past and say, ‘Pick n Pay is still here, doing well, and it’s a beautiful business.’”For Summers, the turnaround is more than a corporate exercise - it’s personal. “It’s a labour of love,” he said. “When I came back, you couldn’t find a pulse in the company. Today, there’s a heartbeat again - a sense of purpose, belief, and pride. And that’s the foundation for everything to come.”

Inside Pick n Pay’s turnaround: Sean Summers says the mountain climb has just begun

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