Food Lover’s Market, South Africa’s largest privately owned retailer, opened its highly-anticipated Bothasig store on 20 October 2022, with a positive response from the local community and surrounds. This stunning new store is a showcase of Food Lover’s Market’s theatre of food approach.

The new jewel in the retailer’s crown is a stand-alone site, with a huge emphasis placed on creating an environment of fresh and sustainable shopping. This includes energy efficiencies, such as remote cabinet monitoring capability, ice storage systems for air-conditioning and a solar panel that will generate 359.7 kWp DC of renewable electricity, annually. These innovations, spearheaded by its Earth Lovers division, form part of Food Lover’s Market’s ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability.

CEO and Co-Founder of the Food Lover’s Market Group, Brian Coppin shares

“From the overwhelmingly positive response before the opening, we are certain that this will become the preferred store in the neighbourhood. We’re confident that we’ve created the best store in the community – a superior shopping destination, where the quality and variety is exceptional and will delight every single consumer.”

Creating the best store in the neighbourhood

“We’ve really thought long and hard about what it takes to be the best store in the community in the current economic climate and have realised that it’s about offering a ‘whole’ shopping experience. It’s not just about theatre – although we are the best at creating that visual appeal in our stores – it’s also about supporting the community by offering value, quality and choice.” – adds Coppin.

The new store offers customers a unique one-stop shopping experience.

The retailer has been relentless in fostering outstanding supplier relationships, which means they can offer a wide range of quality products at fantastic prices, this includes a grocery section that is competitive in terms of range and price.

The gourmet butchery boasts a team of 25 colleagues, dedicated to delivering a premium meat counter, with the feel of a traditional butcher. Other departments within this 3000sqm space include fresh produce, an on-site bakery, a wine section, a fresh seafood department, cheese and deli counters. Hot food offerings include Crispy Chicken, Bubs Fish & Chips and Pie O’My, while The Fresh Society, Love Health and Health & Happiness appeals to the health-conscious shopper. The Grab & Go includes a Sushi counter and a Biltong Bar, and a Seattle Coffee Co will also be available at the entrance to the store.

Offering consumers visual appeal to delight young and old

Adults and children alike with be delighted by the animatronics dotted around the store. Food Lover’s Market has transformed their traditional brick-and-mortar space into an emporium to delight the senses, by employing various animatronics and digital screens to keep the customer informed, entertained and engaged while shopping.

The theatre starts with a 9 metre Windmill beckoning shoppers from the road. On arrival, customers will be greeted by a ‘tree of life’ as they enter the fresh produce section, followed by band of fresh produce mascot characters – an apple, avocado, strawberry, carrot and broccoli. A dancing banana performs musical theatrics, and shoppers with a sweet tooth will be delighted with the dancing doughnut in the bakery section.

The store is currently managed by Valentino Ricciardi, a highly experienced retailer with 42 years under his belt. Valentino has been part of the Food Lover’s family for the past 29 years, since its inception. He has a team of 150 passionate team members to support him. Most of the 200 team members have been sourced from the general area and surrounds, including Du Noon, Milnerton and Edgemead, as well as current team members who live closer to the store, who have asked to transfer.

To celebrate the opening, FLM will have some amazing specials. Valentino selected his favourite opening day specials:

• Bananas at R6.99 per kg
• 750 ml Olive oil is R100 for 2
• 500grams Food Lover’s Salted Butter 3 x for R100
• 6 x 1 litre Food Lover’s Market Full Cream or Low Fat Milk for R69.99
• Half lamb 89.99 per kg

Shoppers are encouraged to watch the local press and the Food Lover’s Market website for details of all the specials. The store is located at the intersection of Link and Vryburger Roads, Bothasig.

About Food Lover’s Market

Food Lover’s Market has grown from its origins as a single Fruit & Veg City store in Access Park, Cape Town, 29 years ago to become South Africa’s largest specialist fresh produce retailer and privately owned family business. Today, the Food Lover’s Market Group consists of 110 Food Lover’s Market stores in 7 countries across Southern Africa – this includes seven Food Lover’s Eateries.

Food Lover’s Market prides itself on its quality fresh produce, its theatre of food experience with a distinctive market feel and its consistent value offerings for the consumer.

The brand aims to create a good food neighbourhood by consistently being the best store in the community. Forming part of the Food Lover’s Market family, FVC International is the largest importer of fresh produce into South Africa, and the fastest growing exporter – shipping more than 7000 containers each year and exporting to more than 35 countries worldwide. It has its own logistics company in partnership with two of the largest producers in South Africa, ensuring that orders reach their destination in the shortest possible time.

Other brands within the Food Lover’s Market Group include Freshstop, with over 320 convenience stores, 32 Diamond Discount Liquor and Market Liquors stores, and 246 Seattle Coffee Company outlets. The group has ten distribution centres, two meat packing facilities and five production facilities.

More than a supermarket, they’re a market for food lovers.

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