From a single fruit and veg store opened in Cape Town, Food Lover’s Market Group has thrived over the past 30 years to become the country’s largest privately-owned retailer. It now boasts an expanding footprint of modern grocery retail stores and a handful of attractive brands now part of its stable.
The family-owned group has steadily grown to include popular grocery retailer Food Lover’s Market, Food Lover’s Eatery, convenience chain FreshStop at Caltex service stations, import and export company FVC International, two liquor chains: Diamond Discount Liquor and Market Liquors, as well as the artisan coffee brand, Seattle Coffee Company.
Food Lover’s Market is in the business of fresh, and it offers fresh food, guaranteed. Unsurprisingly, this freshness guarantee is something Food Lover’s Market is exceptionally passionate about, and it is held true to its brand.
From opening a single store with a team of six colleagues, the Food Lover’s Market Group now boasts 17,000 team members across the entire business. Some early employees are still working in the business, having grown into other roles as the company expanded.
Background
In order for us to understand how Food Lover’s Market became South Africa’s largest privately-owned retailer, let’s take it back to the year 1993, when brothers, Brian and Mike Coppin, launched a Fruit & Veg City store at Access Park in Kenilworth, Cape Town. The store was converted from an existing business called The Carrot King.
Their father Aubrey Coppin was an OK Bazaars director for 40 years and the brothers followed in his footsteps by also working at OK. They started two small stores, which failed, and then decided to try fruit and vegetable stores as they thought there was a gap in the market.
From the get-go, Fruits & Veg City has always been a family business, with emphasis placed on good old family values such as trust, integrity, and honesty. The brothers’ vision was to create a store that resembled old marketplaces, where farmers brought their fresh produce to be sold to the public.
They sourced the store’s products directly from farmers and municipal markets, and priced them aggressively in order to expand in the market while at the same time, competing with existing retail chains.
The first store was an instant success and returned the initial investment within six months of operation.
Expansion
By 1995, the brothers were approached by someone wanting to operate a store in Port Elizabeth, and just like that, the first franchise store was opened. Franchise stores in Durban, East London, Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Johannesburg soon followed.
By 1998, they seemed to have perfected the store’s model, and the brand as a whole was beginning to become a household name in the country.In the next 10 years, 86 stores were opened, of which two-thirds were franchised, and employee numbers exceeded 4000.
By 2004, Fruit & Veg City was moving over 2000 tons of produce to 80 000 customers everyday, which made them the biggest fresh produce retailer in SA with a turnover of more than R1.5 billion a year.
In 2006, Pick N Pay wanted to purchase the Fruits and City brand but competition commission of South Africa ruled against the proposed acquisition citing unfair advantage in the retail market for fresh food.
This was a huge to blow to both parties especially Pick N Pay. According to reports, the retail giant was very keen on the move as it wanted to buy the business as a means to be more competitive against Woolworths Food.
Food Lover’s Market
The next step in the evolution of Fruit & Veg City was to create a modern eatery where food aficionados could indulge in a range of gourmet foods. It was this vision that finally gave birth to the Food Lover’s Market, a theatre of food that was designed specifically with connoisseurs in mind.
The Fruit & Veg City team crossed the globe in search of the hottest international trends in food. They visited the United States, Europe, Australia and the East, and then brought the best elements of what they saw in there back with them. The result is the stylish and modern food emporium called the Food Lover’s Market, with the first store opening in Hillfox, Johannesburg.
FVC International
The following year, the company spread its wings beyond borders and formed an international division called Fruit & Veg City International to handle exports.
FVC International fits so well within the Food Lover’s Market Group, it supplies all stores within the FLM Group and it is one of South Africa’s leading import and export company, its major export product lines including apples, pears, citrus, grapes and plums.
Exporting to the likes of North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, as well as other African nations, FVC is a hands-on one-stop shop priding itself on quality processes, from growing and picking to packing and distribution.
FreshStop
In 2009, the group established its forecourt retail brand FreshStop at Caltex service stations which have since become a hit. There’s over 330 FreshStop at Caltex outlets nationwide which are open 24 hours.
Food Lover’s Eatery
The following year, the FML group launched Food Lover’s Eatery, a quick-service cafeteria with a wide range of freshly prepared food, and a small range of convenient fruits, vegetables and pantry items.
The eatery is basically a place where you buy potato salad rather than a pocket of potatoes, a burger and chips rather than burger patties, or fried fish and chips rather than a piece of raw hake, you get the drift?!
As it stands, there are 7 eateries, 3 in central Cape Town, and the remaining 4 in central Johannesburg.
Liquor Stores
In September 2012, the group acquired Daimond’s Discount Liquor from RMB Corvest. The purchase was in line with Diamonds Discount Liquors’s vision of becoming a national chain some day‚ and also its desire to align itself with a national supermarket retailer.
The acquisition also gave birth to the Market Liquors brand which came after a partnership between Diamond’s Discount Liquor and Food Lover’s Market. With 32 stores in total, Market Liquors can be found close to Food Lover’s Market stores, while Diamond Liquors are found in busy areas in the Western Cape Province.
In the same year, Food Lover’s Market expanded its offering to include non-food items and announced that it would be converting all Fruit & Veg City outlets to its Food Lover’s Market brand. And also began stocking items in a number of grocery categories from British retailer Waitrose.
Seattle Coffee Co.
FML’s biggest bet was when they partnered and subsequently acquired a 51% stake in Seattle Coffee Company from Pete Howie and Barry Parker in 2015.
Seattle Coffee Company was launched the same year as Food Lover’s Market in London, UK, by couple, Alley and Scott Svenson. Three years later, the Seattle Coffee brand was brought South Africa by Barry Parker and Peter Howie, who setup the first store in Cape Town.
Starbucks bought out Seattle UK in 1998 and converted all 65 stores into Starbucks. Starbucks acquired Seattle UK by exchange of 1.8 million Starbucks shares for 100% of Seattle in a deal worth $83 million.
When Peter Howie and Barry Parker brought Seattle Coffee Company to Cape Town in 1996, they also acquired the Southern Africa naming rights. So, when Starbucks bought out Alley and Scott Svenson, the Cape Town store owned by Peter and Barry was the only Seattle left.
The Seattle Coffee brand has gained massive popularity in South Africa over the years, operating 200 plus cafés across the country.
Actis Private Equity
The early bird catches the worm. In 2016, Actis, through its private equity arm invested R760 million for a minority stake in Food Lover’s Market. The group used the proceeds to boost its local growth potential.
Actis private equity portfolio focuses on consumer, financial services and healthcare. The firm has investments across Asia, Africa and Latin America with over $12.5 billion worth of assets under its management.
Earth Lover’s
The coming years saw the group launching Earth Lovers, a division dedicated to building a company that incorporates social and environmental sustainability in everything the business does. The company is committed to creating a sustainable business model for years to come.
This includes building stores that are energy efficient with LED lighting and energy-efficient refrigeration, as well as waste minimisation processes. The retailer is also committed to reducing waste to landfill, and stores are continually looking at more efficient packaging and recycling opportunities having been the first South African retailer to ban plastic bags at till points.
The FLM group has a strong value proposition and has targeted the aspirational middle-class in South Africa through their ‘Theatre of Food’, by expanding away from being a traditional fruit and vegetable store, towards offering services such as a butchery, bakery, grocery and deli foods.
In January 2022, FLM announced plans to increase their store presence by 22 across South Africa and Namibia, by the end of 2024 through a R400 million investment.
These new flagship stores under this expansion will host a number of key elements we have come to expect from retailers looking to attract consumers to their stores. These include a sushi bar, bakery, biltong, dried fruit and nut bar, as well as a Seattle Coffee Co. within the store.
In the latter part of 2022, the brand opened its Bothasig flagship store to a positive response from the local community. This was closely followed by the refurbishments of Food Lover’s Market Weskus Mall and KZN stores in La Lucia, Ballito and Crescent.
A significant national expansion is on the cards in the next few years. These new-generation Food Lover’s Market stores have been designed to offer customers a one-stop shopping experience.
The eventual goal is to establish Food Lover’s Market as the store of choice for middle class South Africa, and compete head on with the likes of Spar, Pick n Pay and Checkers.
So far so good on the mission, the group recorded 24% year-on-year growth for the first quarter of the 2023/24 financial year.
Should Food Lover’s Market go public one day, Actis and the Coppin family will be rewarded handsomely, but then again, that’s probably never happening.
Get South Africa’s latest entrepreneurial or business success stories delivered right to your inbox — Sign up to Entrepreneur Hub SA’s newsletter today
eBook: 50 South African Entrepreneurs Reveal HOW THEY MADE IT
Hello my loved one! I want to say that this post is amazing, great written and include almost all significant infos. I would like to look extra posts like this.
You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but
I find this matter to be actually something that I think I
would never understand. It seems too complex and extremely broad for me.
I’m looking forward for your next post, I will try to get
the hang of it!
Hello my loved one I want to say that this post is amazing great written and include almost all significant infos I would like to look extra posts like this
I do not even know how I ended up here but I thought this post was great I do not know who you are but certainly youre going to a famous blogger if you are not already Cheers
fxfdhv
Steroid satın al ve daha fazlası için https://steroidvip8.com/
sizde hemen online olarak https://steroidvip8.com/ steroid siparis verin
Servislerimiz sayesinde sms onay sizde en uygun fiyatlardan mobil hesap sms telefon onay yaptırabilirsiniz.
sitemizi ziyaret edin SEO Fiyatları ve hakkında bilgi alın.
https://pravgruzchiki.ru/
https://vstx.ru/
https://avidigital-spb.ru/
https://best-santehnika.store/
https://seo116.ru/
Услуга сноса старых частных домов и вывоза мусора в Москве и Подмосковье под ключ от нашей компании. Работаем в указанном регионе, предлагаем услугу демонтаж дачного дома. Наши тарифы ниже рыночных, а выполнение работ гарантируем в течение 24 часов. Бесплатно выезжаем для оценки и консультаций на объект. Звоните нам или оставляйте заявку на сайте для получения подробной информации и расчета стоимости услуг.
https://hidehost.net/
продвижение по лидам
https://hidehost.net/
seo комплексное продвижение
https://hidehost.net/
linetogel
https://beckom.ru/
https://seolinkedin.ru/
linetogel
Забудьте о низких позициях в поиске! Наше SEO продвижение https://seopoiskovye.ru/ под ключ выведет ваш сайт на вершины Google и Yandex. Анализ конкурентов, глубокая оптимизация, качественные ссылки — всё для вашего бизнеса. Получите поток целевых клиентов уже сегодня!
Забудьте о низких позициях в поиске! Наше SEO продвижение и оптимизация на заказ https://seosistemy.ru/ выведут ваш сайт в топ, увеличивая его видимость и привлекая потенциальных клиентов. Индивидуальный подход, глубокий анализ ключевых слов, качественное наполнение контентом — мы сделаем всё, чтобы ваш бизнес процветал.
Дайте вашему сайту заслуженное место в топе поисковых систем! Наши услуги
seo продвижение и контекстная реклама на заказ обеспечат максимальную видимость вашего бизнеса в интернете. Персонализированные стратегии, тщательный подбор ключевых слов, оптимизация контента и технические улучшения — всё это для привлечения целевой аудитории и увеличения продаж. Вместе мы поднимем ваш сайт на новый уровень успеха!
Дайте вашему сайту заслуженное место в топе поисковых систем! Наши услуги
seo продвижение сайта цена на заказ обеспечат максимальную видимость вашего бизнеса в интернете. Персонализированные стратегии, тщательный подбор ключевых слов, оптимизация контента и технические улучшения — всё это для привлечения целевой аудитории и увеличения продаж. Вместе мы поднимем ваш сайт на новый уровень успеха!
Дайте вашему сайту заслуженное место в топе поисковых систем! Наши услуги
seo продвижение по трафику на заказ обеспечат максимальную видимость вашего бизнеса в интернете. Персонализированные стратегии, тщательный подбор ключевых слов, оптимизация контента и технические улучшения — всё это для привлечения целевой аудитории и увеличения продаж. Вместе мы поднимем ваш сайт на новый уровень успеха!
Wow, awesome blog format! How lengthy have you ever been running a blog for?
you make running a blog glance easy. The total look of your website is wonderful, let
alone the content! You can see similar: najlepszy sklep and here ecommerce
https://lechenie-bolezney.ru/
linetogel
Hi to all, how is the whole thing, I think every one is getting more from this web
site, and your views are pleasant in favor of new users. I
saw similar here: dobry sklep and also here: najlepszy sklep
https://o-tendencii.com/
https://hitech24.pro/
https://o-tendencii.com/
https://gruzchikivesy.ru/
https://o-tendencii.com/
https://gruzchikimeshki.ru/
https://gruzchikimore.ru/
https://gruzchikiustalost.ru/
https://gruzchikirabotat.ru/
linetogel
I’ve learn a few excellent stuff here. Certainly price bookmarking for revisiting.
I surprise how so much attempt you place to make this kind
of fantastic informative web site. I saw similar here: Sklep online
Good post however , I was wanting to know if you could write a litte more on this topic? I’d be very thankful if you could elaborate a little bit more. Thank you!
I抦 not positive the place you’re getting your information, however great topic. I must spend a while studying more or figuring out more. Thank you for excellent info I used to be searching for this information for my mission.
Thanks for your post. I would love to say that the first thing you will need to perform is check if you really need credit restoration. To do that you simply must get your hands on a copy of your credit profile. That should really not be difficult, considering that the government mandates that you are allowed to acquire one free of charge copy of the credit report per year. You just have to check with the right people today. You can either read the website with the Federal Trade Commission or perhaps contact one of the major credit agencies instantly.
Hey there! Do you know if they make any plugins to assist with Search Engine Optimization? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords
but I’m not seeing very good gains. If you know of any please
share. Cheers! You can read similar blog here: Ecommerce
It’s very interesting! If you need help, look here: ARA Agency
I was recommended this website by my cousin I am not sure whether this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my difficulty You are wonderful Thanks
I cling on to listening to the news broadcast speak about receiving free online grant applications so I have been looking around for the most excellent site to get one. Could you tell me please, where could i find some?
I just could not depart your web site prior to suggesting that I really loved the usual info an individual supply in your visitors Is gonna be back regularly to check up on new posts
I read this paragraph fully regarding the difference of most
up-to-date and previous technologies, it’s amazing article.
Thanks I have just been looking for information about this subject for a long time and yours is the best Ive discovered till now However what in regards to the bottom line Are you certain in regards to the supply
I simply could not go away your web site prior to suggesting that I really enjoyed the standard info a person supply on your guests Is going to be back incessantly to investigate crosscheck new posts
Pretty! This was a really wonderful article. Thank you for providing this info.
Everything is very open with a precise clarification of the challenges. It was definitely informative. Your website is very useful. Many thanks for sharing!
It’s hard to find knowledgeable people in this particular topic, but you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
An intriguing discussion is worth comment. I do believe that you should publish more about this topic, it might not be a taboo matter but usually people do not discuss these issues. To the next! Kind regards!!
I’m impressed, I must say. Seldom do I encounter a blog that’s both educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head. The issue is something which not enough men and women are speaking intelligently about. I’m very happy that I found this during my hunt for something concerning this.