Pick & Pay has released a new app called asap! that transforms its on-demand delivery service by combining it with other value-added services and the Smart Shopper loyalty program into a single, seamless platform. This major update, announced on Monday, marks the retailer’s biggest milestone in online grocery retail since the initial launch of asap! in 2020.
AI-powered app transforms customer experience
The new Pick n Pay asap! app is powered by advanced AI technology, offering enhanced performance and a redesigned user interface optimized for both iOS and Android devices. Customers can now shop over 35,000 products across 600 locations nationwide, with a 45-item basket limit.
The app introduces several new features, including selecting preferred stores, loading multiple payment cards, placing multiple orders simultaneously, scheduling deliveries beyond the standard one-hour window, and tracking orders in real time. A novel pre-authorization payment system ensures customers are only charged for delivered items, removing the hassle of refunds.
Enrico Ferigolli, Pick n Pay’s Retail Executive for Online, emphasized the significance of this launch, stating, “This new app is the biggest moment for Pick n Pay Online since we launched asap! in 2020, a move that grew online sales more than elevenfold in under five years. It’s the culmination of a four-year journey that began with the rapid rollout of on-demand grocery deliveries during the pandemic”.
Expanding reach and lowering costs
Pick n Pay is relaunching its website on June 1, 2025, to incorporate the asap! on-demand delivery service, giving desktop users the same fast delivery options as the app.
This move targets millions of customers who still prefer browsing catalogues and promotions on desktop. The website orders will be fulfilled from 600 asap! locations, a substantial increase from the previous 47 stores dedicated to online orders, enabling Pick n Pay to reduce delivery fees to just R35.
Ferigolli highlighted the strategic shift: “Millions of customers still browse catalogues and promotions on desktop, so the opportunity to convert that interest into online purchases is huge. These customers can now access the same fast delivery as our asap! customers without the use of the app”.
The platform’s growth is also driven by increased adoption among franchise stores, with triple-digit sales growth reported in the 2025 financial year. The online business, including asap! and Pick n Pay groceries on the Mr D app, grew 48.7 percent year-on-year, with on-demand delivery growing even faster at 60%, making the online segment profitable on a fully costed basis.
Pick n Pay’s overhaul of its on-demand delivery service reflects a bold transformation under CEO Sean Summers, focusing on restructuring store operations and logistics to support rapid online growth. The company is confident that its upgraded technology and logistics will accelerate its expansion in South Africa’s competitive online grocery market.