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Premium retailer Woolworths says it is expanding its online grocery network with the opening of a new “dark store” in Wynberg, Cape Town, as demand for rapid delivery continues to grow.The facility, dedicated to fulfilling online orders and not open to the public, will increase capacity for its on-demand delivery service, Woolies Dash. Dark stores enable retailers to separate online orders from traditional store operations.The move comes as South African retailers increase investment in dedicated online grocery infrastructure. Checkers opened two dark stores in Cape Town’s Gardens and Maitland areas in November 2024 to support its Sixty60 delivery service in high-demand areas.Dark store operator Zulzi, which developed the original Sixty60 platform, is also regarded as a major player in the market, operating seven facilities supporting grocery, liquor and pharmaceutical deliveries.Woolies said the Wynberg facility aims to improve capacity in Cape Town’s southern suburbs, with online orders processed from a dedicated site, reducing pressure on surrounding stores.“The new Wynberg facility is designed to significantly improve the speed, reliability and product availability of Woolies Dash for customers across the southern suburbs, strengthening Woolworths’ ability to meet increasing demand for convenient shopping with rapid delivery,” the group said in a statement.“Wynberg was selected as the site for the latest dark store due to its position within the local catchment area, allowing it to serve a growing base of online customers more efficiently.”Woolworths opened its first dark store in Cape Town’s CBD in August 2024. That facility serves Woolies Dash customers in the city bowl and surrounding areas, and the retailer previously said it had been performing well.Woolworths’ online business continues to grow. In the 2025 financial year, online sales reached R7.78bn, an 8.9% increase year on year. Woolies Dash turnover increased by 41.6%, contributing to online food sales of R3.33bn, up 32.9%. The service now accounts for 6.6% of total food sales in South Africa.Customer demandWoolworths chief supply chain officer Bradly Nitsckie said the company is focused on strengthening its fulfilment network as customer demand shifts.“Our online channels continue to experience strong growth, with Woolies Dash playing a central role in driving this momentum. As more customers choose online grocery shopping, we are focused on strengthening our fulfilment network to deliver the speed, availability and convenience they expect,” Nitsckie said.Woolworths said the Wynberg dark store would help improve access to delivery slots, product availability and order accuracy during busy trading periods.“As customer shopping habits continue to evolve, we remain focused on investing in the infrastructure and capabilities needed to deliver a seamless experience. The Wynberg dark store represents another important milestone in our journey to bring Woolies Dash closer to more customers, giving them faster, more reliable access to the products they love, whenever and wherever they need them,” said Nitsckie.The retailer said more dark stores are planned as it continues expanding its online fulfilment network in South Africa.
