Sefalana sees pressure on consumers worsening

Sefalana, which sells over P12 billion worth of fast-moving consumer items annually, said its stores were seeing healthy foot traffic across the country, but thinner baskets were being filled, with only necessity items. That trend is beginning to hit the group’s margins.

In its latest financial results covering the 52 weeks to April 2026, directors revealed that the way shoppers were spending their money was beginning to form a recognisable pattern as the years go by, with lower-margin products replacing discretionary purchases, squeezing retailer profitability.