TFG BUYS ONLINE SHOPPING PLATFORM QUENCH

THE FOSCHINI Group (TFG) is buying on-demand online shopping platform and last mile delivery provider Quench, as part of a push to grow its e-commerce business, the fashion and homeware retailer said this week. After years spent lagging much of the world in terms of e-commerce, South African retailers and delivery start-ups have generated record online sales as consumers avoid shops because of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the boom had strained the capacity of even the largest retailers, forcing them to invest and make e-commerce acquisitions to improve wait times and services. As they vye to become e-commerce leaders, retailers have complemented their scheduled delivery and click-andcollect services with on-demand delivery. “With this acquisition we gain access to fast, reliable delivery across South Africa, whilst achieving superior delivery unit economics,” Claude Hannan, co-head of TFGLABS, a newly established tech hub, said. Quench is one of the liquor delivery services that pivoted into on-demand groceries and other essential products, such as medicine at the height of Covid-19-led lockdowns when alcohol was banned in South Africa.