Clicks Group has reported higher turnover in the first 20 weeks of its 2026 financial year, pushed by pharmacy sales as competition and supply issues weighed on retail performance.
The group’s turnover increased by 7.4% to R19.5-billion during the period that ended on January 11, which was slightly low compared to 8.1% growth during the same period in the 2025 financial year.
Strong pharmacy sales growth
Clicks Group CEO Bertina Engelbrecht said the company’s performance was driven by strong pharmacy sales growth of 9% since the start of the financial year. This was coupled with record Black Friday sales and solid demand for Christmas gifting ranges.
Clicks, UniCare, The Body Shop and Sorbet corporate stores, which account for retail sales, increased by 6%. While sales in comparable stores grew by 3.7%, down from 5.9% in the previous financial year.
Selling price inflation averaged 2.4%, while volume growth was 1.3%.
Clicks Group noted that retail turnover was affected by heavy discounting from competitors during the festive trading period.
They also faced supply challenges in the Western Cape due to delays in rolling out a new warehouse management system at the Clicks retail distribution centre in Cape Town.
Clicks Group management estimated that the systems delay reduced retail sales by about R120-million. Product availability in the region has improved since the start of January 2026. And it is expected to reach targeted levels during February 2026.
Wholesale turnover
United Pharmaceutical Distributors (UPD) wholesale turnover increased by 11.4%. This was supported by higher purchasing compliance in its core wholesale channels, and an increase in the number of Clicks pharmacies opened. And this compares with growth of 9.5% in the 2025 financial year.
However, UPD’s notional turnover from bulk agency distribution clients dropped by 20.2%. This was following the non-renewal of two contracts in the fourth quarter of the 2025 financial year. UPD’s total managed turnover declined slightly by 0.2% for the period.
