FOOD LOVERS MAKERET

The company was established in 1993 as a single Fruit & Veg City store in Access Park, a factory outlet complex in the Kenilworth suburb of Cape Town.[1] The outlet was converted from an existing business - The Carrot King - into a Fruit & Veg City store. Food Lover's Market was founded by brothers Brian and Mike Coppin, whose father had a history of working in the South African retail industry, having been the Director of OK Bazaars,[6] a retail chain that was acquired by the Shoprite Group in 1997. When it opened, the company sourced its products directly from farmers and municipal markets, and priced them aggressively, in order to grow in the market whilst competing with existing large retail chains. In 1995, the brothers were approached by someone wanting to operate a store in Port Elizabeth, and the first franchise store opened. Franchises in East London, Durban, Bloemfontein, and Pretoria followed.The company opened its first store in Johannesburg in 1999.[6]

Food Lover's Market receives some of its products from South African company Dried Fruit for All, and supplies its stores through FVC International, a South African import and export company. South African coffee chain Seattle Coffee Company has outlets at Food Lover's Market and FreshStop stores across the country. Food Lover's Market has a partnership with South African bank ABSA, whereby ABSA customers can earn cash back by using their debit and credit cards at Food Lover's stores.[11]