"increasing by more than $57\%.$ The latter is despite the loss of $66$ liquor trading seeing $21\%$ growth and the group's pevious year, it lost more than $200$ days.

The trading update for the year ended $27$ February $2022,$ the retailer said its group sales grew by $5\mathrm{.}2\%$ to R $97\mathrm{.}9$ billion. This of damage to and closure civil unrest in July $2021,$ which cost the retailer around R$1\mathrm{.}8$ billion. "IThe$]$ disruption as a result second quarter$],$ with sales grores in the civil unrest, combined with the loss of the liquor trade, was most evident in $[$the

and Gauteng strusproportionately impacted by the civil unrest relative to the market, as its concentration in KwaZulu$-$Natal Pay. $,$ group's high performing Boxer and Pick n Pay Value businesses,$\text{'}$ said Pick $n$

$40$

Howeves, in the third quarter, the retailer showed recovery from the unrest, with sale growth of $4\mathrm{.}9\%)$ which it attributed reopening hore than $180$ damaged stores between July and November $2021)$ It also saw a strong Black Friday. In the fin quarter of its financial year, sales increased by $7\mathrm{.}4\%$ thanks to a strong festive trade performance.

Apart from strong growth in liquor and clothing sales, it was also solid growth in its delivery service app ASAPI, which w launched in August $2021.$ "ASAP! is only one element of the group's online retail offer, which includes its traditio scheduled delivery service and a Click $n$ Collect offer. The group's combined online offer has delivered compound ann growth of $72\mathrm{.}5\%$ over the past two years," said Pick $n$ Pay.

Pick $n$ Pay, which is due to release its annual results in May, expects its headline earnings per share to increase betv $8\%$ and $18\%$ Its share price rose by more than $6\%$ on Wednesday.

Reflecting on the group's performance, Pickn Pay's CEO Pieter Boone said: $"$We have delivered a resilient tr performance in some of the most difficult circumstances the group has ever faced $...$ our growth in the first quarte again in our final quarter, shows that our underlying momentum remains solid."

In the past year, Pick $n$ Pay opened $138$ new stores.

Source: Mashego, P$.$ Pick $n$ Pay posts $5\%$ increase in sales. $[$Online$]$ Available from:

https:$//$www$.$news$24.$com$/$fin$24/$companies$/$retail$/$pick$-$n$-$pay$-$posts$-5-$increase$-$in$-$sales$-$with$-$strong$-$growth$-$in$-$clothes$-$b $20220406[$Accessed July $2022]$

Answer ALL the questions in this section.

QUESTION $1$

With reference to the article, discuss the macro$-$environmental issues at play that have impacted on Pick $n$ business.

$(1.)$ Frrst explan mach issuej,

$(2).$

Using your theoretical knowledge and with reference to Pick n Pay, discuss how such an organisation competitive advantage.