Pepkor expands fashion empire with major acquisition of popular brands

South African shoppers may soon see familiar fashion and homeware stores sporting new ownership. Pepkor, the retail giant behind Tekkie Town and Shoe City, is set to absorb several well-known brands, marking one of the region’s biggest retail moves in recent years.

The Competition Tribunal has given the conditional go-ahead for Pepkor to acquire over 460 stores from Retailability, including Legit, Style, Swagga (with Beaver Canoe), and Boardmans. The merger brings these chains into Pepkor’s Speciality division, expanding its footprint in both fashion and homeware.

What shoppers and staff should know

The deal comes with strict conditions aimed at protecting employees and suppliers:

• No retrenchments linked to the acquisition.

• Staff retain their current employment terms.

• Certain brands, such as Edgars, Edgars Beauty, Red Square, Kelso, and Keedo, are not part of the deal and will remain under Retailability.

Pepkor is already South Africa’s largest clothing retailer, with more than 5 800 stores across 10 African countries. This acquisition strengthens its position in adult fashion, particularly womenswear through Legit, and expands homeware offerings via Boardmans.

The bigger picture

The move reflects Pepkor’s ongoing strategy to consolidate well-known brands under a single retail umbrella, offering shoppers more variety while ensuring jobs and supplier relationships remain stable. Analysts suggest this could also intensify competition in South African fashion retail, particularly in the affordable adult clothing segment.

For consumers, it could mean easier access to multiple brands under one group, and for employees, reassurance that their roles are secure amid South Africa’s challenging retail landscape.

{Source: TheSouthAfrican}

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