Nearly three years after embarking on an ambitious turnaround strategy, Edgars is entering a new phase of growth, signalling renewed confidence in the future of one of South Africa’s longest-standing retail brands.
The rollout marks a significant milestone for parent company Retailability, which says the turnaround has created a stronger, more agile business positioned to capitalise on emerging opportunities in the local retail market.
“Our recipe for success is straightforward but takes real discipline to execute,” says Norman Drieselmann, CEO of Retailability.
“We respect the 97-year heritage of this brand deeply, but we run the business like a start-up that is completely fixated on its customers. That combination is powerful and it is working.”
A turnaround built on disciplined execution
Rather than pursuing rapid expansion immediately after acquiring the brand, Retailability spent the past three years fundamentally reshaping Edgars’ operating model.
Central to that strategy was aligning store formats with the needs and spending patterns of the communities they serve. The retailer reduced oversized footprints, improved store productivity and created more efficient shopping environments while strengthening long-term profitability.
The programme resulted in more than 100,000m2 of retail space being returned to landlords, allowing the business to focus on stores that better reflect changing consumer behaviour and trading conditions.
According to the company, the smaller, right-sized formats have consistently delivered stronger productivity, improved basket sizes and more sustainable operating performance.
“We made very deliberate decisions to ensure that every store is the right size for the market it serves,” says Drieselmann.
“The work we have done over the past three years has paid off. While optimisation remains ongoing, we are now equally focused on growth.”
Returning to communities with a smarter footprint
Edgars currently operates more than 100 stores nationwide and will begin opening the first of its new community-based stores during July and August.
Rather than simply increasing its national footprint, the retailer says each new location has been carefully selected based on customer demand and long-term commercial viability.
“We are now able to bring Edgars fashion and beauty back to communities where the brand was previously unable to trade sustainably,” explains Drieselmann.
“What we are doing now is responsible, strategic rollout, where we know exactly where we are going and why.”
The expansion reflects a broader shift in South African retail, where convenience, accessibility and right-sized formats continue to outperform larger traditional department store models.
Investing beyond traditional department stores
Alongside the growth of its core Edgars business, Retailability continues to diversify its retail portfolio through complementary brands and specialist formats.
Edgars Beauty has emerged as an important growth platform, with 18 standalone stores already trading and additional expansion planned across the Boland, including Paarl and Stellenbosch.
The retailer is also entering the telecommunications market through the launch of Edgars Connect, its first dedicated standalone cellular store, opening during July. The move reflects growing consumer demand for integrated lifestyle and technology offerings.
Meanwhile, Kelso, Retailability’s standalone ladies’ fashion brand targeting the mass middle market, continues to gain momentum following a successful pilot phase. The brand recently opened its fourth store at Tygervalley and remains under evaluation for further expansion.
Together, these investments illustrate Retailability’s strategy of building a diversified retail ecosystem that extends beyond traditional fashion retail.
Heritage meets entrepreneurial thinking
Few South African retailers can claim a history stretching back almost a century, yet Drieselmann believes Edgars’ longevity is one of its greatest strengths rather than a constraint.
Instead of relying solely on its heritage, the retailer is combining decades of customer trust with a more entrepreneurial operating model focused on speed, agility and customer relevance.
The approach, he says, has enabled the business to preserve the brand’s legacy while positioning it for future growth.
“At 97 years old, this brand still has significant growth ahead of it,” says Drieselmann.
“We see real opportunity and we are going after it with both the respect this brand deserves and the hunger of a business that is just getting started.”
A retailer entering its next chapter
As South African retailers continue navigating changing consumer expectations and economic pressures, Edgars’ renewed expansion strategy represents a notable shift from recovery to growth.
With a disciplined turnaround now delivering measurable results, an expanding portfolio of specialist businesses and dozens of new stores planned over the coming years, the retailer is positioning itself for a new era—one that builds on nearly a century of retail heritage while embracing the flexibility required to compete in today’s evolving retail landscape.