Latest news with #Pepkor
Fashion Network
2 days ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
Pepkor's fashion chain Ayana aims for hundreds of stores in South Africa
Recently launched fashion chain Ayana could have hundreds of stores, the CEO of its owner Pepkor told Reuters, as the South African retailer targets trendier customers and embraces the fast-fashion model of some rivals. Pepkor, the owner of the budget Pep and Ackermans clothing chains, is underrepresented in the adult clothing market, especially womenswear. Recently, it expanded into that market by acquiring fashion businesses such as Legit, Style, and Swagga. It launched 32 Ayana stores in February by converting discontinued Ackermans womenswear stores. The brand is more fashionable than Pepkor's core chains and aims to refresh its ranges more frequently, with some shoppers comparing its style and store layout to Inditex -owned Zara. "This is not like a thousand-store chain. It will be, I suppose, a couple of hundred if it's really successful, maybe two or three hundred," Pieter Erasmus, chief executive officer of Pepkor, told Reuters on Tuesday. Ayana targets fashion-conscious young women with its waistcoats, bow mini dresses, and collarless jackets, "but at a price which is affordable," Erasmus added, compared to international brands like H&M. "Customers have responded well in the store, in sales, but also on social media. So we think that there's an opportunity for this brand in South Africa to do, again, I don't like using this word 'Zara-type' aspirational (fashion)," he said. He added that Ayana was also trying to tap customers who "are currently buying from some Chinese (retailers like) Shein. There's an opportunity to really address that. So we're going to put a big effort into it." Online-only retailers Shein and Temu have grown rapidly by shipping inexpensive products directly to consumers, forcing local retailers to find new ways of differentiating themselves. Ayana currently sources its stock from Asia, particularly China, and locally in order to respond faster to changing trends, Erasmus said. ($1 = 17.9112 rand)
Fashion Network
2 days ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
Pepkor's fashion chain Ayana aims for hundreds of stores in South Africa
Recently launched fashion chain Ayana could have hundreds of stores, the CEO of its owner Pepkor told Reuters, as the South African retailer targets trendier customers and embraces the fast-fashion model of some rivals. Pepkor, the owner of the budget Pep and Ackermans clothing chains, is underrepresented in the adult clothing market, especially womenswear. Recently, it expanded into that market by acquiring fashion businesses such as Legit, Style, and Swagga. It launched 32 Ayana stores in February by converting discontinued Ackermans womenswear stores. The brand is more fashionable than Pepkor's core chains and aims to refresh its ranges more frequently, with some shoppers comparing its style and store layout to Inditex -owned Zara. "This is not like a thousand-store chain. It will be, I suppose, a couple of hundred if it's really successful, maybe two or three hundred," Pieter Erasmus, chief executive officer of Pepkor, told Reuters on Tuesday. Ayana targets fashion-conscious young women with its waistcoats, bow mini dresses, and collarless jackets, "but at a price which is affordable," Erasmus added, compared to international brands like H&M. "Customers have responded well in the store, in sales, but also on social media. So we think that there's an opportunity for this brand in South Africa to do, again, I don't like using this word 'Zara-type' aspirational (fashion)," he said. He added that Ayana was also trying to tap customers who "are currently buying from some Chinese (retailers like) Shein. There's an opportunity to really address that. So we're going to put a big effort into it." Online-only retailers Shein and Temu have grown rapidly by shipping inexpensive products directly to consumers, forcing local retailers to find new ways of differentiating themselves. Ayana currently sources its stock from Asia, particularly China, and locally in order to respond faster to changing trends, Erasmus said. ($1 = 17.9112 rand)
Fashion Network
2 days ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
Pepkor's fashion chain Ayana aims for hundreds of stores in South Africa
Recently launched fashion chain Ayana could have hundreds of stores, the CEO of its owner Pepkor told Reuters, as the South African retailer targets trendier customers and embraces the fast-fashion model of some rivals. Pepkor, the owner of the budget Pep and Ackermans clothing chains, is underrepresented in the adult clothing market, especially womenswear. Recently, it expanded into that market by acquiring fashion businesses such as Legit, Style, and Swagga. It launched 32 Ayana stores in February by converting discontinued Ackermans womenswear stores. The brand is more fashionable than Pepkor's core chains and aims to refresh its ranges more frequently, with some shoppers comparing its style and store layout to Inditex -owned Zara. "This is not like a thousand-store chain. It will be, I suppose, a couple of hundred if it's really successful, maybe two or three hundred," Pieter Erasmus, chief executive officer of Pepkor, told Reuters on Tuesday. Ayana targets fashion-conscious young women with its waistcoats, bow mini dresses, and collarless jackets, "but at a price which is affordable," Erasmus added, compared to international brands like H&M. "Customers have responded well in the store, in sales, but also on social media. So we think that there's an opportunity for this brand in South Africa to do, again, I don't like using this word 'Zara-type' aspirational (fashion)," he said. He added that Ayana was also trying to tap customers who "are currently buying from some Chinese (retailers like) Shein. There's an opportunity to really address that. So we're going to put a big effort into it." Online-only retailers Shein and Temu have grown rapidly by shipping inexpensive products directly to consumers, forcing local retailers to find new ways of differentiating themselves. Ayana currently sources its stock from Asia, particularly China, and locally in order to respond faster to changing trends, Erasmus said. ($1 = 17.9112 rand)
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Pepkor's fashion chain Ayana aims for hundreds of stores in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG, May 28 (Reuters) - Recently-launched fashion chain Ayana could have hundreds of stores, the CEO of its owner Pepkor (PPHJ.J), opens new tab told Reuters, as the South African retailer targets trendier customers and embraces the fast-fashion model of some rivals. Pepkor, the owner of the budget Pep and Ackermans clothing chains, is underrepresented in the adult clothing market, especially in womenswear. Recently it has been expanding in that market, with the acquisition of fashion businesses Legit, Style and Swagga. In February, it launched 32 Ayana stores by converting discontinued Ackermans womenswear stores. The brand is more fashionable than Pepkor's core chains and aims to refresh its ranges more frequently, with some shoppers comparing its style and store layout to Inditex-owned Zara. "This is not like a thousand store chain. It will be, I suppose, a couple of hundred if it's really successful, maybe two or three hundred," Pieter Erasmus, Chief Executive Officer of Pepkor, told Reuters on Tuesday. Ayana is targeting fashion-conscious young women with its waist coats, bow mini dresses and collarless jackets, "but at a price which is affordable," Erasmus added, compared to international brands like H&M ( opens new tab. "Customers have responded well in the store, in sales, but also on social media. So we think that there's an opportunity for this brand in South Africa to do, again, I don't like using this word 'Zara-type' aspirational (fashion)," he said. He added that Ayana was also trying to tap customers that "are currently buying from some Chinese (retailers like) Shein. There's an opportunity to really address that .... So we're going to put a big effort into it." Online-only retailers Shein and Temu have grown rapidly by shipping inexpensive products directly to consumers, forcing local retailers to find new ways of differentiating themselves. Ayana currently sources its stock from Asia, particularly China, and locally in order to respond faster to changing trends, Erasmus said. ($1 = 17.9112 rand)
Bloomberg
4 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Top Africa Clothes Retailer Pepkor Sees Rise in Smartphone Sales
Pepkor Holdings Ltd. has increased its lead as South Africa's biggest seller of mobile phones, with demand for access to online financial services spurring appetite for pre-paid wireless plans. Mobile-handset sales at Africa's largest clothing retailer jumped 17% to 6.8 million handsets in the six months through March, with smartphones accounting for about 65% of that. The company accounts for 80% of mobile phones sold on a pay-as-you-go basis compared with 70% in the same period a year earlier.
