Pepkor has announced plans to acquire several well-known retail brands from the privately owned Retailability group, further strengthening its presence in the adultwear and homeware markets. The deal will see Pepkor take over the Legit, Swagga, Style, and Boardmans brands, which collectively operate 462 stores across South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and Eswatini. However, the acquisition excludes key Retailability brands such as Edgars, Edgars Beauty, Red Square, Kelso, and Keedo, which will remain under Retailability’s ownership.
The move aligns with Pepkor’s ongoing strategy to expand its footprint in the adult fashion sector, where it has traditionally held a smaller market share compared to its dominance in children’s and school wear. This acquisition follows other strategic moves by Pepkor, including the launch of its Ayana womenswear brand and the recent purchase of Choice Clothing. The newly acquired brands will be integrated into Pepkor Speciality, which already includes Tekkie Town, Shoe City, Dunns, Refinery, CODE, SPCC, and Ayana.
In addition to enhancing Pepkor’s fashion portfolio, the acquisition will boost its homeware offering through the Boardmans online brand, which will join the Pepkor Lifestyle division. By leveraging its extensive sourcing, supply chain, and credit services expertise, Pepkor aims to unlock significant value from these new additions. The purchase amount remains undisclosed, but Pepkor confirmed it represents less than 2% of its market value.