CLOTHING RETAILER
Edcon pursues higher-margin local products
Edcon says its shelves will increasingly be stocked with locally sourced house brands, as the struggling clothing retailer continues to unwind its foreign-brand strategy. The group, which in June shut its flagship Topshop store in Sandton, was assessing how to position the British fashion chain in SA "in formats that are more viable", said Vannie Pillay, executive for group corporate affairs and communications. Edcon has largely reversed an earlier decision to bring multinational brands to SA, having already exited chains including River Island, Tom Tailor and Lucky Brand. Many of these brands struggled to gain traction in SA’s weak economy, prompting Edcon to focus more on its higher-margin local products. Pillay said that in line with the shift towards private-label products, Edcon had increased its manufacturing capacity at its Celrose and Eddels facilities in KwaZulu-Natal. The company, which is now headed by former Massmart CEO Grant Pattison and employs about 48,000 staff, wan...
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