SA is Cotton On’s springboard into Africa

Cotton On's Sandton store.

Cotton On's Sandton store.

Published Aug 12, 2014

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Cotton On, the Australian retail brand, is growing by leaps and bounds in South Africa.

The company recently celebrated its 100th store opening in the country, and says the region is the fastest growing of all 17 countries in which it operates.

It has also launched its regional headquarters in South Africa, cementing the group’s commitment to South Africa as the cornerstone of its expansion into Africa.

“Johannesburg is our first regional office outside our headquarters in Australia and has now paved the way for the opening of our regional offices in the USA and Singapore,” said Michael Hardwick, Cotton On group chief financial officer, in a statement.

“South Africa plays a critical role in the ongoing success of our business, and is a key contributor to the 30 percent growth we have achieved globally for the past three years.

“In 2013 the Group opened 27 stores in 27 days in the lead up to Christmas, surpassing R1 billion in sales.”

What started as one store and a workforce of 15 people in South Africa has expanded to seven-and-a-half million customers, 25 million units sold and a workforce of 1300 people in three years.

Cotton On intends to open 300 stores in the region and to grow the the workforce to 3000 within five years.

“South Africa is rich with talented, innovative and forward-thinking individuals. Our team here play a crucial role in shaping why South Africa is set to become a driving force in cementing our plans for future growth, both within Africa and beyond,” said Johan van Wyk, Cotton On South African country manager, in the statement.

The statement added that the Cotton On group will be launching its South African online shop within months.

Cotton On, founded in 1991, started by selling only women’s clothing but has expanded into lingerie, sleepwear, activewear, children’s fashion, footwear and gifts and stationery.

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