Edgars
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedA South African department-store and fashion-retail chain serving multiple Southern African markets.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Edgars is a South African department-store and fashion-retail brand founded in Johannesburg in 1929 by brothers Morris and Eli Ross. The business was named after Swan & Edgar, a London department store, and began with Eli Ross opening an Edgars shop on Joubert Street. The company briefly relocated to Cape Town during its early years before returning to Johannesburg in 1937, where it developed into one of the region's best-known department-store chains. For much of its modern history, Edgars operated as part of Edcon, a major South African retail group. Its development included the construction of the Edgardale head office and a distribution centre at Crown Mines in 1979. Edcon was acquired by South African Breweries in 1982, and Edgars subsequently became part of a larger retail portfolio that also included other department-store and apparel businesses. The chain expanded beyond South Africa into several Southern African markets and, at different points, pursued larger-format international locations, including a major store opened in Nairobi in 2014. Edgars' traditional offer combined clothing, footwear, beauty products, accessories, household merchandise and other department-store categories. The chain also experimented with new retail environments. Its 2018 Fourways Mall store in Johannesburg introduced a larger-format concept with landscaped social areas, children's play facilities, a coffee shop, beauty spaces and apparel customisation. The design was intended to make the store a destination that combined shopping with social and service experiences rather than functioning only as a conventional merchandise floor. The brand later faced significant financial and strategic pressure. Edcon's 2007 buyout by Bain Capital placed substantial debt on the group, and the business was subsequently affected by difficult economic conditions, including the effects of the global financial crisis. In January 2020, Edgars announced the planned closure of its Rosebank Mall store. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified Edcon's difficulties, and in June 2020 the group put Edgars up for sale while entering financial distress and liquidation proceedings. In July 2020, Durban-based fashion retailer Retailability agreed to acquire the chain. The transaction covered 130 of Edgars' 194 stores rather than the entire pre-sale estate. Under Retailability's ownership, Edgars repositioned itself in September 2020 as a more accessible, mass-market fashion and beauty retailer. This represented a shift away from the chain's earlier emphasis on higher-end fashion and homeware. Retailability's strategy connected Edgars with a broader Southern African fashion-retail platform that also included brands such as Legit and other apparel concepts. By 2025, the chain was downsizing a number of South African stores as part of an effort to reduce rental costs and improve profitability. Edgars therefore remains an active regional retail brand, but its current footprint and operating model reflect the restructuring that followed Edcon's collapse.
History
Edgars was established in Johannesburg in 1929 by brothers Morris and Eli Ross. Its name referenced Swan & Edgar, a London department store. Eli Ross opened the first Edgars location on Joubert Street. The business relocated to Cape Town during the same year, then returned to Johannesburg in 1937, establishing the city as its long-term commercial base. The chain expanded over subsequent decades as a department-store operator selling apparel and a broad range of associated merchandise. In 1979 it opened Edgardale, a new head-office complex, together with a distribution centre at Crown Mines. Edgars later became part of Edcon, a major South African retail group. South African Breweries acquired Edcon in 1982, after which Edgars operated within a larger corporate retail structure. A major turning point came in 2007, when Edcon was involved in a leveraged buyout by Bain Capital Private Equity. The transaction left the group carrying substantial debt. The debt burden became especially problematic as economic conditions weakened following the 2008 global financial crisis. Although Edgars remained an important retail name, the wider Edcon group faced increasing pressure from changing consumer behaviour, competition, operating costs and financial obligations. Edgars pursued regional and format expansion during this period. In 2014 it opened a 50,000-square-metre store in a Nairobi shopping centre, illustrating the brand's ambition beyond South Africa. In 2018 it unveiled a new 8,000-square-metre store at Fourways Mall in Johannesburg. This location incorporated trees, play areas, a coffee shop, beauty rooms for makeovers and an area where customers could print text or images on clothing. The concept presented the department store as a social and experiential destination, with a central, tree-lined space designed to encourage customers to spend time in the store. The business later moved into retrenchment and restructuring. In January 2020, Edgars announced the closure of its 6,000-square-metre Rosebank Mall store. The COVID-19 pandemic added to Edcon's financial difficulties, and in June 2020 the parent group placed Edgars up for sale. Edcon subsequently entered liquidation proceedings. On 7 July 2020, Retailability, a Durban-based private fashion company, agreed to acquire the brand. The transaction included 130 of 194 Edgars stores, allowing the name to continue while substantially reducing the estate inherited from Edcon. Retailability introduced a new direction for Edgars in September 2020. The brand was repositioned toward mass-market fashion and beauty, replacing much of its previous higher-end fashion and homeware orientation with a more accessible proposition. The new ownership also placed Edgars within Retailability's broader Southern African fashion-retail portfolio, alongside brands including Legit and other apparel concepts. By 2025, Edgars was downsizing a number of South African locations to reduce rents and improve profitability. The chain continues to operate across South Africa and selected markets elsewhere in Southern Africa, with a retail model centred on clothing, beauty, footwear and related lifestyle merchandise. Its history reflects the transition of a long-established department-store institution from founder ownership, through corporate expansion and leveraged ownership, to private acquisition and mass-market repositioning.
- 2025
Store downsizing programme
[1]Edgars downsizes selected South African stores to reduce rental costs and support profitability.
- 2020
Rosebank Mall store closure announced
[1]Edgars announces the planned closure of its Rosebank Mall location.
- 2020
Retailability acquires part of the Edgars estate
[1]Retailability agrees to purchase Edgars from financially distressed Edcon, acquiring 130 stores.
- 2020
Mass-market repositioning
[1]Under Retailability, Edgars shifts its strategic focus toward accessible fashion and beauty.
- 2018
Fourways Mall concept store opens
[1]The brand launches an 8,000-square-metre store with social, beauty, children's and apparel-customisation features.
- 2014
Nairobi expansion
[1]Edgars opens a 50,000-square-metre store in Nairobi, Kenya.
- 2007
Edcon enters Bain Capital buyout
[1]A leveraged buyout involving Bain Capital places significant debt on Edcon and creates long-term financial pressure for the group.
- 1982
Edcon is acquired by South African Breweries
[1]Edgars' parent group Edcon is acquired by South African Breweries.
- 1979
Edgardale head office and Crown Mines distribution centre open
[1]The company establishes a new head office and distribution infrastructure in Johannesburg.
- 1937
Return to Johannesburg
[1]Edgars returns to Johannesburg, which becomes its enduring headquarters city.
Products and positioning
A broad-based, accessible fashion and beauty retailer with department-store heritage, repositioned under Retailability toward the mass market.
Apparel
Women's fashion
Women's clothing is a core Edgars category, spanning everyday apparel and fashion-led ranges sold through the chain's department-store and mass-market formats.
Apparel
Men's fashion
Edgars offers men's clothing as part of its broad department-store assortment, complementing its women's, children's and footwear ranges.
Apparel
Children's fashion
Children's apparel forms part of the family-oriented merchandise mix carried by the chain.
Beauty
Beauty and cosmetics
Beauty and cosmetics became especially important after the 2020 repositioning, which presented Edgars as a mass-market fashion and beauty retailer. Selected stores have also included dedicated beauty rooms and makeover services.
Fashion accessories
Footwear and accessories
Footwear, accessories and fashion jewellery extend Edgars' clothing offer and support complete-look shopping across its department-store formats.
Home
Homeware
Homeware was part of the chain's historic department-store proposition, although the post-2020 strategy placed greater emphasis on accessible fashion and beauty.
Brand decisions
2025
Store downsizing to reduce occupancy costsStrategyBackground
Edgars continued to pursue profitability improvements after its ownership and market-positioning changes.
Action taken
The chain downsized a number of South African stores to lower rental costs.
Aftermath
The programme was intended to improve store economics while maintaining the active brand.
2020
Closure of the Rosebank Mall storeOtherBackground
Edgars was reviewing its store portfolio amid financial and market pressure.
Action taken
The chain announced that its 6,000-square-metre Rosebank Mall store would close.
Aftermath
The closure preceded Edcon's sale of the brand and broader reduction of the store estate.
2020
Sale of Edgars to RetailabilityM&ABackground
Edcon placed Edgars up for sale while dealing with economic disruption and liquidation proceedings.
Action taken
Retailability agreed to acquire the brand and 130 of its 194 stores.
Aftermath
Edgars continued under private ownership and was integrated into Retailability's regional fashion-retail platform.
2020
Repositioning toward mass-market fashion and beautyStrategyBackground
Retailability sought to reset Edgars' proposition after acquiring the chain from distressed owner Edcon.
Action taken
The new leadership shifted emphasis toward mass-market fashion and beauty and away from the previous higher-end fashion and homeware positioning.
Aftermath
The repositioning became the basis for Edgars' post-Edcon operating model.
2018
Launch of the Fourways experiential store formatStrategyBackground
Edgars was testing how a department store could become a broader social and lifestyle destination.
Action taken
The company opened a large Fourways Mall store with landscaped communal areas, a coffee shop, play facilities, beauty rooms and clothing customisation.
Aftermath
The store became an example of Edgars' effort to modernise its physical retail experience.
Recent events
Sources3 sources
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