OVER 100 YEARS OF GROWTH
Founded in 1917, the company listed on the JSE and the Namibian Stock Exchange in 1998. The Truworths International Group is one of the leading fashion retailers in Africa with 785 mainly Truworths and Identity stores, together with 92 Office stores and concessions in the UK, Germany and the Republic of Ireland. Physical retail stores are supported by a world-class online business in Office, contributing approximately 45% of Office’s sales in the period, together with a fast-growing online store in Truworths.
Truworths is synonymous with superior quality, aspirational fashion and has a portfolio of some of South Africa’s most desired apparel brands, most of which are owned by the Group and have been developed over the past four decades. Office offers fashion-forward footwear with a unique range of own-branded fashion shoes and branded ‘in-demand’ footwear and sneakers.
EXPANDING THE BRAND PORTFOLIO
During the 1980s the brand portfolio rapidly expanded with the launch of the French designer brand Daniel Hechter under a long-term licence agreement (1984), Inwear (1986), Truworths Man (1988) and Truworths Jewellery (1989). In the 1990s internally developed brands LTD (1992), Identity and Truworths Elements (1999) were launched. Ginger Mary followed in 2004 and Hey Betty in 2011. Office London, the South African offering of the Group’s UK footwear brand, was introduced in 2017, with Context and ID Kids launched in 2019.
GROWTH THROUGH ACQUISITION
Organic brand expansion has been supported by the acquisitions of Young Designers Emporium (2003), menswear brand Uzzi (2006), ladieswear brand Earthaddict and kidswear brands Earthchild and Naartjie (2015), while the acquisition of Loads of Living in 2017 launched the Group into the homeware and linen market.
Truworths International expanded into the northern hemisphere retail market in 2015 with the acquisition of the Office fashion footwear chain in the United Kingdom, trading under the Office and Offspring brands.
FURTHER BRAND DEVELOPMENT
In 2021 the Group launched Fuel, a young masculine fashion brand with a streetwear edge targeting a cool urban aesthetic, and Sync, which marked the Group’s entry into the value segment of the South African fashion market. Loads for Kids is the latest addition to the brand portfolio, offering a kids homeware range with the focus on bedding and soft toys.
MARKET POSITIONING
Market-leading fashion apparel retailer offering internationally inspired, superior quality, aspirational fashion clothing and footwear for ladies, men, teenagers and kids, and homeware in the mainstream middle to upper-income market.
BRANDS
Exclusively owned or licensed brands include Truworths, Truworths Man, Inwear, Identity, Daniel Hechter, LTD, Ginger Mary, Uzzi, Hey Betty, Earthaddict, Earthchild, Naartjie, Office London, Loads of Living, Context, Fuel, Sync and specialist glamour agency YDE.
STORE FOOTPRINT
Retail footprint of 754 stores across all brands in South Africa and 31 stores in five other southern African countries. The store network is complemented by an e-commerce platform which features all major brands.
ACCOUNTS
Account facilities are offered to customers across all brands in South Africa, Namibia, Eswatini and Botswana. The active account customer base is 2.6 million.
MARKET POSITIONING
Leading fashion footwear retailer in the UK for fashionable 16 to 25 year olds in the mid-level price range.
BRANDS
Private label and major global third-party footwear brands, including Nike, Adidas, Converse, Veja, New Balance, Onrunning, Dr Martens, Birkenstock, Havaianas, Timberland and UGG, sold through Office and Offspring outlets.
STORE FOOTPRINT
Office has 92 stores in the UK, Germany and the Republic of Ireland, including 11 concession outlets in high-profile department store retailers.
ONLINE RETAIL
Fast-growing e-commerce business accounts for 45% of Office sales across a range of digital platforms.
