Overview
AT A GLANCE
As one of the premier speciality retail store groups in Sub-Saharan Africa,
Stuttafords is the preferred destination for discerning customers looking for the
world's best brands in a setting that epitomises style and service.
PREMIER BRANDS
GAP (exclusive license agreement), Banana Republic (exclusive license
agreement), French Connection United Kingdom (exclusive license agreement), Ben Sherman, 55 DSL, Oaktree, Polo, Pringle, Tommy Hilfiger (exclusive license agreement) and Dockers.
PREMIER LOCATIONS
Stuttafords stores are strategically sited in upmarket malls in
major centres in southern Africa.
GATEWAY TO AFRICA
From the economic heartland
of the continent - which attracts millions of sophisticated customers every year
- to major markets across the continent, South Africa and Stuttafords are the powerful
platform for expansion into Africa.
WHO IS STUTTAFORDS?
There is a certain art to combining the wealth of a 150-year-old pedigree with the
passion of a contemporary retail store network. In South Africa, you'll only find
this artistry in action at Stuttafords.
Stuttafords is a speciality retail store operation, focused on upmarket ladies'
and men's fashions, cosmetics and homeware in elegant stores occupying the most
prestigious retail space in South Africa and neighbouring territories. Over decades
and through every trough and peak of the retail cycle, Stuttafords was built on
the care and pride of its eponymous founding family.
That same ethos permeates the modern business - where enriching the retail experience
is a daily goal and our pride shines in the detail of meticulous stores, appealing
merchandising and well-trained people. Behind the professional retailers and financial
managers of Stuttafords is an equally experienced pool of shareholders representing
private equity houses focused on retail investments.
WHY STUTTAFORDS?
Surviving and prospering for 150 years in an evolving, competitive retail
market takes skill, understanding and partnership. Stuttafords has unique advantages
in the competitive southern African retail landscape:
- It is in itself an iconic brand - the preferred destination
for sophisticated, well-travelled customers who value
quality, choice and service.
- It is home to the widest range of global brands, such as
Jeep, Caterpillar, Guess,
Levis, Polo, Excursion, Gap, Hip
Hop and Oaktree, keeping it customers fully informed
of
global fashion trends.
- Over 20 stores in Southern Africa, all sited in premier
urban malls, reach a customer
base of 70 000 affluent
and discerning customers, equally split between women
and men.
- Stuttafords is based in South Africa, the economic
springboard to the continent
and the retail destination for
millions of continental customers every year.
BENCHMARKED GLOBALLY
Stuttafords combines the best retail practices in the world with a thorough
understanding of the needs and aspirations of increasingly affluent customers in
Africa.
OUR APPROACH
The Stuttafords approach is simple - service, style and site
combine to offer the ultimate retail experience.
SMOOTHING ECONOMIC CYCLES
As a true speciality store, Stuttafords effectively competes with
clothing retailers, homeware stores and multi-product groups for its share of the
broader retail sector.
Accordingly, our strategic approach has evolved to concentrate on the upper end
of the market. In this sector (South African lifestyle measures 7-10), the impact
of inflation is less pronounced while interest rate increases tend to have more
effect, given relatively high debt levels. Equally strategic; we have deliberately
shifted our mix of turnover from credit to cash (30/70), building in a measure of
protection from interest rate increases and the inherent vagaries of the retail
sector.
THE BRAND SHOWCASE
Stuttafords is an aspirational lifestyle store, featuring carefully selected
collections of exclusive global lines and quality national brands. Stuttafords caters
for a range of lifestyles, spanning contemporary, leisure, active, evening and classic
wear.
Our stores are the elegant showcases for these premium brands, distinguished by
the pioneering shop-in-shop concept which appeals to discerning customers looking
for exclusive ranges and limited quantities. Stylish apparel, cosmetic and accessory
ranges are complemented by a range of branded homeware - again focused on the lifestyles
of sophisticated homeowners.
Showcasing collections is a dynamic process, one whose success rests on anticipating
changing customer preferences, staying abreast of international trends and incorporating
these into the unique demands of one of the biggest markets in the southern hemisphere.
It is a process Stuttafords has refined to art.
THE POTENTIAL OF PEOPLE
At Stuttafords, service is pivotal and service depends on people, starting
with recruitment. At every level, we're looking for the right people - people with
passion and talent who will do justice to our brand. Developing the potential of
our people begins with intense induction training and continues through regular
in-house and external product training. Equipping people with knowledge and motivating
them to succeed has multiple benefits for our company and our individual stores.
We are building a dedicated cadre of people who are as passionate about their customers
as they are about their own careers - careers that may easily be spent with one
employer... for the same reasons: pride, care and personal fulfilment.
THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIPS
We have positioned Stuttafords as an international company because we
understand how to manage international brands, we can sell them. Because we sell
them successfully, we have access to an increasing number of international brands.
In 2007 we introduced Gap, Banana Republic, French Connection and Calvin Klein underwear
to Southern Africa. At Stuttafords, therefore, suppliers are our lifeblood. By harnessing
our understanding of retail trends and customer desires with their proven ability
to supply the products that fulfil those desires, we create enduring symbiotic partnerships.
