By Aimee Chanthadavong
Fashion retailer Witchery will be expanding its retail footprint into South Africa in late November.
Georgia Trevarthen Witchery marketing manager, told Retailbiz that the decision to enter the South African market was due to the brand’s success in Asia when it launched in Singapore in March.
“The decision to expand into South Africa was influenced by this success but was also due to the existing brand awareness of Witchery within the South African market. Witchery has plans to expand further into the Asian region in the short term with a longer term view to expand further internationally,” she said.
According to Trevarthen, Witchery will utilise a shop-in-shop concession concept, opening eight concession stores within South Africa’s premium department store, Stuttafords.
“The shop-in-shop concept is similar to the concession arrangement Witchery has within David Jones in Australia and Smith and Caughey’s in New Zealand. In South Africa, Witchery has secured an exclusive space within 8 Stuttafords department stores. Each space will be designed to reflect the Witchery brand and philosophy,” she said.
The retailer will launch into South Africa with womenswear apparel and accessories and the same collection will be available in South Africa as in Australia.
“Pending the success of womenswear, there is further opportunity to introduce WitcheryMan and WitcheryKids into the market in 2011,” Trevarthen said.
“As the brand gains momentum in international markets, Witchery will look to expand further over the next two to three years.”
Since the purchase of Witchery by Gresham Private Equity in 2006, Witchery has expanded from 60 stores to 185 across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and now South Africa.