The end of Stuttafords: After 159 years, 'Harrods of South Africa' shuts shop

[schumi]

Department store Stuttafords, the 159-year-old "Harrods of South Africa", is closing down, victim of a global shift to online retail and a domestic economic slump that has put brands such as Ted Baker and Gap beyond its customers' reach.

Mirroring the fortunes of once-mighty department stores in Europe and the United States, the doyenne of the South African high street during apartheid and the two decades since applied for protection from creditors in October.

However, attempts to revive its fortunes proved futile and creditors voted in June to wind up the unlisted firm by Aug. 1, with closing-down sales at its nine stores in South Africa, two in Botswana and one in Namibia.

In its flagship store in Johannesburg's Sandton financial district, piles of naked mannequins lay in heaps next to bare shelves as the last few bargain hunters picked through trays of heavily discounted perfumes, make-up and clothes.


"We don't know what's going to happen - if we will still have jobs," said one employee, who did not want to be named for fear of hurting her chances of staying on. "We only heard that maybe this shop will be one that will not close."

For South Africa, it is the end of a piece of retail history.

The first shop was opened in Cape Town in 1858 by Samson Rickard Stuttaford with the vision of creating a Harrods-like department store in what was then Britain's Cape Colony.

Its main Cape Town store, opened in 1938, was designed by in-house Harrods architect Louis David Blanc and echoed the British store's famous frontage in London's exclusive Knightsbridge district.

Through various changes of ownership, it never lost its focus on the middle and upper-class South African market, despite the economy's failure to recover fully from a deep recession in 2009 sparked by the global financial crisis.

Chief Executive Robert Amoils could not be reached for comment but has defended his approach to the tough conditions.

"I believe the path we set was correct," he told business website Fin24. "We ran out of time. The market downturn was so swift, so severe."

John Evans, a lawyer overseeing its closure, said he had received a last-minute approach that could salvage two Johannesburg outlets, in Sandton and Eastgate, which would save the jobs of 300 of the group's 950 staff.

More at: https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-...159-years-harrods-of-south-africa-shuts-shop/

 

[surface]

"victim of a global shift to online retail and a domestic economic slump that has put brands such as Ted Baker and Gap beyond its customers' reach."

Poor victim Stuttafords. Well, if your t-shirts are made in bangladesh and if you sell them at 650 rands, would I really buy from you if the similar quality T-shirts are available from Edgars & Pick-n-pay for 250 rands?

 

[NarrowBandFtw]

They were the Harrods of ZA? :wtf:

Who knew, every single time I walked into one I really could not tell the difference between them and Edgars.

 

[Cray]

They were the Harrods of ZA? :wtf:

Who knew, every single time I walked into one I really could not tell the difference between them and Edgars.

Except that Edgars actually has customers... Last time I went through a Stuttafords it was like a ghost town.

 

[bwana]

Except that Edgars actually has customers... Last time I went through a Stuttafords it was like a ghost town.

So does Harrods...

 

[Hosehead]

They were relevant before the internet but the last 15 years has been a graveyard spiral.
Stocking crappy lines didn't help like fake Polo made in China at real Polo Ralph Lauren prices
Sure didn't help and their Gap line was totally overpriced.
They lost their air of exclusivity in oh 1994.
Good Riddance for not keeping up with the times.

 

[Polymathic]

"victim of a global shift to online retail and a domestic economic slump that has put brands such as Ted Baker and Gap beyond its customers' reach."

Poor victim Stuttafords. Well, if your t-shirts are made in bangladesh and if you sell them at 650 rands, would I really buy from you if the similar quality T-shirts are available from Edgars & Pick-n-pay for 250 rands?

it's more to do with a shift to fast fashion

 

[Ninja'd]

that has put brands such as Ted Baker and Gap beyond its customers' reach.

I never even heard of those.