31 AUGUST 2018
ISSUE03
QUARTERLY
EDCON DESIGN INNOVATION CHALLENGE The Class of 2018
EDGARS TEAM MEMBERS Making a difference for Madiba
Send your comments or queries to: EdgarsBuzz@Edcon.co.za
EDGARS IN THE SPOTLIGHT Project Runway South Africa
Message from CE: Mike Elliott
KEY Q3 IS AROUND THE CORNER By now, most of you have had the opportunity to hear me address the three key pillars of our strategy: own our unique position, show up differently and make it clear for our customer. You have also heard me talk to our purpose which is ‘To enable self expression for all South Africans for all occasions’. Over the next three months, you’ll be involved in numerous activities, projects and marketing initiatives that are geared towards bringing these objectives to life. Q1 has been a tough start to the new financial year, and it is imperative that we get behind these initiatives with passion and urgency in order to ensure a successful key quarter 3. In-store, we need to continue putting our customers front and centre, and monitor NPS feedback very closely. Staff availability, general attentiveness, and friendliness remain a challenge. In order to boost our customer rating and NPS scores, we need to prioritise the basics of good customer care – always smiling, greeting every customer, and letting them know that we are available to assist. I am always amazed that these small acts of kindness still surprise and delight customers.
In addition, it is imperative that we execute new format promotions with speed and precision. We have some great promotions planned, but urgency, accuracy and a solid trading mentality are the keys to our success. During this quarter we have also focused on investing in various corporate social investment programmes. This includes reinvesting in our strategic partnerships with the Orlando Children’s Home, and relaunching our Edgars Orange Unite Programme with various shelters for women throughout the country. We believe that we have a significant role to play as a responsible corporate citizen, and I encourage everyone to support us whenever we create the opportunity for involvement. Now that I am settling into my role, I look forward to visiting more stores and meeting our great teams over the next few months. Best regards,
Mike Edgars changing lives
ORANGE UNITE The Orange Unite programme was established by a former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, to raise awareness of violence against women and children. Edgars has partnered with the UN on this programme, and we are now ready to take it to the next level. Together with the Department of Social Welfare and UN Women, we aim to empower women with the skills required to thrive in life. So why the colour orange, you may ask? Orange is the colour of the sunset and the sunrise. It signifies the setting of the old dawn and the rising of a new day for these ladies. It is a vibrant colour of hope, which we wish to impart to women through our initiatives. So what’s your role? First #breakthesilence. If you are aware of abuse, or are a victim of abuse, report it! We also encourage you to support those who have completed our programme by purchasing their merchandise, for sale in the Edgardale foyer on the 25th of every month. Furthermore, consider volunteering at a local women’s shelter – we have a list in each province, contact your HRBP for further information. Finally, stand in solidarity with the victims of abuse by wearing a splash of orange on the 25th of every month. We held our first Orange Day activation on 25 June 2018. The ladies at Placecol came through to spoil our employees at head office and each store with a mani, using their creative license to make a statement in orange. To the left are some pics of the day.
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On our fashion radar Edgars has all the footwear trends covered this season. Judi Meyerson, Executive Buying Manager for Footwear, shares some of the key looks heading for our shelves.
Worldwide, people are moving away from wearing clothes and footwear the traditional way. Guys no longer have to wear a suit with a pair of brogue lace-ups; they can pair it with sneakers. Fashionistas can sport a blazer, cropped pants, and sneakers for an on-trend look that’s all about comfort.
TRENDS IN LADIES’ FOOTWEAR Sports glam: Sneakers with slogans and stripes will be a staple in the Kelso and Free2BU ranges, but we haven’t forgotten how much our customers love Converse or VANS low black Old Skool sneakers – retro sneakers remain a huge trend. The fluffy or slogan slide is also on point. Power dressing: We’ll be stocking loafers, ‘man’ shoes and kitten heels, to pair with a classic suit. Sitting pretty: Updated florals will swing us into spring, and jungle patterns are the print for summer. The block-heeled sandal is ideal for those who want to be both pretty and practical. Global culture: Jungle prints in bright colours will be on shelves from October. Black, white and neutral colours will remain the base colours for the season. White still rules for sneakers. During peak season, we’ll be introducing the new hybrid sneaker shape – the chunky sneaker – also known as the “dad sneaker”. Buffalo sneakers made famous by the Spice Girls in the ‘90s are also making a comeback.
TRENDS IN MENS’ FOOTWEAR Sneakers, sneakers, sneakers: Converse is ready to take on the world this summer. But beware, VANS Old Skool and Authentic sneakers are putting up a fight! The footwear rules have changed, and it’s now widely acceptable to wear sneakers with suits, chinos, and other smart-casual looks. To meet the demand brought on by this trend, we’ve bumped up our sneaker offering with footwear from a variety of brands, including JX sneakers from R299.95. Don’t rule out slipping on a pair of Retro Sneakers in black, navy or even mustard! The monk-strap formal shoe: The versatility of the double monk-strap is second to none. It can be worn in multiple environments and in various settings. Casual/formal slip on shoe: These are still trending, and can be dressed up or down with jeans, chinos or a pair of shorts.
TRENDS IN GIRLS’ FOOTWEAR Detail: Sandals and pumps in soft pastels with flowers, bows, and butterflies are set to be huge. Sneakers with lots of detail, embroidery and faux fur will be a big focus for us in high summer. Slides: A big trend for younger girls this year. Available in plenty of fun colours and with faux fur detail. Brogue sneaker/shoe: Available in pretty colours for the young girl who wants to be like her big sister.
TRENDS IN BOYS’ FOOTWEAR Adventure sandals and sneakers: For boys, it’s all about authenticity and comfort. With a large range this season, boys will be spoilt for choice. Character clothing: We introduce Black Panther flip-flops, while not forgetting older favourites like Spider-Man and other Marvel characters. The formal brogue: We’ll have the coolest brogue shoes in black and tan on offer for boys. ProAction sandals: A summer footwear hit that’s great value for money!
Edgars making a difference
MADIBA MOMENTS The 18th of July 2018 would have been Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday, and to celebrate his legacy Edgars touched 100 lives through two awesome events In the morning we invited 40 ladies from shelters for abused women to a life skills training course hosted by The Clothing Bank. Afterwards the ladies were treated to a delicious lunch and left with a gift bag filled with goodies. A further 60 bags were delivered to surrounding shelters to touch the lives of more ladies. In the afternoon more volunteers from the Edgars team, including our CE, Mike Elliott, visited the Orlando Children’s Home in Soweto. We toured the facility and had a wonderful opportunity to interact with the kids. Mike presented the home with a cash donation as well as boxes filled with clothing, shoes, bedding and toys for the little ones.
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STEP
INTO SUMMER
Edgars team members
LET’S CONNECT Our first Let’s Connect for the year took place on 25 May, and it proved to be an exciting and memorable occasion for our team members. CEO Grant Pattison introduced us to the new Edcon values, Mike Elliot unpacked the new Edgars strategy, and we had a glimpse of the much anticipated, new-look Edgars Home and Edgars Cosmetics. We thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment by the fabulous Bucie while viewing some of our smoking-hot Private label brands, but the highlight of the event was the official launch of the Orange Unite campaign into Edgars. We were all inspired by a special lady who has rebuilt her life through the empowerment provided by the Orange Unite Campaign. Thato Molefe touched us all with her story, and there wasn’t a dry eye left in the auditorium. In honour of Orange Unite, our team members raised R4 700 through a raffle won by Trisha Maharaj. Our transformation department matched this amount, which has already been donated to the campaign. One of our team members summed up the session perfectly: ‘The event was on point, including straightforward communication about the company’s strategy, vision and mission statement going forward … From the décor and the speakers to the music and fashion show, the whole session was properly planned and executed by experienced coordinators. It was absolutely a pleasure to be part of the session. The motto ‘self-expression’ is what we need in the company to drive growth and leadership. Leading management strengths should be about developing and empowering employees to think and make the best decisions for our portfolios. The message was powerful and clearly communicated.’
Edgars team spirit
TOP ACHIEVER Can we get a round of applause for Wendy Khuzwayo from Edgars West Street, Durban who went the extra mile! From 17 June to 30 June 2018, she signed up 62 Edgars Club Members in just two weeks! Congratulations Wendy, keep up the great work! We encourage everyone to continue to drive these activations, remember you get R50 for every Club sign up!
Edgars in the spotlight
PROJECT RUNWAY SA Since the iconic retail brand’s inception, Edgars has remained at the forefront of empowering and spearheading emerging local talent. We proudly took on the role as one of the sponsors for the international fashion reality TV show, Project Runway South Africa, which started in July 2018. ‘This is the first time that Project Runway has taken place on African soil. It’s a golden opportunity for Edgars to be associated with a show that shares so many of our core values,’ said Mike Elliott, Edgars CE. “We are one of the few fashion and beauty retailers that can claim to be proudly South African, so this is the perfect platform for us to show our support for emerging local designers,’ Elliott added. In the spirit of embracing and supporting local talent, Edgars provided the weekly challenge looks that inspired fashion and creativity among the young designers. Edgars also supplied the footwear and accessories that completed the designers’ runway looks, and judge and fashion guru Gert Coetzee, and mentor, Lerato Kganyago, were all dressed by Edgars throughout the show. The runway looks on Project Runway models, as well as the beauty fixes of the judges, mentor and host, were supplied by Kelso Beauty – a range that is truly South African and exclusively available at Edgars stores. ‘As an iconic fashion brand, it is our role to inspire fashion and create inspiration for all South Africans. We pride ourselves on our extensive local brand offering, and that’s why we wanted to support the best that SA has to offer. This is a life-changing opportunity for the winner, who will go on to sell their range in our store,’ says Elliott. Catch Project Runway South Africa on Tuesdays at 9:30pm on Mzansi Magic Channel 161.
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Edcon Design Innovation Challenge
THE CLASS OF 2018 In celebration of Youth Month, 13 young fashion designers had the opportunity to showcase their innovative garment collections for the 21 Steps to Retail Programme – a three-month training course facilitated by Runway Productions (organisers of the annual SA Fashion Week). The event was held at George Bizos Hall at the Apartheid Museum to rave reviews on Wednesday 27 June 2018. The top three design students were announced at the fashion show with prizes of R20 000, R15 000 and R10 000 respectively for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. The winners, Zahnri Gertse, Neo Rangaka and Cordelia Maponya were chosen based on their performance throughout the course of the programme. The judging took the following criteria into account: • Mood board execution and how successfully the designers translated their designs from the mood boards. • The level of technical skill used in the pattern-making process and garment construction, including fabric selection. • The contestants’ ability to meet deadlines as well as the level of professionalism displayed during the manufacturing process. The 21 Steps to Retail Programme is the first phase of the Edcon Design Innovation Challenge Initiative, launched in 2016 to advance skills development and entrepreneurship in the fashion design sector. Nine of the finalists are currently participating in a one-year internship programme at Edcon, and have been placed within the Edgars and Jet divisions.
Congratulations to all the young designers for completing their collections and the 21 Steps to Retail Programme! Brands we love
BAG YOUR BEAUTY! Beautique is an in-house Private Label beauty tools and accessories brand that offers all your head-to-toe beauty essentials. The range includes hair brushes and combs, make-up brushes, beauty accessories, manicure and pedicure tools – and now, make-up and cosmetic bags too. This new and exclusive range is designed for fun, stylish South African women who are always on the go! The chic designs make it the perfect make-up and cosmetics bag, whether at home or away. The range has up to 23 styles that speak to three of the most timeless trends – Wild Things, Floral Fantasy and Monochrome. It’s the perfect balance of beauty trailblazer and sophistication, with prices starting from as little as R79.95, we have no doubt that it will suit any personality. So go on on, Bag Your Beauty!
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