2 APRIL 2019
ISSUE01
QUARTERLY
BRANDS WE LOVE Sho Madjozi X Edgars Collection
EDGARS TEAM SPIRIT Design Innovation Challenge
Send your comments or queries to: EdgarsBuzz@Edcon.co.za
EDGARS ON-TREND How To OwnThe Look: Dark Nature
Message from CE: Mike Elliott
COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP You heard me share the Peter Druker quote at our October conference – “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” and add that I believe culture creates a competitive advantage that is very difficult to replicate. In August, Grant shared our company values and at the conference; we shared and discussed what we believe the values mean for Edgars. On reflecting on these discussions, and what they mean to me, I could not help but think back to a personal “proud dad” story I have told many times. The story relates to my son who at the age of 10 started surfing and inspired me to brush off the cobwebs and start surfing with him again. Two years into his journey (at the age of 12) the two of us headed up to a well-known surf spot on the West Coast called Elands Bay. When we arrived and drove into the parking lot, my son got out of the car and walked to the front – below is a picture of what he saw.
Through the process, all my son asked was that I stayed close by as we headed out and waited for the lull. Once committed, there was absolutely nothing I could do for him. We would both have to put our heads down, commit and paddle as hard as we could. Once committed we would be on our own. Nevertheless, we managed to stay close together and made it out. Not only did we get out but my son also overcame the conditions and coped incredibly. He caught as many waves as anybody else that day. By the time the conditions got better and cleaner the next day, he was full of confidence, and again, had a number of fantastic waves. Below is a picture of one of those.
The surf was huge, and there was only a handful of surfers in the water. Most were hanging around not prepared to venture into the surf. I sat in the car and watched him contemplating the surf for a good 10 minutes. I remember thinking there is no way he can go out; this has been a long six-hour drive for nothing. When he eventually came back to the car, he looked at me and said – “Dad, how are we going to get out?” Not “what do you think?” Just simply and with total certainty, what was our plan to get this done! For those who have never surfed – you may not appreciate the size, the power, the challenge, the courage and confidence required to even venture into the water in conditions like this: cold 14°C water; you needed to paddle out over rocks and through kelp that could tangle your leash and hold you down. We decided the traditional place to paddle out was still best but that we needed to get as far onto the rocks as possible without being washed off and then be patient and pick our moment when there was a lull in the waves.
The reason I share this story is that it talks to the commitment we all need to show at this point in our Edgars journey, and most importantly to the power of collaboration and partnership. My son was clear that he would only be able to take on these waves if we did this together. Having a clear plan gave him the confidence and a roadmap of what to do. Over the last year, while we have been working on our recapitalisation of the business, we have finalised a well-built and clear plan that gives us the opportunity to return Edgars to profitability, once and for all. In order to do this, we must show unwavering commitment to this plan and everything we do must be done better together – it’s all about the “collabs”! I encourage you to trust and believe in each other as we chart our way forward and execute our plans with urgency and precision. As we push towards making this the year we turn a corner, remember the Rubik’s Cube – we all have a role to play and we are stronger together! Best Regards
Mike 1
Edgars team members
THE TEAM BUILDING TEXTILES EXPERTISE One of the courses delivered as part of The Learning Cube, is the Advanced and Foundation Textiles Course. The course aims to deepen buyer and specialist buyer’s knowledge and skills of fibres, textiles, related production processes, printing and dyeing as well as garment construction. These aspects are discussed in the context of supplier negotiations with a clear link made between decisions made in the garment design and production processes, the cost and quality implications thereof, and the customer’s perception of value. To date, 37 specialist buyers have attended the Advanced and Foundation Textiles Course and the feedback received from learners has been phenomenal. Not only did the learners enjoy the learning experience, but we also saw an average knowledge shift of 73% between learner’s pre- and post-course assessments.
Suffice to say, significant learning took place and we are super excited to see how these learners apply their skills on the job. Some feedback from our learners below: • “The training empowers us with the knowledge that will enable us to better communicate with suppliers and to effectively negotiate.” • “The chemical section of dyeing was so interesting and I learned a lot.” • “I liked the use of videos and live examples during training. David has in-depth knowledge of fabric and textiles. The training was great; I feel like all designers, buyers and planners should be involved since we work with the product every day.” • ”The training was very helpful in getting us to know more about fabrics and fibres and how to manipulate them.” • “The wealth of knowledge is priceless and immeasurable.”
Edgars team members
INVESTING IN MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT We are proud to inform you that we continue to invest in the development of leadership capability across various levels within Edgars. Development initiatives are focused on developing potential, new as well as seasoned leaders. Below is an outline of each of the initiatives.
MANAGEMENT ESSENTIALS Our Management Essentials programme is delivered over a six-month period and aims to build foundational management skills for potential leaders identified within the business. Nominated employees across Head Office and Retail Operations journey through key themes namely leading in context, creating value through the system, enabling and sustaining performance, creating a high-performance team, and lastly, communicating with impact. Contact sessions are further supported by group coaching sessions with regular assessments of learner progress.
INDIVIDUAL COACHING Edgars partnered with EY and Connemara to facilitate individual coaching for nominated new and seasoned executives within Edgars. The purpose of this individualised coaching journey, is to refine and build leadership capability within the nominated attendees. Each individual’s journey is complemented by ongoing line manager coaching and support to ensure knowledge transfer and skills application in the workplace.
SENIOR MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME – GIBS Ten employees across various Edgars business units have been nominated to attend the Edcon Senior Management Development Programme, facilitated by the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). The aim of this programme is to develop and encourage nominated leaders to integrate the different management disciplines and leadership practices to lead the organisation and translate group and business strategy into measurable outcomes. The programme consists of four contact sessions that contextualise the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) world within which these individuals must lead their teams, explore what it means to be a future fit leader and enable competitiveness through innovation and creativity, and lastly create living value through strategy execution and communication. These leaders also participate in an action learning project where they are given an opportunity to test and apply their newly acquired skills within a realistic business context. The programme will conclude in May 2019. As Edgars, we will continue to invest in the development of existing and potential leaders, and by doing so empower our people.
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Edgars on-trend
HOW TO OWN THE LOOK: DARK NATURE ‘Dark Nature’ ushers us into winter 2019 with dark and moody jewel tones and a touch of surreal opulence. Texture is the key to building a layered home, with hand-picked pieces that reflect your personality. Luxurious velvet scatters in Deep Lake, Brick and Sulphur add a refined feel against the backdrop of plush fur throws. A range of Hotel Collection velvet scatters in the key trending colours are currently available in-store. Exaggerated scale of botanicals and rich deep tones with embellishments bring drama and depth to the look. The Ezzra duvet set in bold floral is the one to look out for and will be available in March 2019. Natural patterns like terrazzo and astrology bring order and geometric balance to the theme. A range of serverware and napery in terrazzo will be in-store in March 2019. The winter-night skies and constellations inspire a range of crockery and bakeware in-store from February 2019. Timeless marble designs are true to the nature theme and can be found in bakeware, currently in-store. Hints of metals with brushed finishes add the finishing touch, with a play on matte and shine. Make it yours and own the look with Edgars Home this winter.
Brands we love
WE GET THAT USO GLOW!
EDGARS EXCLUSIVE
African Dermal Science is a South African start-up focused on the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of skincare technology-driven solutions addressing the unmet needs of those with darker skin tones. The brand was developed by a female South African medical doctor and pharmaceutical expert, Dr Theo Mothoa-Frendo, based on her personal struggles with finding quality skincare products that address the concerns of those with dark skin and living in the harsh African climate. “As a medical doctor and longtime user of quality skincare, and having travelled through the African continent as a pharmaceutical professional, I noticed a startling trend amongst us women of darker complexions. Our skincare routines have been dominated by foreign brands developed for lighter skin tones under northern skies, where wrinkling is the primary skin ageing concern. Our melanin-rich skin derives protection from early wrinkling but we face the unique challenges of uneven skin tone, hyperpigmentation, and extreme oiliness or dryness. African Dermal Science was born out of this frustration of finding quality skincare that addresses the needs of us women with darker skin tones,” says Mothoa-Frendo. “Over the past three years, we have worked with renowned local cosmetic scientists, medical doctors and women with darker skin tones to research and develop this world-class, proudly South African skincare range.” “Our first range, Uso by African Dermal Science skincare range was launched into the South African market on 28 November 2017, and we are looking forward to making the range more accessible nationwide. “The Science inside each bottle is developed with a single goal: to deliver radiant, youthful skin that reflects the beauty of science for African skin,” finishes Mothoa-Frendo.
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Brands we love
SHO MADJOZI X EDGARS COLLECTION Nothing screams freedom of expression like a traditional yet modern twist on a range that encapsulates culture – Sho Madjozi embodies the balance of the two worlds and we are here for it all! Maya Christinah Xichavo Wegerif – better known as Sho Madjozi – was born in a small village in the Limpopo province and has taken the industry by storm. Since bursting onto the scene with her hit single ‘Dumi Hi Phone’ – the rapper and poet has not only made her heritage a big deal in the industry but she has also infiltrated the fashion industry, and continues to influence with her quirky fashion style. It was an iconic and very proudly South African moment for both Edgars and Sho Madjozi to launch the Sho Madjozi Collection – a range that represents freedom of self-expression, embodies and celebrates the rapper’s self-proclaimed love for her Tsonga culture and is nothing short of exciting and vibrant. The range hit Edgars stores on 14 December 2018 and was accompanied by a meet-and-greet with the star at the Sandton store, which had the mall buzzing with excitement as fans queued up to meet the superstar. The rapper showed us how to style up the range pairing her Tsonga-print yellow twinset with bold and bright coloured hair and make-up, and how to wear her track pants with flatform sneakers paired with a xibelani. The range screams “cultured,” and we love it! Edgars has put itself at the forefront by taking on this big project that has encapsulated a truly African spirit; celebrating a young artist and her culture. The range is available in selected Edgars stores, ready to be worn.
Edgars team spirit
DESIGN INNOVATION CHALLENGE Now in its third year, the Design Innovation Challenge has yielded amazing results from the talented young designers who are part of the programme. Six of the Design Innovation Challenge 2017 & 2018 menswear interns joined the list of the Who’s Who of the SA fashion scene when they showcased their collections at the SAFW Winter/Autumn 2019 show held on 26 October 2018 at the Protea Court, Sandton City Rooftop. All the designers’ talent and immense dedication to their craft came across in their extraordinary collections. The 2018 interns will participate in the SAFW Trade Event which will take place in April as part of the SAFW SS19, also at the Sandton City Rooftop. Five of the 2017 interns’ menswear collections were selected to be sold in Edgars stores under the EDGT EDT Capsule and have been in stores since November 2018. Shaylene Harris (part of the 2017 intake) and Denzel Vilakazi (2018 intake) are finalists in the #MiniScoutingMenswear Competitison and will have the opportunity to showcase their collections at SAFW Spring/Summer19. The interns’ designs were used for the conference bag, pens, scarves and notebooks which were distributed at the BRICS Fashion Council held in Johannesburg in November 2018, where the transformation divisional executive was one of the panelists and presented on Edcon’s Transformation initiatives. Meet the class of 2019 (from left to right): Botshelo Molete, Mashoto Maredi, Michael Reid, Mike Ubisse, Nadja Rabin, Nina Peterson, Sinethemba Mthethwa, Siviwe Ntwana, Thabang Mabe, Thabiso Molelekoa and Zanele Ndlovu.
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