For the launch of this internationally-recognised brand, three temporary pop-up shops have been set up at Cresta Shopping Centre in Johannesburg, Galleria Shopping Mall in Amanzimtoti and Cape Gate Shopping Centre in Cape Town. They will showcase a limited range of clothing from George, giving South Africans a small taste of the brand.
All three temporary stores will be running for up to three months or until stocks last. This, however, does not mean the end of George in South Africa. From the end of November, George baby clothes and George essentials (socks and underwear) will be available at Game, while Makro will stock the babywear.
All exchanges and returns for items purchased from the temporary stores can be made at Game stores. Massmart will approach the continued rollout based on the success of the range.
George is the fashion division of ASDA, currently Britain's second largest supermarket chain and part of the Walmart family.
Massmart CEO Grant Pattison says this is a good initiative that provides an excellent example of how access to Walmart intellectual property has essentially enabled Massmart to rapidly and cost effectively identify a compelling clothing proposition from a pre-selected range.
"Part of being in the Walmart family means we can try new things with lower exposure to risk. Our customers have also called for a total shop - one store that offers everything, this provided the perfect opportunity to do this," Pattison says.
Over the past two decades, George has developed into a household name in the UK, says Keren Long, George brand development director. "We have built up incredible trust with our customers, and cemented a robust reputation for offering quality, stylish clothing at incredible value for money. It is this proposition we are hoping to bring to our South African consumers."
