Corporate culture
The Foschini group started trading in 1924, and has been listed on the JSE Limited since 1 January 1941. It is regarded as one of the foremost independent chain store groups in the country. We trade through 13 retail brands and in addition we operate an apparel supply company, a credit and finance division, an IT division, distribution centres and various corporate service divisions.
The Foschini group's head office is located in Cape Town, with regional offices in Johannesburg and Durban. The group employs over 13 500 employees, trading in 1 600 stores in southern Africa, including four in Swaziland, six in Botswana and thirty-seven in Namibia.
As a leader in the fashion retail industry that has shown significant growth over the years, our mission is to run cost-effective and profitable retail operations. We have continued to build our business through innovative differentiation, new business development, acquisition and expansion. Key to the brand proposition is providing fashionable products and “exceeding service" to our customers. Our business itself is grown through our people, and our employees' contribution is central to the success of our business.
The Foschini group is particularly proud of its corporate culture which we have developed over the years that we have been trading. We believe that our culture and the quality of our people are our greatest strengths. We have established a consistent performance management system across the entire organisation which places emphasis in equal parts on employees' performance and behaviour. Our approach to empowerment through leadership and skills development has enhanced the culture of our organisation. Our goal is to build creative capacity by growing sharp, dynamic, talented individuals who have the energy and passion in an environment that is both challenging and supportive. In the end it is all about building a strong culture as, ultimately, our brands will always reflect the internal organisational culture.
The company lives its values of maintaining integrity by being honest, open and completely ethical in all our dealings. We believe in treating our employees with dignity and respect, and we ensure we provide a supportive and encouraging environment. We promote equal opportunity and development for all. We reward employees fairly based on their responsibility, effort and performance. Self-critical professionalism and a constant search for improvement are encouraged.
Employees contribute to our group's success through their passion for retail, their ability to identify with our products, and through their understanding of market trends and customer needs. Operating in this dynamic industry requires resilience, a willingness to challenge current practices, and the ability to come up with creative solutions. Excellent interpersonal skills and high team orientation contribute substantially to our Group's success.
Our culture extends beyond the borders of our business, and significant time and effort is spent in the development of strong supplier relationships both locally and internationally. We consider ourselves to be responsible corporate citizens, and are committed to ongoing efforts to fulfill this role through our focus on our environmental initiatives and Corporate Social Investment philosophies.
It is the combination of our business strategy and caring for the staff that creates a culture of ownership, accountability, passion, initiative and creativity.