CORPORATE PROFILE

History

The Foschini group has been built on the philosophy that success is achieved through teamwork inspired by a vision of the future, and it is this entrepreneurial spirit that pioneered the vision and birth of Foschini eighty-five years ago. Throughout its history, the company has been managed and directed forward by leaders with this same strong entrepreneurial drive building the group into what it is today - a leading organisation trading with innovative differentiation in the retail industry.

1924	George Rosenthal, a Russian immigrant, whose entrepreneurial spirit led him to export clothing out of the US, arrives in South Africa with a vision of opening up a shop called Foschini (an old Italian family name that he liked!) retailing women's clothes imported from the United States.
1925	The first store is opened in Johannesburg, offering women well-made, up-to-date and inexpensive garments. In just over a year he boasted nine branches throughout the country and within three years Foschini was a household name in international fashion trends.
1937	Foschini Limited is the first of South Africa's fashion chains to become a public company.
1940s	Foschini's first head office is built in Somerset Road, Cape Town.
1958	Stanley Lewis buys a major shareholding in Foschini Limited, bringing in a new drive and business focus.
1967	The American Swiss Watch Company joins the Foschini group.
1968	Markhams joins the group. Both companies were born out of the same entrepreneurial spirit of the 1900s.
1969	Pages Stores is established, catering to the lower socio-economic group.
1969	Foschini Limited becomes the Foschini group
1974	The head office moves to Parow, and executive action is implemented to grow the Foschini group into the vast retail chain that it is today.
1987	The Foschini group commemorates 50 years as a public company.
1993	Sterns, the jewellery chain that markets to the middle to upper end of the market is acquired.
1996	The sportscene brand, Foschini's venture into the macro sports lifestyle market, is launched offering freesport brands and urban style type sportswear to the young market.
1997	donna-claire, offering contemporary fashion apparel to the "fuller" size, is launched.
1999	exact!, a rebranding of the original Pages stores is launched, offering quality and affordability in an aspirational environment.
1999	RCS Group responsible for offering personal finance to customers and card facilities to customers of merchants outside the group, is launched.
1999	TFG Manufacturing Company, is rebranded to TFG Apparel Supply Company - responsible for in-house merchandise procurement.
2000	Totalsports is acquired to be the second brand within the sports market, offering apparel and footwear in key sporting areas to the everyday athlete.
2000	Matrix, a third brand in the jewellery division is launched, offering branded accessories to the younger customer.
2001	fashionexpress, the value chain, is created out of ailing Foschini stores that could not sustain the "new" Foschini positioning.
2001	@home, the homeware store concept is launched, marking the group's entrance into the burgeoning homewares market, appealing to the discerning homewares customer.
2004	DueSouth, a new outdoors concept, is launched as the Group enters into the outdoor apparel and equipment market.
2004	The Markhams brand is repositioned and rebranded as Markham – an exciting, relevant and aspirational brand.
2005	Luella, the Foschini division’s fourth major brand, is launched offering a range of ladies' footwear, handbags and accessories aimed at the middle to upper middle market.
2005	@home launches @homelivingspace - an exciting new format of furniture lifestyle stores, offering a full range of contemporary furniture in two new lifestyle shopping centres in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
2007	Foschini Retail Credit rebranded as FG Financial Services.