Retailability Proprietary

The story of Retailability begins in 1984, not with a storefront, but with its founder, Clifford Lines, importing apparel for wholesale in South Africa. This humble start laid the groundwork for a retail group that would quietly grow for decades. The first two stores opened in 1986, and the company methodically expanded, launching its Style brand in Namibia in 1992 and entering Botswana in 2002. A significant shift occurred in 2015 when private equity firm Metier came on board, and Norman Drieselmann was appointed CEO. This marked a new chapter of accelerated growth. The first major move was the acquisition of the Legit brand from a struggling Edcon in a deal announced in 2016. This playbook of acquiring established but underperforming brands became a hallmark of Retailability's strategy. The company's most transformative moment came in 2020. While many retailers struggled, Retailability acquired 130 stores of the iconic, 91-year-old South African department store, Edgars, from the business rescue proceedings of Edcon. This acquisition dramatically increased Retailability's footprint and thrust the historically low-profile company into the limelight. Following this, Retailability continued its strategic acquisitions, adding children's clothing brand Keedo to its portfolio in 2023. More recently, in a strategic refocusing, Retailability sold its Legit, Style, and other brands to Pepkor in 2025 to concentrate its efforts on growing the Edgars brand.