The Group also officially celebrated its 100th store opening in South Africa, and cemented the region as the fastest growing of all 17 countries in which the Group operates.

“Johannesburg is our first regional office outside our headquarters in Australia and has now paved the way for the opening of our regional offices in the USA and Singapore,” says Cotton On Group chief financial officer, Michael Hardwick.

“South Africa plays a critical role in the ongoing success of our business, and is a key contributor to the 30% growth we have achieved globally for the past three years. In 2013 the Group opened 27 stores in 27 days in the lead up to Christmas, surpassing R1-billion in sales.”

What started as one store and a workforce of 15 people in South Africa has expanded, within three short years, to seven and a half million customers, 25 million units sold, all driven by a workforce of of 1300 people in South Africa. With no plans to slow down, the Group intends for their 100 stores to become 300 in the region, and the team of 1300 people to grow to 3000 within five years.

“South Africa is rich with talented, innovative, and forward thinking individuals. Our team here play a crucial role in shaping why South Africa is set to become a driving force in cementing our plans for future growth, both within Africa and beyond,” says Cotton On Group South African country manager, Johan van Wyk.

“For the Cotton On Group, the successful expansion of our operations is underpinned by the guiding principles: invest in people, ideas, leadership and resources, and do this in countries like South Africa that are led by people who share the same like-minded principles,” adds Van Wyk.

Focusing on building a progressive future, the Group’s philanthropic arm, the Cotton On Foundation, has funded projects to the value of R250-million in a unique partnership with their customers and employees. The Foundation provides opportunities in education, healthcare, infrastructure and sustainability, all with the aim of ending global poverty. Their mission: to empower youth to lead the way through education and opportunity, by educating 20 000 people in Southern Uganda by 2020.

Their recent partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation is indicative of their commitment to the South African community, where they will generate funds with the aim of reaching 5000 children through the sale of Foundation products in Cotton On stores nationwide.

Highlighting the value of education, the Cotton On Group has launched its multimillion Rand educational platform, Cotton On Group Uni in partnership with Deakin University, an opportunity that has just reached our shores. The programme consists of two key modules; firstly a ‘pathways to leadership’ programme, which has been orchestrated to develop a high performing team of senior leaders within South Africa. Secondly, a Learning and Development Academy has been established, which consists of 24 module syllabuses, providing graduates with an internationally accredited Diploma of Management.

As a part of its global growth plan and focus on connectivity with customers, the Cotton On Group is launching its first, state of the art South African E-Commerce platform in the imminent months.

“We have appointed some of the best E-Commerce talent to help guide us in reshaping our global platform for effective online customer engagement, on a local level. Market insights play a huge role in defining brand direction; therefore it’s crucial that we have the ability to connect with our customers in different ways, through different channels,” says Van Wyk.

Not only outward focused, the company goes to great lengths to ensure that it has a strong core. They take great pride in their team, who the Group continuously aim to assist in their personal and professional development, hoping to encourage long term employees. They nurture health and wellbeing through a variety of activities, and promote skills development by encouraging members to attend their university. The Cotton On Group believes that by being an employer of choice, this will extend to drive value through to its customers.
With an exciting journey already travelled, the future holds many bright plans for the innovative Group.