Introduction
Various clothing retailers have been in existence for more than 20 years in SA. Throughout these years, the industry has witnessed newcomers who have posed a threat and competition to the existing ones, while others could not survive.
Industry Overview
South Africa’s clothing industry has fairly recovered from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with retail sales in the clothing and textile industry getting a steady increase over the past year (2021 – Fabric & Textile: Sector report).
On the bright side, the pandemic revived this industry. It resulted in most clothing retailers investing in alternative ways, including online purchases. Especially with social distancing as the new norm, shopping online has become inevitable, and getting the best place for your fashion doesn’t have to be difficult.
Shopping from store to store has been re-established, but online shopping has gradually become a trend in (SA) and one of the items that South Africans often shop for is fashion apparels and accessories.
With so many choices and platforms available for customers to make purchases from, it has largely become a requirement for all industry players to invest more in brand management and maintenance of a good online reputation.
To this end, retailers need to stay relevant in this competitive industry, by placing emphasis on quality, prices, brand, and reputation.
There’s quite a large number of clothing retailers in SA, getting a store that is dedicated to fashion and that offers quality and the best of prices can be sometimes challenging. To this, we have listed below the best clothing retail stores.
Top Rated Clothing Retailer in SA
Retailer |
Rating |
Number of Reviews |
| H&M | 4.3 | 796 |
| mrp (Mr Price) | 4.2 | 120 |
| Woolworths | 4.1 | 255 |
| Cape Union Mart | 4.1 | 187 |
| Cotton On | 4.0 | 144 |
| Ackermans | 4.0 | 133 |
| TFG (The Foschini Group) | 3.8 | 140 |
| Zara | 3.7 | 312 |
| Planet 54 | 3.6 | 107 |
| Superbalist | 2.2 | 256 |
| Loot SA | 2.7 | 452 |
| Zando | 2.2 | 189 |
Top Reviewed Clothing Retailers
Retailer |
Number of Reviews |
Ratings |
| H&M | 796 | 4.3 |
| Loot (SA) | 452 | 2.7 |
| Woolworths | 255 | 4.1 |
| Zara | 312 | 3.7 |
| Superbalist | 256 | 2.2 |
| Zando | 189 | 2.2 |
| Cape Union Mart | 187 | 4.1 |
| Cotton On | 144 | 4.0 |
| TFG (The Foschini Group) | 140 | 3.8 |
| Ackermans | 133 | 4.0 |
| mrp (Mr Price) | 120 | 4.2 |
| Planet 54 | 107 | 3.6 |
The tables above present the stats on the best rated and the most reviewed clothing retailers, respectively. eKomi has gathered the data based on reviews found on Google Maps.
The top-rated clothing retailer is H&M with a towering rating of 4.2-stars from 796 reviews, followed by MrPrice with a 4.2-star rating from 120 reviews. Woolworths and Cape Union Mart are tied on a fair 4.1star rating with the difference lying in the number of reviews 255 and 187 respectively.
The bottom rankings in ratings are held by Zando with only 2.2 star rating from 189 reviews. Followed by Loot SA with a 2.7 star rating from 452 reviews.
In terms of the top reviewed retailer, H&M tops the chart with 796 reviews. Such a result of H&M is amazing because having a good rating with a large sample size is a very desirable feature. Furthermore, it is stunning to learn that Loot SA stands second to H&M in the top reviewed retailers category with a total number 452 of reviews.
Clothing retailers to understand the true value of reviews from the above stats and how they can help improve their online presence. Generally, the number of reviews needed can vary from business to business, but most retailers are able to obtain a rating after collecting 100 or more eligible reviews.
Conclusion
Once again, turning to consumer reviews is by far the best way clothing retailers in SA can improve sales and gain growth. On one hand, the retailer will be able to spot any issues and concerns that customers have, whether relating to quality, prices, delivery fees, and customer service etc.
On the other hand, a great way to help customers identify the top clothing retailers that have the best ratings and reviews, as well as the less-than-favorite stores you want to avoid.
There are many clothing retailers that have been left out on this list, and as such it becomes a prerequisite for such retailers to start collecting reviews. You can learn more from eKomi on how you can improve your online presence and reputation.
As for the customers out here in SA, if you are indeed in need of quality and affordable clothes, you can’t go wrong by choosing from any of these above listed online clothing stores in SA. These stores also offer both online and in-store outlets with good customer support.