2026 rout sees apparel retailers lose nearly R50bn in market value
Only one stock is up in the year to date, and not by a massive amount
From the start of the year, South Africa's apparel retail sector has seen nearly R47 billion wiped off the combined market value of its five listed retailers. This decline was temporarily masked by a rise in SA Inc stocks following the US midterm and local government elections. Only Mr Price Group managed to post a positive return in the past 10 months.
While all five retailers are now above their 52-week lows, Pepkor, The Foschini Group (TFG) and Woolworths have suffered significant losses. TFG has led the decline, with a 32% drop since January 2026, though it's slightly better than its worst point of 46%. Pepkor has lost nearly R25 billion, and Woolworths has seen over R14 billion shed from its market value.
The performance of these retailers is influenced by factors such as high fuel prices, cheap imports from China, and the impact of the Mr Price Group's acquisition of NKD Group in Germany. The larger market cap of Pepkor and the decline in Woolworths and Pepkor's market values are highlighted in the story.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
