Luxury Retailers Open Stores in South Africa as Covid-19 Cases Rise

ARC, a South African digital beauty retailer first launched in April, has opened its first physical store in Johannesburg’s Sandton City shopping centre, according to a Bizcommunity report.

The retailer has dubbed itself South Africa’s first independent beauty store and stocks brands including Huda Beauty, Guerlain and Gucci, alongside A-Beauty favourites like Suki Suki Naturals. ARC has also flagged further store openings in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront and Durban’s Gateway by 2022.

In Sandton, South African luxury fashion reseller Luxity has also opened a physical store at Nelson Mandela Square and another at Menlyn Maine shopping precinct in Pretoria, per Bizcommunity. The retailer, which sells pre-owned handbags, shoes, and accessories from high-end brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Hermès, reportedly grew 63 percent year-on-year in 2020 and is now South Africa’s largest pre-owned luxury player.

While both retail developments signal growing interest in South Africa’s luxury fashion and beauty industries, as well as a desire for in-person shopping, Covid-19 cases are seeing a worrying rise in South Africa.

The country this week announced a two-week lockdown to combat a surge in infections linked to the more transmissible Delta variant. The lockdown will restrict all gatherings indoors and outdoors, except for funerals, and will institute a curfew from 9pm to 4am.

“We are in the grip of a devastating wave that by all indications seems like it will be worse than those that preceded it,” said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, when announcing the measures.