South African retailer Truworths, the owner of UK footwear chain Office, is to launch a new budget clothing brand which will be rolled out in 15 of its stores in an attempt to cater to evolving shopping habits following the Covid outbreak.

The budget brand will be called Primark, though it has no connection to Associated British Foods’ (ABF) Primark.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Truworths said Primark will be positioned as a youthful, fashionable, commercial, aspirational value-brand and that it represents “good quality at great value, highly competitive prices yet reasonable margins.”

It will be strategically aligned with suppliers that can respond and react with short lead times.

Meanwhile, in its most recent financial update for the 26 weeks ending 27 December, Truworths saw sale of merchandise fall 9% year-on-year to ZAR9.4bn (US$631m). Headline earnings per share fell 7% to ZAR337 cents.

Office alone saw profit before tax dive 66% to GBP3.6m, while sales were 25% lower year-on-year to GBP114.2m. Office store sales which were severely impacted by national lockdowns fell 53%.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Style Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Style Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact

Excellence in Action
From bio-based durable water repellents to 90–95% wastewater recovery, Archroma’s dual win in the 2025 Just Style Excellence Awards highlights its sustainability-first approach. Find out how PHOBOTEX® NTR-50 and the Mahachai ZLD project are helping apparel and textile players meet tightening global regulations.

Discover the Impact