Edgars Reimagines Its Gateway Store: A Fresh Identity for Fashion, Beauty & Tech in Durban
Durban’s retail landscape just received a major shake-up. Edgars — once one of South Africa’s most troubled retail names — has completed a bold relaunch of its Gateway Theatre of Shopping store under the leadership of Retailability, the Durban-based group that acquired the brand in 2020.
The relaunch signals more than a facelift. It marks Edgars’ renewed commitment to modern retail, tighter store identities, and fresh product categories designed to bring customers back into physical spaces.
A New Ground Floor: Beauty Meets Tech
One of the most notable changes is the complete redesign of the store’s ground floor. Previously a mixed-category layout, the space is now intentionally curated around cosmetics and technology — two high-demand segments that consistently draw foot traffic.
The tech section is spread across the back section of the store, but its brand lineup is surprisingly strong with dedicated stands for :
- Oppo & Vivo
- Honor Lounge
- Huawei
- Samsung
- DJI , Nintendo, Pre-loved Apple devices (through the core group)
The store also features a dedicated section to Edgars Connect, the electronics arm, where you can see devices from :
- Xiaomi
- PlayStation 5
- Tecno smartphones
- Volkano gear
- JBL devices
- Specno Smartphones
- Laptops and so much more
It’s an unexpected but refreshing mix, blending mainstream smartphone brands with gaming, vlogging and creator gear — all in a store better known for fashion.
A Small Tech Section, But an Important Step for Durban
While the tech area isn’t large, the decision to include it is strategic and necessary. Durban has long suffered from a limited footprint of multi-brand tech retail spaces outside of carrier stores and stand-alone brand boutiques.
For many Durban shoppers, variety and accessibility are still major gaps in the city’s tech ecosystem. Edgars stepping into this space — even at a small scale — introduces competition, convenience, and a wider product choice for mainstream shoppers who may not visit specialist stores.
It’s a sign that Retailability recognises tech as a high-interest category that can help revitalise foot traffic and diversify Edgars’ identity moving forward.
A Star-Studded Relaunch With Honor’s CEO and DJ Tira
The relaunch event wasn’t just a ribbon-cutting. It brought notable energy to Gateway, thanks to the presence of Honor South Africa’s CEO, who joined the celebration alongside Durban’s own superstar DJ Tira.
Their appearance underscored the significance of Edgars’ renewed commitment to tech and highlighted Honor’s growing presence in South Africa’s mobile market. The collaboration also signals that major tech brands are eager to invest again in local retail spaces — a positive sign for Durban’s tech community.
A New Direction… But Who Is It Really For?
While the relaunch is undeniably impressive and the store feels fresh and modern, it also raises an important question: who exactly is Edgars trying to be now?
Under Retailability, Edgars seems to be experimenting with a hybrid identity — blending cosmetics, clothing, and now an increasingly wide mix of tech products, from smartphones and laptops to gaming consoles and drones. It’s a bold move, but also a confusing one.
Cosmetics and fashion have always made sense together. They share a customer base, a lifestyle connection, and a long retail history. But cosmetics mixed with mid-range tech — especially laptops, PS5s, drones, speakers, and creator gear — feels like Edgars is trying to be a more “upmarket ”, a one-stop-shop that captures every brand collaboration they can secure.
And that’s the challenge:
If a customer wants affordable tech, they go to PEP, Ackermans, or online.
If they want premium tech, they go directly to the brand stores or specialist retailers.
If they want fashion and beauty, Edgars has always existed — but adding tech doesn’t give them a competitive lead. It simply places them on the same playing field as everyone else, without a differentiator.
Even the placement of the tech section — tucked at the back behind cosmetics and fragrances — makes it feel less like a strategic pillar and more like an experiment the brand is still figuring out.
Durban needs more tech retail options, and Edgars stepping into that gap is valuable. But whether this new mix of perfume, clothing, and multi-brand tech will resonate with customers — or whether it muddies Edgars’ identity further — remains to be seen. The relaunch is a step forward, but the real test will be whether this hybrid concept can find a clear demographic and define who the “new Edgars” is meant to serve.
