Pepkor brings Boardmans back to stores in South African retail push Pepkor Lifestyle is reopening the physical retail chapter of Boardmans with seven store rebrands, placing the homeware name back in South African shopping centres nearly eight years after its nationwide closure. The relaunch began on October 5, 2026, with additional openings planned.

The strategy gives Pepkor a broader platform to sell household products across several price points and categories, from kitchen essentials and bedding to furniture, televisions and audio equipment.

A partnership with technology retailer Incredible will extend Boardmans beyond its traditional homeware business.

For South African shoppers, the return also restores an established retail name that had been absent from physical stores since 2018. For Pepkor, the opportunity is to build a larger home-shopping business by connecting its store network with an expanded online catalogue.

A broader home-shopping business

Boardmans will bring together furniture, appliances, kitchenware, bedding and other household essentials, supported by credit, store accounts, lay-by payments and promotions through Pepkor’s +more rewards programme.

The online changes extend the strategy beyond the seven rebranded stores. Since October 5, customers visiting Rochester.co.za have been redirected to a dedicated Rochester section on Boardmans.co.za, integrating Rochester’s premium furniture collections into the wider digital catalogue.

The arrangement does not mean Rochester is closing its stores. All 38 locations will continue operating, preserving its physical presence while its online offering becomes part of the Boardmans platform.

The combined approach gives Pepkor a way to connect homeware, furniture and technology purchases across digital and physical channels. Further Boardmans store openings are planned, although the company has not specified a timetable or the number of locations involved.

A retail brand gets another chance

Boardmans has undergone several ownership changes since its origins as Sam Newman’s hardware store. Tom Boardman bought two retail outlets in Cape Town in November 1982, laying the foundation for a homeware business that would eventually expand nationwide.

Pick n Pay became a financial partner in the early 1990s before acquiring the entire business. Under its ownership, Boardmans grew to 26 stores across South Africa before Edcon bought it for R94 million($5.69 million) in 2003. At the time, the retailer generated annual turnover of R211 million($12.78 million), selling kitchenware, furniture and outdoor products.

Former Edcon chief executive Steve Ross said the acquisition supported the group’s strategy of expanding into non-food retail. However, mounting financial pressure eventually forced a reversal, with Edcon announcing Boardmans’ closure in 2018 and replacing the standalone stores with Edgars Home departments.

From 26 stores to a second comeback

Retailability acquired the Boardmans brand in 2020 as part of a transaction involving parts of Edcon’s Edgars business.

The Durban-based group, which also owns Edgars, Legit, Beaver Canoe, Style and Keedo, operates approximately 600 stores across Southern Africa.

Boardmans returned in 2023 as an online-only retailer. Its latest move into physical stores gives the brand another chance to grow, with Pepkor Lifestyle combining its homeware range with Rochester’s furniture collections and Incredible’s technology products to create a broader home-shopping destination.