The Foschini Group faces mounting pressure as it plans to close about 280 African stores, prompting COSATU to call for worker protections and alternatives to closures.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has warned The Foschini Group (TFG) against rushing ahead with plans to close about 280 stores on the continent, saying the retailer must consider the impact on workers as it shifts increasingly towards online sales.
COSATU’s warning comes after TFG announced plans to close about 80 stores by the end of March 2027, followed by a further 200 closures over the subsequent two financial years, as weak physical-store sales and surging online shopping reshape its retail strategy.
The union said TFG should engage with workers and their representatives in good faith and explore alternatives to the closures.
"The country is confronted by stagnant economic growth, growing at a mere 0.5% quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter of 2026. This has undermined efforts to generate jobs and tackle our stubbornly high unemployment rate of 43.8%," the union said.
