Cape Union Mart’s 2026 Expansion: What It Means for South African Retail Businesses

Cape Union Mart is South Africa’s popular outdoor gear retail chain, which has built a solid reputation among hikers, outdoor activity enthusiasts, and camping groups. The retailer has announced plans to open a new store inside the extended Boardwalk Mall in Gqeberha, a South African city.

While this may be a small announcement when seen from the perspective of Cape Union Mart which is just adding one more store to its portfolio of 116 stores, it has significant implications for the South African retail industry.

The expansion suggests positivity in the retail landscape of South Africa and how it is headed for an optimistic future.

Cape Union Mart is Expanding into a Growing Gqeberha Retail Destination

Boardwalk Mall in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, is a popular shopping destination. It is a hub for major South African retailers and international brands. Cape Union Mart, which is already a formidable name in the outdoor apparel and equipment industry, is adding another store at the Boardwalk’s new extension.

Boardwalk Mall will be upgraded with a R60 million investment announced by the property developers Flanagan and Gerard Property. This shopping and lifestyle destination is going to get more retail space, leisure facilities and national/international brands by November/December 2026.

The expansion of 2584 square metres is underway. Cape Union Mart will be joining the league of other retailers who will be opening stores in the new space.

Did you Know? Well-known names like Mr Price, Mr Price Home, FARO, and Polo will be opening stores in Bordwalk Mall.
Source:Business Tech

Modern retail spaces combine shopping with recreation to improve the shopper experience. The same is being followed at Boardwalk. Beyond retail, the upgrade also adds leisure amenities such as padel courts, a five-a-side soccer facility, and a local bagel outlet.

The expansion also suggests the mall owners’ confidence in Gqeberha as a retail destination. Gqeberha has grown from earlier just being a secondary market to Cape Town or Johannesburg to a standalone retail destination in itself with its own vibrant shopping places and modern retail spaces.

Why Cape Union Mart’s New Gqeberha Store Matters?

Boardwalk Mall’s retail space has performed well. As a testament to its success, the property developers and owners have shown faith in the business space for further extension. The mall is a promising retail space with over 1.2 million footfalls in December 2025. Its monthly turnover stood at more than R100 million in December 2025 alone.

Therefore, Cape Union Mart’s move to open a new store at such a lucrative business space is highly justified and also shows the location analysis strength of Cape Union Mart. Location matters a lot for growth, reach, and footfalls. Cape Union Mart is not simply adding a store. It is placing itself inside one of the Eastern Cape’s best-performing retail centres.

The Boardwalk Mall Expansion is More than Just New Shops

Stakeholders in the Boardwalk Mall Expansion

1. Changing Tides, a Flanagan & Gerard company (60% share)
2. Dondolo Property Trust (20% share)
3. Emfuleni Resorts (20% share)

Highlights:

• 1,805 sqm of new retail space announced within the new popular ‘Sun Park’ (subset of 2,584 sq.m).

• The relocated Magic Company store is set to open around September 2026, ahead of Cape Union Mart and the other new tenants.

• New stores announced from major retailers including Mr Price, Mr Price Home, FARO, and Polo.

Intresting Fact Paul Gerard (MD of Gerard Group) said, "Boardwalk Mall expansion project is a direct response to sustained retail space demand from both national and independent retailers in Gqeberha."

What it means is that the retail space demand in Gqeberha was surpassing the current store space availability. It is a positive sign for retailers focused on the East Cape region. The expansion is an event in itself. As macro trends improve in South Africa, the retail sector is set to enjoy the benefits in terms of a larger market and more revenue and trade.

• Retail trade sales are expected to increase by 7.0% in nominal terms. (Bureau of Market Research (BMR)).

• South Africa retail market size is projected to reach USD 220.51 billion by 2034. (IMARC)

What Cape Union Mart Gains From a Physical Store in Gqeberha?

Cape Union Mart mainly supplies high-quality equipment and apparel for hiking/camping activities and safaris. Founded in 1933, the retail giant has over nine decades of presence in the industry. Its retail portfolio includes brands such as K-Way, The North Face, HOKA, Salomon, and Merrell. It operates 116 physical stores in South Africa.

Opening in Gqeberha gives Cape Union Mart more than another address on its store list. Its store expansion is a gain not only for itself but also provides hope to thousands of other retailers about the possibilities in the South African retail market.

1. Reaching New Local Customers

A physical store in Gqeberha means more direct visits from new shoppers who may not have visited its Cape Town or Johannesburg stores. It provides local access, another touchpoint for the brand to showcase its hiking boots, backpacks, and travel/camping apparel.

2. Building Stronger Regional Presence

Cape Union Mart already operates multiple stores across Southern Africa. A store inside the iconic Boardwalk Mall strengthens the brand’s image in the Eastern Cape. We already see Cape Union Mart as a strong name in the outdoor retail space; this expansion further reinforces its brand strength regionally. Now customers can actually visit and experience for themselves why Cape Union Mart is a popular retail name.

3. Creating an In-Person Outdoor Retail Experience

Outdoor gear is a protective layer during camping, hiking, off-road travel activities, etc. Shoppers want to feel the fabric, check the fit, and see the ruggedness and durability themselves before buying. With its retail showroom in Boardwalk, Cape Union Mart will be better placed to provide the hands-on experience to the shoppers. It guarantees sales and also prevents any customer from going to an alternative store that has a physical store in Gqeberha.

4. Combining Physical Retail With Digital Channels

With a physical retail store in Boardwalk, Cape Union Mart can provide an omnichannel experience to its customers who can browse online and also buy in-store. A new Cape Union Mart location adds another pickup point, blending digital convenience with physical service.

5. Increasing Brand Visibility in the Eastern Cape

Gqeberha is the largest city in the Eastern Cape, one of the nine provinces in South Africa. To have a retail store in Gqeberha means you have a strong presence in the Eastern Cape. It provides you with a ‘face ’, ‘signage ’, and ‘retail asset’. A store opening inside a high-performing mall means free marketing & brand visibility as an added benefit.

The Hidden Challenges Behind Opening Another Retail Store

New store openings come with their own unique challenges. While on the outside it may look glamorous, there are behind-the-scenes complexities. A new location means more management and added operational activity.

Below are some challenges that come with every new location a brand adds to its retail portfolio:

1. Inventory procurement, assortment, and management for the new store as per the new shoppers’ preferences and local/regional demand.
2. Implementing a new POS for billing, new loyalty management systems, new CRM, and finding new employees.
3. Managing new financials, tax and VAT compliance, bills, and accounting (debits and credits).
4. Creating a new supply chain for the latest location, delivery schedule, warehouse management, etc.
5. Restocking as per demand, preventing stockouts and understanding the new stores’ stock demand.

While it’s easy to cut a ribbon and open the new store and fit it out with modern interiors, the operational challenges are something that have to be handled smartly.

Why Inventory Visibility Become Critical When Retailers Expand?

Every additional store means more inventory to be handled across the organisation. More product assortments as per the regional shoppers’ demand and preferences.

With over 100 stores like that of Cape Union Mart, you cannot manually deal with the merchandise and product assortments across stores and locations. Without a shared and centralised view of stocks across locations, one store can run out of a bestselling item while another sits on excess inventory of the same product.

For a retailer the size of Cape Union Mart, that kind of visibility is not optional. It is a core part of running more than a hundred stores profitably.

Let’s see how a unified POS system can catalyse multi-store expansion without hassle.

The Role of POS and Retail Technology in Multi-Store Expansion

Multi-store expansion means you need to have stock data feeds on the dashboard of a central POS cum inventory management system. Why is this retail technology the backbone behind any retail expansion?

Let us see:

A multi-chain retail brand such as Cape Union Mart has strategic warehouse locations, and some of the retail stores too have warehouse spaces. All the inventory, along with the product type, size, SKU, colour, brand type, and other dimensions, is recorded in the inventory management system that is integrated with the POS system.

Any sale happening in any store location of Cape Union Mart will be updated in real-time, and the stock count for that particular variant will also be updated in the cloud-based inventory system.

This makes it easy to have central inventory visibility across all stores. Any one store that needs new inventory can first check for excess inventory in any nearby store location. This not only reduces freight costs but also saves the organisation from stock wastage at any store, as the excess stock can be transferred to stores where it is required.

POS also keeps loyalty management consistent for all. A shopper from one store location can redeem the loyalty points at any store across South Africa. This prevents customer churn if customers relocate to other places. They will still visit another retail branch.

What South African Retailers Can Learn From Cape Union Mart’s Expansion?

Cape Union Mart’s move into Gqeberha offers a useful case study for any South African retailer planning to grow.

Six lessons stand out.

1. Expansion Should Follow Proven Demand

Cape Union Mart is opening inside a mall with a proven track record (over a million visitors in December 2025 and R100 million in revenue in December 2025 alone). Retailers should look for the same kind of location strength and opportunity before selecting a new retail location for expansion.

2. Physical Store Still Matters

Despite the rise of e-commerce, South Africa’s retail market is dominated by physical stores. Physical footprint is valuable; it is a great asset for shoppers who enjoy the shopping experience. Retailers looking to expand physically or online-only stores looking for physical store openings have opportunities.

3. Retailers Need More Than Products

Boardwalk Mall’s extension pairs new shops with padel courts and dining options (recreational spaces). Any location you choose for expansion, you need to look for amenities, experience, and attractions you can provide to your shoppers besides the in-store decor and well-designed layout. Retailers should check the nearby environment before opening stores.

4. Every New Store Increases Operational Complexity

More locations mean more staff, more inventory, financial reporting, customer handling, billing operations, etc. So, retailers must adopt technologies such as advanced POS systems to reduce operational challenges.

5. Inventory Visibility Becomes More Important as You Scale

Poor inventory visibility erodes $1.7 trillion in global inventory every year. Every new store a retailer opens adds another location where stock can go untracked or wasted in spoilage or face stock excess. Therefore, the ability to view your consolidated inventory across stores, branches, and locations is non-optional.

6. Technology Should Scale With the Business

From multiple payment offerings in the retail store to smart self-checkout systems, technology must be relevant to modern shoppers’ expectations. Also, it should scale easily as you grow your stores. It should be easy to add new stores and their data to the existing cloud-based retail store management system.

Final Takeaway

Cape Union Mart’s new store inside Gqeberha’s expanded Boardwalk Mall is part of the larger retail story that shows that South African markets are lucrative for brands that focus on quality, standards, and shopping experiences.

For other South African retailers witnessing this expansion, the takeaway is straightforward. Adapt to modern retail platforms, gain the ability to scale expeditiously, and run your retail businesses profitably with reliable retail technology.

Struggling with stock visibility across your stores? Vasy’s inventory management software gives you one real-time view of every SKU, location, and sale.

Book a free demo with Vasy and see centralised inventory management built for South African retailers.

Last Updated on September 1, 2026