Pep Stores
Pep Stores is a South African discount retailer operating 2,700+ stores and an e-commerce platform that sells affordable clothing, homeware, cellphones, and school supplies to budget-conscious South African families, complemented by PEP Money financial services and the PAXI click-and-collect network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1965
- HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Pep Stores does
Pep Stores is a South African for-profit mass-market discount retailer operating more than 2,700 physical locations under the PEP, PEP HOME, and PEP CELL brands, headquartered in Cape Town and serving primarily budget-conscious South African families. The company sells affordable clothing across women, men, baby, kids, and tweens categories; school uniforms and supplies; homeware and household goods via the PEP HOME sub-brand; beauty products under the in-house Edge label; and cellphones and accessories through PEP Cell, which resells devices from more than 17 brands including Apple, Samsung, Huawei, and Xiaomi. The core technology stack is a Shopify-based e-commerce platform at pepstores.com integrated with the proprietary PAXI click-and-collect network of 2,700+ points, plus an in-store mobile app and payment integrations including Mastercard, Visa, and Payflex BNPL.
The business model combines unit-priced retail merchandise sales with an increasingly diversified services layer. PEP Money bundles a PEP Account lay-by facility, money transfers, Capfin personal loans, Abacus funeral cover, vouchers/tokens, and Google Play gift codes, creating a financial-services wrapper that increases wallet share among credit-constrained consumers and complements the Lay-by Buddy installment service. Pricing is low-absolute and unit-based, with free delivery offered on online orders over R500 and lay-by/BNPL options available both in-store and online. Distribution runs through three reinforcing channels: physical PEP/PEP HOME/PEP CELL stores, the online storefront, and the PAXI parcel collection network, allowing online orders to be picked up at any of 2,700+ locations. Marketing spans the website, catalogues, the company-owned Feelgood FM radio station, PEP Mini Netball community sponsorship, and promotional campaigns. Leadership disclosed is Managing Director Leon Lourens; the company is privately held, was founded in 1965, and employs 10,000+ people.
Pep Stores firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pep Stores
- Legal name
- PEP Stores
- Website
- https://pepstores.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1965
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Pep Stores is a South African discount retailer operating 2,700+ stores and an e-commerce platform that sells affordable clothing, homeware, cellphones, and school supplies to budget-conscious South African families, complemented by PEP Money financial services and the PAXI click-and-collect network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pep Stores industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Discount Retail
- NAICS
- Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (4581), Health and Personal Care Retailers (456)
- SIC
- Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399), Retail-Family Clothing Stores (5651)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Urban/Neighborhood Dollar Stores (Small-Box) (CRAEAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Neighborhood Essentials & Fill-in Shopping Discount Stores (CRAEAJAH), Multi-Price-Point Convenience Discount (e.g., $1–$10) (CRAEAJAG), Health & Beauty Value Variety Stores (Non-Pharmacy) (CRAEAGAG)
Keywords
Where Pep Stores is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cape Town
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Pep Stores business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Merchandise Sales: Sale of clothing, footwear, homeware, beauty products, cellphones, and accessories through physical stores and e-commerce platform. Products include women's, men's, baby, kids, and tweens clothing; bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and decor homeware; school uniforms and supplies; beauty and personal care items.
- PEP Money Financial Services: Financial services including PEP Account, money transfers, loans (through Capfin), funeral cover (Abacus), vouchers and tokens, and Google Play gift codes
- PEP Cell Mobile Services: Sale of cellphones from multiple brands (Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Nokia, OPPO, Vivo, Xiaomi, Itel, Mobicel, Motorola, Honor, HTC, Citrus, Quest, Realme, Stylo, Vodacom) along with accessories, flash storage, decoders, and FoneYam service
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard retail pricing with free delivery threshold |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Pep Stores product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pep Stores is a South African discount retailer selling affordable clothing, footwear, homeware, beauty products, cellphones, and school essentials through more than 2,700 physical stores and an e-commerce platform. The company also bundles financial services such as lay-by accounts, money transfers, funeral cover, personal loans, and prepaid vouchers under its PEP Money offering, alongside parcel collection through its PAXI network. Target customers are value-conscious South African families seeking everyday essentials across fashion, home, electronics, and basic financial services.
Product overview
PEP Stores operates as a multi-channel South African discount retailer offering a unified online platform (PEP Online) and physical store network. The core offering combines clothing (women, men, baby, kids, tweens) with school uniforms and supplies, homeware under the PEP Home sub-brand, beauty products through the Edge in-house brand, cellphones via PEP Cell with multiple brand partnerships, and financial services under PEP Money including accounts, loans, and insurance. Additional services include PAXI (parcel collection network with 2700+ points), Lay-by Buddy (installment payment), and Click & Collect integration. The product portfolio spans fashion, home, electronics, beauty, and financial services, targeting value-conscious South African consumers across all age groups.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PEP HOME: Home goods and décor product line including bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room items
- PEP CELL
- PAXI
- Edge
- Lay-by Buddy
Products and services
- PEP Online Clothing Online retail assortment of affordable clothing for women, men, and children, including tops, bottoms, dresses, activewear, sleepwear, and underwear across multiple size ranges. Targeted at budget-conscious South African families shopping for everyday apparel.
- Baby Products Infant and toddler clothing and essentials for babies aged 0-24 months, including babygrows, rompers, bodysuits, sleepwear, swimwear, and accessories in gender-specific and character collections. Aimed at parents and caregivers of infants.
- Kids Products Clothing and lifestyle products for children aged 2-7 years, including tops, jackets, bottoms, tracksuits, swimwear, sleepwear, shoes, underwear, accessories, and toys. Targeted at parents of younger children.
- Tweens Products Clothing and accessories for tweens aged 7-14 years, featuring age-appropriate fashion including tops, jackets, bottoms, dresses, swimwear, sleepwear, shoes, and underwear. Targeted at parents of older children and tween self-shoppers.
- School Uniforms & Supplies School uniforms, shoes, bags, stationery, and accessories for primary and secondary school students, including branded options like Student Prince. Targeted at parents preparing children for the school year.
- PEP Home Homeware and household products under the PEP HOME sub-brand including bedroom (sheeting, duvets, pillows, blankets), bathroom (towels, mats), decor, dining, kitchen, appliances, furniture, lighting, and household cleaning supplies. Targeted at value-conscious South African households.
- Edge Beauty In-house beauty brand Edge offering makeup (face, lip, eye, nail), personal care (skincare, bath, body, hair, shaving, oral care), and hygiene essentials. Targeted at value-conscious consumers seeking affordable personal care products.
- PEP Cell Cellphones Mobile phones and cellular products from multiple brands including Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, Nokia, Motorola, Hisense, and budget brands like Itel, Mobicel, Stylo, and Vodacom, plus accessories, flash storage, and decoders. Sold under the PEP CELL store sub-brand.
- PEP Money Financial Services Financial services bundle including PEP Account for lay-by purchases, money transfers, funeral cover (provided by Abacus), personal loans (provided by Capfin), vouchers and tokens, and Google Play gift codes. Offered in-store and online to Pep Stores customers.
- PAXI Click & Collect Parcel collection and delivery service with over 2,700 collection points across South Africa, allowing online shoppers to collect and return orders at nearby locations.
- Lay-by Buddy Lay-by payment service allowing customers to reserve items and pay in installments over time, expanding affordability for budget-conscious shoppers.
Companies that use Pep Stores
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Pep Stores technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
Pep Stores partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.
- PayflexsupportingPayflex provides buy-now-pay-later payment options integrated into the PEP online checkout process, allowing customers to pay in installments.
- Various Cellphone BrandscorePEP Cell resells phones from major brands including Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Nokia, OPPO, Vivo, Xiaomi, Itel, Mobicel, Motorola, Honor, HTC, Citrus, Quest, Realme, Stylo, and Vodacom.
- VodacomsupportingVodacom SIM cards and services available at PEP Cell stores for mobile connectivity.
- Google PlaysupportingPEP Money offers Google Play gift codes, providing digital content purchasing options for customers.
- Student PrincesupportingStudent Prince school shoes brand available at PEP stores for school uniform requirements.
Scale indicators2 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Pep Stores competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Shoprite Holdings: Africa's largest food retailer with extensive SA footprint, also serving budget-conscious families across grocery and general merchandise. Competes with PEP for the same low-income household wallet, but anchored in grocery rather than apparel/homeware.
- Game (Massmart/Walmart): SA general merchandise discount retailer selling homeware, electronics, and household essentials at value prices. Comparable to PEP HOME and PEP Cell on category and price positioning, but anchored in larger-box format and broader assortment.
- Pick n Pay: Large SA grocery and general merchandise retailer with broad reach into middle- and lower-income consumers. Overlaps with PEP in the household essentials and value-segment basket, though primarily a grocery operator.
- Woolworths South Africa: Premium-positioned SA retailer spanning grocery, fashion, beauty, and home. Comparable in multi-category South African retail model and PEP Money/Edge financial and beauty adjacencies, though serves a higher-income customer than PEP.
Regional players
- Truworths International: SA-listed fashion retailer focused on middle-market apparel, footwear, and accessories. Comparable in operating geography and category mix, but targets a higher income tier than PEP's budget-conscious base.
- Edgars (formerly Edcon): Historic SA apparel and footwear retailer with comparable categories (clothing, shoes, beauty). Competes with PEP for family clothing spend, but positions at higher price points and operates from larger format stores.
Direct peers
- Ackermans: South African value retailer operating a similar small-box discount format selling affordable clothing, footwear, and homeware to budget-conscious families. Directly comparable in target customer, price positioning, and store footprint style to PEP.
- Mr Price Group: JSE-listed value fashion and homeware retailer in South Africa targeting similar budget-conscious consumers with apparel and home products. Comparable in discount positioning, store footprint, and target demographic, though with stronger fashion-led differentiation than PEP.
- Boxer (Pick n Pay subsidiary): SA discount grocery and general merchandise retailer targeting lower-income households with a small-box value format. Comparable to PEP on store format, customer segment, and value positioning, though with grocery rather than apparel as the lead category.
Emerging players
- Takealot Group: Leading SA e-commerce marketplace selling apparel, homeware, electronics, and beauty across price tiers. Comparable as an omnichannel competitor to PEP Online, with overlapping categories but very different cost structure and no physical retail moat.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Pep Stores social profiles
Digital presencePep Stores financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pep Stores leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Pep Stores funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pep Stores M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pep Stores
What does Pep Stores do?
Pep Stores is a South African discount retailer selling affordable clothing, footwear, homeware, beauty products, cellphones, and school essentials through more than 2,700 physical stores and an e-commerce platform. The company also bundles financial services such as lay-by accounts, money transfers, funeral cover, personal loans, and prepaid vouchers under its PEP Money offering, alongside parcel collection through its PAXI network. Target customers are value-conscious South African families seeking everyday essentials across fashion, home, electronics, and basic financial services.
Is Pep Stores a public or private company?
Pep Stores is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Pep Stores founded?
Pep Stores was founded in 1965. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Pep Stores based?
Pep Stores is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Pep Stores make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Retail Merchandise Sales are the primary driver. The others are PEP Money Financial Services and PEP Cell Mobile Services.
Who are Pep Stores's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Shoprite Holdings, Game (Massmart/Walmart), Pick n Pay and Woolworths South Africa. Regional players are Truworths International and Edgars (formerly Edcon). Direct peers are Ackermans, Mr Price Group and Boxer (Pick n Pay subsidiary). Takealot Group is listed as an emerging player.
Does Pep Stores have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pep Stores.
What industry is Pep Stores in?
Pep Stores's product category is Discount Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAEAAAB, Urban/Neighborhood Dollar Stores (Small-Box), with a secondary code of CRAEAJAH, Neighborhood Essentials & Fill-in Shopping Discount Stores. Its NAICS code is 4581 and its SIC code is 5399.