TFG’s Bash a winner

In only two years, The Foschini Group’s (TFG) Bash eCommerce platform has become South Africa’s largest omnichannel fashion and lifestyle platform.

Bash is TFG’s “one-stop shop” solution for eCommerce that combines hundreds of brands into one platform.

It is a product developed by TFGLabs, a start-up created inside TFG and headed up by eCommerce veterans Claude Hanan and Luke Jedeiken.

Hanan and Jedeiken founded Superbalist, which was sold to Takealot. They also served as Takealot executives during the company’s rapid growth spurt.

Under their leadership, Bash has grown from an ambitious idea into an eCommerce powerhouse. It recently celebrated its second anniversary and the many milestones it has achieved since its launch in early 2023.

In the two-year period, Bash has surpassed 3.8 million app downloads, making it South Africa’s number one fashion shopping app.

The platform has also integrated 15 separate brand websites into a single, seamless digital experience.

It has expanded its reach into over 600 physical stores with in-store tech that gives customers access to 16 times more products. This has allowed the platform to drive sales and over R3.4 million in commissions.

TFG CEO Anthony Thunström said Bash was born from the retailer’s belief that South Africa deserves world-class retail experiences.

“The opportunity to build Bash has been about more than just launching a successful platform,” he said. 

“It’s about proving that innovation at scale is possible, that we can lead in technology and service while creating meaningful economic impact.”

TFG’s ambition was clear – transform a once fragmented digital presence consisting of 15 separate brand websites into a single, powerful platform. 

The retailer emphasised that this was not just an upgrade but a fundamental shift in the digital retail experience.

Bash’s impressive results

The results were immediate and impressive. Within six months, Bash surpassed one million downloads. 

By the end of 2023, the app had been downloaded 3.8 million times, becoming the country’s number one fashion shopping app. 

More than 1.2 million customers engaged with the platform, generating over 420 million shopping sessions across the web and app.

In late 2023, Bash also expanded its footprint into physical retail through Bash-powered in-store tech across TFG stores, enabling access to 16 times more products while shopping in-store. 

From a pilot in just seven locations, the rollout grew to 600 stores, with rapid expansion planned throughout 2025.

Bash also recorded 53% year-on-year growth while its fulfilment network scaled from six to 530 drivers, boosting delivery speed and efficiency.

These achievements have not gone unnoticed, as the platform has won multiple industry awards, including Gold for Best eCommerce Site at the Bookmark Awards.

“What we’ve done in two years has far surpassed our initial vision. And we’re just getting started,” Thunström said.

He said that, by the end of 2025, Bash-enabled stores will number in the thousands.

Bash’s impressive growth over the past two years has paid off handsomely for TFG.

In the retailer’s latest results for the six months ended 30 September 2024, TFG reported that its online sales grew by just under 10% to R2.9 billion.

This contributed 10.7% to the company’s total retailer sales and was largely attributable to growth of 47.9% in South Africa via Bash.

Bash reported turnover of R2 billion, with plans to more than double this figure by 2029.