CEO Today Africa Awards

www.ceotodaymagazine.com 60 CEO Today Africa Awards 2018 SOUTH AFRICA ABOUT JOHAN ENSLIN Johan is the chief executive officer of Lewis Group. Prior to this appointment he was chief operating officer with responsibility for the retail operations of the group. He joined the Lewis Group as a salesman in 1993 and rose rapidly through the ranks, holding positions including branch manager, regional controller, divisional general manager, general manager operations and operations director of Lewis Stores (Pty) Ltd where he was responsible for. JOHAN ENSLIN CEO of Lewis Group FIRM PROFILE Lewis Group is a leading retailer of household furniture and electrical appliances through its three trading brands: Lewis, Beares, and Best Home and Electric. Listed in the General Retailers sector on the JSE Limited since 2004, the group has 761 stores across all metropolitan areas and has a strong presence in rural South Africa. The group targets customers in the fast growing middle to lower income market in the living standards measurement (LSM) 4 to 7 categories. Founded in Cape Town in 1934, the Lewis Group has been listed on the JSE Limited since 2004. The group employs 8 215 permanent staff and is a meaningful contributor to job creation and support of the local furniture manufacturing sector. The group has 761 stores across all metropolitan areas and in rural South Africa, as well as a strong presence in neighbouring African countries. Lewis is the country’s largest furniture chain with 513 stores and is a household name in furniture retailing. Beares, a well-respected brand with a history dating back 80 years, was acquired by the group in 2014 and currently has 125 stores. Best Home and Electric was established in 2008 and sells home appliances as well as furniture ranges through 123 stores. Lewis and Best Home and Electric target customers in the growing middle to lower income markets in the living standards measurement (LSM) 4 to 7 categories. Beares attracts customers in higher LSM markets where the group has traditionally had limited exposure. Credit is offered to customers across all the brands and the group has a credit customer base of close to 620 000. Credit sales accounted for 65.3% of total sales in the reporting period. Monarch Insurance, the group’s short-term insurance subsidiary, offers insurance cover to customers purchasing merchandise on credit. African expansion Lewis was one of the first South African retailers to expand into Southern African countries from the late 1960s. In 2016 the group acquired a portfolio of 56 stores in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland which doubled the store presence outside of South Africa to 15%. These stores collectively accounted for 18.5% of group revenue in the current financial year. www.lewisgroup.co.za OUR VALUES Our values are echoed in the Lewis Group pledge, which presents a code of behaviour that we stand by, having invested much time and focus in bringing it “to life” throughout the business. OUR PLEDGE • We place excellent customer service first • We honour the highest standards of integrity • We value and are committed to our customers • We are totally dedicated to offering quality merchandise • We take pride in belonging to the Lewis Group