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It's another sad day where more people have lost their jobs, no thanks to an unfortunate marriage between the retail apocalypse and a global pandemic.
South Africa's flagship Prada store that opened in 2015 at Sandton City Mall, announced its permanent closure over the weekend. It was the only Prada store in the country, and one of only a handful on the continent, including a store in Luanda, Angola and two stores in Casablanca, Morocco.
In a statement, the Italian luxury label owned by the Prada Group, announced its departure from Africa's richest square mile in neatly packed words; "We are writing to inform you that the Prada store at Johannesburg Sandton Mall is now permanently closed."
They concluded their very brief letter to the Prada community in SA by saying "Don't forget to visit our website an social media channels every now and then for some inspiration too."
The store was designed by Roberto Baciocchi and his team, giving luxury enthusiasts a shopping experience where green fabric-clad walls served as a backdrop for years, and complete with the famed cloverleaf sofa by Verner Panton.
Image from verpan.com
Earlier this year, Reuters (see in-article video) reported that 24 of out of 64 Burberry stores in China shut down due to the coronavirus outbreak. Later, Prada closed a few of its stores in mainland China and Macao, saying they’re putting the health of their workers first.
However, SA is fortunate to still have Burberry stores for now, but for those who, much like us, are saddened by Prada's exit, there's Luxity. Luxity is an e-commerce outlet that sells pre-owned authentic luxury items. Peruse their page for some coveted Prada accessories, shoes, and handbags - we've already added this Leather Antik Bowler Bag to our 'wishlist'.
At the time of publication of this article, W24 was still awaiting an official response from Prada.
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