the country's leading retailer selling international upmarket brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Ted Baker, Gap and Banana Republic. This proved to be fatal when in 2015 an economic crisis and reduction in the value of the rand versus the U.S. dollar (on top of a 45% import duty) made the upmarket products extremely expensive in the local currency. Attempts at a bailout failed and in July 2017 the chain closed, except for the Windhoek, Namibia store which was sold off and remains in operation. Cape Town Flagship The store at Adderley and Hout streets was the largest and grandest, and formed the central shopping district together with other now-closed department stores such as Garlicks and Fletcher & Cartwright's. In 1957, 993 employees worked here both in the retail store operation and in the head office. The flagship was a complete department store, as opposed to the smaller department stores focusing on apparel and soft home goods that it would operate starting around the turn of the 21st century. As of 1970, the flagship carried: Women's and men's apparel and accessories; Cosmetics, Childrenswear, Luggage; Home crafts (Dress Fabrics, Paper Patterns, Sewings, Notions, Trimmings, Buttons, Wools, Needlework) Home furnishings (Carpets, Furniture, Bedding, Garden (including some Sports), Fabrics Lamps, Towels, Napery, Linens, Blankets, Dinnerware, Ornaments, Glassware, Cutlery, Ovenware, Kitchenware, Hardware, Gardening, Electrical, Radio, Gifts, Candles); Sundries (Curios, Photographic, Stationery, Books, Records; Gourmet food hall selling Groceries, Frozen Goods, Fish, Cakes, Sweets, and Smokers' Requisites. There were two restaurants: Adderley Restaurant and the self-serve Bird Cage restaurant. There were additional concession spaces. Branches In 2006, Stuttafords had the most stores in its history, 22 in total. In 2009, to restructure to international standards, it closed smaller stores in Somerset West, Woodhill and Hyde Park. Some other stores were downsized or closed before liquidation in 2017, as shown in the table. Source: John Marwood, The History of Stuttafords Department Stores External links John Marwood, The History of Stuttafords Department Stores of South Africa 1858 - 2017: Expansion, Takeovers, Makeovers, Collapse "The Story of Stuttaford's" (blog) Bibliography (Book) Stuttaford & Co. Ltd., Gill Fraser (ed.), The Story of Stuttafords, Cape Press, 1957. 55 pp. (E-book) John Marlow, The History and Evolution of Stuttafords Department Stores of South Africa 1858 - 2015 References John Marwood, The History of Stuttafords Department Stores Department stores of South Africa Retailing in Namibia Retailing in Botswana Retailing in Kenya