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Retail Apparel Group

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Retail Apparel Group
IndustryRetail
Founded2007 Edit this on Wikidata
Headquarters
Sydney
,
Australia
Area served
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • Singapore
Key people
Products
Brands
List
    • Tarocash
    • Johnny Bigg
    • yd.
    • Connor
    • Rockwear
    • AXL+CO
ParentFoschini Group
Websiterag.net.au

Retail Apparel Group (RAG) is an Australian apparel retail company wholly owned by The Foschini Group.(TFG), a South African retail group listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. RAG operates a portfolio of menswear and women's activewear brands, including Tarocash, yd., Connor, Johnny Bigg, Rockwear, and AXL+CO.[1]

As of 2026, the company operates more than 550 retail stores across Australia and New Zealand and sells products through both physical stores and online. Retail Apparel Group's head office is located in Roseberry, Sydney, while its warehousing and distribution operations are based across New South Wales and Queensland. These operations are managed through a combination of company-operated facilities and third-party logistics providers.

Retail Apparel Group specialises in menswear clothing and women's activewear, serving a range of customer segments through its portfolio of brands. The company forms part of The Foschini Group's international retail operations.

Brands

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Tarocash

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Tarocash store in Westfield Carousel

Tarocash is an Australian men's clothing retailer specialising in smart-casual and formal wear, established in 1987.[2] The company operates a network of brick-and-mortar stores across Australia and New Zealand, supplemented by an e-commerce platform.

There are 103 Tarocash stores in Australia.[3] There are 12 stores in New Zealand, including 8 in Auckland.[4]

Tarocash falls into the contemporary menswear space, selling everything from suits and office wear to smart-casual outfits. They also put together matching outfit sets and offer different sizing options for events like weddings and race days.[5]

Connor

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Connor store in Maddington, Western Australia

Connor is a menswear chain selling formal, smart and casual clothing at affordable prices established in 2006.[2]

There are 189 Connor stores in Australia, 16 in New Zealand and 2 in Singapore.[6]

yd.

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yd. store in Westfield Carousel

yd. is a menswear store specialising in the latest fashion trends.[2] It was acquired by Retail Apparel Group in 2007.[7]

There are 120 yd. stores in Australia.[8] There are eight stores in New Zealand, including four in Auckland.[9]

Johnny Bigg

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Johnny Bigg store in Westfield Carousel

Johnny Bigg is an Australian men's apparel brand specialising in plus-size clothing and footwear, founded in 2014 by RAG. The brand caters to the Australian and New Zealand markets, selling casual, smart-casual, and formal wear for men with larger and taller body proportions. [10][11]

Rockwear

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Rockwear store in DFO Perth

Rockwear is a women's active wear chain, selling clothes for exercise classes, walking, running and everyday use.[2] It was founded in 1991 and acquired by Retail Apparel Group in 2015.[12][13]

It has 73 stores around Australia.[14]

AXL+Co

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AXL+Co is a plus-sized menswear brand operating under the Connor brand. It launched online in July 2023 and opened its first physical store in Macarthur Square.[15][16]

Community Involvement

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Retail Apparel Group has partnered with Thread Together, an Australian charity that redistributes new, unsold clothing to people in need.[17]

In 2020, Retail Apparel Group was one of several corporate partners supporting Thread Together's mobile wardrobe initiative. With a network of mobile charity clothing vans in New South Wales, alongside Bendon Lingerie, Commonwealth Bank and the Goodman Foundation. The vans travel to Wagga Wagga, North Coast, South Coast and Greater Sydney.[18] The mobile wardrobe program was established to support vulnerable Australians, including people affected by bushfires, homelessness, domestic violence, refugee resettlement and long-term unemployment.[19]

According to Retail Apparel Group, it has supported the charity since 2019, committed approximately $160,000 over four years towards the operation of a mobile wardrobe van, and donated more than 100,000 garments through the organisation.[20]

RAG brands have supported a number of charitable organisations through fundraising, awareness and clothing donation initiatives. Tarocash has partnered with Make-A-Wish Australia, Connor has supported R U OK?, and Rockwear has participated in fundraising initiatives for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Retail Apparel Group and its brands have also contributed to community programs through partnerships with organisations including Thread Together, Upparel and the Australian Red Cross.[21]

Corporate Responsibility

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Retail Apparel Group publishes Modern Slavery Statements in accordance with Australia's Modern Slavery Act 2018.[22]

In 2024, Retail Apparel Group was identified by Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion Report as one of Australia's most improved fashion retailers for ethical sourcing and sustainability performance, increasing its ethical score by 20.5 points to 55 and placing it among the top 20 per cent of companies assessed.[23]

History

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Shane Warne
Andrew Symonds
Shane Warne (top) and Andrew Symonds (bottom) have featured in Tarocash marketing campaigns.

Tarocash (1987–2007)

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Brothers Stephen and Michael Leibowitz began supplying wholesale menswear to retail outlets, after immigrating from South Africa to Australia in 1987. The pair opened their first store, branded as Cafe, in 1988.[24]

The brothers adopted the brand name Tarocash after the first two letters of their children's names: Taryn, Romi, Carly and Sasha. They had five stores by 1991.[24]

In winter 2003, the company began to use players from the Canterbury Bulldogs, Wests Tigers and North Melbourne Football Club as models in its catalogues. Later that year, it recruited cricketers Matthew Hayden and Michael Bevan as models for its summer catalogue.[25]

In 2004, private equity fund CHAMP invested $31 million to expand Tarocash in Australia and internationally.[7][26]

Shane Warne signed a two-year contract worth almost AU$100,000 in May 2005 to become the face of Tarocash and appear in the retailer's catalogues. Warne was dropped from upcoming catalogues two months later, as the company reviewed whether its relationship with him.[27]

The company did not rule out using fellow cricketer Andrew Symonds in future campaigns, after his recent all-night drinking session.[27]

Retail Apparel Group (2007–2017)

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In 2007, Tarocash had 86 stores and launched its second retail chain Connor.[2] That year it also acquired yd. and established Retail Apparel Group to house the three companies it owned.[7] In 2008, the company had 177 stores.[2]

In 2014, the company had 325 stores, and launched its fourth retail chain, Johnny Bigg.[2]

In 2015, the company had 342 stores and acquired Rockwear.[2] Rockwear had established a network of stores across the Australian east coast since opening its first store in 1991.[28]

The majority shareholder, Navis Capital Partners, slated the company for a AU$400 million initial public offering on the Australian Securities Exchange. It also started to assess buyer interest.[29][30] At the time, the company was recording declining profit, due to moderate sales and rising import prices caused by the low Australian dollar.[31]

In April 2017, in Australia, the average shopper was spending $56 at Johnny Bigg, $51 at Tarocash, $44 at yd., $32 at Rockwear and $31 at Connor. The company said the growth of online shopping and H&M was pushing down price expectations, and menswear was growing faster than womenswear.[32]

The Foschini Group (2017–present)

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The Foschini Group (TFG), a South African clothing company, purchased Retail Apparel Group from Navis Capital Partners for AU$302.5 million in 2017.[33] Navis abandoned its IPO plans.[29] Founding director Stephen Leibowitz also sold his share in the company to TFG, giving it 100% of the company.[34]

Retail Apparel Group had 477 stores at the time of the sale in 2017,[2] bringing Foschini's portfolio to above 3000 stores.[35] TFG sought to grow the company quickly, seeking double-digit growth in 2019.[36]

The COVID-19 pandemic affected revenue in 2020,[37] and the company temporarily or permanently closed stores.[38] However, TFG Australia's online sales surged, increasing 58.1% in the year to March 2021.[37]

The company introduced the Rockwear brand in Western Australia in 2021, opening five stores across Perth over two months.[28]

In 2021, Baptist World Aid Australia gave Retail Apparel Group a "B" grade for its efforts to become more ethical and sustainable.[39]

In September 2021, the company warned of a disastrous year in 2022 as JobSeeker subsidies and rent waivers were lifted.[40]

By 2022, the company's five brands had a combined 510 stores.[2]

In 2023, Retail Apparel Group established AXL+Co, a plus-sized menswear brand operating under the Connor brand.[15][16]

In October 2025, Connor opened a store in Singapore, marking Retail Apparel Group's first expansion into Southeast Asia.[6]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ BreakGlass, Digital. "RAG". Retail Apparel Group. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "rag.net.au". rag.net.au. Retail Apparel Group.
  3. ↑ "Tarocash Australia". tarocash.com.au. Retail Apparel Group.
  4. ↑ "Tarocash New Zealand". tarocash.com.au. Retail Apparel Group.
  5. ↑ https://www.gq.com.au/shopping/best-buys/essential-suits-for-men/image-gallery/4d2bdebb8ed893dd3019961b3913fce6
  6. 1 2 Dong, Irene (22 September 2025). "Connor expands into Singapore, opening store in lifestyle mall". Inside Retail Australia. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 "RAGs to riches: new player in menswear". Ragtrader. 9 February 2007. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  8. ↑ "yd. Australia". yd.com.au. Retail Apparel Group.
  9. ↑ "yd. New Zealand". yd.com.au. Retail Apparel Group.
  10. ↑ Retail, Inside (27 November 2014). "Menswear brand makes Bigg debut". Inside Retail Australia. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
  11. ↑ Woolnough, Damien (2 September 2022). "Dad-bod models are for life, not just for Father's Day". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
  12. ↑ Bailey, Imogen (4 August 2021). "Rockwear continues store expansion after witnessing "huge demand"". Ragtrader. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  13. ↑ Mitchell, Sue (4 December 2016). "How ping pong bats help Retail Apparel Group pick winners". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  14. ↑ "Rockwear Australia". rockwear.com.au. Retail Apparel Group.
  15. 1 2 Pattabiraman, Rakshnna (5 September 2023). "RAG's Connor launches plus-sized Australian men's fashion brand AXL+Co". Inside Retail. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  16. 1 2 Kelly, Christopher (25 August 2023). "Connor targets plus-size men following research findings". Ragtrader. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  17. ↑ "About Us". www.threadtogether.org. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  18. ↑ Bailey, Imogen (24 June 2020). "Retail Apparel Group, Bendon Lingerie help unleash mobile wardrobes". Yaffa Media. Rag Trader.
  19. ↑ Hui-Miller, Jo-Anne (12 May 2020). "Major retailers get behind the wheel to support those in need". Inside Retail Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  20. ↑ "Community". Retail Apparel Group. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  21. ↑ "Community". Retail Apparel Group. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  22. ↑ "People". Retail Apparel Group. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  23. ↑ "Retail Apparel Group drives 20pt lift in ethical score - Ragtrader". www.ragtrader.com.au. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  24. 1 2 "Tarocash: Where and How we started". www.tarocash.com.au. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  25. ↑ "Tarocash signs up model cricketers". B&T. 3 November 2003. Archived from the original on 26 April 2006.
  26. ↑ Hughes, Anthony (5 August 2004). "Bradken set to get off the floor". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  27. 1 2 "Men's store drops Warne". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 16 July 2005.
  28. 1 2 Bailey, Imogen (31 March 2021). "Retail Apparel Group to open 5 stores in 2 months". Yaffa. Rag Trader.
  29. 1 2 "The Foschini Group snaps up IPO hopeful RAG for $302m". Australian Financial Review. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  30. ↑ Lee, Liz (6 July 2016). "Navis Capital to divest stake in Retail Apparel Group". Deal Street Asia. Nikkei Inc.
  31. ↑ Heffernan, Madeleine (16 December 2016). "More retail collapses tipped". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media.
  32. ↑ Heffernan, Madeleine (10 April 2017). "The overlooked Australian shopper is male and cost-conscious". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media.
  33. ↑ Pandey, Tanu (26 May 2017). "Navis Capital to divest stake in Retail Apparel Group". Deal Street Asia. Nikkei Inc.
  34. ↑ "Tarocash, Connor owner in new hands". 9Finance. Nine Entertainment.
  35. ↑ Naidoo, Lauren (30 March 2020). "TFG insists it won't pay April rent due to lockdown". moneyweb.com. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  36. ↑ Mitchell, Sue (16 August 2019). "South African retailer TFG eyes Australian expansion". Australian Financial Review. Nine Entertainment.
  37. 1 2 "South African retail giant suffers R719 million operating loss". Business Tech. 10 June 2021.
  38. ↑ McIlvaine, Heather (26 March 2020). "Mass closures as Premier, Accent, Lovisa and others shut stores". Inside Retail. OctoMedia.
  39. ↑ Bailey, Imogen (19 October 2021). "Rankings revealed: Baptist World Aid Australia unveils Ethical Fashion Report". Yaffa Media. Ragtrader.
  40. ↑ Mitchell, Sue (13 September 2021). "Tarocash owner's warning after JobKeeper, rent windfall". Australian Financial Review. Nine Entertainment.
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