Luxury and Fashion Brand Surtee Group Adopts AI-Native Platform to Drive Omnichannel Innovation Amid E-commerce Boom
Fynd, the AI-native retail technology platform backed by Reliance Retail Ventures Limited, has officially expanded its global footprint into South Africa, partnering with the Surtee Group, one of the region’s premier luxury and fashion retailers.
This strategic entry marks a significant milestone for African retail, as established brands embrace digital transformation to meet the surging demands of a mobile-first, digitally-savvy consumer base. Fynd’s move capitalizes on South Africa’s e-commerce market, which is projected to exceed R130 billion ($7.48 billion) by 2025 and is on track to nearly double its user base to 21.5 million by 2029.
Traditional retail systems often operate in silos, creating friction for customers and inefficiency for businesses. Fynd’s technology is built to solve this challenge by integrating all retail channels, both in-store and online, into a single, intelligent platform.
“South Africa’s retail landscape is evolving fast,” said Ronak Modi, Chief Business Officer – Global at Fynd. “Consumers expect seamless, personalised experiences across every channel, and retailers need agile, intelligent infrastructure to keep up. Our platform is built to unify disconnected systems, speed up fulfilment, and elevate customer engagement without adding operational complexity.”
Surtee Group, which operates 94 boutiques and two e-commerce sites featuring global brands like Giorgio Armani, Michael Kors, Hugo Boss, and Versace, will implement Fynd’s full unified commerce stack. This includes:
- Storefronts: Launching and managing brand-specific e-commerce sites.
- Order Management System (OMS): Streamlining orders and connecting in-store and online inventory.
- Warehouse Management System (WMS): Optimizing inventory visibility and logistics.
- Clienteling tools: Empowering in-store teams to deliver personalized recommendations and drive incremental sales through omnichannel experiences.
This adoption is poised to unlock key ship-from-store capabilities, allowing Surtee Group to leverage its physical locations for faster fulfillment, thus improving inventory sell-throughs and margins.
Fynd’s successful scaling across India, the GCC, and Southeast Asia proves its platform’s flexibility and scalability for high-growth markets. The partnership with Surtee Group validates the platform’s readiness for the African market, positioning Fynd to become a central player in South Africa’s ongoing digital economy transformation.
“Fynd stood out for their proven scalability, consultative approach, and deep experience with global fashion brands,” said a Surtee Group spokesperson. “Their unified stack enables us to modernise operations while building a connected, brand-first customer experience.”
As offline sales continue to drive the majority of revenue, Fynd’s AI-native tools, including real-time stock visibility and dark store orchestration, are essential for helping South African retailers meet global standards for customer-centric, efficient omnichannel operations.
