M.Comm. / All over the world, retailers are finding themselves in an ever-increasing competitive market. Opportunities to differentiate oneself from other retailers are diminishing by the day. This situation also applies to the South African retailers. The fact that the local industry has been isolated from the international arena does not engender a lesser competitive situation. Isolation only implies a certain lag behind the rest of the world in terms of technology and the application thereof. The South African retailer finds himself between two main threats, i.e. from local rivals as well as the possibility of foreign investments. Within this environment, the retailer has to find means to distinguish itself from competitors. The question which springs to mind is - Which focus areas and/or competitive advantages are available for a South African retailer to differentiate himself in today's extremely competitive market? This dissertation aims to provide insight into this question. The aim of this dissertation is to identify those critical success factors which are paramount to the long-term survival of retailers in South Africa. The structure set out in Figure 1-1 will be applied and used as the starting point. These will then be evaluated against inputs received from major role players in this industry.