 9 Nov 2009 |
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Sustenance and sustainability Today the SA Reserve Bank welcomes its new governor, Gill Marcus, into the driving seat. Economists say they have high hopes for her, but the proof is in the pudding and her first real challenge will come next Monday as she chairs her first Monetary Policy Committee meeting. Some economists suspect she'll cut the repo rate, which stayed static last month and any drop will certainly come as a relief as we head into the silly (spending) season. Woolworths has certainly been on a roll this last week with the launch of its Farming for the Future initiative and the opening of its second airport store. Having spent the last three years in a trial phase, the project aims to bridge the gap between conventional and organic farming to create holistically sustainable farming methods. What I love so much about the programme is the fact that they're focusing on the specific needs of each individual farm in the supply chain, rather than using a blanket treatment in an attempt to cover all eventualities. Because, in essence, farms are like people - you may be next door neighbours, but living in the same area doesn't mean you're anything alike. And just as everyone has to deal with and treat their own physical nuances - be it an allergy or special diet - so each farm also has its own unique requirements to keep it functioning at a healthy and sustainable level. The Whisky Live Festival hit Cape Town last week like the notorious South-Easter - hard and fast - and is already whisking its way up-country where it'll land at the Sandton Convention Centre on Wednesday. Gautengers will be delighted to hear they're at least getting a weekend crack at the show, unlike the sodden Capetonians who I'm sure would've appreciated a respite from the wet weather with the chance to warm their cockles with a gut-warming whisky or ten. Perhaps the organisers will take the Mother City's love for merriment and cheer into consideration next year and slide a Saturday into next year's schedule. Until then, sláinte mhath! Shan Radcliffe, Retail editor Please send retail news to: retailnews@bizcommunity.com Responses to this column welcomed in our new online editor's column archive. Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net. Top stories
RetailThumbs up for Tiger Brands' 'impressive' update[Kgomotso Mathe] Analysts last week gave a thumbs up signal to Tiger Brands for its impressive trading update in which SA's largest foods company told shareholders to expect much higher earnings when it reports its annual results later this month. Read more >>Advertisement:
Innovation - taught, bought[Llewellyn Jones] Business, focused on money, needs also to focus on true innovation if success is to be maintained. Therefore, a balance between technology and marketing is essential. Read more >>Johnson & Johnson to slash workforceWASHINGTON, USA: Johnson & Johnson, a leading US health care and consumer goods company, said Tuesday, 3 November 2009, it will slash between 6% and 7% of its global workforce in a restructuring to cut costs. Read more >>October vehicle sales down 16.9%New vehicle sales for October 2009 fell by 16.9%, says the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa). Read more >>Will the fashion police blow the whistle in 2010? [Dr Nikolaus Eberl] One of the most prolific media spectacles off the pitch during the 2006 FIFA World Cup - and sure to be replicated in 2010 - was the shopping spree of the English footballers' wives and girlfriends (also known as WAGs). Read more >>Great things expected from Oranjerivier wines following competition The eighth Tops at Spar/Country Cellars and Oranjerivier Wine Cellars Wine Competition took place in Upington on 26 October 2009. Winemakers from Oranjerivier's five wineries at Upington, Keimoes, Groblershoop, Grootdrink and Kakamas, each enter specific wines for judging by a panel of experts. Read more >>Power costs to short-circuit spending[Adele Shevel & Marcia Klein] Expenditure to dwindle by R31bn a year in SA. Rising electricity costs threaten to wipe an average of R31-billion a year from spending - for the five years of Eskom's proposed tariff increases. Read more >>Banking & FinanceMarcus takes over as new Governor today As Gill Marcus takes over as Governor of the Reserve Bank today, Monday 9 November 2009, economists have praised her experience in the banking sector. Read more >>Mobile money from FNB FNB announced last week the launch of its Send Money, an instant solution for the bank's customers to transfer money to anyone with a South African cellphone. The receiver does not need to have a bankcard or a bank account to access the money sent to them, they simply withdraw their money from one of the 4300 FNB ATMs across the country. Read more >>Maria Ramos joins Barclays Group ExcoAbsa Group Chief Executive Maria Ramos has been appointed to the Barclays Group Executive Committee with immediate effect, in a restructuring announced by Barclays Group Chief Executive John Varley. Read more >>Debt Help offers bonus adviceThe Debt Help Financial Services (DHFS), a well-established financial management company specialising in debt management, has produced a short guide on how consumers should spend their bonuses wisely this year. Its mission is to teach people about managing their cash flow which can keep them out of debt and help them save. Read more >>Mobile banking overtakes PCsThe Mobility 2009 research project, released yesterday Tuesday 3 November 2009, by leading market research organisation World Wide Worx, indicates that more people bank from their cellphones than from their PCs in South Africa. The study is being conducted in four phases, with the first three looking at the use of mobile technologies by small and medium enterprises (SMEs), consumers and corporations and the final phase exploring the mobile internet. Read more >>Credit cards will squeeze margins, fuel traders [Iseko Njobeni] Fuel retailers are not keen on the use of credit cards as, in their present format, the move will squeeze their government-set retail margin, according to a fuel retailers' body. Read more >>Brand newsNando's seeks new face... a hot brand representative A competition to find the spicy face of Nando's in the Western Cape has opened and entries close on 1 December 2009. Branded as its own Spice group, consisting of Mediterranean, Lemon and Herb, Mild and Peri-Peri, it is looking for young people to represent the brand for a year. Read more >>Country Bird tie-up collapsed: Sovereign[Sure Kamhunga] Sovereign Foods has confirmed a possible merger with Country Bird had collapsed. Read more >>New Macallan release, sample at Whisky Festival The Macallan introduces the new Fine Oak range and the extension of the Sherry Oak Expressions to the South African market this season. Read more >>Student Prince Academy wins award The leading project in the education category in the Mail & Guardian ‘Investing in the Future Awards', held on the 29 October 2009, was the PEP Student Prince Academy, an initiative of PEP and Social Innovations. This category received the bulk of the entries in this annual corporate social investment awards. Read more >>New GM for Procter & Gamble SA Stanislav Vecera is the new general manager for Procter & Gamble South Africa, the company announced on Tuesday, 3 November 2009. Read more >>New MEA marketing director for Cadbury Mike Middleton has been appointed category director, chocolate for Cadbury's Africa, Middle East region, effective 1 November 2009. Brands under his wing will include Dairy Milk, Lunch Bar, P.S. and Flake. Read more >>SA auction company now a Superbrand Superbrands, one of the world's largest independent arbiter of branding, which aims to identify those brands that are performing above and beyond others within the markets in which they operate, has awarded Superbrands status to Alliance Group in South Africa. Read more >>Commercial property'Strong' commercial property up on offerSavile Row Auctions' property sale at the end of this month at Summer Place in Hyde Park will bring a strong commercial property portfolio to the market, with properties on the East and West Rand going under the hammer. Read more >>Corporate Social InvestmentCookbook offers profits to street children A cookery book and restaurant guide, On a Plate, has been conceptualised, narrated and self-published by Jess Meredith-Watts and Reach Publishers, (South Africa) in aid of NGO, StreetSmart South Africa. All profits will fund the national rollout campaign of this fundraising initiative that sets out to engage restaurants and diners to assist street children in South Africa rebuild their lives. Read more >>Conference calls on government to support philanthropyAt the Inyathelo conference on ‘Our World: Our Responsibility' held on Tuesday 3 November 2009 in Cape Town, philanthropist and supporter of the Red Cross Children's hospital in Cape Town, Amanda Bloch, criticised the tunnel vision of government departments and called for SARS to develop policies that support philanthropy. Read more >>Tickled pink by charity support Reach for Recovery, a non-profit organisation that provides free, non-medical support to breast cancer sufferers through its national programmes, will be the total beneficiary of all sales of Edgars' Tickled Pink fragrance and accompanying gift set. Read more >>CRMThe 8 habits of successful customer feedback managers[Kyle LaMalfa] Customer relationships are damaged when companies hear too late about customer concerns or issues to do anything to repair them. Even worse, many crucial concerns aren't being heard by the right people at an organisation. For example, are managers aware of which customers are unhappy? Did an employee treat a customer unfairly? What are the specific factors that caused a customer to leave? Which of your organisation's services matter most to customers, by priority? Read more >>Not too late to save Christmas[Jacquie Myburgh] You know that there is something desperately wrong when it's the security guard in one of the country's biggest fashion retailers who shows you where to find the garments you are looking for. Read more >>eBucks billion, best buy The eBucks rewards programme has announced that members have spent over R1-billion worth of eBucks since the programme's inception nine years ago. It recently conducted an independently verified, financial services rewards comparison, which focused on transparency, structure, discount partners, reward partners, costs and reward redemption. Read more >>e-Commerce'Tis the season for safe holiday shopping[Steve Bachenheimer] Many people think that giving up their personal and financial information is a necessary risk when shopping online, and they are willing to take that risk in return for the convenience and savings online shopping provides. Nonetheless, the old adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" holds true when it comes to protecting yourself online. Read more >>Commerce search puts Google inside retailers' catalogues[Erika Morphy] Google has launched a new cloud-based search tool targeting enterprise-level e-commerce operations, just in time for the 2009 holiday selling season. Commerce Search provides a set of features designed to improve the relevance of results for consumers searching a retailer's own product catalogue, while boosting cross-selling opportunities. Read more >>ExhibitionsEnjoy the Magic of Bubbles, Franschhoek “The Magic of Bubbles” Cap Classique and Champagne Festival in Franschhoek will take place on the weekend of the 4-6 December 2009. Sponsored by Investec Private Bank, visitors will get the opportunity to sample both Champagne and Cap Classique wines. Read more >>SA crafts in German expo Ambiente, reputedly the largest consumer goods trade fair in the world, which takes place in Frankfurt Germany from 12-16 February 2010, will feature 14 Western Cape crafters. The craft products, ranging from jewellery and textiles to leather and metalwork, will be displayed on the Department of Trade and Industry's (dti) South African pavilion in the Gift and Loft Showcase areas of Ambiente. Read more >>New expo for beverage, liquor Exhibition Management Services, organisers of Africa's Big Seven (AB7), is launching DrinkTech Africa, a dedicated exhibition and conference designed to service the continent's growing beverage and liquid food markets, the company announced last week. The inaugural DrinkTech will run alongside AB7 2010. Read more >>View award-winning clothing designs at Century City The final leg of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz Award for South African fashion design (clothing) exhibition was opened Dr Hansgeorg Niefer, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) at its Century City branch on 29 October 2009. “It is not hard to see the link between art, fashion and cars. All three demand a high degree of craftsmanship, talent and design and all three capture our emotions in a remarkable way,” he said. Read more >>South Africans excel at industrial designThe SABS Design Excellence Awards exhibition started with a gala evening where the 2009 product design winners were announced; this year's winning innovation is the "Snuza" baby monitor designed and manufactured by Biosentronics, XYZ, Savant and ID&B. Read more >>Green sustainabilityWoolworths on the good business journey to sustainable farming Woolworths, together with its suppliers, is aiming to ensure that South Africa will be able sustain the sufficient growth of fresh produce in the long-term with its ‘Farming for the Future' initiative, launched today, 3 November 2009. Farming for the Future is geared to radically improve soil and plant health, preserve resources like water and soil and protect biodiversity. Initial trials show yields and quality are more consistent and land, water, insecticide, pesticide and fertilizer usage is reduced. Read more >>Hospitality2009 Peroni chef - Craig Hounsom Craig Hounsom was the winner of the 2009 Peroni Chef title. Read more >>Import/ExportEgypt to look into ban on SA meat [Charlotte Mathews] Egyptian Agriculture Minister Amen Abaza has promised SA's Agriculture Minister Tina Joemat Pettersson he will investigate why Egypt has continued to ban imports of bone-in beef and livestock products from SA despite SA's compliance with Egypt's demands, the Department of Agriculture said Monday, 2 November 2009. Read more >>ManufacturingSeardel urges state aid for textile sector [Charlotte Mathews] The government should consider extending aid to the job-intensive clothing sector and small businesses when their competitiveness came under pressure from the strong rand, Seardel CEO-designate Stuart Queen said on Friday, 6 November 2009. Read more >>Factories signal recession could be easing[Mariam Isa] Manufacturing activity picked up last month in a sign that the recession might be easing, but still fell short of outright expansion, a key industry survey showed Monday, 2 November 2009. Read more >>RegulatoryDebt counsellor's registration cancelledIn response to an application brought by the National Credit Regulator (NCR), the National Consumer Tribunal (NCT) cancelled the registration of Zolile Senior Njokweni, who has been registered as a debt counsellor since June 2007, on Monday 2 November 2009 with immediate effect. Read more >>ResearchMost SA urban cellphone users want to upgrade devices - study[Issa Sikiti da Silva] A recent study conducted by World Wide Worx and backed by First National Bank (FNB) and BlackBerry has revealed that many consumers out of SA's 16 million urban cellphone users are highly aspirational people looking to upgrade their phones, and are looking specifically for devices that have more features. Read more >>Retail marketing'Ban alcohol adverts' - ANCYL[Kingdom Mabuza] The ANCYL has launched a campaign to ban alcohol advertisements in all media channels. Read more >>Fresh look for dental clinics Ten dental clinics in Soweto have been given an Aquafresh facelift in a bid to reach and educate two critical target markets - dentists and residents. Read more >>Retail servicesAcknowledging service... and the lack thereof The 2009 Ask Afrika Orange Index results, recognising the companies offering the best customer service levels in South Africa, were released yesterday, Tuesday 3 November 2009. This year's winners include Woolworths Food, Santam, Miladys, Woolworths Clothing and Standard Bank in the top five positions. The index, covering 12 sectors, is based on a survey conducted amongst South African consumers on an annual basis and is considered the most comprehensive service excellence measure in South Africa. Read more >>RetailersWoolies' second airport store takes flight Woolworths opened at Cape Town International, the airport's first retail food and fashion store on Saturday 7 November 2009. This follows its successful launch in the new shopping concourse at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International in April. Read more >>Fruit & Veg to grow Caltex forecourts[Sasha Planting] Fruit & Veg City is the latest retailer to partner with a fuel business to run forecourt shops at its garages. Read more >>Truworths retail sales up 10% to R2.3bnRetail group Truworths today, Thursday 5 November 2009, announced that group retail sales for the first 18 weeks, from June 29 until November 1 2009, of the 2010 financial year increased by 10% to R2.3 billion relative to the corresponding period in the 2009 financial year. Read more >>Super Group sells Mica businesses[Artwell Dlamini] Super Group said yesterday, 3 November 2009, it had sold its Mica franchise business for R25m as the company accelerated its plan to dispose of noncore assets and to turn around the debt-laden group. Read more >>New Pick n Pay Express on Atlantic seaboard The fifth Pick n Pay Express store opened in Cape Town late last week at Somerset Road, Green Point, replacing the existing BP Express store. It will offer a wide range of fresh and convenience items, specifically identified to meet the needs of convenience shoppers, as well as a Wild Bean Café. Read more >>Supply chainNot enough environmentally sustainable business strategiesThe Supply Chain Intelligence Report (SCIR) 2009 found that 41.3% of the companies from the major industries in the country, including the automotive, food and beverage, mining, construction, transportation and chemical sectors did not have, or had no plans to incorporate metrics to measure their impact on the environment. Read more >>Sustainable Supply Chain Management Conference opens in two weeksThe Sustainable Supply Chain Management Conference 2009, taking place at the Reserve Bank Conference Centre in Pretoria from 17-18 November 2009, offers both local and international sustainability experts' views on innovative supply chain solutions to improve efficiency, reduce risk and achieve lasting financial savings. Read more >>TechnologySunny side of the electricity bill The increase in solar energy enquiries has rocketed following Eskom's planned tariff hikes over the next three years. This is according to Theo Rutstein, chairperson of the Teljoy Group, who says that since the publication of Eskom's proposals, his company has been receiving more than 300 inquiries per day. Read more >>TrainingCooking up a feast of skills[Namhla Tshisela] For the cooks-in-training at a special school in Johannesburg the exam period is a time to prove that the proof of the pudding is indeed in the eating. Read more >>Apply now for Raymond Ackerman Academy
Brand newsHealth-on-the-go - Vital Health Foods Vital Health Foods has been leading the health industry in South Africa for 62 years. They have become known for manufacturing all their vitamins under pharmaceutical standards, making them the leader in quality and innovation. Read more >>Stimorol Air Rush blows your hair back! - Cadbury South Africa The new off-beat Stimorol Air Rush commercial, created by Cadbury South Africa in conjunction with Ogilvy Cape Town, features an enigmatic ‘new guy' at the office who has ‘something about him'. Read more >>Retail servicesWhat can SishaFax do for your business? - Sisha.com Systems SishaFax can make a huge difference to any company's bottom line. Fax2Email is an incredible cost-cutting solution which has the added advantage of both increasing efficiency and security within an organisation. Read more >>
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Do Do Do shot in Durban RETAIL [Sindy Peters] Durban-based indie pop-rock band Fire through the Window recently released the video to the track Do Do Do, taken off their latest album, "Hey". It's a fun, youthful video shot with still cameras at a high frame rate, producing an animated effect that links well with the track conceptually. SA's Via Katlehong pantsula's across the world RETAIL [Sindy Peters] South African dance company, Via Katlehong has wowed audiences far and wide from New York to Germany to Spain. The group has been touring the world for the past 16 years increasing their fan base as they go along. Gumboot, jazz, traditional, hip hop to pantsula - these energetic dancers have come a long way from 1992, when the group was formed.
"I've found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often." - Brian Tracy "We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future." - Franklin Delano Roosevelt "Basically we get confused a bit about what retail is. It is really just buying things, putting them on a floor and selling them." - Gerry Harvey "The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes." - Benjamin Disraeli "No living being is held by anything so strongly as its own needs." - Epictetus Print - Print any item in this newsletter. Email - Email any item in this newsletter. Comment - Comment on any item in this newsletter.  | Advertisement:
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