 16 Nov 2009 |
|
 |  |  www.imperiallogistics.co.za |  Open a press office today. |
Rural dreams, global acclaim Local upliftment programmes are definitely doing something right when they attract the attention of a renowned international designer such as Vivienne Westwood. Although her name is more synonymous with haute couture and Sex and the City (although, granted, she hated the movie) than traditional tribal attire, Westwood's sponsorship of the Tapestry of Dreams project shows she's more than just a designer for stars and upper-crust fashionistas. No, this lady certainly has heart, while her clout is likely to fast-track this rural initiative to centre stage. Not only has Westwood offered sponsorship and patronage of Tapestry of Dreams, she has also donated a collection of her designer dresses to the project. If you're wondering how to get your mitts on one of these creations, the dresses will be auctioned off at the Tapestry of Dreams' theatrical experience and fashion show, Shine!, to be held at the University of Johannesburg from 19 - 21 November. Tickets are still available. Other South Africans making their name on the international circuit this week are Jaco Dreyer and Evgeni Omeltchenko. These two amateur culinary geniuses are bringing home the 2009 title of Global Grand Master Chef from the LG Life Tastes Good Championships, held in Bangkok last week. This is the second year in a row that South Africans have been awarded this title, and it just goes to show, local really is lekker! 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: The poster for the Shine! fashion extravaganza. Top stories
RetailRichemont to 'ride through recession'[Kgomotso Mathe] The world's biggest jewellery manufacturer Financière Richemont on Friday, 13 November 2009, said it remained cautious about the sustainability of the improving economic outlook as last month's sales decreased 10% across all regions. Read more >>Motlanthe to attend food indabaFresh from his official visit to Nigeria, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe will on Saturday depart for Rome where he is expected to participate in the World Food Summit. Read more >>Datamonitor report highlights private labels impact in IndiaDatamonitor has released a new consumer insight report entitled The Impact of Private Labels on FMCG Companies in India. It indicates that private labels are increasingly posing threat for FMCG companies in India, for though the adoption of private labels began with the value proposition, consumers now perceive these brands are offering quality on par with other national brands Read more >>Kraft Foods launches hostile Cadbury bidLONDON, UK: US giant Kraft Foods on Monday, 9 November 2009, launched a hostile £9.8-billion bid for Cadbury which the British confectioner rejected as "derisory" as new takeover action revitalises the business world. Read more >>Angora breeder lets his hair down Veteran farmer Billy Colborne was dancing in the aisles at the International Mohair Summit in Graaff-Reinet when his family farm was named winner of the country's top mohair award. Read more >>AssociationsFAWU worried about SAB BEE dealThe Food and Allied Workers' Union (FAWU) on Wednesday, 11 November 2009, welcomed the engagement process between the union and SAB Ltd management on the envisaged BEE transaction within the company. Read more >>Banking & FinanceAsset management centralised at Grindrod Bank"We believe the new Asset Management Division at Grindrod Bank will enable us to bring a stronger, more integrated approach to asset management for our clients and will provide the perfect home for the discerning investor,” says Mark Logan, head of the new division. Read more >>International recognition for Absa At the 2009 Banking Technology Awards, held on 5 November 2009 at Grosvenor House Hotel London, Absa was the winner of 'The Most Innovative use of IT'. This follows its award in Istanbul by African Banker magazine of ‘Most Innovative Bank in Africa.' Read more >>Brand newsAmbor awarded Business Personality of the Year The Cape Times/KPMG Business Personality of the Year 2009 was awarded to Allen Ambor, founder and executive chair of the Spur Corporation on 10 November 2009. Read more >>New Cap Classique from Philip Jonker Philip Jonker, of Weltevrede Estate, has launched his fourth and final Cap Classique, Philip Jonker Brut Lindelize Rosé. Named after his wife, Lindelize, it is produced mainly from pinot noir and is described as salmon coloured Cap Classique with a delicate mousse, yeasty nose with hints of cherries and strawberries, freshly picked rose petals and a slight peachiness on the palate with a lingering finish. Versatile, it is recommended with Turkish Delight (this pairing was a big hit at the Cape Town launch at Bizerca Bistro), strawberries and cream and grilled crayfish. Approximate retail price: R99.Braun grooming at Dischem, Clicks All Braun male and female hair care and hair removal products will be available through Dischem stores and Braun Series 1 and 3 shavers will be sold at Clicks stores. Products are locally distributed through local FMCG Fore Good Investments. Read more >>Dulux offers superior contractors' paint Dulux Trade's Weathershield offers contractors a smooth exterior paint with an advanced spreading rate of up to 14m²/l, which, according to the company, means more surface is covered with far less paint than its competitors. It also offers superior alkali resistance, negating the need for primer on bare plaster, saving both time and money. Read more >>David Tlale steps out Ranging from beautifully crafted cage leather platforms to bejewelled satin peep-toes, the Luella David Tlale shoe collection will be available in stores at the beginning of December 2009. Keeping true to the DT signature, these shoes have a daring element to them and each item is uniquely crafted and styled to perfection with a keen attention to detail. Read more >>Ububele Holdings lists on AltXUbubele Holdings, the South African agro-processing and agrichemicals company, listed on AltX on Monday morning, with a market capitalisation of between R174 million and R262 million. Read more >>Clothing & Textiles2010 Bafana Bafana jersey, support campaign launched [Issa Sikiti da Silva] At the launch yesterday, Wednesday 11 November 2009, of the new jersey to be worn by Bafana Bafana during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the Unite Mzansi Unite (UMU) campaign, Adidas said this will reinforce its grip on the global and African market as a leading football brand. Read more >>Clothing sector still in doldrums[Michael Bleby] Even though people continue to spend money on fashion, no sustainable recovery is likely in the clothing sector until the second half of next year, Mr Price CEO Alistair McArthur said yesterday, 11 November 2009. Read more >>Corporate Social InvestmentLondon designer saves ladies' day Top international designer Vivienne Westwood was so moved by a KwaZulu-Natal women's upliftment project that she has put her name behind it. Read more >>Green event raises a glass to green wine The inaugural Nedbank Green Wine Awards, announced on Wednesday 11 November 2009, continued the green theme into the awards event. Read more >>CRMMobile CRM user, know thyself[Chris Bucholtz] Sales reps need access to customer data while in the field, but they don't need access to the entire database - they're best served by a system that is streamlined for their purposes. Also, it's important that the data be properly secured against theft or loss. And it's critical that a mobile CRM system functions well as part of the overall CRM system. Fragmentation means failure. Read more >>e-CommerceLast VW Citi passes value on auction The last VW Citi Golf MK1 produced for sale has currently exceeded its indicative market price of R113,500 on bidorbuy.co.za auction site, currently standing at a little over R160,000. The car started its bidorbuy journey on 3 November at a starting bid of only R1. Read more >>Drawing security-spooked customers into the e-commerce fold[Vivian Wagner] There's a huge base of potential customers online every day who look but don't buy. These are consumers who use the Internet to research their shopping decisions but not to make transactions. In most cases, security fears are to blame. What can e-tailers do to reassure these squeamish shoppers that buying from them is just as safe as making a purchase at a brick-and-mortar store? Read more >>How e-tailers can take on the whole world [Colleen Francis] The majority of global markets are growing significantly faster than the United States. Bill Gates has even stated that in the 21st century, a business must use e-commerce to survive. In this economy, thinking outside the proverbial box and expanding a company without taking on significant overhead or structural changes means selling beyond geographic borders. Read more >>ExhibitionsDigitalLife Expo gets bigger in 2010 The DigitalLife Expo is moving to a bigger venue for its third annual show, the Coca-Cola dome in Northriding, Johannesburg, and will take place from 5 - 7 November 2010. Read more >>Get that Design Indaba discount now Design Indaba is running from 24-26 February 2010 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), and has once again ensured an all-star list of speakers from all around the world and every discipline under the sun. To ensure your pass, book now before 11 December 2009 and get a 10% discount. If you've been to the conference twice before, you'll score a 15% discount. Read more >>Expo offers 32 countries in 32 days for 2010 The Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) will host Global Icons Expo-Tainment Experience, which will include 32 nations under one roof in over 10 000m² exhibition space for 32 days in June and July 2010. To date this is reputed to be the highest investment from a single booking that the CTICC has secured since its opening. Read more >>FranchisingNews Cafe in the subcontinent News Cafe will open in Delhi India in November 2009 and, with shop fittings currently underway in Hyderabad, the second store opening is expected mid-January 2010, with Mumbai following end March 2010. Read more >>Green sustainabilitySasol joins recycling in forecourts Sasol is to establish recycling areas at its forecourts, with the pilot starting in Gauteng at Sasol Ferndale and a national rollout over a period of 12-18 months thereafter. The project is in partnership with Petco, a company established with the specific objective of promoting and improving waste management and recycling. Read more >>Railways to solve high-carbon issuesThe transportation sector, contributing as much as 60% to the domestic carbon emissions, will have a big part to play in sustainable development trends around the world and as one of the world's top 20 carbon emitters, South Africa is no exception. Read more >>Health & SafetyNokia recalls dangerous chargersHELSINKI, FINLAND: Nokia, the world's biggest mobile phone maker, issued on Monday, 9 November 2009, a global recall for 14 million faulty chargers made by a subcontractor this year. Read more >>HospitalitySouth Africans win cooking championship again The title of LG Global Grand Master Chef at the LG Life Tastes Good Championship 2009 was won for the second year by an amateur South African team, this time Jaco Pieter Willem Dreyer and Evgeni Igorevich Omeltchenko, at the Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok on 11 November 2009. Read more >>F&B industry needs to gear up for 2010[Ismail Darsot] While the country is incredibly upbeat about the upcoming 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, I believe that the food and beverage industry is simply not ready. There is a possibility that next year's demand from hotels and hospitality venues for food and beverage is going to at least double but many retailers and wholesalers just don't realise the implications of this or anticipate the huge demand that will be placed on the country. Read more >>Hotel industry recession may lift“The past year from July/August 2008 to date has been an extremely difficult trading environment for the hotel industry, with a domestic economy experiencing high inflation levels with the associated high cost of money,” comments Kamil Abdul-Karrim, MD of Pam Golding Tourism & Hospitality Consulting, a member of Pam Golding Hospitality. Read more >>Hotel price inflation could harm SA [Bathandwa Mbola] Increasing accommodation prices during the 2010 FIFA World Cup could damage South Africa's prospects of enticing tourists back after the competition, says the 2010 Local Organising Committee (LOC). Read more >>Optimism at Hospitality Investment Conference The Hospitality Investment Conference Africa 2009 took place at Sandton Sun hotel from 4-6 November 2009. In his keynote address to the delegates on Thursday 5 November, the Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk said that he remained ever optimistic about the future, despite the economic challenges. Read more >>LogisticsImperial Logistics extends services with acquisitionImperial Logistics announced on Tuesday 10 November 2009 that it has acquired a 36% stake in Pragma Holdings, with various professionals who are members of Pragma's management owning the balance. Read more >>ManufacturingNo carbon footprint at Bay factoryThe success of a R100-million investment in cleaning up the Algorax factory, on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth, has been recognised by the carbon black manufacturer's winning a national clean air award. Read more >>Manufacturing output improves[Evan Pickworth] The physical volume of manufacturing in South Africa in September was reported at an improved 11.4% year-on-year (y/y) from a revised 15.2% (-15.0%) in August, data provided by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) on Tuesday, 10 November 2009, shows. Read more >>PackagingPeople pay more for products that carry detailed nutritional informationPeople would be willing to pay more for products that carry detailed nutritional information than for the so-called light items. Thus it has been confirmed by researchers from the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) and the Centre for Agro-Food Research and Technology of Aragón (CITA) in a new study on the nutritional labelling of breakfast biscuits. The study was published in Food Quality and Preference Read more >>RegulatoryNyanda's gift for cellphone users [Linda Ensor with Lesley Stones] Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda has secured a saving for consumers from cellphone operators, which have agreed to an initial 36c cut in the peak mobile termination rate, from R1,25 to 89c a minute. Read more >>Move to shut Mandela Bay bars, taverns at 12am[Rochelle de Kock] Taverns, bars and all other liquor outlets in Nelson Mandela Bay serving alcohol until the early hours of the morning may soon have to close shop as early as midnight at weekends, pending the outcome of a mayoral committee meeting on Tuesday. Read more >>ResearchCar retail confidence up for second quarter[Artwell Dlamini] The confidence level in the retail vehicle market has risen for the second successive quarter, providing the latest confirmation that new car sales have bottomed out. Read more >>Retail marketingBillboard George for Nespresso The new billboard advertising campaign from Nespresso, featuring George Clooney, debuted in South Africa on 1 November 2009. The campaign, which was shot by renowned celebrity photographer, Sam Jones, along with photographer Michel Dubois for the backgrounds, features photos of Clooney looking stylish in a dark suit as he appears solo first and then with his Nespresso Grand Cru in hand. Read more >>Page Three wins ParmalatPage Three Media is looking forward to designing media strategies for the various Parmalat brands after the announcement yesterday, Monday, 9 November 2009, of its appointment as the brand's media planners. Read more >>Retail servicesShoprite wants Reserve Bank to solve Bankserv problemsAll PIN-based electronic transactions, including ATM transactions, were again affected by Bankserv system failures this past week, which reached a peak on Tuesday 3 November 2009. The Shoprite Group expressed its dismay on 6 November at the apparent indifference demonstrated by commercial banks in South Africa to address intermittent system failures in the country's national electronic payment system successfully, causing consumers endless frustration and leaving them disenchanted with retailers. Read more >>RetailersRetailers bring back credit to lure customers [Dumisani Ndlela] Zimbabwe's retailers, which had withdrawn credit facilities due to a hyperinflationary crisis, have brought back the credit terms for retail customers. Read more >>Short time, retrenchments risk for Lewis growthFurniture retailer Lewis on Monday, 9 November 2009, said while lower interest rates, stabilising food prices and higher real wage increases were positive for consumers, short time and retrenchments remained a risk for sustained improvement. Read more >>SecurityStaying one step ahead of the guest from hellThere is nothing new about the phenomenon of the hotel guest from hell. Neither is the label reserved for serial nit-pickers, outright criminals and those ill mannered yobs whose deprived backgrounds do not afford them the decorum and restraint to treat the property, person and privacy of others with tolerable levels of respect and consideration. Read more >>Supply chainSunflower seed, what's cooking? [Shannon Sherry] Mystery surrounds a decision by SA's market-leading producer of sunflower cooking oil to import 110000t of sunflower seed while the country expects a surplus of 270000t. Read more >>Chinese to boost agriculture in Mozambique A Chinese centre for research and transfer of agricultural technology is set to open in Mozambique in early 2010. The facility will use China's farming expertise to boost the African country's agricultural productivity by improving cultivation methods and training local scientists and farmers. Read more >>TechnologyChina Mobile, Claro to sell smartphoneWASHINGTON, US: US computer giant Dell on Friday, 13 November 2009, announced it is teaming up with China Mobile and Brazil's Claro to market a new touchscreen smartphone powered by Google's Android operating system. Read more >>New BlackBerry white from Vodacom The BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone is available in white for limited period only from Vodacom. Read more >>Amazon delivers Kindle books to PCs SAN FRANCISCO, US: Amazon.com on Tuesday, 10 November 2009, released free software that lets people read the online retail titan's electronic Kindle books on personal computers. Read more >>Web Africa, Organised Chaos join forces for free gamesInternet Service Provider (ISP) Web Africa has teamed up with gaming infrastructure expert, Organised Chaos (OC), to launch a free gaming service for its customers. The service will initially include four games: Call of Duty 4, Call of Duty: World at War, Counter Strike: Source, and Team Fortress 2. Read more >>More navigational products from TomTom TomTom announced last week the arrival of three new personal navigation devices for the South African market, Start, XXL and GO 750. Read more >>TrainingWin a US exchange mentorship in youth entrepreneur competitionThe Young Entrepreneurship Program (YEP) has been launched in South Africa as an initiative to assist young entrepreneurs to harness their leadership skills and to sharpen their business skills by offering exchange and mentorship programmes with USA-based tertiary intuitions and other businesses. Its first project will select suitably qualified individuals throughout South Africa through a merit-based open competition. Applicants in the events; tourism; service provision and education industries are encouraged to enter. Read more >>
Retail marketingYour Child Kids Expo gives a taste of things to come - Egg Marketing & Communications On Thursday 29 October and Wednesday 4 November organisers and sponsors of the Your Child Kids Expo gave Cape Town and Johannesburg companies the opportunity to experience what this unique expo will be all about. Read more >>Rapid Kiosk - Right Stuff With the 2010 FIFA World Cup just around the corner, not to mention glorious summer, the Rapid Kiosk is the natural choice for public events and portable, instant retail solutions. Read more >>
  More
Can we find love on The Rebound? RETAIL [Zeenat Ebrahim] The Rebound explores a new angle to the romantic comedy starring Catherine Zeta Jones in one of her less glamorous roles. The humour gets a thumbs-up and saves the movie from being a long-winded stretch. I however fail to make the romantic connection between a 40-year-old falling for her 25-year-old nanny.
"The greatest thing to be achieved in advertising, in my opinion, is believability, and nothing is more believable than the product itself." - Leo Burnett "In the end, the customer doesn't know, or care, if you are small or large as an organisation...she or he only focuses on the garment hanging on the rail in the store." - Giorgio Armani "Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live. " - Jim Rohn "High heels were invented by a woman who had been kissed on the forehead." - Christopher Morley "We find that advertising works the way the grass grows. You can never see it, but every week you have to mow the lawn." - Andy Tarshis Print - Print any item in this newsletter. Email - Email any item in this newsletter. Comment - Comment on any item in this newsletter.  | Advertisement:
|
