Food retail spending trends - 6 Aug 2018[Lauren Hartzenberg, Retail Editor (@Biz_Retail)] In this week's top stories, I report back from IRI South Africa's recent presentation on macro food and purchasing trends, which revealed that despite economic pressures, private label products have experienced tremendous growth. Meanwhile, Nielsen's Shoppergraphics Report shows that South African shoppers, beset by a storm of rising prices, are making fewer trips to grocery stores and have dropped an unprecedented three grocery categories from their shopping basket. In other news, Spur Corporation is acquiring a majority stake in the franchise restaurant group Nikos Coalgrill Greek, Pick n Pay plans to create 15,000 new jobs over the next three years, and Mr D Food has reached 1 million app downloads, making it the most popular online food delivery service in SA. Leigh Andrews also shares not-to-miss insights from the annual CEM Africa 2018 held in Cape Town last week. And I've got my regular round-up of exciting new food and beverage products in my #FreshOnTheShelf column. With August dedicated to Africa's inspiring women, remember to keep an eye on our Women's Month special section where we'll be featuring top businesswomen across 17 different industries. Until next week, enjoy! Lauren Hartzenberg Retail Editor: Bizcommunity.com read more #MobileCommerce highlights | Events lineup - 30 Jul 2018[Lauren Hartzenberg, Retail Editor (@Biz_Retail)] As we say farewell to July 2018, we also cap off our #MobileCommerce report featuring exclusive opinion from the country's leading figures in the extended e-commerce sector. In highlights from the past week: • Nielsen's Gareth Pearson on why e-commerce is starting to connect with South African consumers. • DHL Africa's Megan Roper on why cross-border e-commerce continues to provide significant growth opportunities for retailers and manufacturers. • Spree's Sven Schoof on turning social platforms into virtual storefronts. For a recap on all Mobile Commerce insights from the past month, head over to our special section. In fashion news, British luxury fashion label Burberry destroyed its unsold products, to the value of £28.6m last year to make its brand more exclusive. And why brands should help combat smuggling in clothing and textile manufacturing sector. There are also a number of exciting industry events lined up, including: SACSC 22nd Annual Congress, Johannesburg Natural Hair Expo, 5th edition of 100% Design South Africa and the inaugural Creative Coffee Week in Durban. read more Preparing for Black Friday | #MobileCommerce - 23 Jul 2018[Lauren Hartzenberg, Retail Editor (@Biz_Retail)] Our top story this week: In preparation for one of the biggest shopping days of the year, Outdoorphoto's Graham van der Merwe reviews what retailers can learn from Black Friday 2017. While in other top news, FedEx Express shares insight into the African millennial consumer and their expectations from brands. In highlights from our #MobileCommerce content focus: • Cape Union Mart Group's Amanda Herson on the role of mobile in delivering the right product, to the right customer, at the right time. • Useful and Beautiful's Lynette Hundermark on how to make your mobile user tap "buy now". In other news, South African retail sales for May 2018 grew by 3% year-on-year, according to the latest Mastercard SpendingPulse report. read more Edcon sheds brands | #MobileCommerce - 16 Jul 2018[Lauren Hartzenberg, Retail Editor (@Biz_Retail)] In our top story this week, Edcon CEO Grant Pattison revealed that Boardmans and Red Square stores will soon be no longer as the company intensifies its focus on the Edgars brand in a bid to win back shoppers. Click through for all the details. Then, we're powering through with our #MobileCommerce content focus. read more Focus on Mobile Commerce | #IFE2018 - 9 Jul 2018[Lauren Hartzenberg, Retail Editor (@Biz_Retail)] We kick off our #MobileCommerce focus this month, sharing insights from industry thought leaders into the impact of mobile shopping and transactions on business. In this week's highlights: • TFG's Robyn Cooke on the rise of mobile shopping and its impact on business • Trend Forward's Dave Nemeth on stepping into the future with mobile • Zebra Technologies' Mark Thomson on how to manage sustainable omnichannel growth in retail Capping off our Source Africa coverage, I report back on Gerwin Leppink's presentation on managing social compliance issues in your supply chain, and why Africa's clothing sector could lead in responsible sourcing. Meanwhile, Bizcommunity's Danette Breitenbach brings us coverage from Fasa's annual Franchise Convention. First, she shares the importance of finding the emotional connection with consumers, and then how to help franchisees to significantly improve their profitability. In other top news, Pick n Pay trialled compostable bags as an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic bags to mark International Plastic Bag Free Day on 3 July. read more Insights from Source Africa 2018 - 2 Jul 2018[Lauren Hartzenberg, Retail Editor (@Biz_Retail)] Source Africa, the 2-day exhibition aimed at the continent's textile, apparel and footwear sector, dominates our top headlines this week. First up, I share how outdoor apparel company K-Way used lean manufacturing to overhaul their production and business processes to become a dynamic force within SA's clothing manufacturing sector. Then Maroefah Smith reports back on WGSN's intensive buyers briefing forecast for macro trends, menswear and womenswear respectively. In other big news, Cosmo SA readers are able to shop the pages of the July 2018 issue thanks to an innovative partnership with online retailer Takealot. And I interview 20-something entrepreneur and social innovator Zaid Osman for Youth Month. He chats about founding the hugely popular Sneaker Exchange and his new retail project Grade Africa. read more Fashion e-commerce mega-merger | #MFGIndaba - 25 Jun 2018[Lauren Hartzenberg, Retail Editor (@Biz_Retail)] In our top story this week, online retail juggernauts Spree and Superbalist announced they will be merging to form a single, focused fashion platform. The new venture will be held 51% by Media24, Spree's current shareholders, while Takealot Group will own 49% of the venture. The annual Manufacturing Indaba took place in Sandton last week, and Danette Breitenbach reports on how the manufacturing sector is key to uplifting the SA economy, and on the South African launch of the global Factory of the Year benchmarking competition. read more Re-energising physical retail - 18 Jun 2018[Lauren Hartzenberg, Retail Editor (@Biz_Retail)] In today's top story, Danette Breitenbach reports back on branding guru Andy Stalman's talk on global retail trends and the future of retail in the digital era. In it, Stalman shares insights on the importance of moving from purely transactional centres to creating inspiring spaces that offer the community immersive experiences that keep them coming back. In related top news, OnShelf Pharma's Eben Esterhuizen details how online shopping is merging with traditional bricks and mortar business in South Africa. We've also got the winners list from the recent Fasa Awards, which recognises SA's top franchisors and franchisees, and their vital contribution towards job creation in the country. In other news, find out why you should be harnessing the evolutionary power of smart packaging; while Ralf Seifert and Richard Marko pose the question 'Will Amazon do to the grocery industry what it did to e-commerce?' To the e-commerce, tech, delivery and fintech innovators among you, nominations are now open for the annual Pricecheck Tech and E-commerce Awards. read more Ramping up efforts to reduce plastic waste - 11 Jun 2018[Lauren Hartzenberg, Retail Editor (@Biz_Retail)] To mark World Environment Day (5 June) and World Oceans Day (8 June), a number of retailers announced plans to step up their efforts in reducing plastic waste. Woolworths revealed its vision of zero packaging waste to landfill, committing to phase out nonrecyclable plastic packaging for its own-brand products by 2022. read more New Exclusive Books CEO | Nestlé's restructuring - 4 Jun 2018[Lauren Hartzenberg, Retail Editor (@Biz_Retail)] In top retail news this week, Exclusive Books has appointed Grattan Kirk as its new CEO. Kirk steps into the role previously held by the Benjamin Trisk, who parted ways with the bookseller in April. Nestlé announced a reorganisation of its business in sub-Saharan Africa and the closure of its regional head office in Nairobi, Kenya. read more Accelerating business growth potential in Africa - 28 May 2018[Lauren Hartzenberg, Retail Editor (@Biz_Retail)] As #AfricaMonth draws to a close here at Biz, we interview the Shoprite Group's COO of non-RSA outlets Gerhard Fritz on how the grocery retailer trailblazed trading in Africa. With footprints in over 460 locations across 14 African countries, Fritz shares the highs and lows of Shoprite's journey across the continent. We also chat to Manufacturing Indaba MD Liz Hart as the fifth annual industry event approaches. read more E-commerce disruption - 21 May 2018[Lauren Hartzenberg, Retail Editor (@Biz_Retail)] In top news this week, the CMO Council has released a report revealing that large, global e-commerce communities are disrupting the retail marketplace by bringing together vast numbers of buyers and sellers in frictionless transactional environments. This is forcing brand marketers to rethink every aspect of how they go to market. Sticking with e-commerce, Mark Thomson from Zebra technologies shares his views on how technology is driving the millennial retail market. The latest Mastercard SpendingPulse report shows that retail sales for March 2018 grew by 4% year-on-year after removing the effects of inflation, marking the highest growth rate for retail spending since May 2013. read more Steady growth for fast food franchising | 90 years of Coca Cola Africa - 14 May 2018[Lauren Hartzenberg, Retail Editor (@Biz_Retail)] In this week's top story, the Franchise Association of South Africa reveals that the fast food and quick service restaurant sector continues to show steady growth on the back of what has been a tough economic climate in South Africa. In other top news, a strategic partnership between Mastercard and Unilever is helping micro entrepreneurs in Africa and other regions overcome the cash constraints that limit their ability to buy and sell more products and ultimately grow their businesses. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola is celebrating 90 years of business on the African continent. Today, with the help of more than 55 bottling partners, the African business has expanded its portfolio of products into nearly all sub-Saharan African countries through its export business. read more Big dreams of Skinny Sbu | Answering the call for 'clean' beauty - 23 Apr 2018[Lauren Hartzenberg, Retail Editor (@Biz_Retail)] This week we bring you two exclusive interviews with promising South African business owners. First up is Sibusiso Ngwenya, the young and driven founder and head designer of premium sock brand Skinny Sbu Socks. read more Doing business in Africa - 16 Apr 2018[Lauren Hartzenberg, Retail Editor (@Biz_Retail)] Africa dominated Biz Retail headlines this past week as a region ripe for business investment. Coca-Cola Beverages Africa opened its new head office in Port Elizabeth, which will house the largest Coca-Cola bottler on the African continent, accounting for around 40% of all Coca-Cola volumes sold in Africa. In the same breath, Builders Warehouse has just opened its seventh store on the continent and the third store in Mozambique, as part of its ambitious African expansion strategy. And global brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) is looking to build a $100 million brewery in Dodoma, Tanzania. The agreement forms part of the company's plan to ramp up investment on the continent to meet booming demand. read more |
