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Welcome to 2015! The popping of champagne corks is still ringing in your ears, the tree is shedding its needles quietly in the corner, and you discovered a handful of confetti and glitter between the couch cushions this morning. Yet, if you're one of the unlucky ones, you've also found yourself behind your desk on this first Monday of 2015, probably wondering why you didn't pay off HR for an extra week of holiday... Or if you're one of the really, really unlucky ones, you're standing on the shop floor wondering when all the tourists will go home. But don't despair, Bizcommunity is back to shed a little brightness and news to your working day. To catch you up on what happened over the season break, we unpacked the new South African consumer, Standard Bank got #appy, we peered into the eco-friendly future of retail stores, and got ready for the 24/7 South African social media role. We also looked back at the year SA e-commerce grew up and the five struggles of a market researcher. With that, we wish you a warm and welcoming 2015, may it be a truly prosperous year! Shan Radcliffe, Group Head - Retail (@Biz_Retail)
Image: © ximagination - 123RF.com
Comment online in our ed's column archive. Go mobile with apps and m.bizcommunity.com. Engage with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+. Subscribe to YouTube and via RSS. Send all your retail news and event invitations to retailnews@bizcommunity.com, exclusive opinion pieces to contributors-retail@bizcommunity.com and international news to internationalnews@bizcommunity.com. Read "How to contribute to Biz, from op-ed pieces to news". | Today's top stories |
Leigh Andrews Few jobs involve 24/7 input, but this is set to change for those who work in social media, as social media-savvy consumers don't limit their tweets to business hours... Read more >> | Leigh Andrews You might have noticed 'Standard Bank' storylines woven into Isidingo, Muvhango and Isibaya this year. This wasn't just a happy coincidence but rather a well-thought out strategy... Read more >> | |
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 | Chinese businessperson William Wu has purchased a 51% stake in Swartland Winery, one of South Africa's leading wineries based outside the Western Cape town of Malmesbury. read more>> | |  | The Magnum Pleasure Store pops up at Cavendish Square, Claremont on 17 January 2015 in celebration of the brand's 25th Birthday, giving you the chance to customise your own Magnum... read more>> | | |
 | Redefine International (RPL)‚ the UK-based offshoot of the JSE's third-largest property group by market capitalisation‚ advised shareholders its chief financial officer Andrew Rowell has tendered his resignation... read more>> | | |
 | Darren Reid In a retail environment, brands have to engage with their customers in a seamless manner to ensure that they not only remain relevant but also provide a service that makes the user experience more valuable... read more>> | | |
 | Online shopping hit the mainstream in South Africa during 2014, says e-commerce payment services provider PayGate, and the growth is set to continue during 2015... read more>> | | |
 | Val Bourdos Nichas In today's turbulent economic times, both franchise brands and franchisees need to understand the key fundamentals driving today's operating environment. What's more, they need to embrace them... read more>> | | |
 | Stephen Sandmann Climate change has propelled us to move towards a greener and more sustainable future. It has created an environment that makes it possible to be green and still run a profitable business... read more>> | | |
 | The South African retail sector is the largest on the African continent and has been a key driver of the South African economy since the global financial crisis in 2008... read more>> | | |  | NEW YORK CITY, US: New York Festivals International Advertising Awards patented Matrix Judging System earns huge kudos within the international advertising community...(Video) read more>> | |  | Naseem Javed No matter what your position, location or size of your operation, the following 15 trends start to collide and open up amazing and instant opportunities for you... read more>> | |  | ISTANBUL, TURKEY: Turkey's currency the lira hit a 10-month low in value against the dollar on Monday as markets reacted with anxiety to police raids against media critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan... read more>> | |  | LONDON, UK: An "early version" of the screenplay for the new James Bond film was the latest victim of a massive hacking attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment... read more>> | |  | SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Uber in damage control after being slammed on social media and elsewhere for Sydney siege price hike... read more>> | | | | | | | | | | | More International | |
|  | Sipho Masombuka and Penwell Dlamini Two years ago international shoe distributor PhindiK was a success story - but now the South African couple behind the venture have 'lost everything'... read more>> | |  | Allegations that his appointment is a "clear case of jobs for pals", are groundless, says new Wesgro CEO Tim Harris... read more>> | |  | Ibrahim Thiaw Illegal trade in wildlife is no longer an abstract issue. Organised transnational as well as trans-regional environmental crimes are rapidly rising threats to the environment, to revenues from natural resources, to state security and to global sustainable development... read more>> | |  | "It would be extremely short sighted, if not inhumane, not to acknowledge the desperate situation many fellow South Africans find themselves in," says Johannes Möller, President of Agri SA... read more>> | | | | Bianca Capazorio and Sibongakonke Shoba | | Ibongakonke Shoba | | | | | | | | | More Government news | |
|  | Henrie Geyser: motoring editor If you think that Mercedes-Benz will never stoop to down-sizing its potent AMG cars you are in for a huge surprise... read more>> | | | More Motoring news | |
|  | For the airline, the focus in 2015 will be on the 'New Lufthansa Premium Quality'... read more>> | | | More Travel news | |
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| Albert Einstein "You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else." |
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| Ackermans has opened a press office on Bizcommunity.com! Ackermans' success story began in 1916 when Gus Ackerman opened the very first store in Wynberg, Cape Town, setting a benchmark for competitive prices that few could match. Today, with more than 380 outlets in Southern Africa, including Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland and Botswana, the business continues to go from strength to strength. Ackermans' proud heritage was built by focusing on the things that matter most to our customers; namely affordability, fashion and durability.  Twitter |
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