[Shan Radcliffe] We're hurtling at a pace into March, with only two days left till financial year-end for many companies. And, according to Andrew Hannington, that also only leaves two days for companies with a public interest score of less than 350 to amend their MOIs and opt out of the annual audit.
Last week saw the CPI rise and, who could forget, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan's Budget speech. read more [Shan Radcliffe] Ah, so Valentine's Day has finally come and gone and whether you're still basking in the glow of your Valentine's affections or binning your wilting flowers, here's hoping you all got a little love last week. Retailers certainly did, if the figures are anything to go by, with the online market winning over more hearts this year. read more [Shan Radcliffe] It's the end of an era for Nick Badminton as he announced his resignation as CEO of Pick n Pay last week, marking the final days of his 32-year career with the company. The retail giant is now on the hunt for a "hard-as-nails" CEO. read more [Shan Radcliffe] February started off with a bang on Wednesday as the price of petrol climbed another 34c per litre. The ASA finally announced its ruling in favour of the little guy who was having a "good old fashioned" spat with Woolies. read more [Shan Radcliffe] We're about to enter the "month of love", yet with Valentine's Day a mere two weeks away, I have yet to see a single TV ad spouting on about chocolate hearts, discount kisses and diamond sales. I was, however, appalled to see the Easter Bunny hopping all over my screen this weekend and had to double-check that I hadn't pulled a Rip van Winkle into March. read more [Shan Radcliffe] If you listened carefully on Thursday, you were sure to hear the collective sigh of relief from homeowners countrywide as the Monetary Policy Committee announced it was keeping the repo rate unchanged, thereby keeping the interest rate stable at 9%.
Retailers, too, have been smiling all the way to the bank as news of increased turnovers comes in, though some faired better than others. Retail trade sales for November also increased year-on-year, but were down month-on-month.
The Bureau of Market Research released its 2012 retail sales forecast yesterday, predicting only moderate growth as high inflation is expected to eat away at consumer purchasing power.
Pick n Pay is beefing up its team with the introduction international retail pro, Helmut Hoerz, as head of merchandising. read more [Shan Radcliffe] Ah, the new year has begun in earnest today for those people slinking into the office for the first time this year, so a big welcome back to all trawling through overflowing mailboxes and "in" bins. For the poor souls who shuffled in last week already, I hope you enjoyed your quiet time, as I suspect you're now surrounded by the sounds of a perpetually boiling kettle, the clink of coffee cups and noisy chatter revolving around what your colleagues got up to on holiday. read more [Shan Radcliffe] We've been counting down the weeks
And at last the time has come
The final newsie of year
But fans, please don't be glum
We'll be back by January 9
Till then we wish you well
And for our loyal readers,
These few items on which to dwell...
Food prices are a easin'
More forecasts for the season
Make the best of festive spending
Or see what you will be missing
And so we bid you a fond adieu
May the shoppers empty your shelves
You know you'll need the space
To welcome 2012!
Until then, to all our subscribers, clients, contributors, business partners and visitors to our sites, may you all have a restful, peaceful, safe and enjoyable festive season! read more [Shan Radcliffe] More than 15000 people gathered at Durban's International Convention Centre today for the opening of COP17, the United Nation's annual climate change conference, which President Jacob Zuma has called a "defining moment". read more [Shan Radcliffe] In five weeks, the annual insane holiday shopping rush will be over, we'll be living on leftovers and looking forward to a new year. But that's still five weeks away and right now, we're spiraling headlong into said insane shopping crunch. read more [Shan Radcliffe] After an almost year-long process made up of four group stages, the 25 finalists have finally been whittled down to produce the winners of the 2011 Pyro Inspiration Awards.
Over the pond, locally-brewed Distell has captured the New York spirit on it's first try, and is bringing home the title of Distillery of the Year for the NY International Spirits Competition 2011.
Lastly, SA Fairtrade Week opens today - be sure to taste the change and support it, because as we all know, local (smaak) lekker! read more |
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