Local is... - 18 May 2015[Shan Radcliffe, Group Head - Retail (@Biz_Retail)] In retail this week, we bust six myths about customer care; Generation Next picks SA's 'coolest' brands; and NAB's Marc du Plessis shares some insight from Dallas on 'National Brands, Local Marketing'. Entries are open for this year's Bollinger Exceptional Wine Service Award, and if you fancy yourself as a budding sommelier and are keen to fly the SA flag in France, the Cape Town and Durban entry legs for the Mosaic Protégé programme are coming up soon. read more A fairytale wedding and other customer relations - 11 May 2015[Shan Radcliffe, Group Head - Retail (@Biz_Retail)] The e-tail wedding of the season has been prepping since the Competition Commission gave its blessing in January and it is now official - Takealot and Kalahari have tied the knot. Marking the end of an era in South African e-commerce history, Kalahari.com closed its virtual doors just over a week ago. read more Short 'n sweet - 4 May 2015[Shan Radcliffe, Group Head - Retail (@Biz_Retail)] For those who took advantage of the wonderfully short week to cash in some vacation time, here's what you missed... Clover has received the green light from the Competition Commission for the acquisition of Nkunzi Milkyway, which will see the company producing dairy products, including Ayrshire and organic milk, for Woolworths. We had a look at the key questions an entrepreneur should ask when deciding to invest in a franchise, and the Global e-Commerce Logistics 2015 report shows us that e-tail will fail without efficient delivery systems. Bizcommunity's Leigh Andrews finds out how to build a strong brand with some advice from Casaerstone's Trevor King. And finally, a new trend in the packaging industry - fruit wrapped like confectionery...? Have a sweet week! read more On the plus side... - 20 Apr 2015[Shan Radcliffe, Group Head - Retail (@Biz_Retail)] Last week brought a pleasant surprise to economists as retail trades sales for February rose an unexpected 4.2%, while food and beverage income was up 5% for the same month, it was announced today. Local restaurants are making strides north of our border with Maxi's having opened its first stores in Botswana, and Spur opening its first franchise in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Broll Retail Consumer Survey reports that muted growth is expected for the retail sector, but that won't be stopping retailers from going ahead with expansion plans. With research revealing that smartphones are often the path to purchase, it's no wonder that entrepreneurs and e-commerce are a smart match. And finally, Nicolette Singh explains why personalisation is a personal touch... Have a fabulous week! read more Happiness is... - 13 Apr 2015[Shan Radcliffe, Group Head - Retail (@Biz_Retail)] The Easter holidays are officially over for most of us, and if you were lucky enough to have taken all of last week off, here is what you missed... On Thursday, Woolworths announced a multi-faceted collaboration with Mr Happy himself, Pharrell Williams. The partnership, running with the call-to-action "Are you with us?", will see Williams take on the role of Style Director across a series of sustainability-focused projects for the retailer. read more To succeed in going global, you need to go local, got it? - 30 Mar 2015[Shan Radcliffe, Group Head - Retail (@Biz_Retail)] We all want to go global, right? To market and sell our goods and services out there in the big, wide... lucrative... read more All about the experience - 23 Mar 2015[Shan Radcliffe, Group Head - Retail (@Biz_Retail)] Retail sales for January came in lower than expected last week at only a 1.7% increase year-on-year, while January's wholesale trade sales dropped by a huge 7% year-on-year. So what can we do to improve processes and increase sales going forward? The annual Barloworld Logistics' supplychainforesight report has revealed the inability of organisations to anticipate major market shifts and adapt accordingly. Riaaz Jeena points out that the difference between a repeat-buy and goodbye is a positive customer experience; Shailendra Singh shows us that customer experience is a journey, not a destination; and Scott Cundill tells us that no communication is the death of CRM. Have a great week! read more Growth spurt - 16 Mar 2015[Shan Radcliffe, Group Head - Retail (@Biz_Retail)] If there is one question that is always on the mind of any business owner, no matter what the business, large or small, it's "How do we grow?" Whether that means floor space, market share or customer base. read more Keep it mobile - 9 Mar 2015[Shan Radcliffe, Group Head - Retail (@Biz_Retail)] Retail World Africa 2015 kicks off at the Sandton Convention Centre tomorrow, so if you haven't registered yet, you'd better hurry! You can still book your free or VIP pass - just click on that colourful block there on the right. There you go. read more Marching on... - 2 Mar 2015[Shan Radcliffe, Group Head - Retail (@Biz_Retail)] The year feels like it has just begun, but I turn around and realise we've already stepped into March. read more The bigger design in mind - 23 Feb 2015[Shan Radcliffe, Group Head - Retail (@Biz_Retail)] All elements of the design world collide this week for the annual Design Indaba at the CTICC, but if you were unable to get tickets to the live presentations or simulcast, be sure to hop along to the expo - here's a little of what you can expect. In other news, Rhodes Food Group is adding to its pantry with its recent acquisitions of Boland Pulp and Deemster. We also look at what e-commerce offers young SMMEs and niche players, while Random Reality research makes some revealing discoveries about the part print plays in consumers' path to purchase. read more Savvy online insight - 16 Feb 2015[Shan Radcliffe, Group Head - Retail (@Biz_Retail)] This week brought us more insight from the eCommerce Africa conference; Leigh Andrews looked at merging the physical and virtual for total future retail, what needs to happens in e-commerce before you even think about marketing, and how brands have to give loyalty before they can earn it. read more Online - embrace it, love it - 9 Feb 2015[Shan Radcliffe, Group Head - Retail (@Biz_Retail)] This past week has been all about e-commerce, with Bizcommunity's Leigh Andrews reporting from the eCommerce Africa conference. Check out the two crucial elements of mobile success, find out how digital disruption is really redefining retail, and engage with digitally literate shoppers. read more Location, attraction, retention - 2 Feb 2015[Shan Radcliffe, Group Head - Retail (@Biz_Retail)] If you didn't already know, you customers hold the power and, as George Golding explains, 2015 will continue to be all about the customer. So how do you attract and retain them? Well, a clean store for starters, as Stephen Sandmann reminds us of the importance of keeping our retail spaces neat and tidy as a customer drawcard. read more A bite into the future of retail - 26 Jan 2015[Shan Radcliffe, Group Head - Retail (@Biz_Retail)] In consumer trends this week, we look at changing consumer behaviour, the cultural shifts brands will be experiencing, Aki Kalliatakis' Tao of retail and the new opportunities Gavin Tagg expects for the shopping centre industry. In events, the inaugural Retail Fraud Show will be taking place this March in Cape Town, while Dion Chang will attempt to garner order from chaos at this year's first Flux Trends open session. And last but certainly not least, the Spur Corporation is looking to gain a bigger bite of the niche burger market by acquiring a majority stake in RocoMamas. read more |
