 28 Sep 2009 |
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Birdies, braais and bearings As the brand communication industry wends its way home after a raucous Loeries festival weekend in Cape Town, the rest of the country partied in its own right on Heritage Day on Thursday - aka National Braai Day. The public holiday also saw the opening of the Eastern Cape's biggest shopping centre (the 12th largest in the country), Hemingways Mall in East London. Although shoppers were impressed by the architectural design and wide selection of outlets, they weren't charmed by the apparent lack of navigational maps, with many having to ask security where the exits were. Perhaps management needs to get hold of a copy of Stanlib's report on “How 10 Shopping Centres Got It Wrong”. And although other East London malls were bracing themselves for the impact the new competition would make on their bottom lines, weekend research shows there was no need to worry. Another notable celebration on the go was that of logistics company, DHL - happy 40th birthday! Shan Radcliffe, Retail editor retailnews@bizcommunity.com Responses to this column welcomed in our new online editor's column archive. Image: Artist's impression of Hemingways Mall. Top stories
RetailBeautiful mall but where's the exit? [Sibongile Mkani and Asa Sokopo] Shoppers at the new Hemingways Mall yesterday, Sunday 27 September 2009, struggled to find their favourite shops - and exit points. Read more >>Super Group ends talks with strategic investorSupply chain management business Super Group advised shareholders that the relevant strategic investor had not been able to obtain sufficient written irrevocable support from shareholders to satisfy the lenders' requirements and as a consequence, the Alternative Recapitalisation Proposal will not proceed. Read more >>FIFA cracks down on illegal 2010 tickets FIFA is working closely with international authorities to crack down on the sale of illegal 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets. Read more >>Repo rate remains at 7%The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) on Tuesday, 22 September 2009, decided to keep the repo rate unchanged at 7%, much to the disappointment of many South Africans. Read more >>SA to exit recession in third quarterRetail sales for July are much better than expected and this number points to the economy exiting recession during the third quarter, according to Nomura economist Peter Attard Montalto. Read more >>CPI falls to 6.4%The Consumer Price Index (CPI), used to measure South Africa's inflation, continued on its downward trend in August, falling 6.4%, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) announced today, Tuesday, 22 September 2009. Read more >>Retail trade sales in July fall by 3.9%Pretoria - Retail trade sales for July 2009 fell by 3.9% compared to the same time last year, reported Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) on Monday, 21 September 2009. Read more >>Banking & FinanceVisa International back in Zim [Dumisani Ndlela] Standard Chartered Bank (Zimbabwe), the primary agent for Visa in Zimbabwe, announced the return of Visa this week, noting that it had started issuing bank customers with the cards on request. Read more >>Reduced access to finance remains a factor in housing market“Unquestionably, the reduced availability to finance is the single, biggest factor holding back the housing market right now,” states Dr Andrew Golding, CE of the Pam Golding Property group. He was commenting after the Monetary Policy Committee's decision on Tuesday, 22 September 2009, that the repo rate would remain unchanged, saying a reduction in the repo rate would have helped provide a catalyst to stimulate a badly depressed housing market. Read more >>Brand newsCadbury denies softening hostile stance to Kraft bid LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: British confectionery maker Cadbury denied that the group had softened its hostile stance towards a takeover bid from US giant Kraft Foods, despite recent press reports to the contrary. Read more >>Nestlé SA to get homegrown CEO[Adele Shevel] Nestlé, the world's biggest food group, last week announced a new chairman and managing director of Nestlé South Africa, effective from the beginning of next month. Read more >>Fair practice dairy wins Shoprite award Shoprite announced its winner of Perishable Supplier of the Year last week and, out of six contestants, the award went to Fair Cape Dairies, manufacturers of Fair Cape Free Range milk and dairy products. Read more >>Cadbury shares higher after Kraft tie-up LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: The share price of British confectioner Cadbury climbed on Tuesday, 22 September 2009, after its chief executive admitted that a tie-up with US giant Kraft Foods made "some strategic sense." Read more >>Tiger to place shares in Adcock IngramTiger Brands said on Tuesday, 22 September 2009, it is launching an accelerated bookbuild placing of 10.327 million ordinary shares of Adcock Ingram Holdings to global and South African institutional investors. Read more >>Tasting, testing olive oil SA Olive, the governing body of the olive industry and Consol, the competition sponsor, announced the results of the 2009 SA Olive Awards on Wednesday, 16 September 2009. This year's entries saw a 54% increase over 2008, as entrants competed in Commercial and Boutique classes of olive oil and 10 extra virgin olive oils were named the finest of the current South African vintage. Read more >>Commercial propertyEast London agog for mall opening [Asa Sokopo] In less than three days, phase one of the much anticipated Hemingways Mall will officially open, three years after construction started. Read more >>Revitalised Firs attracts top tenants The redevelopment of R600 million multi-use Firs and Hyatt complex in Rosebank is bringing 4100 sqm of specialty retail and restaurant space on stream, along with 8200 sqm of premier offices, all enhanced by the luxury Hyatt Regency hotel. The AAA-grade offices are already 60% let and have attracted Standard Bank as a major tenant. Read more >>Corporate Social InvestmentSchoolchildren visit fair practice dairy [ActivRetail] The Molenbeek School, a school for mentally handicapped learners in Maitland Cape Town, visited the Fair Cape Dairies on Monday, 21 September 2009, and one of them became the 10,000th child to visit the dairy. Read more >>CRMNew lifestyle rewards cardThe LiveLife lifestyle benefit and rewards programme has selected Z-Card, the global specialist in PocketMedia, for its innovatively tailored loyalty card to break through the clutter and attract consumers. Read more >>Process management and customer centricity are boardroom issues[Mark McGregor] In the current economic climate, there is much focus on Business Process Management (BPM) and how and why it is needed to improve and transform business. However, to merely use BPM in any form as a cost- or risk-reduction strategy is to squander the real competitive advantages that it can bring. Read more >>ExhibitionsSA's own electric car at motor show[Derrick Spies] The Joule, SA's first electric car designed for the consumer market, will be on show at the second South African Automotive Week (SAAW), which takes place in Port Elizabeth from 7 - 10 October 2009. Read more >>Men's Health fashion wows Cape Town The second annual Men's Health Menswear Collection 2009, held at La Med Camps Bay on Wednesday 23 September 2009, closed with an all-new exclusive finale, featuring the latest denim trends presented by participating brands Guess, Diesel and Levi's. A celebration of local talent and the diversity of South African men who are passionate about fashion, the collection will be featured in the Men's Health Summer '09 Style Guide bagged with the October issue of Men's Health. Read more >>Mushroom festival to attract top chefs [Namhla Tshisela] The fourth Soweto Mushroom Festival kicks off on 30 October 2009. The festival will feature celebrity chefs Citrum Khumalo and Phineas Lepuru, who will prepare tasty dishes at Maponya Mall. Read more >>Milan fashion week opens under economic cloudROME, ITALY: Milan Fashion Week kicks off today, Wednesday 23 September 2009, under an economic cloud as a sharp drop in exports of Italian ready-to-wear women's apparel has put tens of thousands of jobs on the line. Read more >>Green sustainabilityCarbon tax in the airSouth Africa is widely expected to commit to a carbon emission reduction roadmap at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen from 7-18 December 2009. Read more >>Instore mediaSummer's coming early to Woolworths Woolworth's Summer Beauty Festival, from 23 September - 4 October 2009, will see the launch of Bloom's new mineral foundations and eye shadows and the arrival of Caroline Herrera fragrances at selected stores countrywide. The stores have special offers from Bulgari, Diesel, Benefit and Bloom and customers can get makeovers and beauty offers from Smashbox, Make Believe, Black Up and Sisley, some of which are exclusive brands to the group. Read more >>LogisticsDHL celebrates 40 years of success DHL, one of the world's leading logistics providers, celebrated its 40th anniversary on Friday, 25 September 2009. Citing the company's pioneering spirit, strong customer focus and critical role in facilitating global trade, Frank Appel, CEO Deutsche Post DHL recounts the secret of DHL's success over the last 40 years. Read more >>CoAL confirms talks with Transnet Freight Rail Coal of Africa, the coal mining and development company, confirmed today, Friday 25 September 2009, that it is progressing discussions with Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), whereby it continues to explore the possibilities of a public-private partnership (PPP) on the Maputo rail corridor. Read more >>Transnet backs rail line linking port to Gauteng [Artwell Dlamini] Transnet Freight Rail, Transnet's largest division by revenue, has given the thumbs-up to its rail line that links the new Port of Ngqura with an inland rail terminal in Gauteng. Read more >>ManufacturingClothing workers continue wage strikeThe national wage strike by 55,000 clothing workers is set to continue today, Monday 28 September 2009, for a ninth day after no settlement could be agreed upon, the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers' Union (Sactwu) said. Read more >>Clothing dispute goes to CCMAA wage dispute in the clothing and textile industry has been referred to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) after the union rejected a revised offer, an official said on Wednesday, 23 September 2009. Read more >>RegulatoryClosing in on cartels[Matthew Hill, Sasha Planting and Sharda Naidoo] The picturesque Assagay Hotel, between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, was perhaps an unlikely meeting place for KwaZulu Natal's milling and bread cartels. Maybe it was the out-of-town quietness that attracted managers from companies like Tiger Brands and Premier Foods to fix their prices from 1999 to 2000. Another secret meeting place was the Pietermaritzburg Collegians Club. The Howick Wimpy served as their final meeting place, on 24 January 2007, before the competition commission spoilt their party. Read more >>eBay fined again for selling fake goods onlinePARIS, FRANCE: A French court ordered online auction site eBay to pay €80,000 (US$118,000) to Louis Vuitton for selling fake luxury perfumes, LVMH said. Read more >>ResearchOld malls claim new records[Zisanda Nkonkobe] The opening of the biggest shopping centre in the Eastern Cape has apparently not yet made a dent in the number of shoppers frequenting East London's existing malls. Read more >>Retail marketingFledgling wins poster award at Pendoring The poster ‘Pinkie', designed for Checkers by NINETY9Cents, was the only piece of work to be recognised in its category (Posters) and took silver at the Pendoring Awards last week. As a new agency, in existence for a year this month, the award was doubly gratifying. It was part of the below-the-line campaign for Checkers, to give the retail giant and its wine offering a presence at the Wacky Wine Weekend and the KKNK (Klein Karoo National Arts Festival). Read more >>Salad sponsor for National Braai Day [ActivRetail] Braai4Heritage is a non-profit initiative that encourages all South Africans to celebrate Heritage Day (aka National Braai Day), 24 September 2009, with a good old braai. Aligning itself as the perfect accompaniment, Pioneer Foods ready-to-eat salad brand, Werda, has jumped on board as an official sponsor of the day. Read more >>Retail servicesReduction in interconnection rate could see rise in costs of mobile callsAccording to Graeme Victor, CEO of voice-based telecommunications solutions company Du Pont Telecoms, political pressure on ICASA to force a reduction in the interconnection rate between the various telecommunications networks will not reduce the costs of cellular calls but could well increase them. Read more >>Gift cards incorporate striking SA art In November, the Foschini Group will be launching its own range of gift cards, which can be used in its 1600 stores countrywide. The gift cards are not just about convenience and choice, each of the eight cards designed by Am I Collective, is a miniature work of art and themed to appeal to different consumers and celebratory occasions. Read more >>Cape crafters ready for 2010 visitors The Cape Craft and Design Institute (CCDI), a Section 21 company set up by the Western Cape Province and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, is rolling out a range of programmes to support the 1400 craft enterprises on its database and help them maximise 2010 marketing opportunities. Read more >>RetailersOwners of Fruit & Veg City store liquidated[Adrienne Carlisle] The Grahamstown High Court has liquidated the company that owns the Fruit & Veg City (F&VC) franchise in King William's Town. Read more >>Tribunal approves Masscash, Finro mergerThe Competition Tribunal on Tuesday, 22 September 2009, unconditionally approved the merger between Masscash Holdings and Finro Enterprises. Masscash, a wholly owned subsidiary of Massmart, will acquire 75% interest in the business of Finro Enterprises (Finro). Finro will retain the 25% remaining interest. The Competition Commission had recommended to the Competition Tribunal that the proposed merger be prohibited. Source:I-Net BridgeSecurityRamsay rogue on airline ticketsBeware cheap airline tickets from Mr Ramsay that sound to good to be true - they are an email scam and they are not true. This is the warning from Mango CEO Nico Bezuidenhout issued Wednesday 23 September 2009. Read more >>Guards take to the air in mall wars[Luphert Chilwane] With the festive season approaching and business robberies likely to increase, private security companies and the police are preparing themselves by increasing capacity to fight criminal attacks on shopping centres and malls. Read more >>TrainingEmerging designers seek mentors The Cape Town Fashion Council (CTFC) developed a competitiveness programme for the fashion industry to uplift local fashion brands and turn their creativity into viable businesses. Having selected five finalists, the CTFC is now calling for mentors to assist from October 2009 to March 2010 in South Africa's first such pilot project. Read more >>
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