The country's third-largest supermarket group, Spar Group Limited, is selling 10% of its shares to staff and franchise employees in a R1-billion deal. 17 Jul 2009
To foster a healthy long-term relationship with customers, you must do much more than provide a good product or service. You must pay attention to your customers' needs and meet them. There are always competitors ready to lure your customers away, and there are always customers who will switch given any slight, perceived or real. 17 Jul 2009
In one of the first partnerships of its kind, Port Elizabeth shopping centre, Moffett on Main, will be hosting the second bi-ennial South African Automotive Week (SAAW) international trade show and convention, from 7 - 10 October 2009. The national event is one of the biggest of its kind in the country, and has outgrown existing conference and convention facilities in Port Elizabeth, according to show director Andrew Binning of Inkanyezi Events. 16 Jul 2009
The Competition Tribunal is eager to flex its muscles over the telecommunications sector, believing it could create a more affordable and fairer market than the sector's ineffectual regulator has achieved. 16 Jul 2009
Retail stocks yesterday, 15 July 2009, shrugged off poor Statistics SA figures on sales, with investors remaining optimistic that next year will yield positive returns though the rest of this year will stay in negative territory. 16 Jul 2009
South African retail trade sales at constant (2008) prices for May decreased by 4.2% year-on-year (y/y) from a revised decrease of 6.9% ( 6.7%) in April, figures released on Wednesday, 15 July 2009, by Statistics South Africa show. 16 Jul 2009
Coffee lovers have a new way to get their daily fix, thanks to Fair Cape's new ready-to-drink coffees. Available in three flavours: Cappuccino, Hazelnut Latte and French Vanilla Latte, the new range can be enjoyed hot or cold. 16 Jul 2009
Despite being heralded as the future of personal care, so-called ‘beauty foods' are not yet the worldwide phenomenon that manufacturers had hoped they would become, according to Mark Whalley*, consumer markets analyst at Datamonitor and author of Opportunities in Heart Health: Consumer Attitudes & Behaviours**. 16 Jul 2009
A new report* from independent market analyst Datamonitor identifies sustainable packaging as a growing consumer issue, revealing that, although sustainable packaging is not yet a primary motivator of purchases, it is becoming a consumer expectation. 16 Jul 2009
WASHINGTON, USA: Video rental firm Blockbuster, which has been struggling to keep up with rival Netflix, announced a deal with Samsung on Tuesday that will allow users to rent movies streamed over the Web. 15 Jul 2009
Seeking to supplement the dramatic falloff in demand from the world's retail and wholesale giants in the wake of the global recession, more manufacturers than ever before are turning to international e-commerce to find and attract new buyers. 15 Jul 2009
SABMiller is to build a US$125 million brewery and sparkling soft drinks plant in Angola. 15 Jul 2009
Viagra is the most widely stolen item in stores across the world. This is according to the Loss Prevention Unit from the Retail Industry Leaders Association in the US first published in 2007 and confirmed by studies from Cranfield University in the UK. 15 Jul 2009
HELSINKI: Finnish inflation dropped for the first time in five years in June as prices fell by 0.1% on a 12-month basis, official figures showed on Tuesday, 14 July 2009. 15 Jul 2009
South African retail investors remain largely invested in cash-biased portfolios but are slowly beginning to regain confidence in equities in light of the recent improvement in stock markets and falling returns from cash-biased investments. 15 Jul 2009
Despite the record majority of respondents to the Bureau for Economic Research's retail trade survey reporting lower sales volumes, confidence in both the retail and wholesale sectors remained under pressure with wholesale confidence increasing from 31 to 36 index points and retail confidence dropping from 52 to 47 index points. 15 Jul 2009
Proving that you can be just about anything you wish to be, businesswoman, award-winning television presenter and former Miss South Africa Jo-Ann Strauss joins the world's most beautiful women in her role as the face of the new Lux Body Wash range. The new range launched in June. 15 Jul 2009
A group consisting of major banks and processors is likely to be created in October 2009 in order to support the establishment of the European debit card payment scheme, posing a threat to MasterCard and Visa. It is becoming evident that industry players, which are already questioning the duopoly of international schemes as the correct solution to SEPA, should act to ensure that developments happen on their terms. How viable this will be is unclear, however, given the amount of investment required. 15 Jul 2009
Distressed Super Group has sold its insurance business, Emerald Insurance Company, to short term insurer Santam. 14 Jul 2009
As a mother, a woman, and editor of a magazine for 10 million women and moms like me (and not like me), I find it hard not to be amused by the constant hand-wringing in the media and advertising worlds about how best to talk to "moms" - because more often than not, they end up talking at us. At times, we feel reduced to a tidy pile of demographics and household statistics that effectively erase all the unique distinction we women are each so proud to possess. 14 Jul 2009
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