Reducing imports and stocking up on locally produced goods saved Italtile from the weak rand made worse by subdued building activity during the six months to December. 12 Feb 2016
Astral Foods, the "big bird" of the local poultry sector, is on the prowl for acquisitions that will boost growth but warned hostile takeover attempts would not fly. 12 Feb 2016
Woolworths CEO Ian Moir.
Photographer: Trevor Samson
Image source: BDlive
Shares in upmarket retailer Woolworths (Woolies), the darling of the JSE's consumer sector, were shredded yesterday, with nervous investors fretting over less compelling prospects for the financial year ahead. 12 Feb 2016
Virtually all South Africans have items in their homes they aren't actively using - 99% of us, in fact, according to a survey done by Gumtree South Africa. The informal study asked respondents about the items that end up unused in their homes, including small appliances, sporting goods, baby and children's items and furniture. 11 Feb 2016
To stay relevant, retailers should reinvent their brick-and-mortar locations brand identity every three to five years. 11 Feb 2016
JSE-listed investment firm Brait is looking to sell its interests in glass maker Consol and media group Primedia, marking the end of the private equity portfolio that held the assets. 11 Feb 2016
Brendon Williamson, PayGate’s head of business development.
Payment service provider PayGate has entered into a partnership with Trans Africa Solutions, an African secure payment solutions company whose patented Smart Code product, SCode, allows barcoded invoices to be settled in cash at retailers and Post Offices throughout South Africa. 11 Feb 2016
More than three billion loyalty cards will operate as mobile only, or be integrated into mobile apps by 2020, up from 1.4 billion last year according to a new study from Juniper Research. 10 Feb 2016
The annual Clover Mama Afrika Smarties Week, Clover's flagship CSI programme, took place in Johannesburg last week, from Sunday, 31 January to Friday, 5 February, including an awards evening for rewarding the mamas' previous years' work and commitment to their respective communities. These remarkable women collectively care for over 15,500 children and 2,500 elderly people, many of whom are abused, orphaned, homeless and vulnerable. 10 Feb 2016
Customer satisfaction is by far one of the most important aspects of a successful business. If a company falls short on accommodating the needs of their customers, sales decrease, and the business - fails. If you've been in business long enough, you know that not every customer will be satisfied. However, if a majority of your customers aren't pleased then Houston, you have a problem. 10 Feb 2016
Poultry group Sovereign Food Investments has tweaked its controversial black economic empowerment (BEE) deal, thereby saving a bundle in costs and precluding a competitor from "grossly abusing" an appraisal rights mechanism. 10 Feb 2016
There are no guarantees when it comes to business. Even owning a franchised store with a great consumer brand, store location and franchisor support can't stop a business from getting into difficulties if management skills aren't up to the challenge of everyday operations. 9 Feb 2016
Photographer: Freddy Mavunda
Image source: Financial Mail
In a move to quell growing disapproval of its lending practices, furniture retailer Lewis will launch a call centre to enhance compliance, transparency and oversight of its in-store sales and credit-application process. 9 Feb 2016
French insurance giant AXA has bought an eight percent stake in Africa Internet Group (AIG), one of the continent's largest e-commerce players. The deal is valued at €75-million (over US$83-million). 9 Feb 2016
A startup wave has hit the world and given birth to various big and small e-commerce websites. Following this, everyone aspires to build an Etsy like startup, but they either lack software choices or knowledge of a multi-vendor script/system required to create an online store. The game is much simpler for entrepreneurs who want to sell their own goods or services online as a normal e-commerce store will do for them. But, if it's about launching a store like eBay and Etsy, you need to find out a startup friendly e-commerce solution (combined with multi-vendor features) first. 9 Feb 2016
Edcon CE Bernie Brookes.
Photographer: Martin Rhodes
Image source: BDlive
Edcon, the retailer that owns brands such as Edgars, CNA and Jet, will cut jobs at its head office as part of its turnaround strategy. 9 Feb 2016
Praxia Nathanael
Gold Brands Investments has been granted approval by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange for the listing of its ordinary shares on the AltX board, under the abbreviated name Gold Brands and share code GBI, with the commencement of trading on Friday, 12 February 2016. 8 Feb 2016
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