STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Swedish clothing giant Hennes and Mauritz on Monday apologised and removed an advertisement of a black child after the company was accused of being racist on social media. 9 Jan 2018
Exclusive Books fulfilled the dream of Carina Greyling of Kempton Park, Johannesburg, who had, according to her four children, listed being "locked inside an Exclusive Books for the night" as her top birthday wish. 8 Jan 2018
In today's dynamic business environment, we should be seeking to understand the trends impacting a broader range of industries, regardless of the business sector we're in. 8 Jan 2018
Coffee helps millions of people worldwide (and I am no exception) to get out of bed in the morning. It's one of the world's most popular beverages, and one that has shaped society and industry for hundreds of years. 8 Jan 2018
How many times do you go to the shop for only one item and land up buying a number of products? The in-store experience is a valuable opportunity for retailers to build brand loyalty and drive sales, with messages that spark thoughts and create perceived needs. 8 Jan 2018
Adapting and remaining relevant amid changing trends is nothing new for shopping malls. After all, retail itself is constantly and rapidly evolving, led by changing generational consumer behaviour and expectations. Today, all this is happening much faster, fuelled by digital natives, shrewd retailers and technological disruption. 8 Jan 2018
Developed by South African entrepreneurs, iBleat is a recently released app that privately connects customers with any business, brand or outlet in an effort to simplify customer service. According to the company, the aim of iBleat is to continue to draw customers away from social media and chat apps, and encourage the use of its free, private, secure and dedicated customer service channel. 5 Jan 2018
Nigerian startup Commissions.ng is enabling users to start businesses selling products and services in return for commission, offering each subscriber a complete, personalised e-commerce platform that comes preloaded with items they can start selling within minutes. 5 Jan 2018
Steinhoff said after the JSE's close on Thursday that Ben la Grange had stepped down as finance chief to focus on shoring up liquidity within the beleaguered retailer, which said "significant near-term liquidity" was still needed. 5 Jan 2018
Intense retail competition has led old standbys, such as Sears, to close dozens of stores. Walmart is venturing online more. And Amazon is expanding offline, opening stores and buying Whole Foods. The fight for retail dollars is fierce, and the battleground will soon migrate into the palms of customers' hands - via apps on their smartphones. 4 Jan 2018
As the drought tightens its grip on Cape Town, with level 6 water restrictions now in effect, consumers have implemented various water-saving techniques, from using grey water to flush toilets, to taking two-minute showers and installing rain water harvesting tanks. 4 Jan 2018
Small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) contribute significantly to South Africa's GDP (estimated between 30% and 57%), and provide employment to between 61% and 80% of the country's workforce, thereby reducing unemployment and alleviating poverty. However despite this economic contribution, the Wholesale & Retail Leadership Chair (WRLC) says that South African SMMEs have one of the worst sustainability rates in the world, with about 70% to 80% failing within 3 to 4 years of startup. 4 Jan 2018
Everyone can relate to that excitement of ripping open a present or the anticipation before discovering what a package in the post contains. In fact, the rush of good feeling is very similar to what gamblers experience and it's this type of psychological effect that retailers are now banking on. 3 Jan 2018
E-commerce has continued to grow in 2017 with a disruptive effect on physical shopping malls and retail giants like H&M. The growth is likely to continue in 2018. 3 Jan 2018
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania - Uchumi Supermarket Suppliers Union chairman Joseph Mlay has confirmed that the first batch of names who are owed by the supermarket chain has been released and awaiting for government tools to be appointed by Kenya government to release the funds. 3 Jan 2018
As one of the oldest orange-flavoured liqueurs in the world, the Cointreau brand has a lot of history behind it. It was in Saint-Laud in Angers, France in the year 1849 that brothers Edourd-Jean and Adolphe Cointreau opened the doors to the family distillery. Previously in the confectionary and cake-making business, they saw the need for higher quality naturally-flavoured liqueurs that were unavailable at the time. More than 160 years later, the famed French liqueur has retained a loyal following and serves as a cornerstone in over 300 cocktail recipes. 2 Jan 2018
African countries are forging ahead to complete negotiations for a continental free trade area between 55 countries by early next year. The idea, adopted by the African Union in 2012, is to create a single market which includes the free movement of goods, services and people. The integrated African market covers 1.2 billion people and a combined GDP of over $3.5 trillion. 2 Jan 2018
It's not often that the government gets accused of being overzealous in its food safety measures, but that was the claim made by the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters in court papers lodged with the high court in Pretoria. 2 Jan 2018
Carrol Boyes Wines has released a South African-branded, limited-edition Champagne label approved by the committee of Champagne. 29 Dec 2017
A recent study conducted by Wholesale and Retail Leadership Chair on the role played by brand orientation (BO) in the South African retail environment found that a high degree of BO positively influences retailers' success. 29 Dec 2017
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