Artificial intelligence (AI) doesn't have to induce a Hollywood sci-fi dystopian nightmare in which robots take over the world. It may instead offer an exciting opportunity to connect consumers to your brand. 16 Mar 2018
The proliferation of e-commerce essentially means that retailers are now more than ever competing in a global marketplace. In South Africa, online may account for less than 2% of total retail sales, but online spend has been predicted to top R53 billion this year. 16 Mar 2018
Toys 'R' Us Inc. is going out of business, shutting all of its 735 toy stores and Babies 'R' Us stores in the US after a failed turnaround. Approximately 33,000 jobs are expected to be affected by the liquidation. 16 Mar 2018
LONDON, England - Donatella Versace has said her family's luxury fashion label will no longer use real furs in its products, according to an interview with a British magazine. 16 Mar 2018
Cross-border e-commerce continues to provide significant growth opportunities for retailers and manufacturers with an international online product offering. According to a 2017 DHL report, cross-border retail volumes are predicted to increase at an annual average rate of 25% between 2015 and 2020 (from $300billion to $900billion) - twice the pace of domestic e-commerce growth. 15 Mar 2018
Tapping into the potential of data to provide insight into consumers' thinking and behaviour may translate into an enhanced customer experience strategy. 15 Mar 2018
South African consumer spending for January 2018 climbed 3.8% year-on-year after removing the effects of inflation, marking the same pace of growth the retail industry saw during the December peak season. This is according to the Mastercard SpendingPulse January 2018 report, which provides a macroeconomic analysis of retail spending trends in South Africa. 15 Mar 2018
The word 'pollution' may conjure up images of dirty waterways, smog-filled city skies and coal power plants, but seldom is it realised that the very clothing on our backs may be the product of a dirty and dehumanising supply chain. 15 Mar 2018
Kenya is turning into an interesting battleground between South African grocery chain Shoprite and French rival Carrefour. 15 Mar 2018
Trading in second-hand goods is as old as business itself - and now it's enjoying a rising new wave of popularity, to the benefit of both buyers and sellers, says Richard Mukheibir, CEO of Cash Converters Southern Africa. 14 Mar 2018
Annual South African manufacturing output growth accelerated to 2.5% in January from December's figure, which was revised down to 1.8% from the 2% Statistics SA originally published. 14 Mar 2018
'Online shopping blasting holes in traditional retailer profits.' 'Retailers acknowledge the threat of online retail on physical stores.' Headlines like these appear regularly in the South African business and trade press, but statistics tell a different story. 14 Mar 2018
A partnership between Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Game, which helps raise money to fund the supply of clean water to impoverished communities, supplied roughly 2.4 million litres of clean water in 2017. 13 Mar 2018
Technology developments will continue to revolutionise payment in both the real and virtual worlds across the globe. As always, though, local conditions will dictate exactly how (and if) global trends affect local markets. African economies, with their quite distinct characteristics, are likely to present some atypical developments - and, if the past is any guide, some innovative lateral thinking. 13 Mar 2018
Image credit: Green Cross
Consumer brands giant AVI, which performed commendably in the half-year to end-December, is determined to reboot its footwear division. 13 Mar 2018
A new Exporter Development Programme has been launched by the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber in partnership with the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, as part of an enterprise development strategy to empower business owners and companies in the region. 13 Mar 2018
Despite celebrating her 59th birthday on Friday, 9 March, Barbie remains the most popular toy and doll brand in the world. Barbie boasts 99% brand awareness across over 150 countries, over 14 million Facebook fans, more than 4.5 million monthly app users, over 4 million active website users, 3.2 million YouTube subscribers, 268,000 Twitter followers, and has one of the world's fastest-growing Instagram accounts, currently sitting at 1.9 million followers. 12 Mar 2018
Shirley Maltz, CEO of HomeChoice Holdings. Picture: Hetty Zantman via Business Day
Listed household goods retailer and financial services group Homechoice is gearing up to improve its digital offering to further enhance sales. 12 Mar 2018
E-commerce may be where the retail industry is seeing growth, but the physical store is not dead. In fact, it may be more important than ever, according to Samantha Starmer, vice president: global digital experiences for US luxury fashion brand Ralph Lauren. 12 Mar 2018
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