The Economist recently declared 2019 'The Year of the Vegan'. There can no longer be any doubt that veganism, and the embracing of a greater plant-based diet, is going mainstream. 21 Feb 2019
In Finance Minister Tito Mboweni's first Budget Speech since his appointment, he announced that sin taxes on alcohol and tobacco will rise by the above-inflation rate of between 7.4% and 9%. The hike is expected to bring in an additional R1bn in revenue. 21 Feb 2019
French beauty giant L'Oréal has launched a digital skin diagnostic based on people's selfies. This new technology is based on an artificial intelligence-powered algorithm developed by ModiFace - the startup recently acquired by L'Oréal - and on 15 years of scientific research on skin ageing by L'Oréal research and innovation teams. 21 Feb 2019
After studying jewellery and fashion in Florence, young artisan Ashleigh McCulloch has launched her own designer brand of jewellery, called Monastery, that not only straddles the continental divide between Italy and her home country, South Africa, but also toggles between art and accessory. 20 Feb 2019
If 2018 was the year of limited-edition packaging and personalisation (think FIFA World Cup 2018), 2019 promises to be the year of retro designs and futuristic formulations as research and development (R&D) managers are under pressure to keep on top of brand and packaging trends to add value to their product lines and devour market share. 20 Feb 2019
Chanel has named Virginie Viard, Karl Lagerfeld's closest collaborator for more than 30 years, as the company's new creative director, after Lagerfeld passed away in Paris this week. 20 Feb 2019
Peter Nyathi, the founder of Tropical Mushrooms in Magaliesburg, has been awarded Pick n Pay's 2019 Small Supplier of the Year. The annual award recognises the retailer's top performing supplier from its Enterprise and Supplier Development programme. The winner is selected based on their business' exceptional growth performance and job creation. 20 Feb 2019
NEWSWATCH: Celebrated fashion designer and Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld has died at the age of 85. The cause of death has not yet been released. 19 Feb 2019
Multinational toymaker Mattel is relaunching the 90's toy phenomenon Polly Pocket in South Africa, available locally from this month. With many original Polly Pocket fans, parents can now introduce their children to Polly's world. 19 Feb 2019
Sometimes we all need a little "me time", a small treat to look forward to at the end of a long day or a hard week, or (what is set to be) a gruelling year. 19 Feb 2019
With the buzz from Black Friday and the festive season now in the rear-view mirror, retailers are looking ahead to ensure the continuation of 'traffic' into malls, high streets, pop-up stores, websites, apps and other channels. Today's retailer is anywhere, anytime, and they're providing greater levels of personalisation with their services. 19 Feb 2019
In #FreshOnTheShelf, we round up some of our favourite food and beverage products that have hit the shelves recently. 19 Feb 2019
Who cares what it looks like on the outside when it's what's on the inside that counts, right? Wrong! At least when it comes to product packaging, that is. 18 Feb 2019
Greater international cooperation is needed to prevent unsafe food from causing ill health and hampering progress towards sustainable development, world leaders said at the opening session of the First International Food Safety Conference, in Addis Ababa, organised by the African Union (AU), the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). 18 Feb 2019
Franchise business owners are waiting with bated breath for the outcome of the 2019 National Budget Speech to be delivered by Minister of Finance, Tito Mboweni, as they seek more opportunities to increase their contribution to GDP. 18 Feb 2019
JSE-listed Grand Parade Investments is closing all Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins outlets in South Africa following poor performance. The decision was made to liquidate the poor-performing assets after Grand Parade failed to find a buyer. 15 Feb 2019
Zando launched in 2012 as an online shoe retailer when e-commerce in SA was very much in its infancy. Fast-forward to 2019, the business has transformed into an ever-expanding fashion and homeware marketplace. 15 Feb 2019
Nestlé has announced the global launch of a new range of coffee products under the Starbucks brand. The new range consists of 24 products, including whole bean and roast and ground, as well as the first Starbucks capsules developed using Nespresso and Nescafé Dolce Gusto proprietary coffee and system technologies. 15 Feb 2019
One of the biggest frustrations instore shoppers face is not being able to find products they're looking for - whether they are sold out, hard to find or simply not practical to keep in stock. And customers hardly ever ask about them if they're not. While these missed opportunities may seem inconsequential, they are starting to add up in this competitive retail environment where every sale counts. 15 Feb 2019
Visitors to the USA's popular Coachella festival in April will now be able to shop festival essentials from Amazon to be delivered to an Amazon locker located inside the event. Whether it's sunscreen, sunglasses or phone chargers, festival-goers will be able to order these in advance for delivery during the festival or order onsite for same-day delivery, at no extra cost. 14 Feb 2019
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