The global number of successful retail chatbot interactions will reach 22 billion by 2023, up from an estimated 2.6 billion in 2019, as AI offers compelling new engagement solutions. This is according to a new report from Juniper Research titled AI in Retail: Segment Analysis, Vendor Positioning & Market Forecasts 2019-2023. 9 May 2019
Takealot.com has launched more than 25 collection facilities across the country. Its flagship Takealot Pickup Point at the New Road off-ramp in Midrand spans the N1 highway, the busiest highway in Africa, allowing motorists travelling in both directions to easily collect their online orders. 9 May 2019
Food Lover's Market has launched its annual Hunger Month initiative - a month-long in-store campaign aimed at raising awareness and funds for meals by encouraging consumers to purchase selected partner products. 7 May 2019
More than 100 years ago, Jock Morrison was asked to take over a general dealer store in KwaZulu-Natal; the owner had suffered shell shock after returning from World War I. Morrison took the opportunity to establish a grocery business called Jock Morrison & Sons (Pty) Ltd or JMS, which is still running to this day. 7 May 2019
Following on from its Little Shop and Little Garden promotions, Checkers has launched its Little Checkers collectables. For every R200 spent in store, Checkers and Checkers Hyper shoppers will receive a block pack, each containing a unit that forms part of a 35-piece mini Checkers supermarket. 7 May 2019
In the USA, bricks-and-mortar retailers had a bad 2018. Now that we're in the ninth year of what's dramatically been dubbed 'the retail apocalypse', local retailers have felt the same pinch. In order to survive, businesses can no longer follow a purely traditional retail model and will have to seek the perfect online-offline fit for their market. 6 May 2019
The ability of food manufacturers to recall contaminated food products was publicly tested last year during the Listeriosis outbreak. In addition to processed meat products, frozen corn and eggs were also whipped off shelves following reports of other food-borne hazards. 6 May 2019
The Cape Town Homemakers Expo has launched a competition ideal for animal-loving designers. In association with Hill's Pet Nutrition and Domestic Animal Rescue Group (Darg), the Design, Art and Textile Design ComPETition aims to help less-fortunate pets and will award the winning local designers with over R50,000 in prize money. 6 May 2019
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One of our Shop members, Leon Nicholas, VP of retail insights and solutions at Westrock, explains the importance of POP and describe 4 big trends in the area of the retail environment. 6 May 2019
Across sub-Saharan Africa traditional non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages are made from locally available produce like cereals, fresh milk, fruits, and vegetables. Ethiopia, for example, is famous for its alcoholic beverage Cheka, while mahewu, tobwa and mangisi are non-alcoholic cereal-based drinks popular in Zimbabwe. 6 May 2019
I've recently returned from Cosmoprof that took place in Bologna, Italy. Spending a week seeing what's on the horizon in the world of beauty and aesthetics is nothing less than thrilling. I've returned with ideas on tap - treatments, products and devices that I'm bursting to import from different corners of the world. 3 May 2019
Coca-Cola's new Signature Mixers range, which will launch in the UK from June, marks the first time the brand has expanded into the alcohol space and taps into the growing premium mixer market. 3 May 2019
By simply trying to create a doll that his daughter could identify with, Meshack Mulaudzi embarked on a doll-making journey that spreads positivity to African children. 3 May 2019
As more and more trading takes place through an online channel with a consequent reduction in comparative trading densities, we can expect a shift in how malls inform their key metrics such as tenant mix and rent-to-turnover ratios, states a new research report commissioned by the South African Council of Shopping Centres (SACSC). 3 May 2019
Over the past few months, a Walmart Neighborhood Market in New York has quietly transformed into the company's first Intelligent Retail Lab (IRL). With artificial intelligence-enabled cameras, interactive displays and a massive data center, this store suggests the company's vision for its store of the future. 2 May 2019
The International Gin Guide Awards has released its results for 2019 and South Africa's Autograph Gin was voted Best Gin in Africa. 2 May 2019
Fadwah Rinquest has been working as a seamstress at one of Cape Town's oldest clothing factories - House of Monatic - for ten years. 2 May 2019
A new store prototype developed by Builders Warehouse made its debut at the newly-opened Boksburg outlet this week, offering 3D printing, flatpack furniture, a smart home hub, and other new features. 2 May 2019
Shopping centre owners, mall marketing departments and agencies are invited to enter the South African Council of Shopping Centres' (SACSC) 2019 Footprint Marketing Awards. 30 Apr 2019
Innovative phygital business models, where bricks and mortar and digital seamlessly integrate, are popping up across the globe. But the best phygital experiences still remain aligned with old-school sales strategies: customer attraction, retention, engagement, experiences, loyalty and the brand itself. 30 Apr 2019
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