South African banks' knee-jerk reaction to the recession may be understandable, but slashing credit lending and tightening the screws on debtors has not helped them make friends with their customers or potential clients. Kate Elphick's two-part series, Regaining your reputation after the recession, looks at where banks have gone wrong and how they can use social media to regain some of their lost reputation. Those heading off on long distance trips are going to be a little more out of pocket this holiday as the petrol price is 'conveniently' going up on Wednesday. But for those who are more willing to fork out for high-end fashion than the fuel to find it, there's a new online boutique in town for fabulous local designer clothing and accessories. The virtual doors open next Tuesday. Try to keep your spending in check though - there are only 25 days left for all our Christmas shoppers to sort themeselves out, and 'red' should be associated with Santa's suit and not your bank balance. Although it seems we're heading out of the recession, that doesn't mean it's time to go wild and remortgage the house. Keep it simple, give with love, and enjoy the festivities!

Shan Radcliffe, Retail editor
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