Famous Brands has made its first foray into the food service leisure sector, acquiring a 49.9% stake in the award-winning commercial catering company, By Word of Mouth. The intention is to expand the business' existing presence in the premium corporate market and establish its footprint in Cape Town and Durban. The partnership presents the opportunity to enter the home meal replacement retail space, through high-end stand-alone stores offering bespoke products created by founder Karen Short. Following the recent PriceCheck Tech & E-Commerce Awards, I interviewed Zando CEO Sascha Breuss on Zando's customer-centric approach to offering the 'best shopping experience' in South Africa. Keep an eye out for my interview with Aisha Pandor, founder of SweepSouth, who was named the Best Female Tech/E-Commerce Entrepreneur, as well as the Best Black Tech/E-Commerce Entrepreneur. In other top story news, RCL Foods announced that it's considering a restructure of its commodity chicken category in response to current market conditions, which have deteriorated as a result of an increased level of dumped chicken products in the local market. While the company will reduce the volume of commodity chicken produced, it will continue to pursue growth in its added value and foodservice categories. #InnovationMonth came to a close with me interviewing Bevan Ducasse of wiGroup on his experience at the Endeavor International Selection Panel in Boston as his prize for winning the FNB Business Innovation Awards for 2016. On that note, October is here and its #SustainabilityMonth at Biz, where we're featuring local businesses doing good to ensure a better future for all. Enjoy!
Jessica Tennant, Retail Editor (@Biz_Retail)
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