International tobacco company Philip Morris International has debuted its
IQOS smoke-free tobacco device in South Africa. According to the company, the tobacco heating system produces no smoke or ash and is a "less harmful alternative for smokers".
In the same week, Gold Brands announced it will be bringing established UK casual-dining brand
Café Rouge to our shores. South Africans can expect ten outlets of the Parisienne-style bistro, with the first due to open in Johannesburg in July.
It doesn't stop there. Anheuser-Busch InBev is planning to launch
Budweiser in South Africa before the end of 2017. The company believes it is well-positioned to grow its global brands, with Stella Artois and Corona already present in the local market.
Other top news that has been making headlines this past week, is the
National Consumer Tribunal's judgement that the club fee charged by local retailer Edcon is in contravention of the National Credit Act. Although a financial sanction is still to be announced, the ruling has grim implications, given Edcon's financial situation.
Here's to a successful week ahead!
Lauren Hartzenberg
Retail Editor: Bizcommunity.comComment online in our ed's column archive. Go mobile with apps and m.bizcommunity.com. Engage with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+. Subscribe to YouTube and via RSS. Send all your retail news and event invitations to retailnews@bizcommunity.com, exclusive opinion pieces to contributors-retail@bizcommunity.com and international news to internationalnews@bizcommunity.com. Read "How to contribute to Biz, from op-ed pieces to news".
