| Have you gone the extra smile? | Apropos an opinion piece we ran last week by Howard Badler, I'm a great believer in the fact that you attract more bees with sugar than vinegar, so I make a point of complimenting good service when I get it. But then I also complain when I feel I need to – but I make sure I couch it in terms that do not offend the poor waiter when it wasn't their fault that the meal was unsatisfactory. In fact, I go one better – I try humour, and every so often it works. Some time back I ordered steak, which was somewhat small. When the waiter came to check, he fell right into it... “How did you find your steak, sir?” My swift answer, “Hey, quite by accident – I moved a chip, and there it was,” delivered with broad grin, got me a free glass of wine. It also got me a bigger steak the next time we went to the same restaurant. But have you ever tried phoning a business to compliment them? Half the time it's like the Weakest Link when it comes to questions as to why you wish to speak to the manager, and finally, when you do get through, the defensiveness coming over the line is sometimes palpable. That says something for the calls he or she usually gets from a customer... Service levels in this country are still not what they should be, but who knows... perhaps a more pro-active approach by us, the consumer, might work. It's worth a try, anyway.
Rod Baker, Content Manager
| | | Headlines | Bizcommunity.com, ActivRetail partner to launch expanded retail offering
ICBC buys stake in Standard
And the Franchise Personality of the Year 2007 is…
Shopping cart options for SMBs, Part 2
Wirelessly streaming in stereo
KwaZulu-Natal furniture industry cluster takes gold
New 3D tech makes online shopping a virtual reality
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Retail | | Bizcommunity.com, ActivRetail partner to launch expanded retail offering
Bizcommunity.com has entered into a strategic partnership with ActivRetail, online resource hub to the fast moving grocery industry, to boost the offering of its online FMCG retail news and product information daily news service launched to the industry in Africa in July this year.
Sports brand opens second store in Soweto
 After the successful launch of the first PUMA store in South Africa last year, the sports lifestyle brand has launched a second store in Soweto.
KwaZulu-Natal furniture industry cluster takes gold
 The KwaZulu-Natal furniture industry cluster recently hosted five furniture companies at the inaugural Furniture Africa held at Gallagher Estate, Midrand Johannesburg, Gauteng, winning four awards for stand excellence.
Maponya Mall: It's all Good News
Maponya Mall is celebrating its first month in business with vibrant and robust trade. Consumers are already benefiting from convenience and choice; and retailers are seeing excellent results from their decision to take a shop at this mega-mall.
PPI remains unchanged
[Michael Appel] The Production Price Index (PPI) for September has remained unchanged with that of August 2007, coming in lower than expected at a 9.4% rise year on year (y/y).
Retail chain breaks new ground with Freshlyground
A South African phenomenon is putting Afro-pop on the global music map, and they're playing at a Woolworths store near you.
Customers also need to go the extra smile
[Howard Badler] The rugby fever in South Africa leading up to the World Cup Final was amazing. Now we need to build on that spirit in our normal business relationships.
September's CPIX in at 6.7%
[Michael Appel] The Consumer Price Index (CPIX), excluding mortgage interest rate changes, for September 2007 has come in 0.4 of a percentage point higher at 6.7% year on year (y/y), compared to 6.3% in August.
Price blitz inspired 'anarchy' says Gono
Zimbabwe's central bank chief pledged Wednesday that empty shop shelves would soon be replenished as he denounced the "anarchy" inspired by the government's order for retailers to slash their prices in half.
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Banking & Finance | | ICBC buys stake in Standard
The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited (ICBC) will be the single largest shareholder of Standard Bank after paying R36.67 billion (US$5.46 billion) for a 20% stake. Both banks state that they will now be able to move forward in many areas through strategic cooperation.
Nigeria banking on women
“Women are a driving force in the African economy, but their access to finance is still far too small,” declares Declan Duff, VP of the International Finance Corporation's Industries section, “and this is why the IFC is partnering with Nigeria's Access Bank to bridge the gap with lines of credit specifically for female entrepreneurs.”
Scramble for banking licences in Zimbabwe
A number of financial institutions have lodged applications for retail banking licences, a move likely to increase the number of commercial banks in the country beyond the current 14 should the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) approve the requests.
SA improves in finances, service delivery
The country's nine major cities have recorded significant improvements in their financial stability and an increased ability to tackle service delivery challenges.
Wealth management IT spend booms
Technology vendors in Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region are expected to gain from the mass affluent hot spots as spend on IT by the wealth management segment is predicted to top US$28 billion.
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Brand news | | Amstel's back!
 Amstel Lager has returned to South African and to celebrate the return of South Africa's best selling premium beer, Brandhouse Beverages has created a multi-pronged, multi-million rand re-launch campaign that focuses on the joys of reunion.
Thai and sigh – with contentment at Montecasino
 With a strong emphasis on relaxation and re-energising, the Palazzo Hotel Montecasino offers both on and offsite wellness packages.
Nintendo half-year profits double on demand for Wii
[Yasuhiko Seki] Nintendo has reported that its net profit in the fiscal first half to September more than doubled from a year earlier on the high demand for its Nintendo DS portable game and Wii standalone home-use video game consoles.
Zimbabwe's media houses call for shorter ad payment terms as haemorrhage persists
[Dumisani Ndlela] Zimbabwe's Advertising Media Association (Adma) says it is negotiating fresh payment terms for newspaper and broadcast advertisements, as Zimbabwe's economic crisis appeared unrelenting after inflation climbed to a record high of close to 8 000% in September.
Cellular technology company gains a new shareholder and expands its operations
 Psitek South Africa, which develops solutions using cellular technology to provide access to voice and data services to people in under-serviced areas of the world, has a new shareholder and empowerment partner, Regiments Capital (Pty) Ltd.
Have a wee dram ‘o mouth of the river
 One of the world's most sought-after names in collectible single malt Islay whiskies is now available in South Africa.
Less tartar for tabbies
 Following successful trials at the company's test centre in the US, Purina PetCare has launched a cat food product specifically aimed at reducing a cat's tartar accumulation in just 28 days.
Old estate gets bonnie new winemaker
 Zonnebloem, one of South Africa's oldest wine brands, has appointed Bonny van Niekerk as new red winemaker.
The greener side of Tesco's
In a bid to make greener living even easier, Tesco's has launched a new environmentally friendly brand entitled 'Greener Living', which includes a new website, loaded with practical tips and ideas for anyone who wants to reduce their impact on the environment along with advice from green-fingered celebrities like Dick Strawbridge and Matt James.
It's time to party
 Pyotts, Willards, fun, family and friends all go together – which is why the ‘Lets get the Party started' promotion coincides with summer and the upcoming holiday season.
Johannesburg inner city gets a make-over
Tile Africa's Contracts division is giving Johannesburg's inner city a makeover through a major rejuvenation phase.
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Consumer research | | Businesses over R30m in demand
Profitable and efficiently run businesses valued from R30 million and upwards, as well as growing businesses requiring equity for growth are in demand among investors, says Adam Cowell, CEO of Pam Golding Commercial's Business Sales & Acquisitions division.
Cheery outlook for holiday e-shopping season
[Erika Morphy] Retailers that have no online presence are eyeing the upcoming holiday season somewhat anxiously. The credit crunch following the subprime mortgage crisis is expected to squeeze many consumers' budgets. Also, fuel prices still remain higher than retailers would like. Online shopping is less affected by these trends.
Tryvertising - the way forward?
Many of us have gone to wine tasting, or tried a nibble of something in a supermarket, or taken a car for a test drive. Well, there's a term for this sort of thing – tryvertising.
ECR conference aims to turn insights into shopper solutions
An up-coming ECR conference is a must for decision-makers within the marketing, FMCG, IT, supply chain and associated sectors of the retail industry.
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Distribution | | Dell digs deeper into retail turf with Staples deal
[Keith Regan] USA - Staples will begin selling Dell desktop and notebook PCs, next month, along with other accessories in 1,400 stores and online.
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Franchising | | And the Franchise Personality of the Year 2007 is…
 Craig MacKenzie, director of Retsol, who was honoured as the Franchise Personality of the Year 2007 at the Franchise Association of Southern Africa (FASA) awards.
SA retailer opens full-line branch in Maponya
Less than 12 months after opening its first store in Soweto, Woolworths has opened an even larger, full-line store in Soweto's newest shopping centre, the 65,000m2 Maponya Mall.
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Health & Safety | | Relieving the taxi headache
 "I haven't got time for headaches," is the slogan emblazoned on the side of many taxis - causing more than one motorist to raise eyebrows, because that is exactly how many South Africans view taxis - as a headache.
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Import/Export | | Trade, investment conference to promote SA
[Siboniso Ntuli] The upcoming South African International Trade and Investment Conference and Exhibition will showcase the advantages of doing business in the country. The Department of Trade and Industry, along with Trade and Investment KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN) are to host the event at the International Convention Centre, Durban, from 29 - 31 October 2007.
Islay islanders send us their best
 Black Bottle, one of the favoured drinks of the people of Islay, an island renowned for its charismatic single malt Scotch whiskies, is now available in South Africa for the first time in its 128-year history.
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Packaging | | New wine packaging is ultra-light and octagonal
Distell, producer and marketer of fine wines and spirits, has created a brand new category within the local wine market with the launch of four wine brands in revolutionary new, convenient and 100% recyclable Tetra Prisma packaging.
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Promotions | | So who's looking at her feet?
 The world's highest paid supermodel, Brazilian Gisele Bundchen, stripped down recently to promote her own line of eco-friendly sandals.
Here's something special for the little poppets
 Looking for a fresh new venue for shoots, Christmas parties, team building, brand launches or any other events?
Whisky festival features new taste sensation
Pyott's Salticrax will take ownership of the inaugural Sensory Zone at the fifth FNB Whisky Live Festival, which takes place from the 31 October - 2 November in Cape Town and the 7 - 9 November 2007 in Gauteng.
They're up the pole in Cape Town
The seductive art of pole dancing has literally been brought into the open through JWT Cape Town's innovative campaign for sophisticated adult store Kink, to promote its ongoing classes in the medium.
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Retail services | | Microsoft slashes CRM Live pricing for partners
[Erika Morphy] Microsoft has cut by almost half the cost of its CRM Live application for partners, bringing its price point down to US$15 per user per month.
Shopping cart options for SMBs, Part 2
There's a wealth of opportunities available for aspiring and small to medium-sized business (SMB) e-tailers looking for shopping cart technology, as Part 1 of this series points out. While this makes it easier than ever to find this important piece of the e-tailing puzzle, it also means startup and SMB e-tailers face greater challenges when it comes to choosing shopping cart software and putting it to good use.
Shopping cart options for SMBs, Part 1
[Andrew K. Burger] For those aspiring or already doing business as an e-tail merchant, there is no shortage of e-commerce software developers with shopping cart technology for start-ups and small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The real difficulty may lie in choosing among them and then putting it to productive use.
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Supply chain | | Revealing the secrets to effective supply chain management
[Paul L. Shillam] Customer relations are critical to successful supply chain management (SCM). Who are the customers to the SCM organisation? They include logistics, manufacturing, sales, services, users, senior management, shareholders - practically anyone who may be touched by the supply chain, including those internal and, to a great degree, external to the organisation.
US retailer goes organic
Intradeco Apparel, Inc. now offers textile products produced of 100% organic cotton through Inmobiliaria Apopa, ostensibly the only CAFTA certified organic cotton producer in the region.
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Technology | | New marketing tool goes back to basics
 Cat-a-tac Innovations has announced the next generation of marketing systems and software using Bluetooth® wireless technology.
PC supplier unveils its new Image
 Sahara Computers, local suppliers of information, communication and digital lifestyle technology, has kicked off an intensive marketing campaign with the launch of a brand new range of notebook solutions - the Image Book.
Wirelessly streaming in stereo
 Sony Ericsson has announced the launch of it's latest hands-free headset solutions, the HBH-DS200 and HBH-DS980, which use Bluetooth technology to put your phone at the heart of your music world.
New 3D tech makes online shopping a virtual reality
[Katherine Noyes] Online stores could soon become a lot more like their real world counterparts thanks to new, 3D immersive technology by Kinset, announced Monday, 22 October.
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Training | | Development opportunity for ICT women entrepreneurs
Are you female, young, South African, and aspire to work in, or you currently are in the Information Communications Technology field? If so, here is an opportunity for you and nine other young ladies to further your careers.
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| | Galleries | | Launch of the second PUMA store in SA
 
More | | More... | | |
| | Events to diarise | Learn to manage your time - Bedfordview, Johannesburg, 29 October
Time management is the key to improved productivity, with less stress, and more leisure time. This program, presented by Dr Brian Jude, will show you how to achieve this. | | | 9th ECR Conference ECR Conference - Johannesburg, 31 October
Come hear what global and local retail experts have to say, and be privy to unique research on future South African retail scenarios conducted amongst retailers and suppliers within the industry. | | |
| | Upcoming events | Rich dad poor dad personal finance seminar Lankon Consulting - Johannesburg, 29 October Relationship selling Milpark Business School - Gauteng, 5 November | More... Submit an event | | |
| | Quotes | | | "Torture numbers, and they'll confess to anything." - Gregg Easterbrook | | "The absolute fundamental aim is to make money out of satisfying customers." - John Egan | | "Tea is drunk to forget the din of the world." - T'ien Yiheng | | "Before borrowing money from a friend, decide which you need most." - American Proverb | | "If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it." - Albert Einstein | | "Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence." - Aristotle | | More... Submit a Quote | | |
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