Back on our side?
[Sasha Planting] Research shows that shoppers have not been getting what they want.

Alternative payment methods increase the consumer's willingness to pay
When you truly increase a consumer's willingness to pay, the revenue possibilities are significant simply because the vast majority of your visitors probably never engage in a transaction on your site. An intelligent and thorough implementation of relevant alternative payment options can slowly but surely chip away at a consumer's reluctance to pay you and make a lasting effect on your business.

Retailers, are you ready?
[Howard Badler] Even though higher interest rates (and it appears that the Governor of the Reserve Bank is in favour of another rate hike before Christmas) and the new credit Act will mean lower spending by consumers this festive season, retailers must be prepared to maximise sales.

US marketers threaten to put majority of budget online
[Gavin O'Malley] Big-name brand marketers are fed up with traditional media channels and are threatening to shift the lion's share of their budgets online, according to Nick Brien, worldwide CEO of Universal McCann.

Our bread has been overpriced for 12 years!
RETAIL NEWSWATCH: The bread price fixing scandal has taken another turn as the Competition Commission announces that a number of national bread-producers have been fixing the price of bread for at least 12 years. And that means that millions of this country's poor have been even further below the breadline than they need have been.

Ad agency plays pivotal role in retailer's win
Hamilton's Advertising, the agency handling Fruit & Veg City's marketing, has been credited with playing a pivotal role in securing for Food Lover's Market, Willow Bridge, the prestigious Retailer of the Year Award of the Spectrum Awards.


A surprise last year; a delight this year
In 2006, it beat 65 companies for the top award and now, in 2007, PEP has beaten 70 companies and has again come top overall in the Ask Afrika Orange Index Survey.


Tiger Brands reaches settlement with the Competition Commission
After thorough internal investigations and months of working with the Competition Commission, Tiger Brands Limited has agreed to pay an administrative penalty of R98,8 million for contraventions of the Competition Act by certain employees at its baking operations and has been granted corporate leniency in respect of its milling operations by the Competition Commission.

Murdoch to tear up WSJ's online subscription model
Rupert Murdoch commented to shareholders in Australia that he expects to turn the online edition of The Wall Street Journal from a subscription-based service to a free site. Murdoch's News Corp. is scheduled to formally acquire Dow Jones & Co, along with the Journal, this December.

Will SA fly at Flair?
SA is to compete against the world's best from 22 – 27 November 2007 when our best ‘flairtender' will compete in Kaoshiung, Taiwan at the International Bartenders' Association (IBA) World Championships of Flair.


Estate triumphs again
Vergelegen Wine Estate is South Africa's winner of the Great Wine Capitals Global Network Best of Wine Tourism Awards for the second year in succession.


A million for Childline
The recent six-month Bokomo Weet-Bix “Thank You” campaign concluded on a high note when Childline received a R1 million donation, the largest single monetary donation the charity has ever received.


Here it is… Platter's ‘Superquaffer'
Simonsig Chenin Blanc 2007 has won the coveted John Platter ‘Superquaffer of the Year' award as the most drinkable, best value-for-money wine of 2008 for this renowned Stellenbosch producer of superbly balanced Chenin blancs.


Quantum leap for CHOC children
[ActivRetail] Young cancer patients need a lot more than just the best medical treatment, just ask CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation.


SOS… safe as houses
Leading international security services company, G4S Security Services, has been keeping SOS, the children's homes, safe as houses with the donation of up to half a million to this charity over the past 14-years.


International fashion lands on Foschini's new shores
Due to customer requests, Foschini has opened in Cape Town's V&A Waterfront. The new flagship, which launched on 15 November, features a fresh international fashion line and marketing campaign – encouraging all women to unleash their inner style star.


A flaming good birthday
[Tshepiso Seopa] The Dome in Northgate, Johanesburg, was in flames earlier this week when up to 6000 Nandocas (Nandos employees) from all the nine provinces in South Africa gathered for Nando's 20th birthday celebration. All of Nando's resturants were closed for business on the day and no Nando's chicken was made or sold.

Creating a splash on canvas
Spier has launched its second series of ‘liquid art', with local artists depicting wine by using wine itself.


Bursary's for matriculants still available but graduate program closes
Mars Africa announced this week that they have closed accepting applications for the graduate program following the receipt of more than 1900 applications, but they will still accept applications from matriculants for bursaries.

Flagship wine triumphs with top John Platter award
Bouchard Finlayson's 2005 Tête de Cuvée Galpin Peak Pinot noir has been selected out of over 6000 wines to receive the prestigious and esteemed John Platter ‘Wine of the Year 2008' award.


Astute developer joins Waterberg development consortium
The Power Group have chosen Waterberg as their latest in a series of property developments as an investor and co-developer.

Local distiller tops International Wine & Spirit Competition
Distell has been judged Distiller of the Year in the 2007 International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) to come out ahead of some of the world's biggest names in spirits in the US, the UK and Europe.

Retail chain lifts sales by 15,7% in first 19 weeks of fiscal 2008
Truworths International Ltd has achieved sales of merchandise for the first 19 weeks of the 2008 financial period increased to R1 850 million, 15.7% above the corresponding period in 2006.

It's Coxon for Christmas
[ActivRetail] Moir's and celebrity chef Alan Coxon team up for diva-licious Christmas campaign.


Bringing new pleasure to baking
[ActivRetail] The Staffords range of baking products just became more tempting than ever with the addition of Staffords Polka Dots and Staffords 70% Cocoa.

Industrial research remains an integral part of successful business
[Marc Ashton] Industrial research, particularly in the SME sector, remains a vastly underrated service.


Customer Retention - the new buzzwords
[Howard Badler] Do you remember the buzzwords 'customer relationship management'… CRM? well, the new buzzwords are 'customer retention'.

Ladies on line
According to at least one South African e-tailer, there's a boom in women shoppers changing the face of online retail. And apparently they're better at shopping online than men!

Move over, men… Women power is coming to motor town
Women exercise over 80% of decision-making when it comes to privately owned cars in South Africa today, according to the latest research by www.cars4women.co.za, a site managed by women, for women – drivers, that is.

Global resurgence of brandy and Cognac
Cognac is the most successful style of brandy, with a golden period in the late 1980s and early 90s (mainly in Japan) and another strong spell in the mid-1990s throughout China, according to research undertaken by global drinks industry website just-drinks.com.

Spar to add stores, upgrade distribution
A total of 25 new Spar franchises, 30 Build it and 40 Tops at Spar stores should open in 2008.

Trevor Mashabane launches new property franchise
Well-known local business executive Trevor Mashabane and entrepreneur Brenda Ledwaba have launched a new Pam Golding Properties (PGP) franchise empowerment office in Mabopane. The new franchise is well situated in the popular Tramshed shopping complex in Tshwane's busy CBD.


Pizza franchise gets its slice of Best of Joburg Awards
Debonairs Pizza is still scooping up awards and celebrating milestones even as the end of the year approaches and we move well into November. The franchise, more than 200-strong, collected the Leisure Options Best of Joburg Reader's Choice Awards for the eighth time this year.

ACP group wins major trade battle with EU
[Judith Akolo] The Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries have won a major trade battle against the European Union with a deal that was brokered to push the stalled negotiations on the renewal of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) to December 2008.

EU to open its market to east and southern Africa
The European Union (EU) will open up its market on a duty-free basis for products from countries in the eastern and southern African (ESA) region from 1 January 2008.

Transport industry recognises the best of the best
More than 300 transport industry captains attended the 2007 “FOCUS on Excellence” awards banquet that took place recently in Midrand. BP Castrol for the second year in a row, was named the Best Supplier of Fuels and Lubricants.

Shock news – Zapiro owes Manto money!
It was a case of fruit, vegetables and great fun at the launch of Zapiro's new book in Cape Town last week.


Boosting dreams with the strength to win
Two lucky Lunch Bar lovers have each won a Ford Bantam Bakkie in the Cadbury Lunch Bar ‘Strength to Win' promotion.


Promote or die
[Alan Radmall] Where has this year gone? It seems like just yesterday that we were celebrating the previous peak summer and Christmas period and the next is almost upon us.

The Linear Connection - Right Stuff
The Linear Range is the latest suite of products to be introduced into Right Stuff's extensive product range. It is a set of aluminium structures which can be configured in a number of ways to create any one of the five suggested product variations, making it the most customisable item that Right Stuff has introduced to date.


Illuminating the PSP

click to enlarge

PlayStation/Ster-Kinekor Games has selected Primedia Outdoor's high impact PrimeLite Billboards to make commuters aware that the PlayStation Portable (PSP) is 16% slimmer, 33% lighter and out in time to fill up some Christmas stockings. Mark Mac Donnell, Primedia Outdoor's sales and marketing executive, says that the PrimeLites are internally illuminated 3mx6m structures which offer advertisers flexible, short-term advertising with high frequency coverage.

Tiger loses its stripes
[Sasha Planting] The company's corporate reputation tumbled after the competition commission imposed a R99m penalty last week.

View instore display solutions online
Barrows has introduced an online collection of instore display solutions which have been vigorously value-engineered both in terms of materials usage and production efficiency.

Trendsetting on our own turf
In the past, the concept of ‘local is lekker', particularly when it came to store design, tended to lose out to overseas influences. But that now seems to be changing.

Integrated systems give manufacturers room to grow
South African manufacturers could save time and money by using integrated software systems for their production planning, says HansaWorld SA Country Manager, Kevin Clarke.

New AT&T system lets boss mind the store anytime, anywhere
With its latest offering, AT&T will give small- and medium-sized business owners the chance to keep an eye on operations at all times. Its Remote Monitor Service provides video cameras, environmental sensors and the ability to monitor them via a broadband connection, all with an SMB-targeted price.

Xbox Live to let gamers download golden oldies
[Walaika Haskins] Xbox gamers with online accounts will be able to download and keep old Xbox games starting next month. The backward compatibility question is something each major platform is attempting to address. For months, Nintendo has hosted its own direct-download service, and the PlayStation 3 is using a similar approach, though its newest models are not compatible with PlayStation 2 discs.

Unleash your inner DJ
Sony Ericsson has revealed its stylish new additions to its Walkman phone portfolio - the W890i and W380i. These latest offerings are packed with features sure to set music lovers' pulses racing.


Retail chain cuts shelf/till price differential with e-shelf labelling
Four Spar retailers have slashed the error rate between their shelf and till pricing from 7% to near 0% through an electronic shelf labelling (ESL) solution supplied by XON Systems.

Beating the odds in the tween-only cell phone market
[A.M. Tomczyk] Donald L. Deubler has the guts of a high roller. In 2005, the former industrial parts salesman created a hot cell phone for kids. The award-winning device, which allowed only parent-programmed calls, soon generated US$20 million in annual sales for his Firefly Mobile.