Headlines
RetailBatten down the hatches[Sasha Planting] Consumers in SA are facing a triple-whammy of double-digit food inflation, stubbornly high fuel prices and interest rates that have increased by 4,5 percentage points since June 2006. Three new pour-over-sauce flavours - for the finishing touch [ActivRetail] Denny has expanded their Pour-Over-Sauces range to include three new flavours, adding the finishing touch to many marvellous meals and providing even more selection in the ready-made sauces sector. Still signs of life in retail sales[Mariam Isa, Economics Editor] Retail sales improved unexpectedly in February, rising at their fastest pace in eight months and suggesting that concern over slower consumer spending may be overdone. Stores brace for bad debt[Nicola Mawson, Consumer Industries Correspondent] Retailers are expected to see an increase in bad debt as rate hikes put pressure on consumers, but analysts say most retailers would have anticipated the impending debt crunch and are ready for it. Spot the man! It's easy! "It's easy to Spot a BAR ONE Man." Especially since JWT developed an integrated campaign communicating the brand's promise and contemporising Nestlé South Africa's largest chocolate brand. Reach your target market with www.bizcommunity.comThe Retail.Bizcommunity New Products Pavilion at the Cape Town Good Food and Wine Show is THE place to launch all your new products. Last year, the show attracted 45 000 visitors. This year 50 000 are expected – and among them could be many thousands of potential customers for your company's products!
Banking & FinanceCustomer survey: Banks getting online operations rightConsumers gave online banking high marks in a recent survey conducted by ForeSee Results using the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Online banking garnered a score of 82 out of 100, an increase of 12 percent when compared with a score of 73 in 2003.
Brand newsNokia shares dip on disappointing profitsThe world's biggest mobile phone maker, Nokia, on Thursday, 17 April, said its first-quarter earnings rose 25% on demand for cheaper phones in emerging markets; but that wasn't enough to make analysts happy. Magazine awards local fashion Winners of prestigious international fashion awards announced in Cape Town. Retailer finds ‘elegant solution' as Absa buys into troublesome unit[Nicola Mawson, Consumer Industries Correspondent] Food and clothing retailer Woolworths has elegantly resolved the issue of its troublesome financial services division by selling a majority stake to Absa for R875m. Lead a balanced lifestyle We're well into 2008, life isn't letting up and it's an ongoing challenge to find good food options that are quick to prepare and don't compromise on taste. You could find the answers at The Woman's Show, April 25-27, at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg. Woolworths sells fin services unit stake to AbsaRetailer says that it is to sell 50% plus one ordinary share of Woolworths Financial Services to the Absa Group for R875 million. SA retailer recognised for good business initiativeWoolworths has received international recognition in the retail sector by being named Responsible Retailer of the Year at the World Retail Awards - held during the annual World Retail Congress. Six companies from across the globe had been short-listed for the prestigious award. Origami paper boat sails down the MississippiAbout 1000 drink cartons from Bridgwater's Gerber Juice Company will keep the dreams of two adventurers afloat this summer. Hearings no bar to capex at Pioneer[Nicola Mawson, Consumer Industries Correspondent] Food and beverage producer says it expects an annual capital expenditure of between R600m and R900m in the next two to three years as it gears up to meet domestic demand.
Consumer researchAttitude check[Jim Sterne] Logs will tell you what happened; user comments will tell you why. How much did poor customer service cost your company today?One agent with a bad attitude can cost your company plenty in lost customers or even Do-Not-Call List fines. Unless your call center is using a call-monitoring system, that agent is taking calls and losing you customers every day. Car industry has upped its service levelsAlthough there has been a marked improvement in the quality of service car owners receive from dealerships, there are growing concerns about how the car industry handles complaints. How green is my marketingNielsen Online recently released findings that find that protecting the environment has become increasingly important to consumers, with online buzz around sustainability growing 50% in 2007. VRM: Consumers take controlVRM - vendor relationship management - is a concept that turns CRM on its head. It's designed to put consumers in control of the transaction and level the landscape. This is not an us-versus-them movement; rather, it is a deliberate approach by consumers that will be equally beneficial to vendors.
Health & SafetyOperations at a Thohoyandou site shut downLabour inspectors in Limpopo have ordered a Thohoyandou construction company to halt operations at all of its three sites after the employer failed to comply with safety laws. This followed the collapse of a nine-meter high wall at the Madina Shopping complex which left several workers injured. The heat is on Chances are, sometime this winter you'll be looking to turn on the heat in your warehouse. Imagine if the heater you turn on warms you and your workers, instead of just the air around you. Farmers urged to invest in their workersFarmers in the Western Cape have been urged by Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana to invest in their workers and treat them with respect. Beans canned before buyers turn green[Tamlyn Stewart] Retailers respond to Tiger Brands' warning.
Import/ExportFuelling AfricaEngen Petroleum Limited, one of South Africa's leading petroleum companies, is set to extend its African footprint even further by signing a sale/purchase agreement to buy out Shell Petroleum Company Limited's downstream petroleum business in Gabon. KZN farmers to export their vegetables internationally[Siboniso Ntuli] Emerging farmers in KwaZulu-Natal will now have the opportunity to export their organic vegetables to international markets. This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs and a Swiss company, BioSwiss. Botswana and NW to develop economic relations[Bathandwa Mbola] Mmabatho - A trade and investment seminar aimed at strengthening ties and developing economic relations between Botswana and the North West Province of South Africa is scheduled to take place this month.
MerchandisingSo you think are strategic? Think again[Gord Hotchkiss] Marketing tactics and marketing strategies are not the same thing.
PackagingNew image for two favourites [ActivRetail] Twinings, a leading provider of fine teas - they sell 200 different teas in 100 countries - has just revitalised the design of the packaging for their English Breakfast and Earl Grey tea-bag boxes.
PromotionsThe faces of tomorrow Avon celebrates the beauty of all South African women with the announcement of the Faces of Avon 2008. Tea goes mobile for Gauteng women[ActivRetail] The trend today is towards a healthy lifestyle... a healthy approach to how we live our lives, what we eat, and what we drink. So... Khayelitsha Festival gains city support[Bathandwa Mbola] The City of Cape Town has reaffirmed its support to the Khayelisha Festival, an event aimed at promoting small business development, by awarding them R800,000 in funds to take the festival further this year. Gauteng to host exhibition for electricity saving[Luyanda Makapela] The Gauteng Department of Local Government will host a three-day Energy Efficiency Product and Information Exhibition as part of the national campaign to save electricity. The exhibition, scheduled to take place from 6 - 8 June 2008 at the Nasrec Expo Centre will bring together a range of products that households, business, institutions and general public can use in order to contribute to the national energy saving campaign.
RegulatoryGizmo backlash: debate simmers over phones on public transitThere are two types of public transit passengers: those who hate it when other commuters whip out their cell phones and start yammering away, and the yammerers themselves, who feel freedom of communication is a natural right. Some cities have instituted no-phone zones on trains and buses; others have given up. Some enforce bans with fines; others keep it on the honor system. PE police launch campaign to curb trade counterfeit goods[Gareth Wilson] Huge clampdown on counterfeit goods in Bay nets thousands of pirated DVDs, CDs. New body to promote SA Halaal productsThe South African Halaal Export Forum (SAHEF) has been established to promote South African Halaal products to global Halaal market.
Retail servicesE-boutique with personalised focus[Katherine Noyes] USA - A new fashion shopping site from Florida boutique La Ti Da is banking on personalised service to set it apart.
SecurityWell-worn passwords are gold mines for hackersMany Internet users in the U.S. and UK make the mistakes of underestimating the growing threat of cyber-crime and repeating the same passwords so they don't forget them, according to a recent survey by Accenture. Seventy percent of UK users and 49 percent of users in the U.S. said they don't write down their passwords. A burgeoning bevy of biometric barriersBiometric access control was one of the hot themes among exhibitors at the recent RSA Security Conference in San Francisco. Several companies showed off their wares, which include a back-end system for integrating biometric authentication into existing systems as well as readers for fingerprints and palms. The uneasy future of online securityJust as the ways in which we use the Internet are evolving, so are the threats to the security of our identities, Jim Bidzos, founder and chairman of trusted certificates vendor VeriSign, told attendees at the RSA Security Conference.
Supply chainUnion fights for local industry with style How does a trade union and manufacturers respond to the massive import penetration of local markets? They turn to fashion promotion to show off the country's great designs and to make the case for the industry. Cold comfort[Shoks Mzolo] The three-week maintenance shutdown of Afrox's gas plants has caused a nationwide shortage of carbon dioxide. Add a dash of sense to a sense of style[Maryanne Maina] A furniture buyer needs business acumen and a creative mind.
TechnologyGaming market scores explosive March sales[Walaika Haskins] USA - The video games industry racked up hardware and software sales of roughly US$1.7 billion in March, according to NPD Group, a consumer sales tracking firm. Total sales in March 2008 were some 57% higher than the $1.1 billion the industry made just one year earlier. Publishers, advertisers, consumers pick sides in online tracking debateA raging debate is brewing in the United States over how much information about Internet users advertisers should be able to gather and analyze. A pair of consumer groups is calling for a "Do Not Track" list that Web users can join, while the Newspaper Association of America contends it has a First Amendment right to collect information about its audience. Hey! Digital fans and technophiles… check this outDigital fans and technophiles will find much to enthral them at the MTN stand at the DigitalLife Expo at the Sandton Convention Centre, 18-20 April 2008. Searching for tweets[David Berkowitz] If someone tweets about you on Twitter and you don't hear the sound, did the tweeter tweet at all? Digital marketing is key to building brands in automotive tradeA fully automated digital marketing strategy, supported by IT systems and communications infrastructure, will help operators in the automotive industry cope within a turbulent market.
TrainingA new Dawn in employee empowerment The case for pursuing formal qualification and career development opportunities through virtual education is gathering momentum in business says Teryl Schroenn, CEO at Accsys, a national provider of HR and payroll management software. | 
