New take on online buying
[Duncan McLeod] Online shopping appears to be finally taking root in SA, with the number of e-retailers gradually expanding.

Online retailer launches book project
Following the success of its book project with Minki van der Westhuizen, online retailer kalahari.net has announced the launch of a new book project in conjunction with MySchool, a leading community support and fundraising programme. This project aims to donate as many books as possible to a disadvantaged school every quarter, over the next 12 months.

Time for a more fuel-efficient car?
Rising fuel prices getting you down? Think it's time for a change to a more fuel-efficient car?

Looking for food you can bank on
The annual intrepid hunt for nominations in the flourishing produce market has begun with the third Eat In RMB Private Bank South African Produce Awards.


Mdantsane Shopping Centre opens
[Luyanda Makapela] Yesterday, 24 April, Eastern Cape Premier Nosimo Balindlela officially opened the multi-million Rand Mdantsane Shopping Centre, the second largest mall in the entire province.

Walmer blackout cost business millions
[Derrick Spies] The blackout that left most of Walmer in darkness for close on a week has been devastating to businesses in the area, with millions of rands in revenue being lost.

Balfour Park gets face-lift
The Balfour Park shopping centre in Highlands North is undergoing a huge R120m refurbishment to completely rejuvenate the 22-year-old centre.

Zim splurges cash to manage international perception
[Dumisani Ndlela] Zimbabwe has splurged an undisclosed amount of money to bring in tourism agents from international markets as it battles to counter renewed Britain and US travel warnings.

Eat smart, eat simple, fight high prices
[Nicolette Scrooby and Cheri-Ann James] If you want to beat, or at least be able to handle, rising food prices then, according to a leading economist, you simply have to cut down on the exotic foods.

No early end to blackout for Bay
[Justin McCabe and Khanyi Ndabeni] Repairs to the demolished substation that blew up in Walmer on Friday could take some time.

Last chance to attend the Table of Peace and Unity - Table of Unity
Time is running out! With tickets almost completely sold out, guests will need to act quickly in order to be part of the remarkable Table of Peace and Unity that happens this Sunday on Freedom Day, 27 April 2008.

PPI's 11.8% much higher than expected - economist
[Michael Appel] The Production Price Index (PPI) for March 2008 has come in much higher than expected at 11.8% year-on-year (y/y) reported Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), on Thursday, 24 April.

Retailers roll out credit cards to beat in-store debt blues
[Michael Bleby, Writer at Large] The Absa-Barclays tie-up will allow Woolworths to offer a premium credit card to customers earning above the LSM 6-8 level.

A bold entry into the mass market
Leading short-term insurer, Mutual & Federal, has announced that it is launching a low cost short-term insurance product - Insurance 4 All - targeted at the low-income market and fundamentally based on sustainable business principles.

CPIX soars to 10.1%
[Michael Appel] The Consumer Price Index excluding interest on mortgage bonds (CPIX) has soared to 10.1% for March 2008, reported Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) on Wednesday, 23 April 2008.

More chatting for less
Cell C's new Controlchat 100 package not only offers control over cellular expenditure and great benefits from both prepaid and postpaid subscriptions, it now gives subscribers one of the best value packages available. For only R100 a month, customers receive R115 worth of airtime, 100 free SMSes and a free handset from the latest models available.

TV sales power Matsushita to higher profits
[Mari Yamaguchi] Japanese electronics maker Matsushita's profit more than doubled in the January-March quarter, buoyed by strong sales of cell phones, flat-panel TVs and DVD players, the company said Monday, 28 April 2008.

GTA IV primed for burnout sales despite mum marketing campaign
[Derrik J. Lang] Unlike 'Halo 3', which holds the record for debut sales on a video game, 'Grand Theft Auto IV', which hits the shelves Tuesday, 29 April 2008, has relatively little marketing to speak of aside from billboards and a few trailers. However, gaming industry analysts say the game is almost certain to be a major hit upon release, and it may even break the records set by Halo 3.

Dominating SA Dairy Championship
Parmalat SA racked up another first-class performance at the 2008 SA Dairy Championship Awards held in Stellenbosch on Wednesday, 23 April. Against stiff competition, particularly from smaller dairies, Parmalat secured four prestigious Qualité awards and no less than 13 first prizes in the SA Dairy Championships.

Say hello to the Y'elloStars
The MTN Group hosted staff from across its 21 operations in Africa and the Middle East at the annual Y'elloStars gala evening held at the StellaFusion Chamber, Melrose Arch, Johannesburg on 23 April 2008.

New Clicks interim earnings up
New Clicks on Thursday reported a 25.8% rise in diluted headline earnings per share to 67.8 cents for the six months ended February.

Sony Ericsson profit plunges on sluggish sales
Mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson on Wednesday, 23 April, reported a 48% drop in first-quarter net profits, citing slower sales growth in some of its markets.

Pioneer lists with R1,2bn capex planned
[Nicola Mawson, Consumer Industries Correspondent] Shares in Pioneer Food Group are expected to bear fruit after 18 months as the company gears up to invest in capacity.

Tax evasion rap compels Samsung chair to quit post
[Kelly Olsen] Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee said Tuesday, 23 April, he was stepping down after 20 years as chief of South Korea's biggest conglomerate, quitting in the aftermath of his indictment on tax evasion and other charges last week.

Investments set stage for Pick n Pay growth
South African retailer, Pick n Pay, is certain that these key investments will set the course for the next stage of growth.

Cashbuild quarter revenue up 19%
Tile retailer Cashbuild announced trading results on Monday and remains positive on sales in the fourth quarter.

ApexHi to upgrade properties
[Nick Wilson, Property Editor] Refurbishment of properties aimed at improving tenant mix.

Celebrating Earth Day
[Gabi Khumalo] Collect-a-Can recycling company joins organisations and governments from around the world in celebrating the 38th Earth Day, today, 22 April 2008.

Talking to the townships
As more and more retailers establish outlets in the township areas, so does their advertising demand to communicate with this increasingly vibrant market.


Your ultimate energy booster - Vital Health Foods
Energy is essential in this overstretched, high-speed world. How do we recharge our batteries when there is a constant drain on our resources? You may also find it harder to concentrate on tasks, and, eventually, you can also find your patience grows short and your level of frustration rises, even when confronted with seemingly simple challenges.


'Discover your world' through puzzles - Cornucopia Industries
Cornucopia, an American imports organisation, is launching a puzzle project to educate pre- and primary school children about their world and the various continents as part of their Social Investment Programme. Six of the seven puzzles represents a geographically accurate continent of the world, and the last a World Time Zone map that children must then piece together.

A new menu to inspire the senses
[ActivRetail] The Häagen-Dazs Shops in Sandton City and the V&A Waterfront have launched a new menu that will appeal to all the senses - and consumers are able to do more than simply taste the innovative creations.

Strategy spotting: How to tell when you find one
[Gord Hotchkiss] The difference between tactics and strategy can be monumental in the success of any marketing, and search is no exception. So, what are the telltale signs of a strategy? How can you tell when you're dealing with a basketful of tactics rather than a well-thought-out strategic plan? Here are some things to look for.

You need to be humble to serve
[Aaron Smith] Serving your subscribers properly is key to keeping them - and it's easy to lose them through bad service. If the watermelon salad you are offered in a restaurant is just right, great; if not...

Meaningful media is the key, NOT mass media
[Bradley Inman] The Web is not about "aiming for the middle," a broad branding exercise seeking the lowest common denominator, big advertising themes and irrelevant emotional hooks. The control is no longer in the hands of the broadcasters; it is in the hands of the consumer.

SA inaugurates Consulate-General in China
[Michael Appel] As South Africa and China celebrate their 10th year of strong and sound diplomatic relations, SA officially opens its Consulate-General in Shanghai.

Report shows EU imports from developing countries growing
The European Commission has presented to the European Parliament its regular report on the openness of the European market to imports from developing countries; the report shows a rise in imports from developing countries.

Effort to promote greater participation of women in trade needed, panel says
A concerted effort is needed to foster greater participation of women in international trade, a panel discussion hosted by UNCTAD and the Commonwealth Secretariat concluded.

Global packaging machinery market surges
The packaging machinery market projected to cross the $40 billion mark in 2012, according to new report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Stretch wrap machines for retail - Packit
South Africa's world-class retail companies can now increase their competitiveness with the local availability of Automac's Elixa range of automatic stretch wrap machines.

Fashion Festival in Cape Town
How does a trade union and manufacturers respond to the massive import penetration of local markets? They turn to fashion promotion to showcase the country's great designs and to make the case for the industry.


Feeling romantic?
The demands of modern day life mean that for many of us, romance has fallen by the wayside. Amidst board meetings, traffic jams, and hectic social lives, it is often a challenge for many of us to create the time to make our partner feel special. So...


Minibus drivers don't have time for headaches
[ActivRetail] ComutaNet brands 90 taxis with soothing Grandpa promotion.


Drive and win a new Suzuki
South African motorists will be able to sample two exciting additions to the local automotive landscape when the Suzuki Acceleration Series kicks off at Cape Town's Canal Walk shopping centre this weekend.

HOSTEX Cape 2008 to help businesses gear up for local tourism rush
Cape Town is seeing a boom in tourism activity, due to the weakening rand, making it the destination of choice for more cost-conscious foreigners, an increase in the number of flights to Cape Town and growth in the number of multi-time visitors to the city, according to Tourism Statistics.

‘Do you take…?'
Edgy, experimental and ingenious - radio's ultimate reality show kicks off as Kaya FM 95.9 and Castle Lite launch 2 Strangers and a Wedding.

A rave review for social navigation
User-generated reviews and social navigation are examples of the Internet providing an experience unavailable offline: aggregating the wisdom of the crowds. A few retailers who are leading the way in these areas are Zagat, Petco and Newegg.

Young consumers at the short end of the customer service stick
[Steve Rosen] When it comes to customer service, young consumers often get no respect.

Banks alert business and consumers
Beware of the new form of the deposit and refund scam.

Municipalities urged to grow local economies - KZN Premier
[Gabi Khumalo] KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sibusiso Ndebele has challenged provincial municipalities to stimulate their local economies by making use of products and initiatives that are unique to their respective areas.

Apple puts pedal to the metal with new iMacs
[Chris Maxcer] The iMac received its latest performance bump on Monday as Apple rolled out its all-in-one consumer desktop line with new processors and specs. The latest addition to the iMac line is the appearance of new Intel Core 2 Duo processors that offer up to 3.06GHz of power.

Determining the best BI deployment strategy
What are the strategies, actions, tech investments and services that companies are utilizing to effectively deploy business intelligence capabilities? Aberdeen Research will unveil answers to this question in a new research study that will be published at the end of this month. In this article, David Hatch unveils some of that study's findings.

Rough going on the way to a $100 laptop
Private-sector competition and internal acrimony appear to be taking their toll on the One Laptop Per Child organization. Three executives, including its former president, have now departed, and low-cost computers from commercial vendors are starting to invade its once-lonely space in the market.

Microsoft leaves MSN music customers in lurch
[Jim Offner] Subscribers to Microsoft's defunct MSN Music service will lose access to songs they purchased from the store in a few months.

Jumping on the 'Comes With Music' bandwagon
[Nekesa Mumbi Moody] Sony BMG is joining Universal Music Group in allowing users of select Nokia mobile phones access to its entire music catalogue later this year.

Will a PS3 download service starve Blu-ray?
[Walaika Haskins] Sony is working to roll out a video-on-demand service for the PlayStation 3, and one report says it could happen as early as this summer. However, most Blu-ray DVD players in consumers' homes are actually PS3s. Will offering an online service cannibalize Sony's high-def format?

What's wrong with email as a marketing tool?
[David Baker] This title spurred either one of two thoughts: "Oh my gosh, there may be some cool tips buried in this column" or "About time someone got on the bandwagon and beat this shameless channel down". Either way, there are some fundamental things wrong with email as a tool today.

The BI boom, Part 1: New players
A wave of consolidation has cleared the path for a new group of players in the business intelligence category. They're smaller and more agile, and they are doing things with data sets that previously were believed to be too large to manipulate.