Lifestyle of spending While South Africa 'technically' hasn't slid into recession, the hushed tones around many a company water cooler feature the words "lay-offs", "liquidation" and "closure" a little too often for peace of mind. So with tough times just looking to get tougher, what is it you're doing with your money? Saving every last penny? Spending it on basic necessities as inflation is just forcing you to cough up more for everyday items? Throwing your chump change into your already over-extended bond so your kids won't be paying it off well into your grandchildren's life-times? MasterCard's inaugural Consumer Purchasing Priorities survey has found that while 81% of South African's are cutting back on discretionary spending, only 77% think saving is important. SA locals will, however, be likely to spend their hard-earned dosh on fashion and accessories (there's no need to look poor), their children's education (so the sprogs can get well-paying jobs and look after us in our old age), and buying or revamping properties (and then flogging them off for twice the original price, when the market bounces back, that is). The fashion industry should breathe a small sigh of relief at this, although it may be too late for some, as Renato Palmi points out. So if you're not happy to rest on your tailored laurels, Palmi gives some personal insight into how the clothing industry can stylishly stay out of the red this season. Shan Radcliffe, Retail editor retailnews@bizcommunity.comResponses to this column welcomed in our new online editor's column archive. | Top stories
Retail
 [Renato Palmi] International renowned designers who wish to survive are not hiding behind a fashion utopia. They may still hold over-elaborate fashion shows but they know the bottom line to survival is sales. Selling not to an elite clientele but selling to the mass. Italian couturier Roberto Cavlli said, "It's not a time for romance." Giorgio Armani said the fashion world had been "too euphoric". Read more >>
[Bathandwa Mbola] South African commodity organisations, input suppliers, manufactures and retailers need to partner with government to develop practical solutions to address high food prices, says Agriculture and Land affairs Minister Lulu Xingwala. Read more >>
 Novare Actuaries and Consultants, the South African implemented investment consulting firm, has boosted its contribution to the development of the country's wine industry by making available additional funds to recognise wine-making excellence, while also investing in agricultural skills development. Read more >>
 [Mike Abel] Economics 101. We all know economies are cyclical. Anyone who has been around for a few decades or more has seen this truth first-hand. And while this article may not accommodate a lot of the complexities pertaining to the current climate, it will talk to how we can choose to respond. I'm hoping the wonderful, colloquial notion of “no worries” wins the day. Read more >>
FRANKFURT: German retail sales posted a surprise fall in January, indicating that consumer demand is still muted despite a reported rise in consumer confidence, official data showed on Thursday, 5 March 2009. Read more >>
 Puma City has been named 'Best Retail Space' by American publication Travel + Leisure. A tour de force of architecture and design, the 11,000 square-foot (over 1,000m 2) structure is made from 24, 40-foot long, steel shipping containers, each weighing in at 11 tons. It consists of three levels of containers stacked on top of one another and then slightly shifted to create natural outdoor spaces with large overhangs and wide open terraces. Read more >>
 [Dr Linda Yueh] For Africa, the direct effects from the global financial crisis will stem from the real economy effects, such as the contracting exports in 2009 and depressed global demand as a result of the rich economies all experiencing recession together for the first time in the post-World War II period. Read more >>
 [Bathandwa Mbola] Despite a healthy global interest in the FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the response from South Africans to purchase tickets is slow, with only 20% of tickets so far sold to the host nation. Read more >>
 Naamsa's New Vehicle Sales Statistics for February 2009 showed a passenger car market down 34% compared to February 2008. During February 2009, a total of 20,406 new passenger cars were sold in South Africa. Read more >>
 Liberty Properties is going ahead with its expansion and refurbishment project at the Liberty Promenade. The investment, which is in excess of R300 million, aims to entrench the centre's status as the shopping mall of choice in the Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha area. Read more >>
[Nicola Mawson] Steinhoff International Holdings held up sales in the global credit crunch and reported a net profit improvement in the six months to December. Read more >>
Banking & Finance
The inaugural MasterCard Worldwide Index of Consumer Purchasing Priorities finds consumers are realising the importance of saving. Read more >>
According to VISA, electronic payments are apparently making the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world safer, faster and easier and play a critical role in stimulating economic growth and improving the financial welfare of people around the world. Read more >>
Brand news
 Jeanne P. Jackson, a member of Nike's Board of Directors since 2001, fills the newly created role of President of Direct to Consumer for the company, effective immediately. Read more >>
Tomato paste with extra flavourKoo is launching its zesty new flavoured tomato paste to add extra taste to dishes. The new range comes in a choice of three flavours: curry, beef, and garlic. The Koo flavoured tomato paste variety will be available in supermarkets for the recommended selling price of R4.99 for a 65g tin.
 In an age in which pay-for-parking malls are the norm, free parking is the exception. Boost Juice Bars, a healthy fast-food outlet, is handing out redeemable parking vouchers with every purchase of original size Boost products. Read more >>
[Walaika Haskins] Nintendo tried to jumpstart interest in its upcoming titles by mapping out its spring lineup, which Microsoft may have a hit on its hands in Japan, where the US-based console maker has long held a relatively weak presence. Meanwhile, Sony's CEO gave the company's corporate structure a good, hard shake. Read more >>
[Michael Liedtke] USA: In the latest sign of retail trouble, Blockbuster said Tuesday, 3 March 2009, it has brought in an outside law firm to rescue the long-slumping video store chain from a financial bind. Read more >>
New Generation of campaign awarded Marketing ExcellenceAt the third annual Sunday Times Marketing Excellence Awards, which took place at Avusa House on 26 February 2009, Pep Stores together with Zoom Advertising walked away with two awards for the retailer's repositioning campaign. A gold medal was awarded in the category 'Brand Marketing Campaign of the Year', with the overall Grand Prix prize presented for the retailer's campaign in popular TV series, Generations. The campaign saw Pep written into the show's storyline, which culminated in the first flighting of the actual brand TV commercial. The new brand identity was then revealed in every store nationally the next day. These accolades join the list of awards collected for the Generations campaign, including a Gold at the 2008 Roger Garlick Media Innovation Awards.
 [ActivRetail] Koo, a core brand in the Tiger Brands stable, is bringing innovation to the canned beans aisle with the launch of its homestyle canned samp range, a first of its kind. Read more >>
Corporate Social Investment
 The Shoprite Group, together with broadcast partner SABC2, is cancelling the sponsorship of the Woman of the Year Awards, following the retailer's announcement this morning, Wednesday, 4 March 2009, that it is launching a feeding programme aimed at assisting South Africa's poorest communities. The group says it will be using the resources usually set aside for hosting the awards as project funding. Read more >>
e-Commerce
[Rachel Metz] Just days after launching a new model of its Kindle e-book reader, Amazon has rolled out a free Kindle iPhone and iPod touch application. The app lets users read content purchased through Amazon, but it omits a few of the Kindle's features. Read more >>
[Jeff McCall] It's going to be a tough year as we all try to lift ourselves out of this economic funk we're in. Retailers can help lift their prospects with some well-planned strategic moves to attract new customers and retain existing ones. Listening to your customers can help you focus your efforts. Read more >>
Exhibitions
Over 250 exhibitors participating in a 'sold out' Hostex 2009, covering two packed halls, are reaching fever pitch in their preparations for this year's event which is poised to be the most exciting in its 23-year history. Acclaimed as South Africa's premier International Hospitality and Catering Exhibition, Hostex, brought to you by Specialised Exhibitions will
be taking place at Sandton Convention Centre from 15 - 18 March 2009. Read more >>
Import/Export
[Bathandwa Mbola] BERLIN: Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma is to meet with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier today, 9 March 2009, to review existing bilateral political, economic and trade relations between South Africa and Germany. Read more >>
Manufacturing
[Jeff Meisner] Intel is making another serious run for the mobile device market, and this time it will have Taiwan Semiconductor, the No. 1 system-on-chip company in the world, in its corner. Under a new partnership deal, Intel will share the secrets behind the technology of its tiniest processor, the Atom, and Taiwan Semi will handle the manufacturing operations. Read more >>
Promotions
Competition encourages family moments - ActivRetailGlenryck Pilchards is launching The South African Family Scrap Book Competition in the latest issues of Real, Bona and Move magazines. The competition encourages consumers to write about themselves and their family and submit together with family photos, as well as how the brand has helped to create favourite meals and recipes. Each month one entrant per magazine will be featured in that magazine; three families will each win R3000 with the overall winner receiving a further R6000 in prize money. There are also loads of product hampers up for grabs. Glenryck recipe books will also be bagged with the April 2009 issue of Move and Real magazines. “The competition was designed to foster the idea of the Glenryck family creating an inviting environment for consumers and enabling the brand to identify consumer trends and purchase information regarding the products,” says Liezel van Bergen, Glenryck brand manager.
Regulatory
[Siyabonga Kalipa] Western Cape farmers who pay their workers with alcohol instead of giving them a monthly wage can be fined up to R1 million under the Western Cape Liquor Act, which was passed in November last year. Read more >>
[Proffesor Ndawonde] Border police, government departments and a number of stakeholders are working hard to prevent illegal and dangerous goods being smuggled into the country via South Africa's border posts. Read more >>
Research
Among the many emergency responses to the global economic crisis, one thing is becoming clear - the response of global business to environmental change and sustainable green business has moved to the forefront of forward planning. Read more >>
The recent South African study, Supply Chain Intelligence Report (SCIR) 2009, has indicated that intuition, supposedly one of women's defining characteristics, is a key component to a company's sustainability and success levels. Read more >>
The global economic downturn had a significant impact on the mobile phone industry as worldwide mobile phone sales to end users totalled 314.7 million units in the fourth quarter of 2008, a 4.6% decline from the fourth quarter of 2007, according to Gartner, Inc. Manufacturers continued to struggle against low consumer confidence in both emerging and mature markets. Read more >>
Retail services
[Erika Morphy] Journyx, a company that provides Web-based time-tracking and project management applications, also offers its customers a back door into customer service. That is, its application lets users track what a customer costs. That is a number that is often surprisingly miscalculated or not calculated at all, said CEO Curt Finch. Read more >>
 [Johann Engelbrecht] The fact that Gartner predicted that worldwide Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software revenue would grow by 14% in 2008 doesn't surprise me. The consumer thinking is deeply penetrating businesses of all sizes and the interest in extending CRM applications and strategies into communities and social media is spiralling. Read more >>
 [Dennis Comninos] Managers are having a hard time globally. While South Africa has not felt the brunt of the global recession as yet, its time for those in charge of projects to shift their approach to ensure their projects can deliver value even in the most trying times. Read more >>
Retailers
[Nicola Mawson] Mass discounter Massmart expects to create a fifth division by organic growth. Read more >>
Supply chain
The recently released South African research study, supplychainforesight for 2009 claims to clearly demonstrate that one major impact of the recession on multinational South African-based businesses is that they are radically revising their commitment to global sourcing, manufacturing - and even distribution of product. Read more >>
PRAIA: A small group of agriculturalists say it is possible to boost food production and cut malnutrition in Cape Verde by farming with less water - and no soil. Read more >>
[Kagiso Metswamere] North West MEC for Agriculture, Conservation and Environment Jan Serfontein is satisfied with the progress made by emerging farmers in the province. Read more >>
Technology
[Dana Gardner] Enterprises are jumping on the cloud computing bandwagon, and that's usually a good thing. Not every application and function belongs in the cloud, however. Enterprises need to centralise their strategies on cloud computing so everyone is on the same page. Read more >>
[Pam Baker] Business intelligence (BI) is all about speed - it gives corporate decision makers the modeling tools they need to make complex and important decisions quickly. Just as important as offering a forward view, however, BI allows executives to look back and find out what happened when something went wrong. Read more >>
 [Issa Sikiti da Silva] Samsung Electronics has showcased six of its 11 new devices it is planning to release in two weeks, reaching a multimedia and style milestone and strengthening its leadership in the premium full-touch market. The devices, which include a waterproof cellphone and a high definition (HD) handset, were launched in South Africa yesterday, Thursday 5 March 2009, at the Peech Hotel in Johannesburg. Read more >>
Teraco has opened its vendor-neutral data centre in Cape Town. Carriers, corporates, ISPs and IT service providers now get unrestricted choice in what they do with their data, in a secure facility built to international best practices. Read more >>
The worldwide PC industry will experience its sharpest shipment decline in history this year as the global economy continues to deteriorate, said technology research group Gartner on Monday, 2 March 2009. Read more >>
[Michael Appel] The current lack of electricity infrastructure and the inefficient way it is being distributed is costing the country's economy R2 billion per annum. Read more >>
 [Chris Maxcer] USA: Getting a head start on the PMA '09 photography conference, which officially kicks off in Las Vegas today, Samsung has announced a new so-called hybrid digital camera. The new camera, the NX Series, is designed to provide the photo quality of large pro and prosumer DSLR (digital single lens reflex) cameras in the body of a small point-and-shoot. Read more >>
Training
 [Dries Badenhorst] Southern Sudan was described as the biggest organic supermarket on earth, by a delegate from the region who attended the Intra-Africa Business Breakfast at the Hilton Hotel on 26 February, 2009. This breakfast series is a joint initiative between Upbeat Marketing and the Department of Trade and Industry. Read more >>
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Retail
 Egg Marketing & Communications has just launched Africa's first family and children's industry platform, Chirp Network. Read more >>
Brand news
 Natalie du Toit has officially joined the Vital family as a Vital Health Foods Ambassador. Read more >>
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| | Store Manager/Sales Assistant - Johannesburg/Pretoria | | Divisional Supply Chain Manager - Port Elizabeth | | Learnership Administrator - Northern Suburbs | | Assistant Manager - Northern Suburbs | | Benefits Administrator - Africa - Northern Suburbs | | Technical Manager - Northern Suburbs | | Business Development Manager - Northern Suburbs | | Sales Representative - Dairy - Century City | | Retail Sales Assistant - Sandton | | Key Accounts Manager - FMCG - Cape Town | | | |
| | Supply Chain Intelligence Report Terranova Research - Johannesburg, 9 March | | SA HOST Dixie Bay Events - Centurion, 12 March | | Breakfast with Clem Sunter IIR - Johannesburg, 12 March | | 2nd Annual Direct Marketing Conference 2009 Knowledge Resources - Johannesburg, 18 March | | The Home Improvers Show Affinity Strategic Communication - Cape Town, 26 March | | |
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