Money and malls | | The new Melrose Arch Piazza |
Last week's relief over the drop in the repo rate is being countered by this week's rise in petrol price (again), but I suppose the monetary scales have to stay balanced by some form or another so let's not whine too much. Instead, let us know how well you're faring with the new cut - or whether you've noticed it at all - through our latest poll. And if we didn't have enough reasons to spend our hard-earned cash, the launch of several new malls around the country have given us plenty more, with the opening of the Melrose Arch Piazza in Gauteng, East London's Beacon Bay Crossing, and the Cape's new beachfront offering, Eden on the Bay, last week. Though I love the smell of a new mall in the morning, I can't say much for the destruction of prime shoreline to aid such a mercenary venture... but who I am to go 'green' when there is money to be made and keep to be earned...? POCit's MD, David Reynders, on the other hand, is putting in effort to save us some pennies by urging the Reserve Bank to liberlise payment systems, thereby making it faster and cheaper to bank. This would in turn open doors to the banking world for a large portion of the previously 'un-banked' in the lower income group. Cheaper banking rates; getting your salary on time, every time; any payment going through immediately, no matter which bank you're with... What a fantastic idea! Who's with us? Shan Radcliffe, Retail editor retailnews@bizcommunity.comResponses to this column welcomed in our new online editor's column archive. | Top stories
Retail
 [Proffesor Ndawonde] The price of 93 grade petrol will increase by 36 cents per litre at midnight on Tuesday, the Department of Minerals and Energy announced on Friday, 27 March 2009. Read more >>
 The first phase of the sale of 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets ends at midnight tomorrow, 31 March 2009 and a last-minute scramble is expected by FIFA. Read more >>
 The retail component of Eden on the Bay, a new mixed-use development situated right on Bloubergstrand's Big Bay Beach, opened its doors for the very first time yesterday morning, 26 March 2009. Read more >>
South Africa's annual Gross Domestic Product decelerated to 3.1% in 2008, according to the Reserve Bank's Quarterly Bulletin released on Wednesday, 25 March 2009. Read more >>
Japanese fashion designer, Kenzo's personal art collection of voer 1,000 pieces goes up for sale in Paris this year. Read more >>
[Asa Sokopo] Developers of the new multi-million rand shopping centre in Beacon Bay are confident of success, despite the gloomy economy. Read more >>
The latest Credit Bureau Monitor indicates that while lower interest rates and salary increases might ameliorate the plight of many consumers paying off debts, the percentage of consumers in good standing is continuing to fall. Read more >>
SA's quarterly financial statistics released on Tuesday, 24 March 2009, show that non-farm, non government turnover accelerated to a 14.2% year-on-year (y/y) rise in the fourth quarter, but dipped 2.8% between the third and fourth quarters of 2008. Read more >>
 Furniture group JD Group announced on Tuesday, 24 March 2009, that it has purchased a further 15% stake in Blake & Associates from the founding members, thereby increasing its controlling shareholding from 55% to 70%. Read more >>
 [Tim Cohen] Just over 10 years ago, South African Breweries (SAB), as it was then, listed on the London Stock Exchange, in a move that was bold, ambitious and risky. The company was one of six prominent South African companies that did so to escape exchange controls, improve their access to capital and have a stab at internationalising their businesses. Read more >>
Associations
The Milk Producers' Organisation (MPO) is about to restructure, it said on Friday, 27 March 2009. Read more >>
Banking & Finance
 [David Reynders] The Reserve Bank urgently needs to liberalise payment systems after holding bi-lateral talks between government and South African technological innovators. Read more >>
[Neo Semono] South Africa's Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is the Reserve Bank's new inflation measure, increased a little higher than expected to 8.6% in February 2009, reports Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). Read more >>
 Nombulelo “Pinky” Moholi, Nedbank's group executive: strategy, marketing and corporate affairs, and Rob Shuter, managing executive of Nedbank Retail, have resigned from the group, it was announced on Thursday, 26 March 2009. Read more >>
 [Neo Semono] South Africans, hard-hit by the increasing cost of living under the current economic climate, have been granted reprieve by the Reserve Bank which announced a 100 basis points cut in the repo rate on Tuesday, 24 March 2009. Read more >>
It is better to keep embattled customers in their houses through a debt remedy programme than have them lose their homes, FNB said on Monday, 23 March 2009. Read more >>
[Neo Semono] Economists have predicted that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will announce a 100 basis point cut at the least in the repo rate on Tuesday, 24 March 2009, after their two-day meeting. Read more >>
Brand news
 [Duncan McLeod] It was vintage Richard Branson in June 2006 when, out to maximise publicity for his new financial services and mobile phone businesses in SA, the Virgin founder and chairman leapt off a building in Johannesburg and copiloted a fighter jet across the skies above Cape Town. Read more >>
 South African food group Tiger Brands said on Thursday that unconditional approval for the proposed Sea Harvest transaction was given by the Competition Tribunal on 25 March 2009. Read more >>
 Nike is to stop shipments from three footwear factories in China and one in Vietnam. Read more >>
 [Nicola Mawson] Coca-Cola has launched its latest offering in SA — the energy drink, Glacéau Vitaminwater — making SA the sixth country in the world and the first on the continent to taste the new product. Read more >>
e-Commerce
[Nicola Mawson] The future is mobile, its reach will be far and wide, and you can have music wherever you go — but don't expect it to be much cheaper. Read more >>
Exhibitions
[Denis Pombriant] Economic realities are changing the way trade shows are handled. Microsoft's Convergence, most recently held in New Orleans, is an example of the old guard. Oracle's recent online conference illustrates the emerging paradigm, which is largely driven by budgetary concerns. Read more >>
The all-new Joburg Easter Festival, billed as “'A Great Day out - Every Day!”, makes its debut 3 - 13 April 2009 at the MTN Expo Centre, Nasrec. Over R5 million has been invested in a diverse entertainment lineup featuring top South African musicians, comedians, dance acts, circus performers, an award-winning Bollywood stage production and children's theatre. Read more >>
Health & Safety
[Nkosana Lekotjolo] The manufacturer of popular ointment Zam-Buk says it is losing millions because illegal copies of the product are swamping shop shelves. Read more >>
Hospitality
 [Sam Hungwe] Zimbabwe's retail giant, Innscor Africa, which runs a boutique of franchised fast food outlets across the country, is experiencing a brand crisis due to declining standards. This emerged from court documents following the arrest, made by immigration authorities, of Omer Rouben an Israel national recruited to head its brand loyalty division and revitalise the faltering brands. Read more >>
Import/Export
A Mozambican subsidiary of SABMiller has expressed concern about an increase in the number of illegally imported beers making their way into that country from Europe and South Africa. Read more >>
Logistics
[Neo Semono] State owned utility Transnet has signed a R4 billion loan agreement with the Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC) to fund the widening and deepening of the Durban harbour. Read more >>
Manufacturing
The Producer Price Index (PPI) in February 2009 has come in at 7.3% year-on-year, which is 1.9% lower than January's figure of 9.2% year on year, Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) announced on Thursday, 26 March 2009. Read more >>
 PPC SA's said its overall sales dropped 9.7% in the five months to February largely due to weakening demand in the residential building sector. Read more >>
[Mathabo le Roux] Motor retail industry stalwart Brand Pretorius has painted a bleak picture of the state of the franchising industry. Read more >>
Packaging
 The Pentawards, the global competition exclusively devoted to packaging design, will be judged by an international jury (Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific) composed of eminent marketing specialists and designers. The 2009 panel, which will once again be chaired by Gerard Caron, includes four winners of the 2008 awards. Read more >>
 [ActivRetail] Nampak Wiegand Glass is investing over R100-million in a glass recycling facility, the company announced on Thursday, 26 March 2009. Read more >>
 [Susanne Ault] Sony colours Mall Cop green; DVD launches new packaging initiative for studio. Read more >>
The recent announcement by ArcelorMittal of its intention to increase the price of tin plate by approximately 70% from April 2009 will pose a severe threat to the future of the South African canning industry. Read more >>
Regulatory
[Nicola Mawson] Drizzling virgin olive oil over a salad took a sour turn for many consumers eight years ago when it was uncovered that the olive oil was not so virgin, having been adulterated by other edible oils. Read more >>
[Sanchia Temkin] SA's Competition Commission is still cracking down on cartel activity following its many successes in breaking up cartels. Read more >>
[Proffesor Ndawonde] The Department of Trade and Industry has urged liquor traders to comply with the legal framework imposed by the licensing authority or face the might of the law. Read more >>
[Javad Heydary] Whether an individual is labeled an "employee" or an "independent contractor" may not carry much weight in determining the outcome of a legal dispute over copyrights. What's crucial to such arguments is the nature of the working relationship, not the label. To avoid the costs that often accompany such wrangling, it's best to establish copyright ownership before a project gets off the ground. Read more >>
CARACAS: Venezuela has begun an investigation into two paper companies, including US giant Kimberly-Clark, for allegedly skirting government price controls on products, officials said Monday, 23 March 2009. Read more >>
Research
The Bureau for Economic Research's (BER's) latest first quarter 2009 manufacturing business conditions survey reveals "extreme and broad-based weakness" in the South African manufacturing sector. Read more >>
Retail marketing
 [Chris Moerdyk] From a pure PR perspective, the Government's refusal to issue a visa to the Dalai Lama has backfired quite spectacularly. But, from a marketing point of view, it is a completely different story. Read more >>
Retail services
[Jim Frome] Software as a Service has effectively found its way into businesses of all sizes and could even be considered a mainstream technology by now. However, innovations such as SaaS take time to reach full adoption, and that adoption often comes in waves. Read more >>
[Dave Batt] The great promise of CRM systems is that they are supposed to give businesses a 360-degree view of their customers. However, if that view is limited only to the system in which it resides, the information isn't being put to its best use. Read more >>
Retailers
 [Sasha Planting] With 400,000 people in Gugulethu, the buying power in the Western Cape township is formidable. Read more >>
[Nicola Mawson] The founder of Pick 'n Pay, Raymond Ackerman, wants to sell discounted petrol to the public before he retires. Read more >>
 STOCKHOLM: Swedish clothing group Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) said on Thursday its first quarter net profit fell by 12.4% to 2,57 billion kronor (US$321 million) due to a weaker Swedish currency. Read more >>
 [Walter Wafula] Nakumatt Holdings a supermarket chain in Kenya plans to open its first outlet in Uganda in April, a move that is expected to result in reduced prices on some products amid stiff competition in the market. Read more >>
 [Siya Miti] Buiding materials retailer Hardware Warehouse (HWWH) has set its sights on an expansion drive into southern Africa over the next year. Read more >>
Esprit launches in the piazzaEsprit, the international lifestyle brand is going national by opening its first Johannesburg store at the stylish new Melrose Arch Piazza in April 2009. The store will showcase the latest women's and men's casual collections, as well as EDC - the trendy range with a more youthful appeal. “ Esprit offers affordable superior quality clothing that brings newness and style to life,” says the brand's marketing manager, Melissa Mussett. There are currently four other branches in SA - those in Cavendish Mall, the V&A Waterfront, and Canal Walk in Cape Town, as well as one in KZN's Gateway shopping centre.
Technology
[Ashley M. Heher] USA: Prepping for what it expected to be a difficult quarter, Best Buy made plans months ago to scale back inventories in order to avoid having to mark down old merchandise when new products were introduced. However, sales for February were surprisingly robust. Read more >>
[Walaika Haskins] It's Game Developers Conference (GDC) time, and that means plenty of news - some good, some great. Thus far, the most eye-catching announcements out of GDC '09 have come from two upstart hardware makers - one trying to bring console gaming to users around the globe, the other aiming to take the console out of the gaming equation altogether. Read more >>
[Peter Svensson] USA: Nokia, the world's largest maker of cellphones, is making a large investment in a California-based startup that wants to make the mobile phone the credit card of the developing world. Read more >>
 [Jeff Meisner] Is Sony Ericsson headed for dissolution? After years of mounting losses due to its failure to compete with the dominant high-end players in the handset market, it seems that may be the case. The US president of the joint venture has left his post, and rumors are sizzling that the house may come tumbling down. Read more >>
[Ryan Nakashima] Warner Bros. is reaching into its film vaults so it can sell old movies on made-to-order DVDs, in a move it hopes will goose sales of a vital product in a downturn. Read more >>
Big-wigs from the videogame industry began gathering in San Francisco, USA on Monday, 23 March 2009, to share tips and make connections in a sector proving resistant to the economic meltdown. Read more >>
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Retail marketing
In-store media is big. Rated number one by marketers as a promotional tool and advertising display in 2008 - this media category continues to be a major priority this year. Read more >>
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