Sweet and sour grapesLast week's proverbial fruits-of-our-labour basket has found some ripening nicely, while others are badly bruised... The repo rate and inflation have gone down again; petrol is also dropping (although by a paltry 3c per litre), with diesel tipping the scales back in favour of fuel retailers with another hike. In another win for the consumer, President Motlanthe finally passed the Consumer Protection Bill into law last week, but the new Act isn't likely to make things any easier on cash-strapped retailers. Financial results have been rolling in and New Clicks is boasting an 18.8% rise in headline earnings, while telemarketing group Verimark is suffering a 66% drop. And although Woolworths is sporting an 8.1% growth in turnover and some hot new shopping spots, the retailer is not getting overly excited, saying that trading conditions are still under pressure from the tightening of shoppers' belts. But with two major sporting events edging ever closer, there's hope for some relief as tourists start shipping in with their foreign currency; however winemakers have been foaming at the mouth over the bid to supply local wines for the FIFA Confederations Cup VIP fans. News of the tender hit the Wosa news wires on Thursday, giving producers only five days to submit their entries. Exasperation over this very limited lead time has been further fuelled by the stipulation that wines had to be "rated three-and-a-half stars or better in Platter's [wine guide]", as a number of producers refuse to have their wines graded by Platter. Only month end will tell the final score, but in the meantime, perhaps we should be thankful that the selection will be of homemade brew, and the tender hasn't been farmed out to international vintners. Shan Radcliffe, Retail editor retailnews@bizcommunity.comResponses to this column welcomed in our new online editor's column archive. | Top stories
Retail
 The second ticketing phase for the 2010 FIFA World Cup is set to start today, Monday, 4 May 2009 - and there are still tickets available for the FIFA Confederations Cup - it was announced late last week. Read more >>
Fountainhead Property Trust last week announced net income of R387,84 million for the six months ended 31 March 2009, up from R336,48 million during the prior comparable period. The group said significant capital projects include Kenilworth Centre, where the food court, Game and Checkers are complete. Read more >>
[Proffesor Ndawonde] The price of all grades of petrol will decrease by 3 cents per litre from Wednesday, 6 May 2009. Read more >>
 [ActivRetail] JWT Johannesburg recently hosted WPP's Global Retail initiative, presented by The Store's Gwen Morrison (CEO, Americas and Australasia) who heads up the group's division. Morrison shared her insights into the US retail market to demonstrate how these trends can be implemented in the South African market. Read more >>
Pioneer Food Group said on Wednesday, 29 April, that for the six months ended March 2009 its headline earnings are expected to be between 163 to 172 cents per share compared with 144 cents per share in 2008 - or between 13% and 19% higher. Read more >>
 [Zweli Mokgata and Borrie la Grange] Retailers have defended themselves against claims that they have not passed on the benefits of lower producer prices to consumers, but experts said South Africans are being held to ransom by the stores. Read more >>
Banking & Finance
[Neo Semono] The Reserve Bank has announced a 100 basis point cut in the repo rate, giving further relief to hard pressed South Africans. Read more >>
First National Bank (FNB) will cut its prime lending rate by 1% from 13% to 12%. The new interest rate will be applicable to all new and existing prime-linked loans, including home loans, from Monday, 4 May 2009. Read more >>
South Africa's Consumer Price Index (CPI), a method used by the Reserve Bank to measure inflation, dropped slightly to 8.5% in March 2009, reports Statistics South Africa. Read more >>
Brand news
 Global brewing giant SABMiller plc subsidiary company Southern Sudan Beverages has begun production of Southern Sudan's first locally produced beer, White Bull Lager. Read more >>
 Beauty product manufacturer L'Oréal is seeking to expand on its 100 years of business by entrenching its position in Africa, and designing products that will make African men and women feel beautiful, despite the global meltdown. Read more >>
LONDON: Reckitt Benckiser, the Anglo-Dutch household products group, said on Tuesday, 28 April 2009, that net profits surged 48% in the first three months of the year, helped by strong sales of cleaning goods. Read more >>
Nokia tightens belt another notchAs part of its campaign to cut costs across all of its corporate units, Nokia has announced further layoffs and restructuring plans. Among other things, the No. 1 handset manufacturer intends to place more emphasis on software application development in a bid to counter the increasing popularity of Apple's iPhone. Read the full article on E-Commerce Times.
Corporate Social Investment
 [Keitumetse Segoai] Montecasino Mall has become a popular destination in Joburg for those in search of fun and entertainment. Read more >>
 Hollywood star Christian Slater returns to Ulusaba Private Game Reserve to see the new classroom at the nearby Jeremiah Crèche. Read more >>
Distribution
[Bathandwa Mbola] The purchase of tickets for the eight-nation FIFA Confederations Cup has been made easier. Read more >>
e-Commerce
 [Sean Cook] Shipping can be an e-tail nightmare if it's not managed well. On the other hand, an effective shipping program can be a boon to the bottom line. E-tailers interested in setting up a cost-effective drop-shipping program should consider whether their e-commerce platform has the functionality necessary to do the job well. Read more >>
Hospitality
 [Sally Evans] A lucrative invitation to tender for the supply of South African wines for thousands of VIP fans attending the FIFA Confederations Cup in June has some of the country's wine makers in a froth. Read more >>
Manufacturing
 Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC) on Monday, 4 May 2009, advised that its earnings per share and headline earnings per share for the six months ended 31 March 2009 are expected to be between 75% and 90% less compared with the respective amounts reported for the comparable period in 2008. Read more >>
MBABANE: Four textile factories have closed down in Swaziland, leaving hundreds of workers unemployed in a country already battling high unemployment rates, a government official said on Tuesday, 28 April 2009. Read more >>
The Producer Price Index (PPI) for the month of March slowed down to an annual 5.3% compared to last month, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) announced on Thursday. Read more >>
[Mathabo le Roux] While the woes of the clothing and textile industry are worsening, an apparel initiative to promote a regional response to global demands shows that not everyone in the industry has surrendered to the grim outlook. Read more >>
Packaging
 Pentawards, the online competition devoted exclusively to packaging design, is open for entries from 1 May - 12 June 2009. Read more >>
[ActivRetail] The Sunbake range of breads has been given a packaging makeover to further differentiate the brand from competitors, enhance on-shelf presence, drive trial and keep up with popular bread packaging trends. Read more >>
Regulatory
[Sanchia Temkin] Big business should brace itself for soaring insurance premiums and higher production costs in light of new consumer protection laws. Read more >>
KUALA LUMPUR: After an almost eight-year legal battle, a Malaysian court has ruled that a local curry house did not infringe on the McDonald's trademark by using the prefix "Mc". Read more >>
 [ActivRetail] Following recent misdemeanours on the international olive oil front and a successful conviction locally following fraudulent labelling, the relevance of the Member of SA Olive Commitment to Compliance seal that was introduced by SA Olive in 2005 has been reconfirmed as the consumer's guarantee for quality when buying South African olive oil. Read more >>
Retail services
[Erika Morphy] Partner relationship management (PRM) has an intriguing business case: It applies the concepts and tools of customer relationship management to the business relationships that also affect a company's customer base. The problem with PRM is that it hasn't caught on - for myriad reasons, starting with its expense and difficulty in implementation. Read more >>
Retailers
[Nicola Mawson] Verimark has reported a loss for the 12 months to February and has yet to unveil its long-promised turnaround plan. Read more >>
The retailer New Clicks last week reported an 18.8% rise in diluted headline earnings per share to 80.3 cents for the six months ended February 2009 from 67.6 cents a year earlier. Read more >>
Food and clothing retailer Woolworths is revamping its look in a bid to offer consumers an experience of “discovery and excitement”. Read more >>
Cashbuild said on Tuesday, 28 April 2009, its revenue was up by 29% in the March quarter compared with the third quarter of the prior financial year. Read more >>
Supply chain
[Nicola Mawson] British American Tobacco (BAT) saved almost a third of its five-year cost-cutting target last year, pulling back £245m on top of the £1bn it took out of running costs in the five years to 2007. Read more >>
[Sashni Pather] Farmers' organisation Agri South Africa has called for a thorough investigation to explain dramatic food price hikes, encompassing all levels of the value chain from fuel suppliers to retailers. Read more >>
Technology
[Renay San Miguel] Sony is about to Wii-ify the PlayStation 3, according to the rumour mill. Sony's video game console boasts big power, but it's been outsold by Nintendo's Wii, which uses a wireless, motion-sensitive controller. Sony's said to be working on something similar. It remains to be seen whether game developers will take a chance on creating PS3 games that rely on a new input method. Read more >>
SAN FRANCISCO: French videogame star Ubisoft announced on Wednesday, 29 April 2009, that it is making a sequel to the 'Red Steel' title that debuted in 2006 with Nintendo's industry-changing Wii consoles. Read more >>
 Mi-Fone, an African mobile device company, plans to release it's lowest-cost handset to date in Africa during the second quarter of 2009. The Mi-X, which has a black and white LCD screen, sms capability, alarm and phonebook functions will retail at US$15. Read more >>
 The proliferation of next generation wireless infrastructure and digital lifestyle product is critical to the country's efforts to address a shortage of skills within the ICT sector. Read more >>
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Brand news
I&J has added a great touch of flair to the burger market with the introduction of its new lamb burger. Forming part of the I&J premium HomeStyle range of burgers, the lamb patties are thick and juicy and taste really delicious. Read more >>
Retail services
Hertz Rent a Car, a division of Unitrans Automotive (Pty) Ltd, took on two graduates as part of the Unitrans Automotive Graduate Management Development Trainee Programme. This is the first time that Hertz has participated in this sought-after programme within the group. Read more >>
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