April holidays choke retail sales

[Zweli Mokgata] Economists expect a further slide in retail sales when Statistics South Africa releases April's data on Wednesday, 17 June 2009. Read more >>

Project pivots on Montecasino

[Simpiwe Piliso] Developers are working around the clock on a new project in the Montecasino precinct, in northern Johannesburg, set to rival Melrose Arch, the city's biggest mixed-use development. Read more >>

Partnerships necessary to overcome economic crisis

[Neo Semono] In order to overcome the current global economic crisis, effective partnerships between government and business are necessary, says Sasol South Africa's chief executive officer Pat Davies. Read more >>

Africa's Gross Domestic Product to rise in two years

[Neo Semono] Despite the decline of global financial growth, Africa will be able to post positive growth in a year or two, according to a panelist at the World Economic Forum (WEF). Read more >>

One more day: Elle New Talent Awards deadline

There is only one day left for up-and-coming designers to get their entries in for the Elle New Talent Awards 2009 in partnership with Mr Price. The competition is held annually, searching for the best emerging designer in South Africa with the aim of helping them launch their own label. Read more >>

Speculation rife on Famous Brands talks

[Adele Shevel] Speculation was triggered yesterday, 9 June 2009, on the release of a cautionary by Famous Brands, the food franchising company that has well-known brands including Wimpy, Steers and Debonairs Pizza within its fold. Read more >>

Busted for infant milk

[Zinhle Mapumulo] A Marlboro shop owner was caught red-handed when police stormed his outlet and found 30,000 tins of state-issued milk formula that is supplied to hospitals. Read more >>

Global economic crisis to dominate WEF

[Neo Semono] Whether Africa will escape the global financial crunch unharmed will be the big question on African leaders' minds as they begin arriving in Cape Town for the 19th World Economic Forum (WEF). Read more >>

Vogue fights crisis with fashion celebration

PARIS: International editions of Vogue magazine plan a simultaneous "fashion celebration night" in 13 cities in September to fight off global economic blues, its publisher Conde Nast said on Monday, 8 June 2009. Read more >>

Alex Chamber begins mall protests

The first of a series of boycotts against the new Pan Africa Mall in Alexandra, north of Johannesburg, will start on Thursday, the Greater Alexandra Chamber of Commerce and Industry has said. Read more >>

Threat to close new mall in Alex

[Namhla Tshisela] The Greater Alexandra Chamber of Commerce and Industry has threatened “to close” the newly launched Pan Africa Shopping Mall until it was “fully-owned” by local residents. Read more >>

Estate leaps to sponsor BWA Awards

Leopard's Leap is the official wine sponsor for the Business Women's Association (BWA), Regional Business Achiever Awards that is taking place at the Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town on the 18 June 2009. Read more >>

Saucy new cook-in curry range

Denny has launched a new range of curry sauces as well as two additional flavours to its existing Cook-in-Sauce range. Read more >>

Wine packs a kick

[Sally Evans] South Africa's national soccer team is juicing up its image with a deal involving a range of wines sold under the Bafana Bafana brand. Read more >>

New snack break from Safari

Safari is launching a new range of snack bar, aimed at providing a healthy treat for children, the health-conscious, and active adults. Read more >>

Britain withdraws Aussie XXXX beer

SYDNEY: Australian Castlemaine XXXX beer, sold in Britain with a slogan that played on four-letter swear words, is to be quietly withdrawn from the country after a drop in profitability, its brewer said. Read more >>

R500m a year lost to pirate DVDs, CDs

[Itumeleng Tau] The SA recording industry loses R500-million a year to pirates, half of that on the streets of Johannesburg, says James Lennox, chief executive of a local copyright agency. Read more >>

Hong Kong lures African traders with incentive packages

[Carole Kimutai] The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is offering a HK$80m (US$10.3m) buyer sponsorship package for African traders as part of an incentive package aimed at increasing traffic to several international trade fairs in Hong Kong planned for the second half of 2009. Read more >>

Mzansi out of fashion week

[Edward Tsumele] The organisers of Arise African Fashion Week, African Fashion International, are embroiled in a row with one of their loyal participants in the event, Mzansi Designers. Read more >>

Fashion confederation needed

[Jacquie Myburgh] You have to be extraordinarily cynical not to be getting even slightly excited about the rising tide of soccer fever all over South Africa. Read more >>

Name change for ECR Conference

The hosts of the ECR (Efficient Consumer Response) Conference have announced a name change for the annual event in order to give a greater indication of the conference content. The event has now been branded the CGCSA Conference. Read more >>

Organic demand on the rise

High consumer demand for organic foods is propelling fresh fruit and vegetable sales across Europe. The latest European Market for Organic Fruit & Vegetables research report shows high growth rates have increased the market share of organic products above 5% of fresh produce sales in some countries. Read more >>

Cape Town company is world's top city tour operator

Innovation, customer service, branding and the use of technology were high on the agenda for the delegates who attended this year's Annual International City Sightseeing Conference and Awards ceremony that took place in Portugal from 30 May to 2 June 2009 - and a Cape Town operator beat the world's best. Read more >>

Textile import duties cut in state drive to help industry

[Mathabo le Roux] The Department of Trade and Industry has started to make good on promises to lower the input costs of strategic industries earmarked for support in the national industrial strategy. Read more >>

Malawi's AGOA exports tumble

[Gregory Gondwe] Malawi's exports to the US through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) have fallen for the last two years and government has said it will jack up its actions to improve the situation. Read more >>

Shipping companies say it is 'too early to talk of recovery'

[Artwell Dlamini] Even though shipping rates are recovering, local shipping firms say they have not yet seen “green shoots” emerging in the turbulent shipping industry. They warn that the industry still faces shrinking world trade volumes and a glut of ships. Read more >>

Industry seeks reprieve on tariff increases

[Mathabo le Roux] Manufacturers hit by the global economic downturn are urging the government to protect distressed companies from administered price increases, warning that higher tariffs on essential inputs would be “the straw that breaks the camel's back”. Read more >>

Chrysler, Fiat create new world auto giant

MILAN: Chrysler and Fiat on Wednesday, 10 June 2009, created a new global auto giant after the US Supreme Court cleared the way for their alliance in a milestone for the world auto industry. Read more >>

SA April manufacturing output drops

The physical volume of manufacturing in South Africa in April declined by -21.6% year-on-year (y/y) after it declined by a revised -11.8% (-11.7%) in March, data provided by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) on Wednesday, 10 June 2009, shows. Read more >>

Steel makers cut jobs, curb costs

[Mathabo le Roux] Manufacturers are still reeling from the drop in demand spurred by the global economic meltdown and a slump in commodity prices, and more job losses are expected as producers try to curb costs and restore profit margins. Read more >>

Hybrid production goes into overdrive

The world economy may still be in deep crisis and the global auto sector in the doldrums, but Toyota Motor's vice-president Takeshi Uchiyamada has some good news. Read more >>

AGI restructures to combat poor trading conditions

Manufacturer of value-add glass and aluminium products, AG Industries issued a cautionary on Monday, 8 June 2009, saying it is in the process of a major restructuring which includes reducing the group's cost base to place the group on a firm foundation. Read more >>

The long and short of toilet paper

[Matthew Hill] Bog-roll makers are once again causing a stink about illegal manufacturers. The seizure of noncompliant toilet rolls this week at a Spar in Randfontein has flushed out producers that don't follow regulations. Read more >>

Competition Tribunal to hear complaint against Pioneer

The Competition Tribunal will hear a complaint brought against Pioneer Foods by the Competition Commission, it was announced on Thursday, 11 June 2009. Read more >>

FIFA rains on soccer piggy-back riders' parade

Some of those hoping to make a quick buck out of next year's soccer World Cup have fallen foul of FIFA by using its trademarks. Read more >>

Toilet paper leaves consumers short

Regulators have warned the public about toilet paper being too short, following an investigation in Gauteng. Read more >>

Consumers see more retail closures as being inevitable

The shape of the retail landscape across Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the USA will undergo further upheaval before the current economic downturn is over according to consumers surveyed as part of independent market analysis firm Datamonitor's Recession and Recovery Research Programme which provides an up-to-date view on the effects of the economic downturn on consumers and business across 19 countries. Read more >>

'Gadget generation' emerging in US

SAN FRANCISCO: Research released Tuesday indicates that US parents are rearing a young gadget generation that is at home with smartphones, laptop computers, and videogame consoles. Read more >>

Two win holidays with Chappies

Dream holidays worth R50 000 each were won by two South African families in a Chappies competition that ran in February and March, the company announced yesterday, Monday, 8 June 2009. Read more >>

Surviving the downturn through social marketing

[Mike Talbot] The recession has altered consumers' purchasing habits in many subtle and profound ways, and marketers need to be aware of the new dynamics that drive their decisions. Cheesy and commercial is out. Quirky and grassroots is in. Done right, marketing via social media can be highly effective. The cost is negligible, and the potential - if your message goes viral - can be incalculable. Read more >>

GM's demise and the rise of CRM culture

[Denis Pombriant] Business schools have been discussing General Motor's loss of market share for decades already, and the added denouement of the company's bankruptcy filing will no doubt drive many academic papers for decades to come. Read more >>

Reviving a grande dame

[Sasha Planting] Marco Cicoria, CEO of Stuttafords, is one patient man. As a director of Stuttafords since 2000, he's been involved in two leveraged buyouts of the retailer, watched two CEOs come and go and seen the strategy for the grande dame of department stores come full circle. Read more >>

Lewis Stores jostling for dominance

[Sasha Planting] Lewis Stores CEO designate Johan Enslin has the face of a choirboy and the reserved manner of an accountant. He takes the reins from industry veteran Alan Smart in September, at which point, says Smart, he is “going fishing”. Read more >>

German retail giant goes bust

BERLIN: German retail and tourism giant Arcandor filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday, putting around 43,000 jobs at risk after Berlin dismissed the company's request for emergency state aid. Read more >>

Shoes with flair

[Liesl Hattingh] Local and overseas buyers are queuing to buy Wilderness shoe designer Lindsay Bennett‘s creations. “Women were fighting over the shoes, I sold every one of 200 pairs,” the owner of Lindsay and Co boutique label, told La Femme of her experiences at this year‘s Design Indaba. Read more >>

Inditex posts 16% drop in first quarter net profit

MADRID: Inditex, Europe's biggest clothing retailer and owner of the Zara brand, reported on Wednesday a 16% drop in first-quarter net profit as consumers cut spending in the economic downturn. Read more >>

Keeping credit card numbers well-Cloaked: Q&A with Fingerhut's Mark Lieberg

[Renay San Miguel] It's a fact that might not bring a lot of comfort to consumers and businesses, but it's true: The methods for protecting e-commerce transactions haven't changed a great deal since online shopping became a viable option in the early '90s. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TSL (Transport Layer Security) encryption are the protocols that slap on that little padlock you see at the bottom of a Web site once you've begun the purchase process. Read more >>

Agriculture important for Africa's wealth

Agriculture is an important element in Africa's wealth and governments should give more support to farmers, Zambian President Rupiah Bwezani Banda has said. Read more >>

Feed prices peck away at Rainbow's profit

[Artwell Dlamini] Feed prices have knocked Rainbow Chicken's margins from about 12% to 6%, the company said Tuesday, warning it might not be able to recoup feed costs this year given the persistently difficult market conditions. Read more >>

Desert locusts invade Somaliland

HARGEIS: Food security in eastern and western regions of the self-declared republic of Somaliland is under threat following an invasion of desert locusts, which have destroyed an estimated 3,000ha of farmland, officials told IRIN. Read more >>

Make careful choices for consumables

[Michael Powell] It's no secret that the original equipment cost for printers and copiers is only part of the overall cost, with maintenance and consumables making up the long-term costs of keeping the hardware running. There are a number of attractive grey market deals out there to keep these costs down, but are they really worth the risk in the end? Read more >>

Former iPod guru takes Palm's helm

[Renay San Miguel] It's no accident that the new Palm Pre smartphone is compatible with Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) More about Apple iTunes. The man who helped Steve Jobs turn the iPod and its online music store into a digital revolution is the same man who has helped design the Pre and its well-reviewed webOS operating system. Read more >>

Trio takes mobile multimedia to new level

Sony is showcasing its three latest releases in mobile multimedia technology - the Aino, Yari and Satio. These phones sport innovative new features to suit a variety of needs - from remote PS3 and gesture control for gaming fanatics, to a 12 megapixel camera for ardent snappers. Read more >>

Another South African retailer enters African market - Vuka Scuta

Within three years of its establishment in South Africa, national scooter and motorcycle retailer Vuka Scuta is now set to capture the African market. The expansion into the African continent beyond South Africa has been launched with Vuka Africa opening its first outlet in Maputo, Mozambique this month. Read more >>

Sphere assists with ‘What Brings Us Together' for ABSA - Sphere Animation Studio

The latest collaboration between Jupiter Drawing Room, Egg Films, Bladeworks and Sphere Animation Studio has produced a visual feast for football fans, reminding everyone that “It's what brings us together. Bafana Kaokela”. Read more >>

Hertz new appointments - Hertz Rent a Car

Hertz Rent a car has announced a number of new staff appointments. Read more >>