Fishing for serviceRecession or no recession, the point of any store or service provider (be it a grocer, restaurant or an insurance company) is to try and sell its product. Isn't it? However, considering a few incidents I've been privy to these last few months, I'm inclined to think there are companies being funded by air and there isn't an economic crisis at all. Some months ago, a colleague decided to get a medical plan. It took almost three months and three medical aid providers just to get a quote. Two months ago, I headed to my local pet store to buy a new fish tank. The particular tank I wanted was missing parts, so the assistant took my number and said he'd get the manager to order the pieces and call me back. I've since made several visits and calls to the shop to find out about the state of my would-be purchase... and all I've received in return is one phone call and numerous excuses about sourcing parts. Now I would think it would be in the company's best interests to have complete stock on their floor - or at least a reliable supplier should inevitable issues arise. I would also think that R1800 for a plastic box and some electrical components is not something to sniff at, but this doesn't seem to be the case. Is there something wrong with my money? Why do I have to beg to buy something? Or are these people just not bothered whether they make the sale? If you've noticed your bottom line slipping, perhaps it's time to re-evaluate your sales and service team to find out who is working for you, and who is working against you. Shan Radcliffe, Retail editor
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Retail
 The Cape Winemakers Guild (CWG) celebrates its 25th annual auction anniversary on 3 October 2009 at the Spier Conference Centre in Stellenbosch. Formerly known as the Cape Independent Winemakers Guild (CIWG) Auction, the first auction took place in September 1985 in Rosebank, Johannesburg supported by Stephan Welz & Co. Read more >>Advertisement: Ongoing demand for trucks and capital equipment is expected to generate an excellent turnout at the next in the series of Park Village Auctions truck, trailer and agricultural equipment sales. Read more >> Anna Getaneh, founder of African Mosaique and former international model, will judge Elle New Talent Awards on 16 September as part of Sanlam SA Fashion Week, it was announced yesterday, Thursday 10 September 2009. Read more >>Lower confidence readings in wholesale and retail trade dragged the RMB/BER confidence index further down in the third quarter despite improvements in other sectors, says economist from Citigroup, Jean-Francois Mercier, in a note on Wednesday, 9 September 2009. Read more >> The Robertson Wine on the River festival is returning to the banks of the Breede River, Western Cape, during the weekend of 16 - 18 October, 2009. Read more >> On Friday 4 September 2009, the heat Hair and Beauty Awards acknowledged Clarins as one of the favourite brands, with the most awards voted by readers of South Africa's celebrity news magazine, heat. Read more >> The 35th Nederburg Auction, being held 11-12 September 2009, is offering 5,739 cases of 156 wines from 73 participants across various brands, estates and wineries. Attracting buyers from liquor licensees, restaurant owners, food and beverage buyers for hotels, guesthouses, game lodges and the supermarket retailers, the auction is already attracting pre-auction excitement. Read more >>Banking & Finance
Mobile payments company, Celpay Zambia will be hosting a mobile banking conference in Zambia. The two-day conference will be held in Lusaka from 16 - 17 September 2009. Participants will include government, regulators, major technology companies, mobile network operators and major corporates from the SADC region. Read more >> ‘Credit rescuers' are popping up all over the place, promising quick fixes to consumers. Some of these offerings are credit repairs, credit rescue services, or the promise to get debtors taken off a credit blacklist, but bad debts cannot be cleared unless they are paid off in full. Read more >>Mortgages of 110% are now available to low income earners, Absa said on Monday, 7 September 2009, as it adjusted its lending criteria. Read more >>Brand news
 Engen Petroleum, South Africa's refined petroleum products company, and Kenolkobil, an indigenous African petroleum marketing company in the East and Central African region, have signed a sale and purchase agreement to jointly acquire all the shares in Shell Zimbabwe (private) and BP Zimbabwe (private). Read more >>Pearly Bay adds sweet rosé to rangePearly Bay Rosé launched its 1.5l version of its popular 750ml brand at the Soweto Wine Festival, 4-5 September 2009. It joins Celebration White, Celebration Rosé, Cape White, Cape Sweet White and Cape Red, ensuring that consumers have a choice for every palate and occasion. “Pearly Bay Rosé will remain of a consistently high quality and the increased pack size will also ensure that the wine remains remarkably affordable,” says Uschi van Zweel, category manager for KWV Wine Southern Africa. Suggested retail price is R34.95 and the 750ml R24.95.  Following on from the very successful 2008 LG Life Tastes Good Cooking Competition, LG Electronics is again calling all the best amateur chefs in South Africa to enter their favourite recipes online with a photo of the dish. Read more >> Baby food brand, Purity has launched two new organic teas for babies and toddlers: Organic Rooibos & Strawberry Tea and Organic Good Nights Rooibos & Chamomile Tea. Read more >> NEW YORK, USA: US chocolate maker Hershey could jump into a takeover battle with a bid for Cadbury after the British confectioner rejected an offer from food giant Kraft Foods, the Wall Street Journal said on Tuesday, 8 September 2009. Read more >> Sony Ericsson late last week confirmed its adoption of the newly announced Sony brand message ‘make.believe' in all consumer communication in order to reinforce its entertainment credentials and collaboration with the Sony Group. Read more >>Commercial property
African Sun Limited announced on Tuesday, 8 September 2009, its expansion plans for its local and Zimbabwe operations to meet the influx of fans for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Totalling US$ 60 million, it will raise the hospitality group's capacity to 8500 rooms by 2012 from the current 3000 rooms. Read more >>Corporate Social Investment
 In the month of October 2009, Collect-a-Can hopes to break its 2007 Guinness World Record for ‘The Most Steel Cans Collected in One Month'. It is calling on all schools to register at their nearest Collect-a-Can branch. Read more >>CRM
Joining Discovery and Edgars, Absa clients are the latest to get benefits from Ster-Kinekor. It announced on Wednesday, 9 September 2009, that moviegoers get a 10% discount every time they use their Absa debit, cheque or credit card to pay for movie tickets at any Self-Service Terminal (SST) inside cinema complexes. Read more >>e-Commerce
 [Carole Kimutai] The arrival of the East African Marine Systems (TEAMs) fibre optic cable in Kenya has heralded a new era of better and faster internet connection. Business expectations have risen as well. Carole Kimutai spoke to Information and Communication Permanent Secretary Dr. Bitange Ndemo on how this translates into better business. Read more >>Exhibitions
NEW DELHI, INDIA: India is set to host its inaugural men's fashion week from today, Friday 11 September 2009, which observers say is a long overdue nod to a growing and lucrative market often overshadowed by women's clothes. Read more >> The 2009 Standard Bank Soweto Wine Festival showed a 20% increase in attendance, when 5520 people flocked to taste over 800 wines this past weekend (4-5 September 2009). This is an increase of 1000 on last year's attendance. Read more >> [Gwen Watkins] As a taste of what Hostex 2010, Cape Town will offer, Lynn Chamier, exhibition director of Hostex, invited select media to a Chef's Kitchen lunch at the Michelangelo Hotel Sandton on Tuesday, 8 September 2009. Read more >>NEW YORK,USA: Expect glamorous belts to be drawn tight when New York's Fashion Week kicks off this Thursday, 10 September 2009, with designers and consumers still hurting from the recession. Read more >>Exhibitors at the 14th Cape Homemakers Expo felt that the show attracted high-calibre visitors and they generated excellent leads and sales that will keep them busy for months. The 330 exhibitors at the CTICC watched more than 31 000 visitors arrive between 3 - 6 September 2009. Read more >>Green sustainability
Organisers state that there was a 35% saving in electricity usage at the recent Decorex exhibition at Gallagher Convention Centre. It was achieved through various methods, beginning with a communications campaign three months before the show. Read more >>Fittingly, Avis Rent a Car SA announced last week that at the end of an exhaustive two-year CO 2 emissions programme, it has achieved CarbonNeutral® accreditation for the offset of its internal fuel and energy usage CO 2 emissions. Read more >>Health & Safety
Plug-in Pest Free, an Australian product with a worldwide track record since the mid-90s, is now available nationally in South Africa through Global Solutions. A small box that plugs into the wall, it modulates a 50HZ signal (ultrasonic) that pulsates through the wiring of the building, driving out rats, mice and cockroaches. Read more >>Hospitality
 Cape Town's inner city will see the opening of a new 5-star hotel, 15 on Orange Hotel, in November 2009. It is the vision of developer Chaim Cohen of Quantum Property Group, in partnership with African Pride Hotels, the deluxe division of Protea Hotels, one of Africa's largest and leading hospitality groups. Read more >> The Taste of Joburg hospitality event is back in full force from 30 September - 4 October 2009, with a showcase of 16 of the city's best restaurants and top-end speciality fine food and drink companies. Read more >>Due to numerous requests for more time to prepare, nominations for the Hospitality Investment Conference Africa (HICA) Awards have extended the closing date until Friday, 18 September 2009. Read more >> The Cape Town chefs swept the boards at the 2009 Sunday Times Food Awards last Thursday, 3 September 2009. Henrico Grobbelaar of Lady Phillips restaurant is 2009 Sunday Times Chef of the Year, Leon Jones of the Table Bay Hotel is the Young Chef of the Year and Nerita Bharuth and James Gaag of Silwood School of Cookery won the Chef School Challenge. Read more >>Import/Export
[Artwell Dlamini] Vehicle parts suppliers have urged the government to help rein in the strengthening rand, which makes component exporters uncompetitive. Read more >> Instore media
[Kgomotso Mathe] In-store brands have become popular as cash strapped consumers trade down from branded products in response to tighter economic conditions. Read more >> Logistics
 [Artwell Dlamini] Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan faces crunch time tomorrow after being called to appear before Parliament to explain her handling of the succession process at Transnet and the suspension of Siyabonga Gama, CEO of the Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) division. Read more >> Transport parastal Transnet on Thursday, 10 September 2009, announced that Sipho Maseko would no longer be available as the preferred candidate for the vacant position of Group CE at Transnet Limited. Read more >> COPENHAGEN, DENMARK: Damco, one of the world's largest providers of freight forwarding and supply chain management, has integrated the company's supply chain management activities, previously branded as Maersk Logistics, into the Damco name from Monday, 7 September 2009. Read more >>[Artwell Dlamini] Sibanye Trade Services, the black economic empowerment group mentioned in the matter of suspended Transnet executive Siyabonga Gama, yesterday, 7 September 2009, denied claims that it was responsible for delays in delivering 50 refurbished locomotives. Read more >> Manufacturing
Manufacturing production for July fell by 13.7% compared with July 2008, Statistics South Africa announced on Thursday, 10 Septemer 2009. Read more >> Global brewing giant SABMiller Plc announced on Tuesday, 8 September 2009, that it had been granted a license by the Namibian government to brew and bottle beer in Namibia. Read more >>Merchandising
 To commemorate the Vodacom Bulls record-breaking 61-17 victory in the 2009 final over the Chiefs, Red Heart Rum is releasing 2009 cases of Limited Edition Bulls-branded Red Heart Rum, available at retail outlets in and around Pretoria from mid-September 2009. Read more >>Packaging
 Absolut Vodka Rock Edition is being launched globally this month and the campaign has been activated through capturing Grammy-award winning Australian rock band Wolfmother, through the lens of acclaimed photographer, Danny Clinch. Read more >>Regulatory
[Zweli Mokgata] Pioneer Foods faces the cold reality of paying a R1-billion fine after a bruising battle with the Competition Commission. Read more >> [Nthabisang Moreosele] A feature of downtown Johannesburg in Simmonds Street is the number of smokers decorating the doors of smart buildings, puffing away like mad. Read more >> BASRA, IRAQ: Alcohol vendors among the shrinking Christian community of Iraq's mostly Shiite southern oil hub of Basra fear for their future after city councillors banned the sale of alcohol. Read more >>KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Malaysia's highest court said it will consider on Tuesday, 8 September 2009, whether to allow US fast food giant McDonald's to pursue an eight-year trademark battle against local eating house "McCurry". Read more >>Research
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM: Accenture Media Services today, Friday, 11 September 2009, is presenting figures to the European Commission which show the extent to which companies have voluntarily restricted the foods they advertise to under-12s altogether or only to ‘better for you' options. According to the data, the food industry has significantly changed the types of products it advertises to children across the EU. Read more >>Trade conditions in South Africa are set on a path of recovery, according to a survey by the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI). Read more >>Retail marketing
[Matebello Motloung] Though not entirely recession-proof, sports brands across soccer, golf, motoring and basketball are proving that even in times of financial uncertainty, their fans won't let them down. Read more >> Retailers
 ROME, ITALY: The US clothing group Levi Strauss on Thursday, 10 September 2009, inaugurated its largest store ever, choosing the heart of Rome as its venue and announcing plans to open further outlets in other world capitals. Read more >> Brothers Morris and Eli Ross opened Edgars (named for Swan and Edgar of Piccadilly London) in Joubert Street Johannesburg on 6 September 1929 and Eli Ross is credited with being the first to offer ‘six-months-to-pay' credit during a spring sale. Read more >> Gugulethu Square, a R350 million shopping mall development, is offering jobs to local residents through an online facility, Jobs@Gugs. Read more >>Shopfitting
[Gregory Gondwe] The Bata Shoe Company is celebrating its over 115 year survival in the business of making footwear by refurbishing its 32 shops across Malawi - a venture that will cost K50 million. Read more >> Technology
 Earlier this month, Sony Ericsson launched the action-packed Extra Man website for all 2010 FIFA World Cup fan content needs. Read more >> The new Blackberry Curve 8520 smartphone launched in South Africa on Wednesday, 9 September 2009, for both MTN and Vodacom customers. Read more >>[Carole Kimutai] SEACOM and the East African Marine Systems (TEAMS) undersea fibre optic cables went live about a month ago but internet consumers in Kenya are yet to enjoy price cuts. The arrival of the much hyped fibre optic cable raised expectations amongst Kenyan consumers who were looking forward to faster speeds, more bandwidth and cheaper connectivity costs. Read more >> PARIS, FRANCE: Forming part of the MIPCOM exhibition taking place in Cannes, 5-9 October 2009, will be the inaugural Games2TV2Games Summit on Monday 5 October, a new global stage for buying, licensing, creating and commissioning online games. Read more >>Training
 The non-profit community-based organisation Proudly Manenberg, led by vice chairperson Mario Wanza, recently hosted 35 students from the UCT Graduate School of Business's Raymond Ackerman Academy on a tour of Manenberg. Read more >>Retail services
There are only three more weeks left until the start of Quo Vadis Communications' Organisational Communications course begins in Cape Town. The six-day course runs over two sessions of three days each, with the first session beginning on 28th September. Read more >>
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