 22 Feb 2010 |
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Crafty design The hospitality industry has been up in arms over the proposed 2010 liquor bill and the need for establishments to apply for a special liquor licence. Michael Goldman, however, is cutting through the confusion and misunderstandings as he explains the specific FIFA guidelines. The DTI is also assuring the industry that the draft bill is not anti-business. The creative industry is descending upon Cape Town this week for the 2010 Design Indaba. Be sure to catch the weird and wonderful creations on display at the CTICC from 26 February. Martha Stewart is due to speak at the main conference this Friday and will be giving an exclusive presentation over breakfast on Saturday. Although some Bizcommunity.com readers aren't very impressed with the inclusion of the celebrity speaker, I think it could make for some entertaining viewing. I'm personally looking forward to receiving some tips on how to be a homemaker and do my taxes. Shan Radcliffe, Retail editor Please send retail news to: retailnews@bizcommunity.com Responses to this column welcomed in our new online editor's column archive. Image courtesy of Cape Craft and Design Institute and Eric Miller. Top stories
RetailCounterfeits on Zim's market [Dumisani Ndlela] Zimbabwe's manufacturers are grappling with a surge in counterfeit consumer products on the retail market, ranging from food items to farming inputs. Read more >>Sin taxes up, new measures eyed for alcohol[Angus Macmillan] Smokers and drinkers, you guessed it, your little indulgences just became more expensive again, just like they do every year! Read more >>Drinkers, smokers feel budget pinch[Gabi Khumalo] Drinkers and smokers won't be smoking the peace pipe with Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan any time soon after he hit them where it hurts most. Read more >>Retail sales up in DecemberRetail sales growth improved notably in December 2009, to -3.7% year-on-year (y/y) from -6.6% y/y in November. Read more >>South Africa scores at first Green Awards for drinks South Africa recently walked away with many of the awards at the inaugural Drinks Business Green Awards awarded in central London. Read more >>Centre expansion lures ‘big names' [Yolandé Stander] One of the Bay's most established shopping centres is set to become substantially bigger and will also be home to some “big-name” new tenants. Read more >>Banking & FinanceA well-anchored economic policy[Cees Bruggemans] The budget speech, announced Wednesday 17 February 2010, laid out a thoughtful approach to the reality we find ourselves in following the global financial crisis of 2008 and the deep recession of 2009 which also left its mark on South Africa. Read more >>Standard Bank uses community radio for money education Standard Bank aims to reach about 1.2 million people through its community radio campaign, which will be combined with a print and an intensive outreach campaign. Read more >>KCB launches multi-tasking ATM[Carole Kimutai] The Kenya Commercial Bank Group (KCB) has launched a quickserve ATM in the country. The new MCR's Intelligent Deposit ATM has a touch screen and is capable of handling cash in both Kenya shillings and US dollars. The ATM costs about KSh5.4 million. Read more >>Increase vendor deals for BEE ratingsAbsa Small Business is assisting corporates to create a database of reliable SME suppliers by offering procurement finance (vendor finance and invoice clearing), which will assist SMEs with their cash flow and enable them to deliver a better service to the corporate sector. It will also improve the corporate client's BEE score based on Preferential Procurement and Enterprise Development, which contributes to 35% of the overall score. Read more >>Brand newsBaxters Soups have packaging lift, new flavours [ActivRetail] Baxters, the family-owned, Scots premium-food company, has relaunched its range of canned soups. Packaging across the portfolio has also been refreshed to support the relaunch, with clearer labelling and a more distinctive and premium look. Read more >>New luxury jewellery brand for international travellers Jenna Clifford Fine Jewellery has launched a new brand campaign featuring top South African models, including Tansey Coetzee (Miss South Africa 2007), who are adorned with signature creations from the brand, which trades only in cut diamonds and precious gemstones to create customized pieces. Read more >>Clothing & TextilesSocial networking pulls mask from fashion worldNEW YORK, USA: High heels, catwalks and now... tweets. Social networking has burst in on the usually mysterious and elitist world of New York's Autumn-Winter 2010 Fashion Week. Read more >>New jerseys to bear star sign[Ramatsiyi Moholoa] The new jersey to be used by Bafana Bafana during the 2010 World Cup will have a star symbol on top of the South African Football Association emblem. Read more >>World's top fashion prize increased to €220,000PARIS, FRANCE: The coveted Andam fashion prize for emerging talent on Monday, 15 February 2010, announced a more than 25% increase in its endowment, to €220,000 (US$307,0000). Read more >>Commercial propertyNow is the time to buy property"For the past few years, we have seen demand exceed supply, but this will soon change. If you are thinking of investing in the property market, now is the perfect time - the more cash you have available, the more opportunities will come your way," said Norman Raad, from Auction Alliance. Read more >>Corporate Social InvestmentCan you help the environment?Collect-a-Can is searching for companies in outlying areas to become agents and assist in its can recycling projects. Scrap metal dealers, multi-recycling companies and/or any other businesses that are willing and have the infrastructure to assist, are encouraged to get involved. The agents would be helping their community while at the same time benefiting from being part of the network. Read more >>DistributionNew warehouse management system speeds up deliveryManhattan Associates of the US and local partner Supply Chain Junction have collaborated to provide Foschini Group with an order fulfilment platform. Manhattan's Warehouse Management Solution (WMS) has been installed in Cape Town at two adjacent distribution centres (DCs) of 7500m² to fulfil store orders for the Markham and Exact! clothing divisions. Read more >>e-CommerceOnline textbooks swap “We have realised that students fall into a highly pressured and over burdened niche book market. From now on, they can recoup some of their investment by selling their used books online. In addition, they can buy their next year's books online, saving time and money. We are confident that this e-solution is going to prove to be a fantastic solution to their problem,” comments Chris Fraser, MD of Grad Shack on the founding of the new online textbook exchange. Read more >>ExhibitionsWine show flows to the Lowveld Nelspruit and White River wine lovers will see the launch of the inaugural Mpumalanga Wine Show, to take place at Ingwenyama Conference and Sport Resort from 12 - 14 March 2010. Read more >>Second CCDI exhibition collection at Design Indaba The second exhibition collection of the Cape Craft and Design Institute (CCDI), featuring some of the best of Western Cape craft products, will launch its 2010 show at Design Indaba Expo, 26 - 28 February 2010, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). Read more >>Brandy Festival at Sandton SunStandard Bank's Fine Brandy Festival will be held from 5 - 7 May 2010 at the Sandton Sun, Sandton, Johannesburg. The festival will contain the largest collection of South African brandies ever assembled under one roof. Read more >>Thebe buys fashion showThebe Exhibitions and Projects Group (TEPG) has bought the International Fashion Sale (IFS) expo, which has taken place twice a year for the past 14 years. Read more >>FranchisingNew identity for franchise section of Retsol Java Brands is the newly formed holding company for the development and management of well-known brands Ola Milky Lane, Juicy Lucy, Chicken King and the newly introduced Java Heights Specialty Coffee brand. Read more >>Green sustainabilityGreen issue for trailers Truck and bus manufacturers have responded to the growing wave in awareness about the impact of greenhouse gases and rising energy prices by introducing hybrid technology into their product ranges, however, little focus is put on options available to operators from a truck body and trailer perspective. Read more >>Aloes await replanting at Mall of the North One of the main conservation focus of the Mall of the North, reputedly Limpopo's single largest commercial real estate investment, is to preserve the natural vegetation on the site by removing it during construction and replanting and rehabilitating it on the site on completion of construction. Read more >>HospitalitySoccer viewing not to incur heavy penalties at restaurants[Michael Goldman] Much of the media furore that has focused on the belief that any restaurant, pub or hotel planning to show any World Cup games will have to apply for a pricey special license, donate 2% of turnover to liquor authorities and submit a comprehensive security plan is another unfortunate example of misunderstanding the specific FIFA guidelines. Read more >>Import/ExportNo money in wheat [Shannon Sherry] South Africa's wheat farmers say they are going through their toughest period since agriculture was deregulated in the 1990s as the crop continues to trade at depressed levels. Read more >>Champagne sales plummet in 2009 PARIS, FRANCE: Champagne exports fell by 28% last year at the height of the global economic crisis in a "catastrophic" year for the industry, a French alcohol business body said. Read more >>Zimbabwe sees higher tobacco salesHARARE, ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe's annual tobacco selling season began on an upbeat note on Tuesday, 16 February 2010, when a bumper crop went under the hammer, attributed by industry officials to good prices and more farmers. Read more >>Ethiopian farmers to directly trade coffee ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA: Ethiopia on Wednesday, 17 February 2010, launched a direct bidding market for international coffee transactions to promote fair trade and boost the income of its impoverished farmers. Read more >>PackagingBraille packaging for medication Lipogen, a generic cholesterol lowering medication, is reputedly the first product to be launched in South Africa embossed with Braille for easy identification by the blind. For many years, the inability of the blind and partially sighted to read the labels and packaging of their medication has represented a serious health-risk to those individuals. Read more >>New labelling for Faircape yoghurts [ActivRetail] Faircape Dairies differentiates its milk products based on the well-being of the animals involved in production, and environmental friendliness of the facilities. It decided that its existing packaging for its fruit and smooth yoghurts did not accurately represent the product, specifically its quality, and appointed strategic design agency Liquidlab to execute a revamp. Read more >>Twinsaver launches new packaging "Over the last year, the company has conducted research that highlighted our consumer's readiness for a change of the Twinsaver packaging," says Hugh Wilson, marketing manager at Nampak Tissue, and the result of that research is a ‘new face' for the brand. Read more >>Is food labelling effective? It remains debatable whether the consumer is able to use the nutrition information provided in food labelling to its fullest potential. This is according to Dr Elizabeth Kempen, senior lecturer, Department Life and Consumer Sciences at Unisa, following a recent study by the Bureau of Market Research (BMR) at Unisa that investigated attitudes of shoppers of packaged food to food labelling and healthful living. Read more >>Regulatory2010 draft liquor bill not anti-business - DTI [Nthambeleni Gabara] The draft liquor control policy, which recently caused an outcry from liquor sellers, is not intended to stifle business during the Soccer World Cup. Read more >>Pawnbrokers to comply with NCAWith South African consumers under tremendous financial pressure, the pawnbroker business has seen quite a rise in individuals coming to lenders for financial assistance. Peter Setou, senior manager of education and strategy at the National Credit Regulator (NCR) reminds pawnbrokers to assess whether they have now surpassed the 100 agreements/R500 000 loan book threshold, and if so, to register with the NCR. Read more >>Row brews over Moroccan alcohol lawRABAT, MOROCCO: A row is brewing in Morocco over the sensitive issue of selling alcohol to Moroccan Muslims, which is banned by a law that is broken openly every day. Read more >>ResearchTransnet's rail capacity booster plan falls short[Artwell Dlamini] The country's captains of industry have given the clearest signal yet that they are not convinced that Transnet's multibillion-rand investment plan is adequate in creating rail capacity. Read more >>How the world's top 500 brands stack up The winners and losers in the global brand war have been announced in the Brand Finance Global 500 report dated February 2010 - Google is climbing, Microsoft slipping back and Coca-Cola extending its advantage over main rival Pepsi. Read more >>Outdoor research focuses on simplicity Following the results of a survey conducted by Continental Outdoor Media for its clients, the company urges creative agencies to think carefully about every design aspect starting with creative executions as research indicate that billboards reach 85.9% of the adult population, a figure exceeded only marginally by radio and TV. Read more >>Retail marketingP&G, PnP promotion sparks excitementProcter & Gamble (P&G) has partnered with Pick n Pay to create a competition which will give one lucky customer R300 000 tax free, paid as a lump sum. Read more >>SA wine is US Today's wine The NBC Today show, which attracts over 5.5 million viewers daily and is America's most popular morning television programme, included the South African wine, Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz, on its Valentine's Day themed insert titled Sensuous Wine and Chocolate Combinations. Read more >>Boosting customer loyalty with transition marketing[Neil M. Rosen] Two elements are necessary for a successful transition email strategy: recency and frequency. You want to send emails as frequently as makes sense for your business, but not so frequently as to annoy your customers. And you want to communicate with your customers as quickly as possible in response to actions they take. Read more >>RetailersClothing retailers see no quick end to sales slump[Michael Bleby] Clothing retailers in SA see no quick end to a slump that has battered consumer spending for the best part of two years. Read more >>Budget set to bring more consumers to retailersFinance Minister Pravin Gordhan's positive tax relief initiatives for the lower income earners will have some positive spinoffs for the retail sector, in particular food retailers, Shanay Narsi, BoE Private Clients' Retail Sector equity analyst, said on Thursday, 18 February 2010. Read more >>TechnologySmall business laptop "Small to medium business customers tell us they want PCs with bold yet professional designs, uncompromising durability and reliability with the latest technologies that meets their budgets," said Henry Ferreira, Lenovo country general manager. "Our answer is the new ThinkPad Edge family of laptops. They deliver stunning technology and powerful performance at an unprecedented value." Read more >>Is your website visible to local access browsers?Allen Brown, performance services consultant at Qualica Technologies, warns that the scramble by ISPs to offer bargain-basement internet access packages is changing the entire internet landscape in South Africa. Read more >>Cinema sound goes mobileLG Electronics (LG) and Dolby Laboratories held the first public demonstration of 5.1 multichannel surround sound on a mobile phone using the latest version of Dolby Mobile technology and an LG Android-based smartphone at this week's GSMA Mobile World Congress. Read more >>TrainingSponsors keep EduPlant workshops going for three years In 2010, Absa, Engen and the Woolworths Trust have committed R12m over the next three years to EduPlant, a permaculture food gardening programme coordinated by Food & Trees for Africa that encourages schools to cultivate their own food in an ecologically sustainable manner. The programme has been operating for the past 16 years across South Africa. Read more >>
Brand newsCelebrities power Times Square for Duracell - Fore Good Investments Celebrities and New Yorkers were given the opportunity to pedal for power at the Duracell Smart Lab in the lead-up to New Year's Eve 2010. The aim: to collect approximately 32 000 watt hours of power to light up the 2010 numerals in Times Square. Read more >>Retail marketingSecure mobile vouchers launched in South Africa - Mobilitrix The much anticipated launch of targeted and secure digital vouchers has been announced by Mobilitrix, with the objective of giving retail brands the ability to connect to the mass digital market. Read more >>Duracell Ultra Genius promotion powers in-store sales - Fore Good Investments Fore Good is running a back-to-school promotion - Duracell Ultra Genius - at shopping malls around the country until 28 February 2010. The promotion takes place in the form of school classrooms where consumers will be able to play an interactive brain game, win prizes and engage with the Duracell promotional teams. Read more >>
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What's your story? RETAIL [Sindy Peters] There's a deluge of motivational, self-help guides to a better you out there. There's an entire shelf dedicated at bookshops and libraries for these books. But how many of them actually work? I've never read a single one (until now); A, because I'm a generally happy person who believes the only person who can really help me be a better me is, well... me. Guy Buttery - living the dream RETAIL [Ruth Cooper] Acclaimed guitarist Guy Buttery is soon to be touring the KZN to promote his latest album Fox Hill Lane before jetting overseas for many exciting projects including collaborating on a world music project in Mauritius with acclaimed artists Eric Triton and Alhousseini and representing South Africa at Toulouse's Rio Loco festival in France. Luckily Guy managed to find some time in his busy schedule to chat to the BizLounge via e-mail before beginning his tour.
"Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned." - Peter Marshall "In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative original thinker unless you can also sell what you create. Management cannot be expected to recognize a good idea unless it is presented to them by a good salesman." - David M. Ogilvy "Lack of money is no obstacle. Lack of an idea is an obstacle." - Ken Hakuta "We succeed in enterprises which demand the positive qualities we possess, but we excel in those which can also make use of our defects." - Alexis de Tocqueville "Design is directed toward human beings. To design is to solve human problems by identifying them and executing the best solution." - Ivan Chermayeff Print - Print any item in this newsletter. Email - Email any item in this newsletter. Comment - Comment on any item in this newsletter.  | Advertisement:
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