 3 May 2010 |
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Butchers and bankers Butchers across the country put down their weapons of choice last week and instead picked up another kind of Cleaver - at the 2009 award ceremony celebrating the best of SA's butcheries. Meanwhile, out in the wine valley, another pairing other than food and wine was taking place, with the Great Wine Capital's Franschoek and St Helena (Napa Valley, California) signing an MoU to establish a mutually beneficial relationship. This 'twinning' agreement also includes restaurant wine and wine-making exchange programmes. With the World Cup breathing down our necks, security is being stepped up to Fort Knox degrees. But while the increased manpower aims to cover the physical world, how safe are our personal bank accounts from our own virtual ignorance? Email banking scams flood inboxes daily - I receive at least four a day, mostly for 'accounts' with banks I don't even belong to. These are easy to discard, but what happens when your own 'bank' sends you one? Legitimate emails always warn that the company would not ask you to input account details or access its website from an email link. One of the latest scams I've come across is one that actually uses this line within a fraudulent email. Instead, scammers offer a link to another 'partner' site that it claims will upgrade and enhance your security from phishing attacks. Don't do it! If you're ever in doubt whether the email is legit, phone your bank or forward the email to their security department and wait for a response. Always beware. Always be safe. 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 FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Francesco Marino. Top stories
RetailBest butcheries in SA The 45 winners of the 2009 Cleaver Awards - for meeting and often exceeding consumer expectations - were announced at a formal luncheon held late last week at the Southern Sun, Garden Court, OR Tambo International Airport Hotel in Johannesburg. Read more >>Advertisement:  PPI rises to 3.7% in MarchThe Producer Price Index (PPI) for March rose to 3.7%, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) reported on Thursday, 29 April 2010. Read more >>CPI falls to 5.1% in MarchThe Consumer Price Index (CPI) for March fell to 5.1% in line with market expectations. Read more >>Geoff Whyte quits Cadbury Following the takeover of Cadbury by Kraft Foods, Geoff Whyte, commercial director Cadbury Africa, Middle East, has announced that he will be leaving the company at the end of April 2010. He cites travelling as the main factor. Read more >>CPI expected to ease in MarchThe Consumer Price Index (CPI) to be released this week is expected to slow down to 5.1% year-on-year. Read more >>Western Cape craft excels at trade shows The Cape Craft and Design Institute (CCDI) is assisting four Western Cape craft producers in preparing to take part in London's Top Drawer lifestyle show from 12-14 September 2010. This is part of its export and local development programmes to increase sales for local crafters, who have racked up sales and orders worth over R1 million at several local and international trade and consumer shows this year. Read more >>AssociationsTwinning of Great Wine CapitalsTwo members of the Great Wine Capitals, Franschhoek and St Helena in the Napa Valley, California, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding accepting a proposal for a twinning relationship that promises to be a mutually beneficial relationship, as they are both prominent new world wine regions. This follows a visit to the US towards the end of 2009 by representatives of the Franschhoek Wine Valley. Read more >>Banking & FinanceReport indicates South Africa managed global financial crisisWASHINGTON, US; BERLIN, GERMANY: The main findings of an international comparative study by the Bertelsmann Stiftung on the crisis management and economic governance in 14 countries indicates that many emerging markets have responded more swiftly and successfully to the global recession of 2008/09 than advanced economies. Read more >>Brand newsVital launches sexual performance enhancer, immune boosting supplement On 13 May 2010, Vital Health Foods will be launching its first sexual performance-enhancing product, EnduraMax and MaxiC, a high potency immune boosting vitamin C product. Read more >>Marula, Rooibos welcome visitors [ActivRetail] Two limited edition Flavours of South Africa variants that combine two homegrown flavours - Marula and Rooibos - have been released by Ceres to welcome visitors. The limited edition themed packaging, designed by Cape Town-based brand activation agency, 34, proudly sports the South African flag to catch the eye of consumers and stand out on shelf. Read more >>Tiara 2006 available in magnum Simonsig Estate has launched its 2006 Tiara in a magnum gift box set. The 2006 vintage secured 4 ½ stars in the 2010 Platter Guide and the 750ml is sold out, making the magnum edition an even bigger ‘must-have' for any serious wine lover's collection. Read more >>LG - new address, new BEE rating LG Electronics South Africa, moved to its new offices last week and held an official inauguration, presided over by the Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Dr Gwen Mahlangu Nkabinde. It also announced it is now a Level 6 Black Economic Empowered certified company - reportedly a first for a company of its kind in South Africa. Read more >>Clothing & TextilesHigh prices make us fake[Jacquie Myburgh] About six years ago, when I was editor of Elle magazine, Louis Vuitton announced that it was setting up shop in this country. Read more >>Commercial propertyLeftovers ripe for the picking[Ian Fife] Liberty International is separating its blue-chip British retail malls from the rest of its portfolio and calling itself Capital Shopping Centres. The properties in Capital & Counties (C&C), which will be made up of the smaller properties from Liberty International's original portfolio, create another vehicle for SA investors looking offshore. Read more >>Commercial property in SA a global leader[Thabang Mokopanele] The South African commercial property market is enjoying a smooth ride to recovery with the recent Investment Property Databank results confirming that the local market has been one of the best performers in the global investment property arena, with a positive return of 8.7% last year. Read more >>CRMPriorities, people and the customer-centric organisation[Christopher J. Bucholtz] Chase the holy grail of customer relationships - that is, the scenario in which your customers feel like your employees are your partners. That means making sure employees are trained sufficiently to be able to offer advice as peers, and that they also know enough about your customers to provide valuable, specific, informed advice. Read more >>Don't forget B2B CRM[Denis Pombriant] B2B relationships are certainly different than B2C ones. Relations with consumers are more likely to take an emotional tone, for better or for worse. Businesses, on the other hand, make purchasing decisions solely for the purpose of making or saving money - it's nothing personal, it's strictly business. The two types of relationships both need CRM, it just needs to be applied differently. Read more >>Free seminar on customer attrition, retentionAt a free business seminar in Johannesburg on 29 April 2010 and Cape Town 30 April, expert in customer attrition and retention best practices, Goran Dragosavac, Practice Lead Analytics at SAS Institute, will provide executives a roadmap to effectively manage and keep their customers. Read more >>e-CommerceOnline boutique takes brave step with weekly sales [Michael Bleby] Blink and you will miss it. Click and you might win. This is the model driving 36boutiques, a high-end fashion retailer that officially launched yesterday, 28 April 2010. Read more >>ExhibitionsGreen building council conference in September The 3rd annual Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) convention & exhibition will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 20-22 September 2010. Sponsored by Nedbank Corporate, it will feature case studies of green buildings, updates on relevant government policy and a variety of networking events for industry professionals. Read more >>Green sustainabilityInaugural futurists' conference in Cape TownThe World Future Society - South Africa will hold its inaugural conference entitled ‘Imagineering South Africa's Future to 2030' on 6-7 May 2010 at the Pavilion at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. Chaired by Debora Patta, the conference will look at the energy, the environment, education and economics sectors of South African society and will map a vision of South Africa in the year 2030. Read more >>Health & SafetyOil manufacturer achieves international food management standards The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Food Safety Management System, developed over more than 30 years for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to ensure the safety of food products, has been awarded to Willowton Oil, manufacturers of Sunfoil pure sunflower oil and Sunshine D margarine. Read more >>HospitalityNews Café refurbished for Sandton rush The re-launch celebration of the News Cafe Sandton store took place late last week as a Night at the Oscars, hosted for South African celebrities. The 10-week refurbishment sees 100 outdoor and 150 indoor seats and a separate smoking lounge of an additional 25 seats. Read more >>Wine cellar opens at King Shaka International AirportThe Stables Wine Estate opens its airport wine bar and cellar at Durban's new King Shaka International Airport on Saturday 1 May 2010. Called the Stables Wine Estate Airport Cellar, it incorporates a shop; selling wines from its KwaZulu-Natal based namesake as well as a number of leading Cape wine farms and wineries including Groot Constantia, Haute Cabriere, Avontuur, Rust & Vrede, Waterford, Backsberg and Solms Delta. Read more >>Delayed by volcano[Rod Baker] The eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano had a massive impact on many spheres - from the airlines, to events, to travel, to health, import and exports, and more, and its impact is likely to be felt for a long time - and that's even should the eruption cease completely - which it hasn't! Read more >>LogisticsSuper Group ‘set to grow'[Artwell Dlamini] Logistics and transport company Super Group has indicated that it is poised for growth, less than six months after its R1,2bn recapitalisation helped it evade bankruptcy. Read more >>PackagingAustralia plans plain cigarette packsSYDNEY: Australia on Thursday (29 April 2010) said it would become the world's first country to ban logos and branding on cigarette packets, sparking a furious response from the tobacco industry. Read more >>RegulatoryConsumer Protection Act limps onThe first stage of implementation of the eagerly anticipated Consumer Protection Act is now only days away but the regulations that would give the new law teeth remain at large. Read more >>No froth in ASA decision on AmstelThe Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) of South Africa has ruled on three aspects of the complaint by SAB against brandhouse; two in favour of brandhouse, one in favour of SAB. Read more >>Visa Europe to cut debit card payment fees BRUSSELS, BELGIUM: The amount of commission consumers are charged for making payments in Europe using Visa debit cards is to fall, European competition regulators said on Monday, 26 April 2010. Read more >>Retail marketingEssential Hardware partners DIY show Essential Hardware will partner the fifth season of the TV series "DIY Met Riaan", hosted by South Africa's DIY guru, Riaan Garforth-Venter, better known as Die Nutsman. The series, which starts on Saturday 8 May 2010, will use the latest range of its house branded tools and equipment available from all stores nationwide. Projects will focus on affordable money-saving, eco-friendly options that create a healthier home environment for adults, children and even pets. Read more >>Dentyl pH, Women24 online, blog competition Entries to the Dentyl pH and Women24 close on 12 May 2010 and offer entrants prizes worth over R30 000 - including Mangwanani Spa treatments and Philips Sonicare power toothbrushes. The Ultra Cleanse Competition is online or entrants can also win hampers worth R1800 each week by posting a picture of the world's most kissable guy. Read more >>SA wine retailers must learn from Australian marketing mistakes South African winemakers need to learn from regions that have made the mistake of focusing on making wines, instead of concentrating on marketing them. This is the advice of Robert Bradshaw, a wine specialist and COO of New York-based wine importer Cape Classics, in a recent presentation to senior viticulture and oenology students at the University of Stellenbosch. Read more >>Zim: Supermarket chain reacts to rivals campaign[Dumisani Ndlela] TM Supermarkets has reacted to a market campaign by OK Zimbabwe aimed at increasing customer traffic into its stores. There has been a rush of customers into OK Supermarket outlets since its OK Grand Challenge promotion was launched last week, with thousands of dollars worth of prizes and discounts on over 80 product ranges from participating suppliers and manufacturers. Read more >>RetailersCashbuild opens more stores, expects recovery[Simon Mundy] Building materials retailer Cashbuild expected to wait a year for a significant improvement in trading conditions, CEO Pat Goldrick said yesterday, 28 April 2010, as the home improvement market struggles to shake off the effects of the economic downturn. Read more >>SecurityBeware banking scams via email[Louise McAuliffe] Conmen are targeting Internet banking customers with emails requesting updates on personal information. Read more >>Shipping & TransportFuel hiked againMotorists, who are still feeling the pinch of the March fuel price increase, should brace themselves for a further price hike on Wednesday, 5 May 2010. Read more >>TechnologyMultiChoice offers new bouquet Satellite TV company MultiChoice has announced it will offer its customers more value and choice by adding a brand new bouquet as well as several new channels. Read more >>Garmap for cellphones[Robert Quarshie] All is not lost if your vehicle does not come fitted with a state-of-the-art satellite navigation system. Read more >>Affordable TopTV through PEP PEP will launch its special introductory offer of R499 for the new South African pay-TV operator, On Digital Media (ODM), with its 55 local and international channels on its Top TV platform on Saturday 1 May 2010. Read more >>It's a pearl among smartphones Research in Motion is this week releasing what it calls the smallest Blackberry smartphone yet, the new Pearl 3G, which will be available in two models and several lustrous colours. Read more >>Classy new laptop debuts The Samsung R580 laptop makes a dramatic entrance with its glossy blood-red finish and scrabble-tile keyboard surrounded by sweeping red curves and lit by glowing-blue LED lights. Read more >>Kenya: New software solution targets small retailers[Carole Kimutai] As the battle for consumers rages on in Kenya, CompuLynx, an international IT and business solutions provider has unveiled iSMART Lite - a locally developed retail management software solution targeting small size supermarket outlets. Read more >>TrainingFree frontline training from Disney InstituteThe National Department of Tourism, in partnership with FEDHASA, has started 75 comprehensive service excellence readiness seminars in each province, including host cities, with the aim to register 250 000 frontline staff and 200 training providers within the tourism value chain and will result in improved customer service at no cost to the participants' bottom line. Read more >>
Brand newsDentyne's new movement - destined to bring back the smile! - Cadbury South Africa Open a fashion magazine, switch the TV channel to FTV or flip through a Facebook photo album and you'll probably notice there's a lot of pouting but not much smiling going on. In response to this unfortunate trend Dentyne chewing gum is launching a movement to bring back the smile. Read more >>Win fantastic prizes every month with Sasko Bakeries! - Sasko Bakeries You can win great prices every month with Sasko Bakeries! For more details watch e.tv, SABC 1, 2, 3 and DStv or see the in-store leaflet for more details. Read more >>ExhibitionsLet your brand be part of The Baby Expo success stories! - The Baby Expo – MamaMagic The Baby Expo, organised by Exposure Marketing, has over the last six years gained a loyal following from exhibitors at their show. Why do clients keep coming back for more? Some of these exhibitors relate their experiences... Read more >>LogisticsImperial Logistics awarded new BMW contract in Germany - Imperial LogisticsGillhuber Logistik Group, a 100% subsidiary of Imperial Logistics International's business unit, Panopa Logistiek, has been awarded the management of external warehousing and interplant transport for long-term customer and renowned car manufacturer, BMW. Read more >>Retail servicesSharp increase in bedbugs found in SA - Rentokil Reports of a more than 300% increase in bedbug activity since March 2009 pose a major reason for concern in the hospitality industry. Read more >>
United States: Adobe strikes back at Flash bashersAdobe has defended Flash following Apple CEO Steve Jobs' open letter earlier this week, which was highly critical of the Adobe technology. Adobe said Apple's position on Flash is strictly business and that Jobs' critique of Flash on a technical level is a smoke screen. Meanwhile, Microsoft has apparently sided with Apple on the issue, calling HTML5 "the future of the Web." 3 May 2010 13:40
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The Red Circus at Grand West RETAIL [Seagram Pearce] "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the Moscow Russian Circus!" the ringmaster's voice booms as the auditorium falls to a deathly hush. All eyes are fixed on the grey-headed man who now walks slowly to the centre of the performance ring, wearing traditional tuxedo and bow tie. The spotlights are fixed on him, as he slowly begins again. Do not be alarmed, we are told. We are about to witness the culmination and grouping of the world finest and most talented acrobatics and performing artists! One could hear a pin drop in the crowd, yet could feel the seething excitement growing in all present. Loud trumpet music follows on and the first performance begins with three Harley-Davidson motorcycles roaring into the ring. The crowd erupts in excitement.
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