 25 Oct 2010 |
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Woolies wobbles, wiltsSo what exactly was it? A promotion gone wrong, a genuine business decision... or a shot in the foot with a blunderbuss? You can take your pick after Woolworths made what seems to have been a perfectly sane decision to get shot of its Christian magazines that are not selling - in other words, probably all of them.
It's difficult to come up with a suitable comparison of something that could have generated the same level of anger. Instantly, the more vocal of our Christian community sprang into action, threatening a very unholy boycott of the retailer's stores. If Woolies did not rescind their decision there would be fire and brimstone and wailing and gnashing of teeth. So, the retailer's management did the 'right' thing and the mags are back on the shelves - presumably to once again be ignored by the vast majority of Christians passing through the store. And why would we suggest they actually ignore the magazines? Well... One is afraid to ask, but we're going to anyway... If all the Christians who flooded Susman's inbox with a tirade actually bought their weekly ration of religion from Woolies, the magazines would sell well. Right? Wrong! They don't - so they aren't. So... what comes next? Now that the retailer has set a bit of a precedent, will we also see other religious groups threatening a boycott if their magazines aren't stocked? If they do, it won't be much good Woolies saying it is not their policy to stock such magazines - since whatever that policy is, they are stocking the publications. On the bright side, at least the media had some pun with Woolies. Rod Baker, General Manager: Content Please send retail news to: retailnews@bizcommunity.com Responses to this column welcomed in our new online editor's column archive. Top stories
RetailWoolies wilts in faith-off NEWSWATCH: The chain's Christian customers are full of joy at the news that Woolies has faithed facts and repented and will not be pulling religious magazines from its shelves after all, reports Times Live and IOL, but wait... what's this about policy? as reported in IOL? Meanwhile, Exclusive Books has made it known to the highest authority that it still has a faith place on its shelves, reports Between 10 and 5 Read more >>Advertisement:
 Banking & FinanceInsurance firms flush in 2010South African insurance companies recovered significantly in 2010, with some celebrating their best financial year ever despite a depressed economy much of last year, said Hollard Insurance on Sunday. Read more >>FNB, PayPal's most innovative payment app winners in SA Niel Koekemoer and Werner Janse van Rensburg are the winners of the First National Bank (FNB) and PayPal award for the most innovative application using PayPal's payment platform. Read more >>Proposed NHI budget requires improbable economic growth A research report released this week by Econometrix shows the ANC's proposed budget for a National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme requires exceptionally high economic growth of 7% per annum and, if implemented in its current form, could squeeze out other forms of spending such as education, housing and productive infrastructure. Read more >>Male drivers get lost - it's a fact Although male and female motorists drive a similar number of kilometres while lost each year, the old jokes about men being less inclined to ask for directions appears to be true. Read more >>FNB Life gets insurance CEO FNB Life, one the fastest growing businesses in the FirstRand Group, has appointed Dushen Naidoo as CEO, formerly the divisional director in charge of product management within Retail SA at Liberty Life with 12 years' experience in corporate and retail banking. Read more >>Brand newsKWV wins German awardThis year KWV received three gold medals at the MUNDISvini International Wine Award; for Sauvignon Blanc 2009; Orchestra 2008 and Cathedral Cellar Pinotage 2008. The awards, held annually in Neustadt, Weinstrasse, Germany, are reportedly the largest officially recognised international wine competition held under the patronage of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (O.I.V.) for wines from all wine-growing regions in the world. All wines are available at KWV Wine Emporium and at selected retail outlets nationwide.New teas from Freshpak Freshpak has launched three new speciality teas having reportedly specific health solutions. Read more >>X/procure signs Pharmachem, re-launches Canova Canova, the immune response modifier is back in South Africa and is now being marketed and distributed by Pharmachem Pharmaceuticals. To spread the word to pharmacists and ultimately to consumers, manufacturer Pharmachem has signed with X/procure to heighten awareness through its pharmacy network. Read more >>Speedo swims into Cape Town Canal Walk Cape Town will see the launch of the first Speedo concept store to launch in Africa in November 2010, providing a prototype for all new Speedo concept stores across the globe. Read more >>KZN gets wiredThe new DionWired store at the Galleria Shopping Centre in Amanzimtoti is designed around a unique lifestyle concept with wide aisles and information screens complete with product and pricing information. It has product categories that include audio visual, photographic, Blue-Ray movies, office equipment, telecommunications, computer hardware and software, gaming and cellular phones and accessories. It opened on 20 October 2010 and is the second concept store to open in KwaZulu-Natal and the 11th in the country.New flavour Coco Pops Kellogg's Coco Pops have been launched in a new flavour, Choc'O's, a chocolate flavoured multi-grain cereal with fibre. Read more >>New winemakers in Western Cape, KwaZulu-NatalGraham Beck Wines has appointed Pieter Ferreira as winemaker for its still wines and Méthode Cap Classique. Read more >>Telkom's 8ta opens doors with competitive rates [Gareth Vorster] As telecommunications group Telkom opened its mobile arm, 8ta, for business on Monday, growth partnership company Frost & Sullivan said it expected South Africa's fourth mobile player to shake up pricing in the sector. Read more >>Third MWeb store opens As part of MWeb's strategy to help educate the public about the Internet and improve its customer support, it opened its third retail store in Centurion Mall on Friday 15 October 2010. Read more >>The write stuff - the new Parker pens Parker has released its new pen range in South Africa, aimed at the top sector of the market in the price range of R250 to R800. The image has been updated, and the company has changed the look and feel of its packaging including gift boxes to coincide with its introduction of a new range of pens. Read more >>Latest edition of Crush! launched Michael Olivier, Cape Town wine writer and broadcaster, has just released the third edition of his free online digital magazine, Crush! Read more >>Commercial propertyOwn your own vineyard row The Stables Wine Estate, KwaZulu-Natal, has launched Adopt-A-Row, which gives people the chance to become "custodians", having their own little piece of a vineyard in Africa. Read more >>What's up with Arabella?What has happened to the sale of the luxury chain of Arabella hotels in the Western Cape? Read more >>Corporate Social InvestmentShoprite feeding programme serves five million The Shoprite Group's national feeding programme has now served a total of five million cups of soup and bread to needy South Africans. It has also reached out to communities when disaster- and humanitarian-relief efforts are needed. Read more >>SABCOHA leads business sector response to national HCT campaign The South African Business Coalition On HIV/AIDS (SABCOHA) this week unveiled two important elements of the Business Sector HCT strategy. A specially-designed web-based HCT reporting tool and the SABCOHA Community Fund are important building blocks for the implementation of an effective business sector response to support the achievement of Government's HCT targets. Read more >>New classrooms in Delft from Container Project The Container Project, an initiative of Breadline Africa, supplier of converted containers for poverty relief in southern Africa, has supplied three containers to the Delft, Cape Town, community, which arrived refurbished and equipped with an ablution facility and two classrooms. Since 1993, the NGO has provided more than 130 containers to poverty-stricken communities. Read more >>Exhibitions & EventsLeaders in Business breakfast with AckermanThe Leaders in Business event, presented by MTN at the CTICC on 26 November 2010 at 7.30am, will feature Raymond Ackerman as its principal participant, with Suzanne Ackerman-Berman, head of transformation at Pick n Pay as a member of the interactive dialogue panel. Read more >>Mall competition improves footprint Hemingways Mall in East London has announced the winners of its Photogenic Competition, which encouraged contestants to visit the participating photo studios, Pollocks Kodak Express, Jacobs Photography & Jean Paul Photography and enter in one of seven age groups receiving prizes to the value of R50 000. Read more >>KickStart expo: You're invitedThe South African Breweries KickStart programme invites members of the public to a small business expo. The expo will showcase a few of the over 3200 youth black-owned businesses that SAB has given a kick-start over the past 15 years. Read more >>Jesse Desjardins at E Tourism conference International digital strategist, Jesse Desjardins will address the third E Tourism Africa Summit, taking place at the CTICC 25-26 October 2010. Fresh from Paris, he brings insights on what the biggest brands are doing online and how to embrace social media as the biggest marketing opportunity of our time. Read more >>Joburg 2010 International Stamp Show The Joburg 2010 International Stamp Show, open from 27-31 October 2010 at the Sandton International Convention Centre, Johannesburg, is the first international exhibition in SA since 1998 and the first exhibition in Africa that is fully recognised by the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP), the international governing body for world philately. Read more >>Cape Town to host International Egg ConferenceCape Town has won its bid to host the Conference of the International Egg Commission (IEC) in 2013. Since April, 2010, Cape Town has won 10 association conferences with an estimated economic impact of R119.5 million. Read more >>SA Sommelier World Cup goes to US The results of the inaugural Wines of South Africa Sommelier (WOSA) World Cup, which originated in Cape Town to encourage international knowledge on South African wines, were announced on Saturday 16 October 2010. "We wanted to capitalise on the international focus on South Africa and the soccer tournament in the lead-up to the games by creating a contest for professionals to test their understanding of South African wines," explains WOSA CEO Su Birch. Read more >>HICA Awards - finalists announced The finalists in the 2010 Hospitality Investment Conference Africa (HICA) awards have been announced. This follows a rigorous judging process by a panel of hospitality industry experts, audited by Grant Thornton. Read more >>FranchisingSocial media is the marketing platform of the future A presentation to the Franchise Association has revealed that small business owners are treading a dangerous path if they ignore the opportunities presented by social media. Read more >>Green sustainabilitySome light relief from Serco The Serco trailer plant in Durban has replaced portions of its roof with clear polycarbonate sheeting and installed rainwater tanks to reduce its carbon footprint, as part of its green philosophy of building environmentally friendly vehicles. Read more >>LogisticsValue Group delivers results Headline earnings are up 7% for Value Group for six months ending 31 August 2010, its BEE scorecard puts it as a level 4 BBEE contributor and gross profits are up 13% at R324.1 million. A dividend of six cents per ordinary share has been declared. Read more >>PackagingPackaging awards finalists announced The final four selections in the 2010 Pyro Inspirations Awards, created to recognise and reward exceptional on-pack activity and to establish on-pack as a standalone media category, have been added to the other 19 candidates for the award evening on 4 November 2010 at the Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town. Read more >>ResearchFNB releases August building stats FNB released the latest statistics on the building industry yesterday 20 October 2010 for the period up to 31 August 2010. Read more >>Research participants wanted for advergaming studyLittle research on the use of advergames in South Africa exists and Bianca Wright, a doctoral student at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, is hoping to address this research gap through her doctoral work. Read more >>Retail marketingWho mugged the Bean? [Michael Said] It was with great interest that I read Chris Moerdyk's recent column on the changes at Mugg & Bean as I am "his marketing manager Mike" whom the first commenter mentioned. All brands develop over time and in fact my motto when running the marketing department was "constant renewal through innovation" but where did M&B slip up, if it has slipped up at all? Read more >>RetailersAnother bleak Christmas?[Hekiso Anthony Lefifi] Retailers are bracing themselves for another "bleak" festive season as a result of tough trading conditions and subdued consumer spending prospects. Read more >>Media has pun with Woolies NEWSWATCH: Oh joy, you could bet your leef the media would have a pun time with the Woolies/Christian magazines saga so Bizcommunity decided to gather a few for you (not forgetting a couple of our own, naturally) while keeping you up-to-date with the latest developments. We have also added some serious advice and analysis for the benefit of those who would not like to endure what has just happened to Woolies. Read more >>South Africa needs more mallsSA has more than 1617 formal shopping centres ranging from 1000m² to 150 000m² - and developers believe more are needed. Read more >>SecurityChoosing an accountant who is a technophobe is risky Most small to medium companies have chosen their accounting firms based on price and, quite often, the company's ability to minimise tax payments. The smart business owner, however, will need to look at other key indicators if they want to minimise their own risk exposure. Read more >>Supply chainSAPICS regional conferences offer international change management speaker The upcoming SAPICS (The Association for Operations Management of Southern Africa) regional conferences in Cape Town and Durban, taking place in Durban on 28 October 2010 and in Cape Town on 5 November include international change management specialist Dr Sherrie Ford. Read more >>TechnologyNegotiating telecoms contracts - are you getting the best value? [Steven Woods] Telecommunications form a vital part of doing business today, and in many organisations the cost of this can be in excess of 2% of the company's turnover, or even more in organisations that spend time proactively contacting customers and prospects. Read more >>Business analysis essential in IT [Trevor Ndobela] Business analysis is an element that enhances an organisation's competitiveness through deep understanding of a particular sector and its competition. However, it is also vital in IT, as one of the primary reasons for IT project failures is the lack of proper analysis that goes into defining the direction of a certain project. Read more >>The dynamic cloud has arrived [Roelof Louw] A recent report by research authority, Gartner, cites that cloud computing is transforming the market as the technology service meets the needs of today's key business requirements: flexibility, scalability and agility, which in turn leads to quicker time-to-market and a competitive edge. Read more >>Improving service delivery: not just about improving technology [Edward Carbutt] Improving service delivery has become a major focus for businesses in South Africa, due in large part to recent regulations and guidelines that advocate better business practice and improved sustainability, amongst other things. Read more >>
Finding a good story for Google in China will be difficult [Andreas Pouros] Finding a good story for Google in China is going to be tough - Screen Digest's figures from earlier this year show Google accounted for 33% share of the Chinese search market, behind Baidu. Read more >>Europe: Eat Pray Love book sales increase with theatrical release NUREMBURG, GERMANY: Latest findings of Media Control GfK International show that release of movie boosts sales of book on which it was based. Read more >>No cost tagging of website server data in Hong Kong, Taiwan HONG KONG, CHINA: comScore, Inc announced yesterday, 21 October 2010, that it will offer free participation in Media Metrix 360 to online publishers in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Read more >>PR Newswire acquires leading French PR data provider PARIS, FRANCE/ LONDON, UK: In line with its strategy of providing PR and corporate communicators with the tools to engage their audiences on a global basis, the acquisition of Hors Antenne by PR Newswire aims to significantly strengthen its reach in the European French-speaking markets. Read more >>Adobe unveils new Acrobat X solutions SAN JOSE, US/JOHANNESBURG, SA: Adobe Systems Incorporated this week introduced the Adobe Acrobat X software family - Acrobat X, Reader X, the Acrobat X Suite and new document exchange services at Acrobat.com - designed to empower professionals to innovate and create higher quality content, driving tighter collaboration and productivity across teams in today's dynamic business environments. Read more >>More International news...
Brand newsPillsbury ™ and Nicoletta win Gold at the JHB Good Food and Wine Show - General Mills Pillsbury ™ and Nicoletta won gold at the recent Johannesburg Good Food and Wine Show (GFWS) for the Most Interactive Stand. Read more >>Vital Health Food launches anti-allergy supplement - Vital Health Foods Vital Allergy Ease, a high-potency, anti-allergy herbal, multi-vitamin and -mineral supplement is a condition-specific supplement developed by Vital Health Foods. It's scientifically developed to support relief from hay fever and sinusitis symptoms, as well as allergic reactions caused by dust, pollen, feathers and other environmental factors. Read more >>
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R-Class Mercedes-Benz QE2 [Henrie Geyser: motoring editor] Mercedes-Benz has dabbed some fresh make-up and applied the nip and tuck scalpel to freshen up the looks of its revamped, family-hauling R-Class station wagon and it has also added some new high tech goodies. Read more >>Nissan's awesome diesel Top Guns [Henrie Geyser: motoring editor] In off-road terrain combat Nissan has proved its ability over and over with its tough Navara - and now this veteran of bundu-bashing is set to become an even more respected opponent, thanks to an almighty new V6 3.0-litre diesel linked to the first seven-speed automatic transmission in the 1-ton market segment. Read more >>Nissan's powerful, smooth new V6 diesel engine [Henrie Geyser: motoring editor] Each year, Nissan produces more than a million V6 engines, making the company the most prolific V6 producer in the world. The VQ series of petrol V6 engines fitted on vehicles such as the Murano, 370Z, Pathfinder and Navara have won many accolades and fans over the years. Read more >>More Motoring news...
Over 2100 entries for Spur's mountain bike finals Spur's 2010 School Mountain bike league had more than 2100 participants, with over 115 riders from 18 schools across five provinces competing in the finals on Saturday, 16 October, 2010, during the annual Dirt Festival at the Rietvlei Farm, near Alberton. Read more >>Original Public Enemy to tour SA The original Public Enemy line-up: Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff and the Security of the First World will be playing a series of gigs in Joburg and Cape Town between 2 and 9 December, 2010, but the final dates are still to be advised. Read more >>Bonga's Beats - Fine Soul [Bonga Percy Vilakazi] This week, Bonga Percy Vilakazi looks at some of soul music's finest releases Read more >>U2 South African tour dates announced U2 will return to South Africa for the first time since 1998 and will stage live concerts in the FIFA World Cup stadia in both Johannesburg and Cape Town. Two dates are scheduled for February, 2011, as part of the U2 360° Tour. Read more >>More BizLounge news...
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Charity Christmas and festive card kiosk at Sandton City Kick off the season of giving by contributing towards a good cause and join Sandton City in supporting 18 local charities!
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