 28 Mar 2011 |
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Loyalty, mergers and cows
In other news, the highly anticipated tribunal hearing for the Wal-Mart/Massmart merger this week has been postponed till May, much to the frustration of the two companies. There's a new show coming to the Udder, er, Mother City, with the Cape Dairy Experience kicking off in November. Between the heifers and goats, there'll be something for everyone - including an ice cream eating competition... An ice cream eating competition - need I say more? 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: Image: federico stevanin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Top stories
RetailTribunal holds back Walmart info[Thekiso Anthony Lefifi] The Competition Tribunal has given three government departments only limited access to information on the Walmart/Massmart deal after they succeeded in getting the tribunal to delay its hearings on the deal to May. Read more >>AssociationsBanking & FinanceCentre for Inclusive Banking in Africa opens in Pretoria Absa, in conjunction with the University of Pretoria, launched the Centre for Inclusive Banking in Africa in Pretoria on Wednesday 23 March 2011 to address one of the biggest challenges facing the country, the region and to a greater extent the continent - financial inclusion. Read more >>Rates remain unchanged at 5.5%The Reserve Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has kept rates unchanged at 5.5% per annum in line with market expectation. Read more >>Cellphone withdraws cash at FNB Reportedly a first for South Africa, FNB announced yesterday 22 March 2011, the launch of its cash withdrawal system that allows its cellphone banking customers to withdraw cash directly from their FNB transactional account at an FNB ATM without the use of any bank cards. Read more >>Brand newsClothing & TextilesMr Price 031 collection offers new designers opportunity The Mr Price New Designers (ND) award competition is open until 4 April 2011 for up and coming young designers (18-26 years), either studying fashion full time, in their final year, or with a diploma in fashion. Read more >>Commercial propertyCorporate Social InvestmentCoffee relationship schemes from Ciro Ciro Beverage Solutions has undertaken two development programs, which will help select farming communities to improve both their living and working environments. Known as 'relationship coffee', this form of social development is on the rise in the global coffee industry, as it relates to assisting the farmers and their communities, who are at the beginning of the production cycle. The initiative aims to ensure all that all resources involved in the coffee production process are benefited. Read more >>e-CommerceGroupon South Africa promises you a good deal [Herman Manson: @marklives] In January 2011, they were two guys working hard to keep their group media buying site Twangoo running with a handful of freelance sales staff. Less than three months later, they have 40 staffers, a new office in Loop Street, Cape Town, and possibly the hottest thing since Facebook as their backers. That's because Groupon acquired Twangoo in January 2011 and tasked its co-founders, Wayne Gosling and Dan Guasco, with establishing the Groupon brand in South Africa. Read more >>Exhibitions & EventsNew dairy show for Cape Town The Cape Dairy Experience, a show that focuses entirely on dairy, involving not only the direct role players but also the wider public, will be held in Sandringham, halfway between Cape Town and Paarl on 4-5 November 2011. The breeders' societies will bring the four pure bred dairy breeds to the event - Holstein, Jersey, Guernsey and Ayrshire and the South African milk goat. Read more >>FMCGLaunching Southern Comfort Lime Southern Comfort has introduced its new line extension in South Africa, Southern Comfort Lime. The original and distinctive spirit of New Orleans - known for its unique combination of fruit, spice and whiskey flavours - is balanced with an extra zest of lime flavour to produce a perfectly mixed, ready-to-pour drink. Read more >>FranchisingFranchising can provide much needed employmentFollowing the recent presidential summit on job creation between government and Business Unity SA (BUSA) and taking into account finance minister Pravin Gordhan's reference in his budget speech to the fact that 68% of private-sector employment was provided by small business with less than 50 employees, the Franchise Association of South Africa (FASA) would like this vital area of business to be included in government's forward planning and given more support. Read more >>Green sustainabilityWOSA launches new sustainability communication campaign at ProWein Wines of South Africa (WOSA) will be building on its sustainability seal, launched last year, with a new sustainability communication campaign targeting consumers. Featuring a video in English and German, a phone app, a new website and brochures, it will debut at ProWein, the international wine trade show in Germany 27-29 March 2011. The campaign will outline what sustainability entails and will show how simple and quick it is to track any wine bearing the seal throughout its production process. Read more >>HospitalityNew chef at Budmarsh Lodge introduces international tastes, ideas [Gwen Watkins] Budmarsh Lodge appointed its internationally trained chef, Chris Tustian late last year and already he is encouraging its guests to experience European ideas allied to South African tastes in creating menus that underlie why this boutique hotel in the Magaliesberg so richly deserves its 5-star rating. Read more >>Cape Malay pizza wins Global Pizza Challenge South Africa Peter Goffe-Wood, of Wild Woods Bistro and Bar Hout Bay, is the Global Pizza Challenge (GPC) South Africa winner, for his Cape Malay-inspired Ostrich Bobotie pizza, presented on a pale ale base and created with homemade peach chutney and Tomato Pronto chakalaka sauce. Read more >>National accommodation awards finalists The finalists in the 2011 AA Travel Guides American Express Accommodation Awards programme have been announced. Now in its 18th year, this awards programme is the only established mechanism for consumers to voice their opinion about the quality of tourist accommodation in South Africa. Read more >>Import/ExportPackagingRegulatoryWal-Mart/Massmart hearing postponed[Zeenat Moorad] The Competition Tribunal on Tuesday, 22 March 2011, afternoon said the Wal-Mart/Massmart hearing had been postponed to May. Read more >>Retail marketingRetail servicesGender insurance clause prejudices EU womenCommenting on the European Union's new gender ruling, which prohibits insurance companies from offering cheaper car insurance to women on the basis of their gender, Robyn Farrell, MD of 1st for Women Insurance Brokers, states that this would lead to women subsidising the riskier driving habits of men. Read more >>RetailersPick n Pay opens second store in Zambia Retail group Pick n Pay announced the opening of its second store in Zambia today, 28 March 2011. The company opened its first Zambian store in Lusaka in July last year and this latest store, in Ndola, is the second of seven planned for the country over the next four years. Read more >>SecurityInternational speakers converge on SA for security summitThe spotlight is on security in an increasingly connected world, featuring cloud security, web services and online security, as well as the growing trend to use malicious code for industrial espionage and sabotage. The ITWeb Security Summit, on in Sandton from 10-12 May 2011, will feature international and local IT security experts discussing these and other hot topics. Read more >>Supply chainAssessing natural disasters in supply chain management[Abrie de Swardt] The MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics Global Risk Survey, being undertaken in South Africa jointly by the Association for Operations Management of Southern Africa (SAPICS) and Imperial Logistics, in collaboration with MIT, saw South African companies rate natural disasters, fires and explosions as uncommon supply chain risks within their operations. Read more >>TechnologyInternational launch of wireless charging pad The newly launched LG Wireless Charging Pad (WCP-700) takes the hassle out of charging wireless enabled devices. Its cord-free power source that alleviates the need for external connections that usually limit the mobile phones usability and compact sleek design, accommodates all on-the-go lifestyles. Read more >>
Wits University helps SA business to go global South African companies can, it is claimed for the first time, work through the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) to achieve international accreditation for their business process standards and in so doing propel themselves on to an equal footing with global competitors. Read more >>Global advertisers, fans explore value of social media LONDON, UK: Millward Brown and Dynamic Logic in co-operation with the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) has researched what people around the world gain by becoming fans of brands, what global marketers expect from social media and what drives most value for both groups. Read more >>Register for FIPP's free paywall strategies webinar FIPP is organising a free webinar on Thursday 31 March 2011 at 2pm (BST), focusing on paywall strategies. Peter Kirwan, author of The Media Briefing's Paywall Strategies Report, will guide attendees through this subject, looking at five paid content business models. Read more >>RIM announces retail channels for BlackBerry PlayBook WATERLOO, US: Research In Motion, based in Waterloo, in the US, has announced plans to make the highly anticipated BlackBerry PlayBook tablet available in more than 20 000 retail outlets in the US and Canada. Read more >>Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum: Dubai Lynx 2011 Advertising Person of the Year DUBAI, UAE: The Dubai International Advertising Festival has announced that Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline & Group, who has been instrumental in establishing the company as a global brand, will be presented with the 2011 Dubai Lynx Advertising Person of the Year Award. Read more >>More International news...
CRMCobus van Graan appointed CEO of Tracer - Tracer CQM and Sofware InternationalSales strategy specialist Cobus van Graan has been appointed CEO of mobile sales solutions company Tracer. He will focus on growing the company locally and internationally through reseller networks. Read more >>Retail marketingTollReach goes Bunny this Easter - TollReach The first school holiday of the year and thousands of holidaymakers will be taking to our national roads over the next couple of days. Then soon after, there'll be the 'take three days off and get 11 days' break from 22 April to 2 May. Become part of the Easter Bunny delight at the Toll Plazas on our national routes this Easter. Read more >>
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Citroen has charm and class [Henrie Geyser: motoring editor] Citroen has injected some excitement into its C4 four-door hatch with a makeover that includes snazzy looks and some really spectacular safety and high tech features on all five new models in the range. Read more >>Clio RS Gordini coming to SA [Henrie Geyser: motoring editor] The 1000th Clio RS Gordini has rolled off the assembly line at Renault's Alpine plant in Dieppe and the good news is that Renault South Africa has confirmed that the car is coming to South Africa. Read more >>Fluence full of flair and fancies [Henrie Geyser: motoring editor] In spite of its middle-of-the-road market share and the fact that it already has something like 30 models on sale in South Africa, Renault has added another newcomer by the name of Fluence to its range - but please don't ask what Fluence means or hints at because I honestly don't know. Read more >>More Motoring news...
Maputo - more than you'd expect [Brian Berkman: contributing editor, travel] Most who leave Cape Town to live in Johannesburg do so to advance their careers, some leave because the weather is better - I'd leave Cape Town for Johannesburg to be closer to Maputo, just 45-minutes flight from OR Tambo. Read more >>Minister launches national tourism sector strategy At the launch of the National Tourism Sector Strategy at the Luthuli Museum in KwaDukuza in KwaZulu-Natal last week, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, the National Minister of Tourism, said the strategy will help position tourism as one of the fundamental pillars of the South African economy. Read more >>Tourism Destination Conference aims to elevate the Western Cape's global profile More than 100 of the Western Cape tourism industry's decision makers are gearing up for the 2011 Cape Town and Western Cape Tourism Destination Conference. Read more >>Starwood Hotels & Resorts to open 50 hotels in Europe, Africa and ME BERLIN, GERMANY: With growth fuelled by demand for its luxury and design-led brands, Starwood is poised to open 12 hotels in the region this year. Read more >>More Travel news...
The IID Nemeth trend report [Dave Nemeth] A collaboration between Dave Nemeth, a trend forecaster specialising in interior design, décor and furniture, and the IID (the Institute of Interior Design professionals) has resulted in the launch of South Africa's first specialised trend report for these industries. Read more >>Spellbinding Saltimbanco [Ruth Cooper] The colourful, vibrant, bustling urban metropolis of Saltimbanco is home to a myriad of interesting and crazy inhabitants, including lumo pink-and-green-striped creatures, bicycle-riding daredevils, whirling skyscraper acrobats, juggling magicians and a feisty Boleadoras slapping duo. I was lucky enough to be introduced to them last night at the GrandWest Arena at Cirque du Soleil's longest running show, Saltimbanco. Read more >>Mind-blowing Mummenschanz [Jordan Scott] My mind was blown, my imagination pulled to its limits and my cheeks hurt from smiling. This was not some huge musical or even a one-man comedy show, it was four people, with no music, no dialogue and only a few props. Everything that entertained was on their bodies, as costumes and masks, and they made those costumes come to life as one would never believe possible. Read more >>Splashy Fen in Drakensberg for Easter holiday The 22nd Splashy Fen Music Festival will be held during the Easter long weekend, 21 to 25 April, 2011, in the southern Drakensberg, at a farm near Underberg, KwaZulu-Natal. More than 90 live music acts will be appearing on the two stages. Read more >>Rock The River Easter Festival The creators of the Rock The River SA New Year's Eve festivals will be launching the Rock The River Easter Festival, which will be held from 22 to 24 April, 2011, at the Buffalo Drift Resort, Gouda, Western Cape. Read more >>So Queer: Porn-stars do you measure up? [Siphosethu Stuurman] I recently found myself on a production set for a local pornographic programme called Porn-stars. Now, before you judge me, I was invited to the set by the programme's producers as a member of the press. But, in all honesty, I attended the press briefing because I was actually interested in seeing how a porn production studio operates. Read more >>More BizLounge news...
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