| 13 Aug 2012 |
| Retail | South Africa |
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Retail, Associations, Banking & Finance, Brand news, Clothing & Textiles, Cold chain, Commercial property, CRM, CSI, Distribution, e-Commerce, Exhibitions & Events, FMCG, Franchising, Green sustainability, Health & Safety, Hospitality, Import/Export, Informal retailing, Instore, Logistics, Manufacturing, Merchandising, Packaging, Refrigeration, Regulatory, Research, Retail marketing, Retail services, Retail trends, Retailers, Security, Shipping & Transport, Shopfitting, Supply chain, Technology, Training, 2012 Design Indaba
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Snow, online shopping and customer serviceSomewhere between the Olympics and all this unusual weather, half the month has already slipped by me. So what's been happening this last week? Sarie magazine has made a move into online shopping; Pricer wins a multimillion rand electronic shelf labeling deal; Nestlé looks to Africa for growth opportunities; and Nederburg launches its new range, Heritage Anthology. And could Tesco have its eye on Pick n Pay? Stats show that manufacturing is up, but business confidence is down. Cash withdrawals are also up, although this might not be reflected in retail as economists expect retail sales figures (due out Wednesday) to reveal a slowdown. Lindsay Grubb wants to know when we stopped caring about client service, while Aki Kalliatakis asks whether your customer relationships are sustainable. Don't forget, entries for Jump's annual e-Commerce Awards close this Wednesday - so show your favourite online shops how much you love them and send in your nominations. Public voting opens on 16 August. Oh, and if you haven't entered the Biz birthday competition yet - what are you waiting for? PS: As one of our reader's put it "I've had enough of the rain so have gone in search of sunshine." I'll be logging out next week to celebrate my date of manufacture, but thanks to my esteemed colleagues, your daily dose of retail news will find its way into your inbox as usual. See you in the spring! 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.
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[Mariam Isa] Figures due on Wednesday, 15 August 2012, are expected to show that growth in retail sales slowed in June, reflecting weak consumer confidence and the fragile state of the domestic economy. Read more >>
 On Saturday 8 October 2012, 52 exceptional wines, signified by creativity and diversity of styles in small volumes, will go under the hammer at the 28th Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction. Read more >>
Retailers are anticipating a slow-growth year, in line with decreasing economic prospects in both the domestic and global economies, following the release of the real retail sales for the first quarter of 2012 showing only a 1% year-on-year. Read more >>
Banking & Finance
 The average cash withdrawal values across South Africa for July 2012, was R435.54, a 4.10% year-on-year increase, as measured by the Spark Cash Index (SCI). There was a month-on-month decline of 0.50% in July 2012 to R435.54 per transaction. Read more >>
Brand news
[Annaleigh Vallie] Global food producer Nestlé is hoping emerging markets will contribute about 50% of sales by 2020, with Africa's contribution growing more than 10%, CEO Paul Bulcke said yesterday, 6 August 2012. Read more >>
Clothing & Textiles
Corporate Social Investment
CRM
 [Lindsay Grubb] I just went through the unpleasant process of upgrading my cellphone. I did everything in my power to mitigate any stress I might have by phoning my service provider's upgrades department, prior to physically entering their world to pick up my new iPhone. I felt strong walking into the customer service department and was sure it should take at most an hour to process everything and get back to my office. Boy was I wrong. Read more >>
 [Aki Kalliatakis] The word "sustainability" has come to be used in many contexts to describe our capacity to endure in the longer term. For our world environment, it is used to define how we are able to maintain and responsibly manage our limited resources so that they remain diverse and productive over time. And, of course, you cannot talk about sustainability without accepting that it also encompasses a principle of stewardship, or our ability to take care of needs. Read more >>
Distribution
e-Commerce
 [Gill Moodie: @grubstreetSA] After having tried out Sarie magazine's online shop by acquiring a (rather fetching) dress and sandals (they were delivered in one day!), Bizcommunity finds out from Sarie.com CEO, Louna Lohann, about the mix of media, tech and retail expertise behind the online store, why some of the magazine readers were uncomfortable with the offering at first, and how this is the start of a big new e-commerce play for Sarie owners, Media24. Read more >>
Nominations for the seventh annual South African e-Commerce Awards, which are open to all South African e-Commerce websites based in South Africa, close on 15 August 2012. Read more >>
Exhibitions & Events
FMCG
 Nederburg has announced the launch of its Heritage Anthology, a range of four wines that commemorate the personalities that have made it the well-recognised and internationally acclaimed brand it is. A fifth wine is to be released in several months' time. Read more >>
Franchising
Green sustainability
Hospitality
Import/Export
 [Claire Bisseker] Charles Hughes SA has been locked out or is in danger of being locked out of several international export markets for apples, grapes and pears thanks partly to bureaucratic ineptitude. Read more >>
Manufacturing
Manufacturing production in SA increased by a much lower than expected 0.8% year on year (y/y) in June after an upwardly revised 4.4% (4.2%) year-on-year rise in May‚ data released by Statistics SA on Wednesday, 8 August 2012, showed. Read more >>
Packaging
Research
Business confidence fell to 90.9 index points in July to a 12-year low, the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) said on Tuesday, 7 August 2012. Read more >>
 With its established experience in the retail and wholesale sectors, providing a unique and customised solution to understanding consumer behaviour, BMi has produced two new reports as part of its Beverages 2012 Feedback series - Milk Substitutes and Buttermilk & Maas in South Africa. Read more >>
Retail marketing
Retail services
 In what is described as the largest contract for electronic shelf labels (ESL) yet received, one of the 15 largest retail chains in the world, based in France, has selected Pricer for its stores throughout France. The project initially covers over 600 stores of several different formats and includes both new installations and upgrades. Read more >>
Retailers
[Zeenat Moorad] The UK's largest retailer, Tesco, may target SA's Pick n Pay if it emulates Wal-Mart and looks for growth in this country, an international retail expert has said. Read more >>
Supply chain
Training
 LONDON, UK: Greenlight comment... Google has announced a trial which will enable people using the search engine to see search queries feature results from their Gmail account. The search giant also said it is extending Google Knowledge Graph to every English speaking country. Adam Bunn*, director of search engine optimisation (SEO) at leading independent digital marketing agency, Greenlight, comments. Read more >>
 LONDON, UK: Amazon UK was the most visible brown goods advertiser online whilst Apple remained the most visible website for brown goods-related searches, reveals the latest research from leading independent digital marketing agency, Greenlight. Read more >>
 NEW YORK, US: Consumers' days of cutting back-to-school spending are behind them, and shoppers are reverting to more traditional information sources to study up before heading to the store, according to Deloitte's annual "Back-to-School" survey, released this week. Read more >>
 SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Reckitt Benckiser wanted to push its Lemsip and Strepsils products for the winter season in Australia. Cold and flu medicine is not necessarily the most exciting of topics so the challenge for Holler Sydney was to inject some fun into the subject to drive sales for Lemsip and Strepsils in Australia. Read more >>
 RESTON, US: comScore, Inc, a leader in measuring the digital world, has announced the launch of comScore TabLens, its monthly syndicated service providing insights into US tablet ownership and usage. Read more >>
LONDON, UK: Analysis: week ending 5 August 2012... With the Games in full swing, two of the sponsors who have traditionally been at the top of the rankings have seen a drop in their levels of Twitter activity. Read more >>
More International...
 Photos depicting the ravages of drug abuse contrast sharply with those of happy learners with story books; a caged leopard with lifeless eyes throws into stark relief wild horses enjoying their freedom on the beach at daybreak. Read more >>
Cape Town Fashion Week 2012 - Behind the scenes
 
More
 Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe says government will increase the resources required to address the plight of farm workers who are without homes or fixed addresses, and those who are unable to access government services. Read more >>
 President Jacob Zuma says the Gender Equality Bill must be fast tracked if the country is to further level the playing field for women. Read more >>
The defence department is baffled by a media report which claims that R99bn has been secretly spent since 1994 through the Defence Special Account. Read more >>
 NEWSWATCH: It had to happen... Telkom has been fined R449m for abusing its dominance in the telecoms market, reports Mail & Guardian, which also reports that Communications Minister Dina Pule has been accused on nepotism. The M&G report says it's alleged that "Pule, alongside her alleged "romantic" interest, businessperson Phosane Mngqibisa, has connived to fill key positions in the department, the Post Office and the SABC through nepotism and the promotion of close colleagues". Read more >>
More Government news...
 [Brian Berkman: contributing editor, travel] When the Victoria Junction Hotel was built in 1996 it was part of one of the first New York-style loft redevelopments of industrial warehousing. The interiors were quirkily geared towards the movie industry, albeit a little verging on the theme-park. On a return visit, after many years, I was disappointed that none of the quirkiness remained following the 2011 refurbishment. In short, what was once an interesting, individual hotel now seems bland. Read more >>
 Demand for premium airline seats and for seats on long-haul routes is on the decline while numbers on domestic routes and low-cost carriers grow. Read more >>
 [Brian Berkman: contributing editor, travel] V&A Waterfront hotel restaurants have joined The Masters of the Trade Route promotion aimed at getting locals out of our duvets and into restaurants despite cold and wet conditions - something we Capetonians dislike more than having our beaches crowded by out-of-towners in December. Read more >>
 With so many strong, passionate women role models in the history of &Beyond, and what with it being Women's Day and Women's Day weekend, we thought a couple of tales of fearless females would be a good idea... It is no wonder that we have achieved so many firsts when it comes to women rangers. Dee Adams, who came from Londolozi with her husband Tony to help build up &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, was &Beyond's first female ranger. Read more >>
 For the first time ever, MSC Cruises is sending one of its acclaimed Fantasia-class ships to homeport from North America, offering guests embarking in Miami the opportunity to discover Caribbean itineraries from its largest and most celebrated class of ship. Read more >>
More Travel news...
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- Learn the art of wine appreciation Cape Wine Academy - Johannesburg, 13 August
- Kick start your career in wine Cape Wine Academy - Johannesburg, 14 August
- Shop stewards guide to organisational rights LabourNet - East London, 15 August
- High impact sales training The Peer Group - Johannesburg, 15 August
- Cashflow is critical SalesPartners Johannesburg - Johannesburg, 15 August
- HHP Celebrity Scrabble Challenge - Johannesburg, 18 August
- Introduction to copywriting for brands Vega - Durban, 20 August
- Fully Dutch accredited MBA information session Business School Netherlands - Sandton, 21 August
- IPM- GIBS Women in Business Institute of People Management (IPM) - Johannesburg, 21 August
- Xtraordinary women networking XtraordinaryWomen - Cape Town, 24 August
Click here to customise your events section
"Those who have succeeded at anything and don't mention luck are kidding themselves. (via Brainy Quote)" - Larry King "The novelties of one generation are only the resuscitated fashions of the generation before last. (via look-fabulous)" - George Bernard Shaw "Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath. (via Looking to Business)" - Michael Caine "Yes, I sell people things they don't need. I can't, however, sell them something they don't want. (via directcreative)" - John O'Toole
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