Retail South Africa weekly newsletter - 26 Nov 2012

Let the madness commerce

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Festive madness is already well underway with more international retailers entering the local fray - Topshop opens in Sandton - and locals expanding their offerings: Takealot.com launches a sports store; HiFi Corp opens in Zambia; Nashua Mobile partners with Look & Listen; and DionWired goes virtual.

Even Famous Brands bought itself a gift today - the franchise agreements, trademarks and IP of Europa and Fego Caffé.

Last week, John Bowles told us which are the best days to advertise, Thomas Oosthuizen looked at the development of iconic brands, and today, Laurence Hillman gives us advice on how to avoid buyer's remorse.

And on that note, have spectacular week!

Shan Radcliffe, Group Head - Retail

PS Responses to this column welcomed in our online ed's column archive. Send all your retail news to retailnews@bizcommunity.com, exclusive opinion pieces to contributors-retail@bizcommunity.com and international news to internationalnews@bizcommunity.com; also take a look at our guide "How to contribute to Bizcommunity, from op-ed pieces to news". Don't forget to follow @Biz_Retail on Twitter and join us on Facebook!

Avoid buyer's remorse this festive season

[Laurence Hillman] The festive season is again likely to bring on an increase of spending. The Spark Cash Index, which measures withdrawals across its ATMs throughout the country, reported a 2% year-on-year increase for the period 1 to 18 December last year, increasing from R436 in 2010 to R445 in 2011. Read more >>

New system allows consumers to check their creditworthiness

As the information on consumers' creditworthiness is usually not easily available, nor easily understood, Kudough Credit Solutions has launched as system that enables consumers to check their status at the Money Market counters of most Shoprite, Checkers and Checkers Hyper stores. Read more >>

Nashua Mobile now in Look & Listen stores

Nashua Mobile is extending its retail footprint through a partnership with Look & Listen, with the aim to enable both companies to grow their customer bases and extend their brands into new markets. Customers will be able to buy mobile devices and sign up for voice and data contracts from all of South Africa's major mobile networks through Nashua Mobile at Look & Listen stores around the country. Read more >>

International business boosts Tiger's results

[Zeenat Moorad] South Africa's largest food company‚ Tiger Brands (TBS)‚ reported an 11% increase in revenue to R22.7bn for the year to September‚ amid a slowdown in consumer spending in the face of weaker business confidence and rising cost pressures Read more >>

Takealot.com launches dedicated sports store

Takealot.com has announced that it now hosts South Africa's largest online only sports store, Takealotsport.com offering over a thousand sport products including its new range of bicycles, cycling gear and accessories. Read more >>

Afriplast Expo offers African plastics potential

Afriplast Expo 2013, a component expo of the recently launched 10-shows-in-1 South African Industry and Technology Fair (INDUTEC), is a new international plastics industry exhibition designed to showcase the opportunities in Africa by bringing together industry customers and suppliers from around the globe. Read more >>

Famous Brands acquires Europa‚ Fego

Famous Brands has acquired the franchise agreements‚ trademarks and intellectual property of the Europa and Fego Caffé brands from family-owned business‚ Antimo Foods‚ the company said today, 26 November 2012. Read more >>

Winner of free Fish & Chip Co franchise announced

The Fish & Chip Co has selected a winner from the more than 173 entrants who paid their R100 000 refundable joining fee during the competition period 1 February to 31 October 2012 to win a free franchise worth R500 000. The winner is Francois Beetge, the proud new owner of his third franchise. Read more >>

Recall of Fun Foam Foaming Bath Wash

Consumers who have purchased Fun Foam Foaming Bath Wash products countrywide are being asked to return the products. SMI International has announced the urgent recall, following the discovery of a malfunction in the valve mechanism, which has caused the product to either leak or blow over time. Read more >>

Creative Coffees partners with Netcare

[Nick Hedley] The Creative Coffees franchising company - a division of Famous Brands (Fbr) - has been awarded a contract to provide a branded restaurant and retail solution to hospital group Netcare under the Net Café trademark. Read more >>

Cashless vending machines, suitable for canteens, tuck-shops

Ciro Beverage Solutions has introduced the MiZiP technology, a cashless management system for vending machines, based on an interface management system that allows businesses to create a pre-configured user ID or profile that is programmed to differentiate between products and prices, according to set classifications. A key card is allocated to a specific user, loaded with credits and a pre-defined selection of products is then made available to them. Read more >>

Global Mobile Consumer Survey shows increase in mobile banking

MEF, the global community for mobile content and commerce announced the results of its annual Global Consumer Survey, carried out in partnership with On Device Research that reveals the behaviour of mobile media users from across the world, giving data and intelligence into mobile engagement and purchasing habits. Read more >>

HiFi Corp opens first store in Zambia

Forming part of the upmarket Manda Hill Centre in Lusaka, HiFi Corp opened its first store in Zambia in July 2012. Since then it has welcomed thousands of customers eager to experience its promise of tech shopping made easy. Read more >>

Worldwide smartphone sales increase 47% in third quarter of 2012 - Gartner

EGHAM, UK: Worldwide sales of mobile phones to end users reached almost 428 million units in the third quarter of 2012, a 3.1% decline from the third quarter of 2011, according to Gartner. Smartphone sales accounted for 39.6% of total mobile phone sales, as smartphone sales increased 46.9% from the third quarter of 2011. Read more >>

Company news

Exhibitions & events

Highly confidential party intelligence - Kraft Foods South Africa

Durban Ragers be warned: the Stimorol Infinity Intelligence Division has confirmed that something unworldly is set to abduct the DLI hall arena on 3 December, at this year's 4U Rage Festival. Read more >>

The Neverlasting Festival - because nothing lasts as long as Stimorol Infinity - Kraft Foods South Africa

On 4, 5 and 6 December Stimorol will be taking over the Forever Campsite in the Rage Village in Plettenberg Bay with each day dedicated to a "neverlasting" theme of Luck, Love and Life. Read more >>

Packaging

Nampak more than doubles profit from Africa - Nampak

Nampak has released its results for the year ended 30 September 2012. Trading profit from the rest of Africa increased by 159% following good contributions from Angola and Zambia. Group trading profit increased by 16% to almost R1.8 billion, with improved results from most operations. The trading margin improved to 10.2%. Read more >>

Gauteng e-tolls not commencing this year

PRETORIA: The e-tolling system on Gauteng's roads will now only commence next year. The Transport Laws and Related Matters Amendment Bill regulating government's ability to charge motorists for using the tolls was withdrawn from Parliament on Thursday, 22 November 2012, and will now be debated next year, it was reported. Read more >>

SA, Turkey urged to improve trade

PRETORIA: Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Elizabeth Thabethe says following a decrease in commercial activity between South Africa and Turkey, the two countries should renew efforts to increase trade. Read more >>

Officials could face harsh penalties for not paying suppliers

PRETORIA: Accounting officers in government could in future be punished for failing to pay suppliers of services within the stipulated 30 days, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan told the SABC on Wednesday, 21 November 2012. Read more >>

President Zuma has a home loan: Presidency

PRETORIA: The Presidency has noted weekend newspaper reports implying that President Jacob Zuma may have misled the National Assembly when he said he had a mortgage bond on his residence in Nkandla. Read more >>

When in Darling...

[Brian Berkman: contributing editor, travel] What started as a butter museum by the wives of local Darling dairy farmers in 1978 has become a quaint and interesting museum that is well worth a visit. Although Charles Henry Darling, then governor of the Cape, gave his name of the town founded on Langfontein (now Ormonde Estate), he never visited it. The area was originally called Groenkloof where farms such as Groote Post were used to graze VOC cattle and harvest salt. Read more >>

Eat Out announces SA's top-10 restaurants

The winners of the Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards were recently announced at a ceremony held at The Westin, Cape Town. Restaurants are judged on stringent criteria, taking into consideration their food, service, ambience and other aspects of the eating out experience. Read more >>

Cape Town Festival of Beer: Blogger challenge

[Jordan Scott] In the build-up to The Cape Town Festival of Beer (23 to 25 November) 10 bloggers received home-brewing kits from Keg King to begin their blogger brew master competition. Although the brewing kit comes with all the necessary instructions some went off the beaten track and decided to get creative. Almond was added, coriander, orange peel, various fruits and it is still under debate whether or not bubble gum was added to one blogger's brew. Read more >>

Seda entrepreneurship fair Seda - Stellenbosch, 27 November
Xtraordinary Women Gala dinner and awards evening Xtraordinary Women - Cape Town, 28 November
Wine and Dine to celebrate the festive season Cape Wine Academy Wine and Food Course - Cape Town, 29 November
World Aids Day Candlelight Commemoration Lifo Productions - Pretoria, 30 November
Prestige Nights Black Vision Prestigious Media - Cape Town, 30 November
Faux Fabulosity art exhibition hubspace - Cape Town, 30 November
Carrol Boyes Charity Open Day Carrol Boyes Pty Ltd. - Cape Town, 1 December
Free concert De Waal Park 2 Dec 2012 TripleM Entertainment and Events - Cape Town, 2 December
Coach the coach CBM Training - Johannesburg, 4 December
Shop and mingle P&H boutique - Sandton, Johannesburg, 5 December

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