| 10 Dec 2012 |
| Retail South Africa |
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Retail, Associations, Banking & Finance, Brand News, Cold Chain, Commercial Property, CRM, CSI, Distribution, e-Commerce, Exhibitions & Events, Fashion, Clothing & Textiles, 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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Winding up or counting down?As we slide into the last few weeks of 2012 and business winds down for the year, as usual, the retail contingent are running full throttle for the busy season. And it certainly shows, with a number of new acquisitions and technology releases. Redgwoods, the holding company of Toys R Us and Reggie's, has been sold to Durban-based businessmen, Christian Larsen and Mohsin Mia, for an undisclosed amount; JD Group's Steinbuild has put in an R88.8 million offer for Hardware Warehouse; and even Unilever is looking to sell old Mrs Ball's Chutney brand to the Tiger for R475 million. If they don't already know, Apple i-lovers will be ecstatic to learn that iTunes is finally available in South Africa - do I hear an "about time"? After only a week, it's already opening loads of doors for local artists, according to TIMES Live. Standard Bank has just launched its new contactless card system, allowing Gold and Titanium card holders to 'tap and go'. While eBucks reckons economic woes won't dampen the festive spirit, the FNB/BER Consumer Confidence Index points at subdued growth next year. And, if at this late stage in the game, you're still running around like a headless reindeer trying to get your products noticed in the during the on-going onslaught of festive cheer, check out Natasha McClymont's tips for sensible in-store marketing in the silly season. Have a cheerful one! PS: This is our last week of newsletters for the year - our final 2012 edition will go out on 18 December. 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!
Top stories
Retail
JD group subsidiary Steinbuild on Tuesday, 4 December 2012, made an offer to acquire Hardware Warehouse for R1.14 per share, sending Hardware Warehouse's share price up 5.15% to R1.02. Read more >>
Toy and baby retailer Redgwoods Limited, owners of Toys R Us and Reggie's stores, has been sold to Durban-based businessmen Christian Larsen and Mohsin Mia. The company was sold as a going concern by Maurice Sacher and Issy Zimmerman who each owned 50% of the business. Read more >>
Banking & Finance
 [Sure Kamhunga] Standard Bank has launched a contactless card system for its Gold and Titanium credit and cheque cards which will be equipped to allow customers to make payments via the 'tap and go' method‚ rather than swiping or inserting cards. Read more >>
 The average cash withdrawal values across South Africa for November 2012 was R442.71, a positive month-on-month growth of 0.78% in average cash withdrawal figures from October's R439.27, as measured by the Spark Cash Index (SCI). This follows a month-on-month drop of 2.27% in average cash withdrawal figures for October 2012, fuelled by the strikes in the transport and mining sectors. Read more >>
Brand News
 Subject to Competition Commission approval, Unilever South Africa has sold the Mrs Ball's Chutney brand to Tiger Brands in a deal limited to intellectual property and inventories on hand. The purchase price will be R475 million, excluding inventories. Read more >>
Megan Easey joined Groupon South Africa in the role of chief operating officer at the Cape Town head office, effective from 1 November 2012. She is a specialist in business growth and strategy and has extensive customer service knowledge. She has a wealth of experience in both the e-commerce and the online gaming and has done extensive work in the finance, airline and telecommunications sectors. Read more >>
Commercial Property
 The 184 000 residents of Tugela Ferry will be able to access banking and retail services with the new 12 300sqm Tugela Ferry Mall, offering comprehensive retail from 34 stores, including a 3000sqm Shoprite, scheduled for opening in April 2014. Read more >>
CRM
[Mbali Msimango] Social media has become the single biggest platform for people, companies or organisations to highlight their services or create conversations around their passions. However, online crisis management needs to be a part of any strategy when setting up any social media network. Read more >>
 [Amanda Cromhout] The title of this piece is a "catch-phrase" beckoning throughout the global loyalty industry and is seen as one of the top loyalty trends of 2012. I say "globally", because coming from the South African loyalty market place, I can confidently state that South Africa is quickly catching up with the global landscape. Read more >>
e-Commerce
 Local Apple customers will be spoilt for choice as the technology group on Tuesday, 4 December 2012, announced that its iTunes online music store was available in South Africa. Read more >>
Exhibitions & Events
Cape Town will host the return of the Retail Tech Forum (7-8 October 2013) and add a new, back-to-back, Banking Tech Forum from 9-10 October 2013. Read more >>
FMCG
Green Sustainability
 [Reana Rossouw] Organisations need to move past the compliance hurdle and produce sustainability reports that engage stakeholders to the point where they in turn respond with valuable feedback. Read more >>
Hospitality
Manufacturing
 The Minister of Trade and Industry (dti), Dr Rob Davies, officially launched the Kuvusa maize mill, as part of the industrial policy action plan (IPAP) small-scale maize milling initiative, which forms part of the dti's contribution to improving food security by reducing the cost of maize meal. Read more >>
Packaging
Regulatory
 In his objective towards 'A long and healthy life for South Africans', the South African Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has identified high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases as one of the four major pandemics affecting the South African population. Therefore, he wants to regulate salt levels in certain processed foods, over a six-year period. Read more >>
Research
The FNB/BER Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) for the fourth quarter of 2012 remains at levels last witnessed at the onset of the global financial crisis in the second half of 2008. Coupled with rising inflation and deterioration in the outlook for household income growth, low consumer confidence levels foreshadow subdued growth in household consumption expenditure during 2013. Read more >>
Despite challenging economic conditions‚ South Africans are not going to be stopped from spoiling their loved ones this festive season‚ according to the results of the eBucks 2012 Festive Survey released today, 5 December 2012. Read more >>
Retail Marketing
 [Natasha McClymont] With Christmas closing in on us, we've all been bombarded by cheap tinsel, Boney M and a gaudy plethora of competing product displays in most of the supermarkets we've frequented over the past month or so. Most marketers view the festive season as a prime opportunity to boost product sales, and it can be, if it's done smartly. Read more >>
Retailers
Security
 [Doros Hadjizennonos] Fraud increases during the festive season, as consumers get ready to spend bonuses and salaries on alluring online retail offers. Unfortunately, these are not just retailers but also cybercriminals who are hard at work to offer the most enticing online frauds and, if you do not take the necessary online precautions, your holiday cheer could come to a screeching halt. Read more >>
Technology
 Riverbed study reveals online retailers need to increase website performance during holiday season to retain customers. Read more >>
 FRANKFURT, GERMANY: Nokia Siemens Networks, a joint venture between Finnish and German engineering giants Nokia and Siemens, said on Wednesday (5 December) it is shutting down one of its German units with the potential loss of 1,000 jobs. Read more >>
 RESTON, US: comScore, a leader in measuring the digital world, today reported holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 32 days of the November-December 2012 holiday season. For the holiday season-to-date US$21.4bn has been spent online, marking a 14% increase versus the corresponding days last year. Read more >>
 MOSCOW, RUSSIA: Starbucks embarks on a sneaky campaign that is sure to ruffle the feathers of its competition. Read more >>
 PALO ALTO, US: Despite a varied and mixed outlook for the global economy, chief marketers report positive outlooks for their roles and functional areas. Nearly 70% received a salary or bonus in 2011, and 73% expect the same at the end of this year depending on the performance of their businesses, reports the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council. Read more >>
MADRID, SPAIN: Spanish new car sales shrank by 20.3% for the year to November, industry data showed on Monday (3 December), despite a state-backed programme to boost purchases of energy-efficient cars. Read more >>
More International...
Exhibitions & Events
 Stimorol Infinity is pushing the boundaries at this year's Plett Rage, by successfully attempting to break a Guinness World Record for the most people spooning at one time. Read more >>Health & Safety
The increasing incidence of Type Two diabetes can be a direct consequence of unhealthy diets that are low in fibre and high in fat. The good news is that this disease is, in fact, easy to prevent and control, simply by making a few lifestyle changes. Read more >>Logistics
 It was a proud moment for IMPERIAL Logistics group company The Cold Chain when long-standing client Sea Harvest was named Pick n Pay National Supplier of the year. Read more >>IT solutions specialist IMPERIAL Online, an IMPERIAL Logistics group company, has been presented with a "Risk Award" by the Institute of Risk Management South Africa. This award recognises the outstanding risk management that went into one of the largest data centre relocation projects ever undertaken in South Africa. Read more >>Retail Marketing
Strategic Pricing Analytics will be taking place from 21 to 22 February 2013 at Crowne Plaza, The Rosebank, Johannesburg. Organised by Marcus Evans, this event presents an expert in pricing analytics, Ian Ruskin-Brown, who is the Founder of Ruskin-Brown Associates in the UK. Read more >>
The Ultimate Redd Door Experience
 
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GUESS Clothing Launch
 
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Unique private sale club, BrandHunter, launched in SA
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 Durban's import capacity will increase sharply once a multi-billion rand project to feed an ever-increasing appetite for goods from overseas gets off the ground. Read more >>
 The November Business Confidence declined marginally due to an unfavourable domestic and world economic climate, the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) said on Thursday. Read more >>
 Real gross domestic expenditure decelerated from 4.9 % previously to 3% in the third quarter of this year, said the Reserve Bank on Thursday. Read more >>
 Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson has urged representatives of Agri-SA and unions to negotiate in good faith for the minimum wage demand for farmworkers. Read more >>
 Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant says her department has noted the farmworkers' intention to go on strike for better pay and working conditions. Read more >>
More Government news...
 [Henrie Geyser: motoring editor] The mainstay of Honda's model fleet in South Africa, its popular CR-V, has just been unwrapped in its fancy new fourth generation guise that comes to the market in six derivatives offering the choice of front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive models, three engine options and four specification levels. Read more >>
 [Henrie Geyser: motoring editor] Thanks to a technological magic wand that turns blue into green I recently drove a sexy four-door coupe at a less then leisurely pace from Gansbaai to Hout Bay using an average of just 5.8 litres/100km of costly juice for the journey. Read more >>
 [Henrie Geyser: motoring editor] Infiniti could not have timed it better if they tried - in the same week that Sebastian Vettel put up a spectacular pits-to-podium performance in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with the Infiniti emblem emblazoned on his Red Bull racing car and on his racing suit, the brand launched its exciting new range of M sedans in South Africa. Read more >>
More Motoring news...
 [Sindy Peters] They've been open for business for roughly 11 months and this new kid on the block is already 70% booked out until next May! So what's so great about La Grenadine Petit Hotel, a guest house tucked away deep in the heart of Cape Town's CBD? Read more >>
 [Brian Berkman: contributing editor, travel] When it came to selecting a location for new photographs reflecting the new, slimmer me, I thought immediately of The Table Bay Hotel. I asked Fabiani's Waterfront store to lend me garments to use for the shoot for which I'd hired photographer Hetty Zantman. Read more >>
More Travel news...
 [Nina Timm] Your fruit cake should have been baked by now and you should be feeding it with brandy every week! Well, maybe if you were Julia Child or your great granny, yes, but hey, we live in the real world, which is pretty hurried and fast at the moment. With this easy fruit cake recipe, you can make your fruit cake with not much effort and with a drizzle of your favourite brandy every week or so, your fruit cake will be perfect by Christmas! Read more >>
More Food food...
Retail accounts manager - call on national buyers, prepare quotations, manage stock and orders. Strong admin skills and action orientated. Self starter. Presentable and energetic. Read more >>
Click here to customise your jobs section
- Picnic Get-together Thami G Music - Bloemfontein, 16 December
- Asara Pure Food Market Asara Wine Estate & Hotel - Stellenbosch, 17 December
- Dudumashe Reunion 2012 Khumbulekhaya Youth Project - Nqamakwe, 26 December
- Bok van Blerk JD Events - Cape Town, 28 December
- Strategic brand leadership Vega School of Brand Leadership - Pretoria, 5 January
- Intermediate Photography Vega School of Brand Leadership - Pretoria, 15 January
- Customer Service Management Secolo Consulting & Training Services - Johannesburg, 17 January
- The Economic Outlook 2013 Gordon Institute of Business Science - Johannesburg, 24 January
- Introduction to desktop publishing/design basics Vega School of Brand Leadership, Pretoria - Pretoria, 28 January
- Introduction to web design Vega School of Brand Leadership - Pretoria, 29 January
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