The COVID-19 pandemic continues to take a serious toll on shopper behaviour not only from a decline in spending but also in how they shop. With social distancing restrictions, a possible second wave of infections, and adaptations to new lifestyles, the crisis is driving more traffic to South African eCommerce merchants than before. To help
The age of the mall is waning. The phrase that sends property fund managers into a cold sweat. But it’s not just the lower foot traffic as a result of COVID that is to blame for the pressure on brick-and-mortar stores. Businesses which have refused to embrace the benefits of omnichannel retailing are sacrificing the
Excitement is sky-high among bargain-hungry shoppers as Konga Yakata, the Black Friday sales of Nigeria’s e-commerce giant is known, kicked off in the early hours of today, Wednesday, November 11, 2020. Already, thousands of eager shoppers expectedly kept vigil on the Konga website – www.konga.com to be the first to grab the special commencement deals.
Shoprite was voted the Best Convenience and Grocery Store of the Decade in the 22nd annual Sunday Times Top Brands survey. “This acknowledgement is testament to us continually striving to better serve our customers and staying true to our dedication to bring them lower prices they can trust, always. It is a wonderful recognition during
Polyoak Packaging is a leading plastic packaging specialist in the design and manufacture of recyclable bottles and closures, tubs, drums and buckets for food, beverage and industrial applications. Our extensive distribution network with over 30 manufacturing plants across South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Swaziland underpins our excellent customer service. As a proudly South African company,
Jumiahas announced that its logistics service is now available for use by third parties. Until today, Jumia’s logistics services were reserved for ecommerce and food vendors operating on its marketplace. Jumia’s logistics services are now open to third party businesses who wish to leverage its network, technology and expertise for last mile deliveries across 11
United Exports has been reliably informed that the Dutch Customs Authority has intercepted and seized another shipment of fresh blueberries from South African grower, Ross Berries (Pty) Ltd. The 40ft reefer container containing a 16,600 kilogram (16,6 tonne) shipment of fruit was confiscated in terms of the European Union’s Intellectual Property, Counterfeit and Piracy Regulations.
Smart Made Simple: Local talent solving local business challenges In less than 12 months, the Checkers Sixty60™ online shopping app has become a household name thanks to its unrivalled convenience and speed of delivery. This scalable solution, an app that accommodates hundreds of concurrent users, and thousands of orders per day, has won Best Enterprise
E-commerce giant, Jumia Nigeria has partnered with Standard Chartered Bank, Samsung, and other brands for the 2020 Black Friday campaign, which is scheduled to begin on Friday, November 6th till 30th, 2020. Other partners include Pernod Ricard, Unilever, Reckitt Benckiser, Intel, Defacto, Umidigi, Michelin, Stanbic IBTC, and others. The chief executive officer of Jumia Nigeria,
The global retail sector is in an unprecedented state of flux and as the end of the year approaches, Nielsen has identified a range of evolving consumer groups as well as four Holiday/Festive consumer behavioural resets related to this crucial holiday period. Nielsen Retail Intelligence MD for Sub-Sahara Africa Kelly Arnold comments; “As the end
It has been 25 years since the Shoprite Group blazed a trail to introduce world-class shopping in Zambia with the opening of its first supermarket on Cairo Road in Lusaka on 26 October 1995. The retailer was the first to bring the “shopping under one roof” concept to Zambia, while not straying from its core
Pioneering retailers are reinventing the shopping experience by bringing technology in-store Malls with good landlords, locations, and retail mixes are first in line for retail innovations Leading retailers, including big online brands, are putting their long-term money on strong shopping malls backed by quality landlords. The widespread narrative around consumers and retailers moving online, away
The Shoprite Group’s Portfolio Management Office (PMO) has gained international recognition for its world-class project management skills as one of the top four finalists in the 2020 PMO Global Awards. The Shoprite PMO was a finalist in the coveted World PMO of the Year Award, competing with companies from Honduras (Americas), Ukraine (Europe) and the United
Retail Engage has been announced as a finalist in the 2020 DMA Assegai Awards in two categories – Integrated Direct Marketing Campaigns and CRM Programmes. In 2013 Retail Engage launched its consumer brand, bonsella® which has grown into the largest shopper rewards and loyalty programme in the independent main market in South Africa. It consists
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, retailers across the SPAR network have reacted quickly to ensure stores remain safe spaces for shoppers and store team members. Although instore digital technologies have been on the rise for several years, they are playing an increasingly important role in maintaining a safe and comfortable shopping environment in
Partnership continues to generate significant value for customers FNB and the Shoprite Group have expanded their partnership by allowing FNB Easy Pay As You Use and Smart Option account holders to replace lost or stolen bank cards in more than 700 Shoprite and Checkers stores across South Africa. This means FNB customers will now have
The Checkers Sixty60 app is the winner of the People’s Choice Award and the Best Enterprise Solution at the 2020 MTN Business App of the Year Awards. South Africa’s first 60-minute grocery delivery service from a supermarket chain launched in November 2019 and in less than 12 months Sixty60 has become a household name thanks to its unrivaled convenience and
TelrShops enables merchants to create an e-commerce site in just 5 minutes Assists all merchants across a number of industries in offering their products and services online A meticulously designed platform to manage, scale and grow businesses online Allows integration with the Telr Payment gateway and offers user flexibility through the TelrShops App A new
The linear customer journey has been scrambled. Today’s path to purchase includes multiple touchpoints both off and online. Brands are having to prioritise and measure their data strategy to keep up with the demands of more informed customers, with a range of competing products at their fingertips. The evolution of the omnichannel shopper, who uses
Diebold Nixdorf and Nielsen have announced results from The Nielsen International Grocery Shopper and Technology Survey coordinated through Nielsen’s Global Consumer Business. Commissioned by Diebold Nixdorf, this survey provides valuable insights to retailers about consumers’ grocery shopping journeys, and the role that technology plays in supporting or even shaping these journeys. Nielsen surveyed and segmented 15,000
Massmart has announced the assignment of (Theodore) Sylvester John, the Walmart North America Vice President for Last Mile Delivery to lead the Massmart e-commerce team. John, who will report into Chief Operations Officer, Richard Inskip has extensive senior level retail experience in the US and Africa, having worked in a wide range of business development
As the climate crisis continues and natural disasters become more frequent due to global warming, the United Nations warned last week that not enough is being done to stop the world becoming an “uninhabitable hell” for millions of people. To keep the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, we will need to reduce global greenhouse gas
Clicks Group delivered a strong and resilient performance in the COVID-19 environment, increasing diluted headline earnings per share by 13.7% to 754 cents for the year to August 2020. Earnings growth was driven mainly by tight cost management, solid retail health and beauty sales and the strong performance of UPD, the group’s pharmaceutical wholesaler. Shareholders
Pick n Pay published its interim results for the six months ended 30 August 2020. The result was delivered almost entirely in the unprecedented conditions of COVID-19. The Group successfully pursued two primary goals over the period: feeding the nation in a safe and reliable way as an essential provider of food and groceries, and
Woolworths today announced its commitment to invest R1billion in its prices over the next two – three years, with a R750million investment planned in the Foods business, to ensure it continues to provide Woolies exceptional qualityTM products at great value to customers, every day. Commenting on the announcement, Woolworths SA CEO, Zyda Rylands, said, “Over the
Ahead of World Food Day on 16th October, Jumia has published its 1st Africa Food Index showing the impact of COVID-19 on food trends in Africa. Online food delivery is changing habits in unexpected ways for businesses and consumers due to the pandemic. The growing popularity of fast food, coupled with the growing trends for convenience and
International retail solutions company, Smollan, have announced their partnership with Mr. Green Africa through an investment made in the fair-trade plastics recycling company based in Kenya. Mr. Green Africa aims to close the loop from consumer to plastics manufacturer through its supply network and high value recycled plastics. The company is on a journey to
Consumer spending has swung from total predictability to subtle shifts in product and store selection throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and understanding the whys and wherefores behind these choices is valuable to shops, brands, and even the shoppers themselves. At the behest of government, two local businesses joined forces in recent months to determine and deliver
Partnership is a game-changer in enabling contactless acceptance for smaller merchants across the continent phos, the fintech behind the first-ever software-only Point of Sale (SoftPOS), and Stanchion Payment Solutions, a global specialist in payments systems and integration, today announced that they have partnered to help payments processing companies and banks to accelerate time to market
The Competition Tribunal (the Tribunal) has conditionally approved the transaction whereby K2020211444 (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd (“K2020”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Truworths Limited (“Truworths”), will acquire the business (assets and liabilities) of Barrie Cline Clothing (Pty) Ltd (Barrie Cline) as a going concern. Upon implementation of the merger, K2020 will exercise sole control over
The co-chair of the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) and Pick n Pay chairman, Gareth Ackerman speaking at the virtual Consumer Goods Council of SA Summit today lauded the retail and manufacturing industries for their resilience and commitment during the trying times brought about by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ackerman said
SPAR is continuously looking to integrate sustainable solutions in their operations, with partners exploring ways to minimise CO2 emissions, energy consumption, and waste. The solar plant project at SPAR South Africa’s distribution centres (DCs) offers a prime example of the successful incorporation of sustainable, energy-efficient technologies. As SPAR continues to grow, so does our potential
Uber Eats is excited to announce a South African-first pharmacy offering locally with Medicare that will now provide users, directly from the Uber Eats App, access to over-the-counter medication (self-medication), including schedule 1 and 2 drugs for delivery without leaving home. Uber Eats is rolling out a new reimagined experience to users to find exactly
The Tribunal has confirmed, as an order, a consent agreement between the Competition Commission (the Commission) and Shoprite Checkers (Pty) Ltd (Shoprite) whereby the retailer agrees to immediately stop enforcing exclusivity provisions in its long-term exclusive lease agreements with its landlords against small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and speciality and limited line stores such
Eris Property Group has made history with South Africa’s first-ever bilingual shopping centre websites with chatbots South African property development and services company, Eris Property Group (Pty) Ltd, have made history launching South Africa’s first ever bilingual shopping centre websites with chatbots. The websites, conceptualised, designed and developed by boutique marketing agency, The Blue Room, celebrate
Mondia (https://Mondia.com), a leading technology company which specialises in the marketing and distribution of digital content and Jumia (NYSE : JMIA) (www.Jumia.com.ng), Africa’s largest e-commerce platform, today announced the launch of Jumia Games, a competitively priced entertainment category on the JumiaPay App. In its first phase, the fully branded gaming portal is available in five
The Shoprite Group is launching a rewards programme for its Shopite branded stores on Monday 12 October 2020. The new Shoprite Xtra Savings card will benefit customers with immediate cash savings and launches a year after the Checkers Xtra Savings rewards programme, with more than 5 million customers signed up for and which put more than a R1bn
South African businesses can now get an ecommerce-ready website, including a full payment suite, integrated delivery service and free hosting for just R349 per month. SA’s largest payment service provider, DPO South Africa, launched DPO Store, described as ecommerce-in-a-box, its specifically designed to help start up and small businesses move online easily, quickly and securely.
Paymentus to power Walmart’s enhanced bill pay experience Effective immediately, Walmart and Paymentus have formed a partnership designed to modernize how bills are paid in Walmart stores and in the Walmart app. As part of the collaboration, Walmart has joined the Paymentus Instant Payment Network™, adding another Fortune 100 company to Paymentus’ rapidly growing ecosystem.
MACmobile, a provider of end-to-end cloud-based FMCG value chain solutions and platforms, has launched STOREApp for FIELDForce, a self-service mobile application aimed at empowering main market retailers to manage their own ordering process. This innovative application runs off any smartphone or browser, enabling spaza shop owners and other small retailers to place their orders directly
Zamleather has pledged continued support to the growth of the leather industry in Zambia and called for a crackdown on cattle rustling to help preserve the sector. The tannery and shoe division of Zambeef – and the company behind the popular Zamshu footwear brand – is committed to continue sourcing hides from local livestock farmers.
Inspired by the World Food Day celebrations on Oct 16th, this month-long event will also showcase the diversity of the African food industry. Africa’s E-commerce platform Jumia (NYSE: JMIA) has announced the launch of a Food Festival Campaign which will take place from the 1st to 31st October 2020. The campaign is organized in partnership with local
CEO Val Nichas (58) has been appointed as an executive director and group Chief Executive Officer of Spur Corporation with effect from 1 January 2021. She will succeed Pierre van Tonder who will be retiring from the group with effect from 31 December 2020 after 38 years’ service. Val is a highly experienced strategist who
Innovation has enabled the Shoprite Group to continue to serve its customers and launch new services during extremely limiting lockdown conditions. “During the pandemic, necessity has truly been the mother of invention,” says David Cohn, General Manager: IT of the Shoprite Group. “The limitations that the crisis brought about and the desperate need of businesses
B2B e-commerce is fast becoming an integral part of digital transformation strategies and business growth. Altron Karabina has partnered with Sana Commerce to provide customers with a fully integrated and seamless B2B e-commerce solution that is natively embedded into an ERP, such as Microsoft Dynamics 365. With the global business environment becoming ever more reliant
South African consumers have faced a barrage of life altering events since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown in March, which has had a profound impact on what, where and why they shop. This insights stem from a new Nielsen report The Covid-19 Behavioural Reset, which delves into how shoppers are redesigning
Funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), the activity will enhance market access for women entrepreneurs through building knowledge, capacity, and skills in digital channels The High Commission of Canada in South Africa has partnered with the Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) (www.AWIEForum.org) to run an eCommerce Capacity Development Programme for Women Entrepreneurs in
While not expected to show the same growth as previous years, retail mega-event, Black Friday, could still help local retailers struggling to make up lost lockdown revenue, especially for those with an online presence, says South Africa’s largest payment gateway, DPO South Africa’s PayGate. “The bleak economy, dented disposable income and a very uncertain future
British retail and e-commerce companies learn about the Egyptian market, how to overcome market access barriers and how to connect to Egyptian partners The UK Department for International Trade (DIT) and Egyptian British Chamber of Commerce (EBCC) organised their first retail webinar to explore retail and e-commerce opportunities for British companies in the Egyptian market.
The Tribunal has approved, with conditions, the proposed merger whereby Foschini Retail Group (Pty) Ltd (Foschini) will acquire Edcon’s Jet Division i.e. the assets and business conducted by Edcon Ltd as a going concern under the “Jet” division out of certain Edcon physical retail stores in South Africa. In considering the proposed transaction, the Tribunal
