Positive South African performance delivers overall Group earnings growth, despite challenges in Zambia and Zimbabwe Trading profit in core South African business up 16.4%, with trading profit margin up from 2.5% to 2.8% of turnover Group turnover growth of 6.0% on a comparable basis (6.2% on a constant currency basis) South African turnover growth of
South Africa is home to a nation of promotion obsessed shoppers. This insight stems from a Nielsen analysis on The Price of Promoting, which shows that 75% of South Africans claimed to know the prices of grocery items they regularly buy and notice changes in price, versus 69% in 2018, and their spending habits confirm
Checkers has signed up the millionth customer to its new Xtra Savings programme, just a week following its launch on Monday 14 October. The Checkers Xtra Savings card is helping consumers to make huge savings in tough economic times and discounts are clearly marked in store. Some of the incredible offers currently available include: 750ml
Positive online restaurant reviews and recommendations from customers can be highlighted with Premium listings on TripAdvisor to improve visibility and reputation. Restaurants gearing up for the end-of-year tourist season should ensure their social media listings and online reviews are optimised in order to boost their visibility and increase trade. Research shows that seven out of
The Online Retail in South Africa 2019 research study by World Wide Worx and Platinum Seed reports that online retail growth continues on a steep trajectory. In the forward to the report, Visa points out that South African digital commerce is growing at an impressive four times the rate of traditional commerce and mobile commerce
Toy retailer also set to open new store at Festival Plaza later this year and unveils the must-have toys this holiday season As part of its commitment to provide customers a better shopping experience, Toys “R” Us today announced that it has fully implemented its Scan & Go feature across all 13 stores in the
Symphony RetailAI has released a research survey on the topic of how Artificial Intelligence is impacting retailers’ merchandise management processes. The survey participants, senior execs at leading retailers, answered questions including where they see AI adding most value. Symphony RetailAI is a global provider of AI-enabled revenue growth management solutions for retailers and manufacturers. The
Amazon is making it even easier for customers to pay with cash. Amazon PayCode, already available in 19 countries around the world, launches today in the U.S. and allows customers to choose Amazon PayCode at checkout and then pay for their purchase in cash at one of 15,000 Western Union locations. Items ship once customers
The 2019 Nielsen South Africa Shopper Trends Report has found that ‘lowest prices’ are no longer the key driver of store choice in the country and that value for money, along with the shopping experience is what is driving South African shopper feet through the door. Shopper Trends is an annual report based on multiple
The wait is over – Checkers Xtra Savings is here! Africa’s largest supermarket group has introduced its latest initiative that shows their loyalty to customers, and not the other way round. There are no Points. No Tiers. No Levels. Just instant cash savings on your groceries and drinks. Partnering with SA’s biggest brands, Checkers Xtra
Massmart and the Economic Development Department are proud to announce that the Massmart group has procured R1billion worth of products from the small, local manufacturers on the Supplier Development Programme. This is in addition to the R3billion that Massmart procures per annum from small businesses that are not on the programme. The programme was established
The Shoprite Group’s significant positive impact in the countries and communities in which it operates have seen it subsidise staple products to the value of R141 million, donate surplus food and goods to the value of R60.4 million and serve more than 20 million meals to communities in need in the 2019 financial year. These
Six years ago, Uber hit the streets of South Africa and is now moving over one million *active riders across six cities. What started as a solution to get a ride at the push of a button has changed how riders navigate across their cities with the longest trip in the last year tracking at
Members of Generation Z influence a significant amount of household purchases and enjoy spending their own money, according to the latest issue of the Consumer View report released by the National Retail Federation. “We’re seeing a shift in the way families shop where children are much more involved with purchasing decisions,” NRF Vice President for
The Group’s results for the six months ended 31 August 2019 will be published on or about 28 October 2019. In the interim, it is appropriate to provide shareholders with a brief voluntary performance update on the business. This update pertains to the six months ended 31 August 2019 for the Group’s South Africa (“SA”)
Ingenico Group, the global leader in seamless payments, is proud to announce its new partnership with high-street retail icon, M&S. Both companies will work together to implement a new payment service that will encompass all M&S customer touch points and digital channels, which are critical to supporting its sales and customer experience ambitions. The new
The Tribunal has today approved the merger involving Milco SA (Pty) Ltd (Milco) and Clover Industries Ltd (Clover) subject to a range of employment, local procurement of bulk juice concentrate, and information sharing conditions. Employment effects The Tribunal initially had concerns with the merging parties’ tendered employment-related conditions in terms of which 516 workers would
An effective strategy for responding to online reviews is good for business and can help companies enhance their reputation and improve operations. Consumers are increasingly using online reviews as their primary source of recommendations for goods and services. Engaging effectively with online reviews is an important way for companies to improve relationships and customer loyalty
Continuing its 2019 expansion drive, SPAR Zimbabwe has opened a new store in the country’s second-largest city located in the south of the country, Bulawayo – it’s 37th overall. The new store, SPAR JN Bulawayo, is located on one of the city’s busiest roads in the central business district – across from a busy bus
Checkers Hyper revealed its state-of-the-art flagship store in Sandton City this morning, complete with chocolatier bar, an open-flame pizza oven, an in-store Kauai and an extensive range of innovative new products. Customers can look forward to a world-class shopping environment with unique experiences never before offered in a South African supermarket, such as: Famous Beluga
Carrefour Group announces acquisition of 49% stake in fintech Ewally, a company specializing in digital financial services, as part of its strategy to operate in the digital account segment in Brazil. The acquisition of a 49 % stake in the startup will allow the company to expand its payment and digital product and service distribution
With the opening of its fourth supermarket in Kenya this week at The Waterfront Karen, the Shoprite Group has created another 120 jobs bringing the total number of people now employed by Shoprite Kenya to 475, of which 65% are women. In addition to job creation, the Group is committed to the growth of the
Argility – a member of the Argility Technology Group – an SA leader in enterprise software solutions innovations for the retail and supply chain industries – has announced the appointment of a Retail Solutions Consultant , Stefan Terblanche, with specific focus on the retail market. Stefan brings almost thirty years’ experience in the South African
Under the new ‘Jumia Mall’ category, customers will be able to easily identify & shop from the authorized dealers of leading brands. Leading e-commerce platform, Jumia has introduced a new service to customers dubbed ‘Jumia Mall’. This is a curated section on the platform that allows customers to easily identify the official distributors of leading
SoftPOS enables Samsung mobile devices to be used for contactless transactions of any amount with no additional equipment First Data, now part of Fiserv, a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology solutions, together with Visa, a global leader in digital payments, and Samsung Electronics, will showcase the company’s new Software Point of
Focused on leveraging group scale more effectively to optimise store portfolio performance, improve buying and logistics efficiencies and reduce costs Massmart today reported interim results for the 26 weeks ended 30 June 2019 against a backdrop that offers little external support, both in South Africa and the 12 other African countries in which Massmart operates.
Woolworths Holdings Ltd (WHL) today announced results for the 53 weeks ended 30 June 2019. For comparative reporting, the Group also presented trade for 52 weeks and the commentary below relates to the 52-week period. Group sales for 52 weeks increased by 3.9% to R78.2 billion with adjusted profit before tax down 3.7% to R4.6bn.
Spur Corporation increased headline earnings by 10.2% to R165 million in the year to June 2019 as trading conditions continue to be challenging in South Africa while the international business was impacted by weak economic conditions and high operating costs in Australia. Total franchised restaurant sales across the local and international operations increased by 7.2%
Gap Inc. today announced that, following the completion of the planned spin-off of Old Navy, the new public company, currently referred to as NewCo, will retain the Gap Inc. name. The new Gap Inc. will be a portfolio of brands, including Gap brand, Banana Republic, Athleta, Intermix, Janie and Jack, and Hill City. The announcement
This week representatives from Walmart’s Global Sourcing team are in Johannesburg to meet with 18 of Massmart’s South African suppliers who are interested in exploring opportunities to export their products to Walmart markets. This is as a result of a discussion that took place at the World Economic Forum in Davos between Minister of Trade
The new Edgars brand concept is unlike anything we’ve seen before in South Africa, seamlessly translating the brand’s new positioning and business direction into a physical open-floor space that immediately evokes a sense of play. Ever since Edgars re-launched the brand last year, the retail giant has been collaborating with South African culture and actively
On its ongoing commitment to phase out single-use plastic shopping bags by 2020, Woolworths has announced its first trial of specially-designed paper bags for fashion, beauty and homeware purchases. In alignment with its Good Business Journey, every aspect of the impact of the new paper bags has been considered, from improved care for the environment,
Further strengthening its position in the East African market, the Shoprite Group launched its third supermarket in Kenya, and the first outside Nairobi. The opening of Shoprite City Mall in Nyali, Mombasa on 29 August, has created 115 new job opportunities, of which 65% are occupied by women. This is in addition to the 240
• Purpose, Value, and Convenience emerge as drivers of consumption and innovation • Need for consumer-centric growth strategies The South African consumer landscape is currently fragmented and polarised, characterised by the double edged demand of the South African consumer. Some are feeling more prosperous, while others are amongst the most stretched spenders in the world.
SuitePOS, a single POS app that provides multiple in-store checkout options for retailers running NetSuite or Salesforce, now works with PayPal Here to simplify in-person payments and lower processing costs. SuiteRetail, the makers of SuitePOS for NetSuite and Salesforce, has integrated with PayPal Here to offer a modern and simplified payment processing alternative to traditional
A new payment services platform, utilised by two of South Africa’s oldest member organisations, promises to open up the buy-aid market to consumers and retailers alike. Co-Switch, a newly launched closed-loop payments platform, is currently being introduced to Cape Consumers and Iemas’ members and retail partners. Cape Consumers under their Bsmart card brand and Iemas
Checkers opened the doors to its 100th store in Gauteng at Ferndale on Republic, previously known as Brightwater Commons in Randburg, on Thursday, 29 August 2019. Almost 90 new jobs were created, bringing the full staff complement at Checkers Ferndale to 137, of which 105 are women and 108 are youth (between the ages of
Through the strategic investment, Standard Bank has launched a mobile application, powered by Nomanini, which offers underserved informal retailers financial services for the first time CAPE TOWN, 27th August 2019—Nomanini, the pioneering fintech platform for the informal retail ecosystem, has today announced a $4m funding round led by Standard Bank, Africa’s largest bank, and completed
There’s no doubt that technology has already re-shaped the way the world thinks about buying and selling. Who would have thought twenty years ago that people would be shopping on their phones? Despite the huge changes to the shopping experience in recent years, it’s important to understand that we are only part-way through this journey.
Checkers opened the doors to its first new-look store in Mpumalanga at the White River Crossing lifestyle shopping centre on Thursday, 22 August 2019. Almost 100 new jobs were created, bringing the store’s full staff complement to 159, of which 107 are women and 120 are youth (between the ages of 18 and 35). The
Consumers are embracing the technology offered by virtual cards, as Standard Bank starts to see the benefits of online shopping ecosystem, nine months after the launch its virtual card proposition. In the past nine months, virtual card payments have increased by more than 300%, though they started off at a very low base. A virtual
The Managing Director of Artee Group, the licence holder of SPAR Nigeria, Haresh Keswani, was recently honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award, while SPAR Nigeria was awarded Retail Brand of the year at the BusinessDay Nigerian Business Leadership Awards 2019. The Business Day Leadership Awards recognise leaders who have created and sustained outstanding entrepreneurial initiatives
Allied Wallet Africa, a global FinTech company offering various payment solutions in 196 countries, is pleased to announce a new integration with J2Store, a powerful, mobile-friendly Joomla shopping cart and e-commerce solution. Allied Wallet Africa’s wide set of payment solutions are now integrated with J2Store to provide new opportunities for merchants all over the world.
Key information Sale of merchandise increased by 3.6% to R150.4 billion. Trading profit decreased by 14.3% to R6.9 billion. Diluted headline earnings per share of 779.9 cents, down by 19.6%. Dividend per share of 319 cents declared (2018: 484 cents). Opened a net of 126 stores during the 12 months (2018: 154). View the complete
Trendy Italian underwear, clothing and swimwear brand, Yamamay, has launched its first South African flagship store at Menlyn Park Shopping Centre in Pretoria, finally bringing its exclusive international fashion ranges to local shores. Yamamay officially opened its doors to the South African public on Wednesday, 24 July 2019, with Stefano Ligrone, the First Secretary in
Lightstone reveals how the service station industry offering continues to evolve in a demanding environment. At the Nedbank Franchising Roadshow Lightstone, the provider of comprehensive data, analytics and systems on property, pointed out that the service station sector plays a pivotal role in the franchise industry and its forecast. Linda Reid, Head of Commercial Property
Allied Wallet Africa, a global FinTech company offering various payment solutions in 196 countries, recently announced an integration with 3dcart to provide a more comprehensive solution for merchants. 3dcart’s software enables users to build, adjust, and maintain an online store without any programming or HTML knowledge. 3dcart can be used in conjunction with Allied Wallet
Shopping has always been a social activity that brings people together, creates conversations, and helps build brand loyalty. Last year, we launched Shopify Ping, a mobile app that centralizes all customer conversations along with intelligent, automated marketing workflows to leverage the power of chat to help you grow your business. Today, we’re excited to launch
Platform built on Salesforce improves effectiveness and efficiency of operations, enables growth Accenture has helped Radisson Hotel Group in the Americas develop and implement a new digital customer relationship management platform and mobile application, bringing them together in a single, scalable system that makes it easier for the company’s franchisees and owners to do business
Allied Wallet Africa, a global FinTech company offering various payment solutions in 196 countries, recently announced that they will be able to service X-Cart users to further aide global entrepreneurs. This integration will serve to simplify e-commerce for merchants all around the world. With a custom, tested integration process, Allied Wallet Africa and X-Cart products
