UnionPay International (UPI) has announced significant progress in the South African retail payments market through their co-operation with Pick n Pay and Absa Bank. Through a tripartite co-operation agreement, Pick n Pay, a major food, clothing and general merchandise retailer, is now enabled to accept UnionPay cards at all of its till points across its
New European PSD2 requirements significantly impact how European consumers and businesses buy and sell online—ACI’s UP solutions with real-time, multi-layered capabilities help businesses to lower fraud rates while providing a frictionless checkout experience ACI Worldwide, a leading global provider of real-time electronic payment and banking solutions, announced a number of tools and solution updates to
Affordable clothing retailer Pep Stores leads the pack in terms of customer satisfaction ratings in the latest South African Customer Satisfaction Index(SA-csi) for Clothing Stores, conducted by Consulta. The 2018 SA-csi for Clothing Stores ranks Ackermans, Edgars, Jet, Mr. Price, Pep Stores, Truworths and Woolworths based on highly scientific insights into the overall level of
Co-op’s Pay-in-Aisle App set to deliver greater convenience and flexibility for shoppers, utilizing ACI’s mobile payments technology ACI Worldwide, a leading global provider of real-time electronic payment and banking solutions, has announced that its mobile payments technology is an essential component of the Co-operative Group’s new Pay-in-Aisle App. The Co-operative Group (Co-op) is one of
The recently-certified connector provides business owners with a platform for end-to-end retail management. Continuing its quest to empower businesses through innovation and technology, CitiXsys, has announced a certified integration between its integrated omnichannel platform, iVend Retail and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Already serving as a powerful tool for retailers and hospitality businesses around the
Vivo Energy, the pan-African retailer and distributor of Shell and Engen-branded fuels and lubricants, and Jumia, the leading pan-African e-commerce platform, have agreed to partner to develop and pilot a series of initiatives, designed to offer additional services to customers in selected countries where both companies operate. Implementation of these initiatives is a further demonstration
Customers can pay bills, buy cellphones, tickets, lotto, electricity and even insurance at Shoprite’s new k’nect stores Six more k’nect stores opening before mid-August 2019 Global money transfers at k’nect stores and Money Market counters are cheaperer than any other available transfers, no hidden costs and convenient for customers The Shoprite Group is making it
Starbucks to license technology to Brightloom – formerly eatsa – taking equity stake and seat on the tech company’s board of directors Integration to enable best-in-class digital solutions to be available for restaurants through Brightloom, revolutionizing the digital experience for customers Brightloom will make available cloud-based software solutions to Starbucks global license partners Starbucks Coffee
The landscape of retail is transforming faster than ever before. Every day there are new smart ideas that are raising the bar for retail excellence. From innovative tailor-made apps for employees to personalised customer welcoming technology, Massmart’s first-ever Digital Bootcamp gave a glimpse at the technological innovations redefining retail. Six individuals, six weeks, two hours
GfK South Africa has launched its Smart Path solution, one of the first offerings in the local market to give brands and retailers in the technical goods and consumer durables industries a complete view of the online and offline consumer path to purchase. GfK Smart Path combines social media listening, survey data and client point
PepsiCo (PEP.O) has struck a deal to buy South Africa’s Pioneer Food Group (PFGJ.J) for $1.7 billion, the companies said on Friday, lifting Pioneer’s shares and boosting a sector that has been hit by drought and tough trading conditions. The U.S. drinks and snack group said on Friday that Pioneer’s product portfolio was complementary to
Spur Corporation increased total franchised restaurant sales by 7.2% to R7.6 billion in the year to 30 June 2019. Franchised restaurant sales in South Africa grew by 6.2%, with sales from international restaurants increasing by 16.2% in Rand terms. International restaurant sales increased by 12.3% on a constant exchange rate basis. These results include the
An Exciting Product Innovation Aimed at the Retail Sector. The Argility Technology Group has announced the release of its latest innovation: PredictRetail, a Google Cloud native application offering predictive analytics to retailers. PredictRetail enables retailers to make better business decisions, by using machine learning, data science and predictive modelling, to extract insights from historical data
Integrated ICT and infrastructure provider, Vox has introduced the Vox WiFi Retail Lite solution targeting coffee shops, restaurants, and other small service businesses where customers have come to depend on freely available WiFi access. “Retail stores can ill afford not to provide customers with high-speed WiFi connectivity given the increased connected lifestyles we lead. The
When the first Coles store opened in Collingwood, Australia, over 100 years ago, nothing in the store cost over two shillings. It was a hit. Fast forward to 2019 and Coles is still a leading retailer – only now it has 40,000 products, 115,000 team members, 2,450 stores and $39 billion in revenue. What hasn’t
FNB has revealed that South African consumers are showing strong appetite to save after its customers initiated nearly 20 000 savings goals in just a few days since the launch of the Savings Goals feature on the Bank’s App. To date, some of the top Savings Goals that have been chosen by consumers include: saving
JDA Software, Inc. has announced that it has successfully worked with Walmart in the development and rollout of the retailer’s new advanced scheduling system, supported by JDA® Workforce Management. The rollout of Walmart’s new scheduling system has been deployed to more than 1.1 million of its associates across approximately 4,600 stores. JDA Workforce Management for
Footgear – backed by Old Mutual Private Equity (OMPE), has announced that it has acquired the Edgars Active and High Key chain stores, divisions of the Edcon Group, and leading retailers of branded sport and lifestyle footwear, clothing and accessories. The transaction remains subject to conditions precedent, including regulatory approvals. The acquisition, funded by growth
Investec Asset Management (‘IAM’) has completed its first private equity investment in Egypt, by acquiring control of Spinneys Egypt (‘Spinneys’), a rapidly growing supermarket chain in Egypt. This marks the eighth investment from IAM’s second pan-African private equity fund. The business is one of the leading grocery retail players in Egypt, having expanded to a
Game Stores Africa opened their 4th store in Namibia. The prominent brand is proud to open their 149th store in Walvis Bay on 27 June 2019. The iconic pink brand brings all the electronics, lifestyle, and essential products at the unbeatable prices Game is renowned for to the community of Walvis Bay in a 2
Shoprite created 100 jobs with the opening of its new store in Marapyane, Mpumalanga on Thursday, 27 June. The store’s total staff complement is 137, which includes 124 youth (between the ages of 18 and 35) and 82 women. Shoppers eagerly gathered to be amongst the first to benefit from the store’s opening specials and
• 30% of the total volume of products were sold at a discounted price in 2018 • 66% of promotions don’t break-even South Africa is home to a nation of promotion obsessed shoppers. This insight stems from a newly released Nielsen report The Price of Promoting, which shows that 75% of South Africans claimed to
Two of Tsogo Sun’s flagship Western Cape hotels – Southern Sun The Cullinan and Southern Sun Waterfront Cape Town recently announced the appointment of two new General Managers. Jacques Moolman has taken over as General Manager at The Cullinan while Johann Nortjè has been appointed as General Manager at Southern Sun Waterfront. Moolman and Nortjè
Naspers creates new executive position to lead Naspers’ activities in South Africa Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa to join the Naspers management team as CEO, South Africa Responsibilities include leadership of Naspers’ flagship South African units, Naspers Foundry and Naspers Labs Naspers announces the appointment of Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa to the global Naspers management team as CEO, South Africa.
Comparison tools lead the way for price transparency in e-commerce Online shopping has become increasingly popular amongst South African consumers. Convenience, competitive pricing, and a wide choice of products make online purchasing a no-brainer for tech-savvy shoppers, but retailers need to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to standing out against the competition.
The Technology Innovator Applauds its Twenty One Year Journey with Retail Giant Argility – a member of the Argility Technology Group has revealed details of its twenty-one year journey with the Shoprite Furniture Group, trading under the brands of OK Furniture, House & Home and OK Power Express. In 1998 Argility was appointed by the
Local retailer to offer customers a wider range of package-free fruit and vegetables Pick n Pay has launched a ‘nude’ fruit and vegetable produce wall – a dedicated plastic and packaging-free zone in 13 stores across the country as part of a trial to measure customers’ readiness to switch from pre-packaged food to loose products.
Adobe Experience Cloud to Power Rite Aid’s Seamless, Personalized Customer Health and Wellness Experience Rite Aid Corporation has entered into a strategic partnership with Adobe to deliver seamless, personalized and connected health and wellness experiences for Rite Aid customers via Adobe Experience Cloud, the industry’s leading end-to-end solution for experience creation, marketing, advertising, analytics and
Jumia Food, a unit of New York-listed e-commerce platform Jumia Technologies is offering cheaper menu options in its African home market to attract lower income earners as it seeks to boost growth, the delivery company said. The platform, which delivers food and drink in 11 African countries, joins other international companies such as ride-hailing firm
Woolworths is pleased to announce the official launch of its first intake of candidates from the Youth Employment Services (YES) programme, a government-led partnership with business, labour and civil society which aims to empower one million young South Africans by offering paid, quality work experience. Through the YES programme, Woolworths will recruit approximately 450 learners
Restaurant franchise group Spur Corporation has entered into an agreement to acquire the 10% stake in the company sold to Grand Parade Investments (GPI) in 2014. The value of the transaction is R260 million, equating to R24.00 per share. Spur Corporation concluded a broad-based black economic empowerment transaction with the black owned and controlled GPI
Consumers are embracing the use of retail technology to improve their shopping experience, according to the latest issue of the Consumer View report released today by the National Retail Federation. “Technology has become part of our everyday lives, and consumers are open to adopting technologies that make shopping easier,” NRF Vice President for Research Development
Rhodes Food Group has received the award for the Best Reporting and Communications in the consumer products sector in the annual Investment Analysts Society of South Africa (IASSA) awards for excellence in financial reporting and communications. The awards are voted by members of the IASSA who are the country’s investment decisionmakers and recognise the standard
“THIS WAS A TRANSFORMATIONAL YEAR FOR NASPERS. WE ENTERED FY20 WELL-POSITIONED AS A GLOBAL CONSUMER INTERNET GROUP,” CONFIRMED BOB VAN DIJK, GROUP CEO. Group highlights for the year Revenues increased 29% year-on-year to US19.0bn (2018: US$16.4bn). Trading profit grew 22% year-on-year to US$3.3bn (2018: US$3.0bn). Core headline earnings grew 26% to US$3.0bn (2018: US$2.4bn). Transition
Edcon, South Africa’s largest non-food retailer, made a commitment in 2016 to a localised cotton initiative – from “farm to shelf” – by participating in the Sustainable Cotton Cluster (SCC). What started as a pilot project with a commitment of 600 tons of cotton lint from South African cotton farmers has now grown to a
Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across Middle East, Africa and Asia, is set to open its first Carrefour stores in Uganda in the upcoming months, as the retailer seeks to cater to evolving customer needs and accommodate the growing demand for modern retail in Kampala and its surroundings.
Vivo Energy plc (Vivo Energy), the pan-African retailer and distributor of Shell and Engen-branded fuels and lubricants, has agreed to a non-fuel joint venture to accelerate the roll-out of KFC restaurants in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda . The 50:50 joint venture Kuku Foods (Kuku Foods), who will remain the local KFC franchisee. Completion of this
Africa’s leading e-commerce platform Jumia said opening a third-party platform to the Chinese market has become its strategic focus amid booming Africa-China trade. Jumia CEO Jeremy Hodara told Xinhua in a recent interview that they are actively recruiting Chinese sellers, as the platform wishes to explore the African market and build a bridge for China-Africa
Shoprite Botswana recently opened its own world-class distribution centre (DC) in Taung, Gaborone. The 3 700 m² state-of-the-art facility is the first in the country that can handle storage across multiple temperature disciplines, contains tropical ripening rooms as well as offer value-added packing facilities. Most of the space – some 2 700 m² – will
The Carter App Simplifies Automobile Purchasing for Consumers. The Carter platform was developed with the express purpose of helping consumers successfully make one of the biggest purchasing decisions they will ever make: buying a new car. “The whole process of buying a new car is extremely complex and user-unfriendly. Our app aims to help consumers
SPAR launched in four new countries, now operates over 13,112 stores in 48 countries worldwide in its third year of strong growth. The world’s largest voluntary food retail chain, SPAR International, reported another exceptionally strong year in 2018 with global retail sales of €35.8 billion for the year ending December 31st 2018, representing an increase
RFG has recently completed the acquisition of a protein snack food business from RCL Foods Consumer (Pty) Ltd for R30 million. The business produces a range of protein snacks for Woolworths, including meat balls and chipolata sausages. The new business has been integrated into the Western Cape ready meals factory at the Groot Drakenstein production
Food retailer on track to launch new concept stores in all 10 provinces. Former Republican President Rupiah Banda officially opened the Zambeef Petauke Macro this week, the first of the company’s new concept stores in Eastern Province. Mr Banda, who is himself an avid farmer, commended Zambeef and said that the company’s decision to choose
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) in Namibia inaugurated a new, sustainable solar power supply at their Windhoek factory. As a proud industry leader in developing increasingly sustainable ways to manufacture, distribute and sell their products, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) in Namibia, has recently installed 1 740 solar panels and nine solar inverters on the roof of
It’s hard to imagine that just 10 years ago, the consumer’s experience of shopping in a forecourt convenience store (c-store) was completely different. In the 2000’s, forecourt convenience retail was still dominated by garage stores that specialised in the 5c’s – cigarettes, chips, chocolates, instant coffee and cool drinks. However, the industry was about to
A consortium led by Apis Growth Fund I, a private equity fund managed by Apis Partners LLP, and Crossfin Technology Holdings, a fintech investment company announced today the acquisition of Sureswipe (Pty) Limited and the formation of Crossfin Transactional Solutions, South Africa’s largest independent payments and merchant acquiring solutions platform The acquisition of Sureswipe complements
Lewis Group has reported the continued turnaround in the performance of its traditional retail brands in the year to March 2019, with strong merchandise sales growth and the early benefits of its diversification strategy driving headline earnings per share 24.3% higher to 376 cents. The group’s total dividend has been increased by 17% to 234
Two large players in the tobacco industry, Gold Leaf Tobacco and Philip Morris South Africa, have been recognised as participants in the ongoing large merger proceedings involving British American Tobacco and Twisp Gold Leaf Tobacco and Philip Morris South Africa recently applied to the Tribunal for leave to intervene in the merger proceedings. The Tribunal’s
MACMobile, an innovator of niche mobile technology solutions for the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry, has launched its new FIELDPromote app which revolutionises the last mile of customer loyalty. FIELDPromote offers a complete, intelligent solution for managing activations from conception to execution and beyond, to ensure maximum return on promotional spend. It can be deployed
Venture-backed technology company KOKO Networks has launched its first network of 700 “KOKOpoints” inside neighbourhood shops across Nairobi. KOKOpoints are multi-purpose consumer access machines, combining a fuel ATM, an e-commerce kiosk and an in-store digital media experience. KOKO builds technology for life in the world’s fastest-growing cities. The first consumer solution on the Network is
