Mike Smollan, Chief Growth and Innovation Officer at Smollan looks at retail trends for the third and fourth quarters of this year and beyond, and what these means for growth Gears switched at the beginning of 2022 as we entered a new phase in a retail eco-system that was still massaging aches and pains and
LC Waikiki customers will now be able to make payments seamlessly via mobile money in all their branches in Zambia Cellulant (www.Cellulant.io) Zambia has signed a partnership agreement with leading fashion retailer LC Waikiki, which will enable customers to make payments from all LC Waikiki stores across Zambia through the Tingg digital payment platform. As
Annual CPG sales top R527-Billion Liquor sector continues to rebound Food inflation remains a thorn in the side of consumers increasing by 8.1% versus a year ago The South African manufacturing and retail sectors remain stoic in the face of a continued onslaught of input prices, and consumers feeling the full effects of their severely
Twelve of top 20 product categories experience double-digit inflation Price increases starting to impact unit sales Annual FMCG retail sales total R523-Billio The stranglehold of the current 13-year inflation high on consumer purchase patterns is clearly shown in the newly released NielsenIQ South Africa State of the Retail Nation report which shows that twelve out
In partnership with The Ministry of Education and The Ministry of Agriculture, to support parents and caregivers on a healthier lifestyle for their kids. Nestlé Kenya together with its partners, The Ministry of Education and The Ministry of Agriculture, have launched the Nestlé for Healthier Kids Programme in Kajiado County which will benefit 128 schools
General dealers have emerged as the most resilient sector in South African retail, growing sales 14.6% in real terms from January to May 2022 and winning a greater share of the cash-strapped consumer’s wallet. Their strong performance in a struggling retail sector can be largely attributed to consumers’ spending more of their incomes on necessities
Takealot.com, Superbalist.com and Mr D are once again joining forces by curating deals on favourite products across their respective platforms. The Ultimate Checkout brings together three of South Africa’s online greats to offer epic deals based on customer preferences. This customer-centric three-day sale (25 – 27 July 2022), which takes place annually, promises incredible deals
Imagine a future in which your new cell phone is delivered to your home by a courier who also sets up your new device for you. What about a courier who can deliver a spare part for your washing machine and install it while he is there? These were some of the scenarios explored by
Consumers are also largely in search of their perfect brand match, with 76% of South African respondents feeling that if they look hard enough, they can find a brand that fits their exact needs NielsenIQ updates consumer brand preferences –with a focus on small and medium brands – in its latest report According to the
One of the best kept secrets for South Africans over the age of 60 is that they can claim a discount at Makro stores every day of the week, and not only on a specific day – an offering that has been in place since the onset of COVID-19. “While we decided to make this
The Merchants Getting Ready for Crypto: Merchant Adoption of Digital Currency Payments Survey reflects current projections, priorities and challenges around cryptocurrency payments, according to top U.S. merchants. As consumers progressively purchase a wider spectrum of goods and services via digital currencies, U.S. merchants are reflecting a greater optimism, prioritization and implementation of alternate payments to
The overwhelming success of loyalty programmes amongst South Africa’s big retailers has encouraged many mid-tier brands to roll out their own offerings. While these can only help to attract and retain customers, many are missing out on the benefits of running the built-in loyalty programmes offered by QR payment platforms in tandem with their own.
With no end in sight to the rising cost of living for South African consumers, shopping and spending habits continue to shift as cost saving becomes increasingly imperative. According to Massmart, the rising pressure on their wallets is pushing consumers to buy more private brand products as part of their routine shopping trips. “Investing into
As South African consumer budgets face increased pressure from all angles, it is no surprise that Game’s latest consumer survey found that 65% of respondents were feeling the pinch in their pockets compared to this time last year. With 83% of respondents confirming that they shop round for the best possible deals – groceries and
Consumer education will play a central role in addressing emerging security challenges. During the launch of the Kaa Chonjo! (Be Alert!) card, mobile and online safety awareness campaign, players in the financial, payments and retail sectors highlighted the importance of continuing to empower the public with information on fraud prevention. In his remarks, Kenya Bankers
60% top consumer goods have experienced price increases above inflation South African shoppers are becoming masters of mindful shopping and restraint Amidst the ongoing fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftershocks of creeping cost pressures and higher basket spend, NielsenIQ analysis of its South African Retailer Measurement Service data has revealed that almost 60%
Retail is renowned for being fast-paced and highly competitive. If anything, the pandemic has only intensified this, with evolving shopping habits and customer needs, and the growing adoption of digital shopping platforms. South Africans’ shopping habits shifted significantly when the pandemic started, driven predominantly by lockdown restrictions that saw people do bigger, quicker, and more
Bosses Day. Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Singles Day. Christmas. Back to School. Un-blurring lines, strategic planning, and relevance is what it boils down to as retailers pick the occasion that aligns with their brand and target audience. Lest we forget, that in retail and ecommerce every day is a celebration as the shopping experience takes
Townships are considered key to unlocking the South African ecommerce retail industry representing at least 40% of the national grocery market where despite the small basket size, the benefits offer a high return and the possibility of incredible growth. With ecommerce spend only accounting for 2% of SA’s total retail transactions compared to the global
Deep analysis by NielsenIQ has revealed that South African shoppers have dramatically reduced the frequency of their monthly shopping trips, which are down from an average of five trips per month two years ago, to an average of three. In addition, 500 000 households have been forced to stretch their monthly shop to beyond a
As we near the festive season, Standard Bank is excited to announce that UCount Rewards members can now earn and redeem Rewards Points from more Rewards Retailers. This expansion of the Rewards Retailers is part of the bank’s key objective to give customers an array of retail choices aligned to their needs. The Standard Bank
SPAR expressed its deepest gratitude to its people, the SPAR retailers and their communities, who pulled together and worked tirelessly to protect, clean, restock and rebuild stores, bringing hope to their communities at a time when there were serious concerns around safety and food security. The business has seen changing consumer behaviour over the past
This year’s Black Friday event, which has emerged to become a major highlight on the South African calendar, is expected to bring in higher sales volumes than last year as many retailers that were hard hit by decreased consumer spend in 2020 have started offering their specials ahead of schedule, giving consumers more time to
A consumer survey carried out by local retailer, Game Stores, in October has found that consumers want the option to shop both in-store and online this Black Friday – despite a significant rise in e-commerce over the last two years. The retailer, whose month-long promotion is aptly called Black November, surveyed almost 2000 South African
Game’s Q3 consumer Price Perception Survey found that 86% of South African consumers still prioritise bargain hunting more than they did a year ago, with 66% confirming they are shopping less than they did at this time last year, despite lesser restrictions around movement. Only 11% of respondents say their shopping habits have not changed
Consumer trend to cocoon at home after lockdowns a boon for electronic appliance sector. Spike in consumer home sales of small appliances, dishwashers and office equipment. Massive growth in solar heating on the continent expected. International home appliances maker Electrolux expects strong demand to continue as a result of the stay-at-home trend prompted by the
Consumer purchasing patterns have become far more complicated over the past 18 months with a plethora of devices and more points of sale as retailers constantly rework strategies that have changed with shoppers needs and desires. Finding the balance between physical store visits and on-line shopping, keeping up to speed with the latest trends, and
The Group also announces additional key leadership appointments Takealot Group has appointed Mamongae Mahlare as its new Group Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 October 2021. Her appointment follows the announcement that Kim Reid will transition to Chairman, Takealot Group, during the course of this year, where he will focus on the group’s longer-term growth ambitions.
Over the past 18 months, as COVID has shaken the world and brought the future forward, the need for environmental scanning and an understanding of the drivers of societal change is more important than ever. After all, change has never happened this fast before. At Smollan, trends play an integral part in our innovation process
The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) has condemned the destruction of property and ongoing looting of retail shops which started in KwaZulu-Natal and which has since spread to other areas such as Johannesburg saying such acts of wanton criminality have no place in democratic South Africa. Looters are targeting retail shops including liquor
Coffee on the go, quick and healthy pop-in-pop-out food choices, airtime, pre-paid electricity, snacks, and easy meals – repositions forecourts as a convenience store that also allows you to fill up your car. In a Lumina Intelligence survey it found that this doesn’t mean that fewer shoppers are purchasing fuel but rather that their main
Developed more than ten years ago, 3D Secure 1 was welcomed, but not exactly user-friendly, widely adopted and recognised when a pop-up window appeared with ‘Verified by Visa’ (later rebranded as Visa Secure), ‘SecureCode’ from Mastercard of Safekey from Amex. The system was somewhat convoluted, complex and was often plagued by compatibility issues. A protocol
WhereIsMyTransport provides commuters in high-growth markets with real-time travel information to get where they need to go WhereIsMyTransport uses data and technology to map formal and informal public transport networks Naspers continues to back South Africa-focused technology companies, with WhereIsMyTransport taking the Naspers Foundry portfolio to five companies Naspers announced a R42 million (US$3 million)
1GB launch promo with data valid for one year PnP Mobile customers can now RICA their SIM cards through a completely paperless process. “Pick n Pay and our partners, TymeBank, are making it possible for our PnP Mobile customers to enjoy a completely simplified mobile SIM card purchase and registration process. They will no longer
Bottles by PnP adds Smart Shopper points to all purchases and adds 100% recycled paper bags for all Bottles deliveries Pick n Pay Smart Shoppers can now earn points on their on-demand delivery orders with the Bottles by PnP app. This makes Pick n Pay the only retailer in South Africa to offer loyalty points
93% of consumers are considering emerging payments such as biometrics, digital currencies, and QR code, in addition to contactless, according to the Mastercard New Payments Index Now, nearly 90% of in-person transactions globally take place at a contactless-enabled merchant As the world went into pandemic lockdown in 2020, consumers shifted their spending habits to embrace
A survey conducted by mass retailer Game has found that despite increasing levels of digitalisation around consumer behaviour in the last year, South African bargain hunters are using leaflets more than Google search (55%-45%) to compare prices. Additionally, 86% of them prioritise bargain hunting more so now than they did a year ago, no matter
New Report Spotlights Retail’s Digital Acceleration As COVID-19 kept consumers around the world at home, nearly everything from groceries to gardening supplies was purchased online. According to Mastercard’s latest Recovery Insights report, this amounted to an additional $900 billion being spent in retail online around the world in 2020. Put another way: in 2020, e-commerce
Clothing (61%), Data top-up (55%) and computer equipment (48%) top the virtual shopping list in Ivory Coast. Top learning experiences include cooking, dancing, learning a language, and mastering DIY projects. Social media has become an integral platform for connecting consumers to online businesses Secure checkout experience recognized as fundamental for online shopping A Mastercard study
Data top-up (94%), clothing (64%) and beauty products (56%) top the virtual shopping list in Nigeria Top learning experiences include online banking, learning to manage health & get medicines online, cooking & learning a new language Social media has become an integral platform for connecting consumers to online businesses Secure checkout experience recognized as fundamental
A Mastercard study on consumer spending* has revealed that nearly four out of five (79%) surveyed consumers in Ghana are shopping more online since the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic. Data, apparel, beauty products and other FMCGs (fast-moving consumer goods), have seen the highest surge of online activity. More than 90% of Ghana consumers
78% of South African consumers have changed their purchase behaviour South African consumers are navigating uncharted territory as they cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent financial fallout that has wreaked havoc on their income, financial situations and spending intentions. As a result, a whopping 78% of South African consumers say they have changed
The rise of e-commerce in the country over the past year may have been driven by the pandemic, but it was long overdue. On eCommerce Day, it is worth noting that South Africa was arguably too slow in initially adopting e-commerce, chiefly because it appeared focused on the niche upper end of the market. Thus,
By Njabulo Nzimande, Technology Solutions Professional at Altron Karabina In April 2020, headlines rang out after Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella proclaimed that business the world over were delivering “two years’ worth of digital transformation in two months”. And two years ago, this headline might have raised an eyebrow or two – but not today. For
South African merchants who have survived the chaos wrought by COVID-19 are turning to data insights to help them ensure a more sustainable future. For many merchants, shifting gears from ‘survive to thrive’ has been boosted by local consumers’ love of loyalty programmes. In an otherwise gloomy economy, data from South Africa’s largest insights-based QR
When poultry import tariffs were introduced in 2020, the South African National Consumer Union warned that these tariffs would push up chicken prices – a prediction that has come true. A bag of Individual Quick Frozen (IQF) chicken portions has risen from R63.87 to R77.61 – an increase of 9% – in one year. This
2Engage is building on its success in Africa, with customer engagement and incentive solutions that deliver value to customers and companies across multiple industries. Based and operational out of South Africa, 2Engage has a presence in eleven African countries including Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. With over 200 rewards
Thanks to the global SPAR distribution and retail network, SPAR Partners in 48 countries worldwide benefit from joint purchasing opportunities that range from regional buying alliances to sourcing centrally through SPAR International. SPAR International also offers own brands ranges supplied through the distribution centre in The Netherlands to 30 countries around the world. A SPAR
With leading bill payment aggregator Pay@ Services offering a broad spectrum of retailer, banking, and mobile-based bill payment services to bill issuers across most industry sectors, CEO Andrew Hardie believes that the company has the unique ability to provide a helicopter view of the bill payments market in 2020, particularly the impacts of the COVID-19
While the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend may have been a relatively muted affair this year, online merchants have enough time to salvage the last trading quarter if they apply lessons learned and aggressively tackle the festive season, says South Africa’s largest payment service provider, the DPO Group (including PayGate, PayFast and SiD). “The
