In a survey conducted earlier this week by an influential news website Shoprite and Checkers offered the cheapest and second cheapest basket of grocery essentials, bringing some relief for South African consumers currently under intense financial pressure in a depressed economy. First placed Shoprite’s basket was 20% cheaper than that of the most expensive supermarket, while
Leading cloud solutions provider, Genesys has been announced as Gold sponsor of Digital Retail Forum 2020, set to take place on 29 January at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg, South Africa. DRF2020 will focus on how emerging technologies such as Ai, IoT, drones, digital payment solutions, new eCommerce models and mobility are disrupting the retail sector.
The Tribunal has approved two large merger transactions through which RCS Cards (Pty) Ltd – an unsecured credit lending provider – will acquire a portion of Edcon Limited’s book debt owned by Edcon (first transaction) and book debt owned by ABSA Bank Limited (second transaction). Edcon CEO, Grant Pattison, submitted to the Tribunal that Edcon
In September 2014, whilst conducting a research exercise, the National Credit Regulator (NCR) identified deficiencies in Shoprite Investments Limited’s (Shoprite) (NCRCP6050) affordability assessment processes and established that Shoprite was likely granting credit recklessly to some consumers, says Nomsa Motshegare, CEO of the NCR. As a result, the NCR initiated a full investigation into Shoprite’s affordability
Having taken over the role of Massmart CEO on September 1st, Walmart appointee, Mitchell Slape has shared some of the insights he has gathered during his first 100 days at the South African retailer. The timing of his appointment necessitated a “hit the ground running” approach as it coincided with final preparations for Black Friday
MediRite, the chain of pharmacies located inside Shoprite and Checkers supermarkets, is piloting its first Smart Clinic. It aims to make healthcare more accessible and affordable by leveraging technological advancements in the medical industry. The new Smart Clinic, conveniently located inside the Checkers Hyper Parow in Parow Centre in the Western Cape, is able to
The 2ndannual Digital Retail Forumis set to take place on the 29thof January 2020, at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg. The forum is hosted by IT News Africa, under the theme; Digital Disruption in Retail: Apocalypse or Revolution. Following a successful 2019 event, #DigitalRetailForum will bring together over 200 local and international retail industry leaders to
Until recently, only larger retailers could sell consumers airtime, data and prepaid utility services digitally. Now small business owners across South Africa have been empowered to start selling these products without any cash outlay. Those that have adopted, are seeing a sharp increase in foot traffic and sales. Leading fintech, iKhokha, which provides mobile payments
SPAR in Botswana has undertaken a variety of initiatives during the course of this year, responding to community needs highlighted by shoppers to the retailer. Support has been given in the form of volunteer work, materials or funding to people in need, ranging from smaller projects through to larger-scale initiatives. Focus on school needs Wheelchairs
Accenture is partnering with Edcon, one of southern Africa’s largest non-food retailers, to redefine and reshape their relationship to contribute to Edcon’s renewal and growth strategy. This reflects the firm’s ambition to work with local businesses to unlock South Africa’s economic growth. Edcon embarked on the recapitalisation of its business in March this year. “We
Economy and job security biggest concerns but small improvements in spare cash and spending intentions South Africa’s latest Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) for the third quarter of 2019 showed a five point decrease to 88, presenting a less positive quarter on quarter picture for consumer sentiment in South Africa. Nielsen South Africa Connect MD Kerith
By Gareth Hawkey, Group CEO redPanda Software As the year comes to an end, it is clear that the role and function of brick and mortar stores has fundamentally changed. Increasingly, physical stores have to become a seamless extension of an overall customer experience that blends the best of the online and offline worlds. Indeed,
The 2nd annual Digital Retail Forum is set to take place on the 29th of January 2020, at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg. The forum is hosted by IT News Africa, under the theme; Digital Disruption in Retail: Apocalypse or Revolution. Following a successful 2019 event, #DigitalRetailForum will bring together over 200 local and international retail
Impressive features available in Makro’s chat offering include tracking orders, viewing current catalogues, accessing a digital store card, locating nearby stores Makro has announced that shoppers at its 22 South African outlets and busy online store will now experience instant customer care and service by directly connecting with the retailer on WhatsApp. Impressive features available
Checkers has launched its exclusive on-demand one-hour grocery delivery service named Sixty60. It is South Africa’s first 60-minute grocery delivery service from a supermarket chain, as Checkers relentlessly innovates to respond to customers’ demands for hyper-convenience. The mobile app delivers groceries and drinks at the touch of a button and offers the same value for
Mr Price has released its interim results for the 26 weeks ended 28 September 2019. Normalised diluted headline earnings per share (based on the previous IAS 17 basis for accounting for leases) declined 7.2% to 447.5c. After accounting for leases on the new IFRS 16 basis, which did not require a restatement of comparative results,
Checkers has opened the doors to its state-of-the-art 2 330 m² flagship supermarket at the Constantia Emporium as the retailer continues to take innovation to new heights. The new world-class store offers customers unique experiences including: Freshly-made artisanal breads and pastries and a sophisticated range of confectioneries and luxury cakes; A coffee bar with an
In the financial year ended 30th September 2019, the group reported an increase in turnover of 8.4% to ZAR109.5 billion, despite all markets in which they trade experiencing some challenges. The SPAR Group Ltd turnover includes SPAR Southern Africa, SPAR Ireland and SPAR Switzerland. SPAR South Africa grew wholesale grocery turnover to the retail stores
Visiting Nigeria and South Africa, Quincey met with business and political leaders as the company scales up investments and looks forward to continued growth on the continent. The Global CEO and Chairman of The Coca-Cola Company, James Quincey culminated a tour of Africa last week. Accompanied by his extended leadership team, the visit was a
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning is on the rise but it’s important to know which reputation management processes should and shouldn’t be automated. AI, using Natural Language Processing (NLP) models, allows computers to understand and decipher what a human is saying. This is starting to be used by companies in South
The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) co-chair Gareth Ackerman says South Africa has reached a tipping point which now needs everyone to roll up their sleeves to work together to grow the country, its people and the economy. In a statement at the annual CGCSA Summit in Johannesburg, Ackerman cited regulatory uncertainty, policy
Tiger Brands scooped five prestigious awards at last week’s Gold Pack Awards and the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) South Africa’s Smarties Awards for 2019. Tinkies were the big Tiger winners as they came back with three awards at the MMA’s winning all the categories they had entered. Tinkies won a Gold medal for Cross Mobile
The Shoprite Group’s most effective, innovative and reliable suppliers were rewarded at its 2019 Supplier Awards this past weekend. Pieter Engelbrecht, CEO of Africa’s largest food retailer, said the integrity and efficiency of the Group’s supply chain is key to its business success. It works with 19 398 suppliers across 15 African countries and 13
Digital freight forwarder Saloodo! today launched its digital logistics platform for shippers and transport providers in South Africa First international digital road freight platform to be launched in the continent; Provides shippers and carriers a one-stop platform for road freight connections for domestic shipments within South Africa and international movements to several neighbouring countries; Further
A new rooftop solar PV (photovoltaic) installation at the Shoprite Group’s Gordon’s Bay Mall is expected to generate more than 720 000 kWh per annum, amounting to about a third of the centre’s total electricity use. The Gordon’s Bay Mall is the seventh solar PV plant that the Group has installed. Its installations in Kimberley,
As part of a multi-faceted project to separate Marlton’s entire ICT infrastructure from that of its former holding company, Ascendis Health, LanDynamix moved the company’s e-mail environment to Microsoft Office 365. Founded in 1945, Marltons Pet Care (Pty) Ltd., is South Africa’s No. 1 Pet Care brand* offering an extensive range of quality products from
By Andrew Dawson, Commercial Director at MACmobile The cash problem The simplest way of optimising route to market is through pre-sales, which then creates a predictable order and allows for the best delivery routes to be calculated. However, for much of the market in South Africa this is simply not the reality. To service the
Innovative consumer finance business RCS – a subsidiary of BNP Paribas Personal Finance, European leader in financing for individuals, itself part of the French bank BNP Paribas – has acquired the Absa funded portion of the Edcon Store Card debtors book, subject to regulatory approvals. It has also secured the right to provide consumer finance
Clicks Group increased diluted headline earnings per share by 16.8% to 672 cents in the year to August 2019, as the retail and distribution businesses both delivered strong performances in an environment of low economic growth and challenging trading conditions. The group increased its total dividend by 17.1% to 445 cents per share, with the
Famous Brands is a leading food services franchisor. The Group’s vertically integrated business model comprises a portfolio of 20 restaurant brands, represented by 2 879 restaurants across South Africa (“SA”), the rest of Africa and the Middle East (“AME”), and the United Kingdom (“UK”). The Brands division is underpinned by substantial Logistics and Manufacturing operations.
Where technology and Convenience Merge One app in three years by three perspectives In three years, Uber Eats has completely changed food consumption in South Africa. It’s convenience made affordable, accessible and attainable. That’s why Uber Eats has become one of the most popular food delivery apps, not just locally but globally, redefining an entire
Global on-demand courier service company Glovo, which links motorcycle riders to consumers wishing to buy and deliver products, has partnered with News Cafe in a move aimed at expanding their market footprint in the country. The firm, which uses an app to enable its deliveries has partnered with the South African franchise to enable it
The Shoprite Group is whole-heartedly committed to employment in Africa, as their staff complement of 147 268 attests. The Group is proud to be the largest employer, after government, in South Africa. In only one week, almost 120 new jobs were created by the opening of three supermarkets in South Africa. Shoprite Stimela Barberton Shoprite
Trading profit up 15.8% to R641.5 million on a normalised basis Headline earnings per share up 11.6% on a normalised basis Diluted headline earnings per share up 13.1% on a normalised basis Turnover growth of 5.1% to R39.3 billion Internal inflation restricted to 3.6%, well below CPI food inflation of 6.9% R500 million investment in
Online payment gateway, PayFast, has launched Split Payments, a South African-first that instantly splits a portion of an online payment with a third party. The service is designed to facilitate fast, safe payments for platform-based businesses, including online marketplaces. “PayFast has always seen itself as a business enabler. We realised that the growing platform economy
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
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
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 retail outlets serve as the final point for vertical integration of the food production company’s agri-business In its quest to continue promoting the local agricultural value-chain while delivering the highest international standards in the food retailing industry, Zambeef has opened its new Mini Macro at Lusaka’s New Soweto Market. The stores have been designed
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
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”)
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
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
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
South Africa’s latest Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) for the second quarter of 2019 shows a three point increase to 93, presenting a marginally more positive quarter on quarter picture for consumer sentiment in South Africa. Nielsen South Africa Connect MD Kerith Botha says; “Despite experiencing tight financial conditions due to factors such as rising fuel
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%
