SAPICS: Supply Chain Optimisation Offers Big Benefits For Retailers

The prevailing business environment is more volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) than ever before, and today’s consumers are more demanding and unpredictable. To keep customers satisfied and to ensure that the right goods are available where and when they are needed, regardless of the latest local or global disruption, supply chain management has become

Celebrate Innovation in Africa’s Thriving Food and Beverage industry

Africa’s Big 7 returns with entries open for the inaugural Innovation Awards According to Statista, revenue in South Africa’s e-commerce food sector is projected to reach US$522.90 million this year, with an Average Annual Growth Rate (AAGR) of 5.47% over 2023-2027.[i] Ordering food online is just one facet of this booming industry, packed with tasty

Comcorp South Africa: Five Digital Business Trends to Keep Up With Consumers in 2023

It’s hard to think of life without technology. From being able to stream movies on Netflix, asking Alexa to play our favourite songs or just being able to Google the weather, latest soccer scores or answers to life’s most puzzling questions – technology is playing a central role in the way we work, play, and

1Stream Ticks All the CRM Boxes With its All-in-One Solution

When it comes to CRMs, not all platforms are created equal. At 1Stream, we have an all-in-one solution that enables your team to grow revenue, improve service and boost sales while empowering your team members and helping them to connect more effectively with each other and with your customers. And it is this connectivity that

Retailability Grows its Brand Portfolio

Founded in 1984, Retailability is a South African based group of retail brands including Edgars, Legit, Swagga, Beaver Canoe and Style. Retailability operates over 580 stores across Southern Africa in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini. Delivering authentic and affordable fashion and beauty to the market remains the core focus of Retailability. Retailability continues

BDO South Africa: Don’t Discount Low-Cost Retail in South Africa

For retailers, relevance is reflected in a mirror of realities that must be understood with respect and met with dignity, especially in a diverse market such as South Africa. Low-cost retailers do this well, writes Faheem Hoosen, Audit partner at BDO South Africa. Discount supermarkets enable consumers to ‘buy two’, ‘buy three’, even ‘buy more’.

Konga Named Most Innovative E-Commerce Brand in Africa

A new consumer-focused survey has projected Konga as the most admired and innovative e-commerce company on the African continent. The survey, which was published on March 15, 2023, coincided with the World Consumer Rights Day. The market-wide consumer-based survey examined the current state, performance and growth path of e-commerce in Africa. The poll, which cut

The Golden Rules to Scale Sustainable Packaging

Driven by digital technologies and changing consumer habits, delivery platforms across online food, grocery, and etail are growing steadily. From a new dress or a secondhand bike to a Margherita pizza or bottle of shampoo, the packaging is a critical element of the success of any delivery. With the sector’s growth, the need for more

Secondary Listing of Shoprite on A2X

Shoprite is pleased to advise shareholders that its ordinary shares will be traded on A2X with effect from Tuesday 11 April 2023 (the “A2X listing date). Shoprite will retain its listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), the Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) and Lusaka Securities Exchange (LUSE) and its issued share capital will be unaffected

Pick N Pay Clothing Store Awarded Green Status

Pick n Pay Clothing becomes the first clothing retailer recognised by the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) for its sustainable approach to refurbishing the interiors of its growing store network. The Pick n Pay Clothing store in Blue Route Mall, Cape Town, was awarded a 4 Star Green Star Interiors v1 rating, which indicates

RCS: The Impact of Blockchain Technology on the Retail Sector and its Role as the ‘Fuel for Africa’s Innovation Economy’

During its formative years, blockchain technology became synonymous with the advent of cryptocurrency. Today, its use cases have transcended the world of finance, expanding into sectors such as retail. In Africa, its application in payment technology has demonstrated blockchain’s ability to revolutionise several touchpoints from supply chain to final sale. These developments herald good news

Local and Cross-Border Retail Trading Shine at Limpopo’s Musina Mall

Musina Mall, the dominant shopping centre in Limpopo’s heritage-rich town of Musina, is notching up excellent performance and continues to increase its trading metrics, shopper appeal and convenience. Despite the background of the prevailing tough times in South Africa, Musina Mall continues to show significant growth. The mall’s total turnover grew a whopping 34% in

The Shoprite Group Opens First Clothing Store

The Shoprite Group has launched UNIQ, its new clothing brand fashioned on simplicity, comfort, superior fabrics and value. The first standalone UNIQ store opened in Cape Town’s Canal Walk shopping centre with another eight stores scheduled to open in the next month. Catering for the entire family, the UNIQ range consists of premium basics in a variety

5 Insights From 5 Major Players in Retail and E-Commerce for 2023

e-Commerce is one of the fastest evolving industries in the world. The growth has been unprecedented, and in Africa the appetite for online business and retailing is higher than ever.  In 2021, retail e-commerce sales amounted to approximately 5.2 trillion U.S. dollars worldwide. This figure is forecast to grow by 56% over the next few

RCS: Three Years After COVID: The Biggest Trends Driving the Evolution of SA’s Retail Sector

By Gavin Lomberg, Chief Commercial Officer, RCS South Africa’s retail sector was undoubtedly one of the hardest hit by the onset of COVID-19. Lockdown regulations, reduced trading hours and the sudden, unexpected limitation of face-to-face contact required retailers to rethink the rules, in unprecedented circumstances. The industry saw retailers entering new product territories, pivoting their

Checkers Sixty60 Launches New Delivery Guarantee – a SA Retail First

Checkers Sixty60 will now give customers their delivery for free if an order arrives more than 30 minutes after the estimated time of arrival. Delivery will also be free if an order contains fewer than 80% of a customer’s first-choice products. This Service Guarantee is a first in the South African on-demand grocery delivery space. “Sixty60 is

Pick n Pay Reduces Food Waste by Nearly a Third with the Help of New Technologies

In the past four years, the retailer has reduced the volume of food waste in its operations by nearly 30% (28%) as it works towards its target of 50% by 2030. It has also successfully donated over 880 tonnes of edible surplus food to FoodForward SA, valued at over R35 million. Pick n Pay is

A2X Welcomes Shoprite Listing

Shoprite Holdings Limited has been approved for a secondary listing on A2X Markets. Its shares will be available for trade on A2X from Tuesday, 11 April 2023. The Shoprite Group is the largest South African retailer by market capitalisation, sales, profit and number of employees and customers. Its core business is food retailing, complemented by

How Telephony Integration Improves CRM Performance

From improved team efficiency to greater sales success, an integrated telephony system can help boost your company’s success. However, choosing the right partner to oversee the integration process is essential to avoid frustrations and to ensure that productivity is not negatively impacted. “Successful integration requires a unique skill set as well as technical expertise that

RFG Accelerates Renewable Energy Programme

RFG is accelerating its renewable energy infrastructure programme in response to load shedding, with solar installations planned for a further seven manufacturing facilities over the next two years. Solar energy has already been installed at the group’s fruit juice plant in Wellington and vegetable products factory in Limpopo. The first of the seven new installations

Clean Drinking Water for 18 000 People Through Shoprite’s Support of PlayPumps

The Shoprite Group is increasing the availability of clean drinking water in rural communities by expanding its support of PlayPumps to 50 sites across South Africa benefitting more than 18 000 people. PlayPumps are “merry-go-rounds” that pump water from boreholes into reservoirs as children play on them, providing a reliable source of clean drinking water

Akhona Qengqe to Become KFC Africa’s New General Manager

KFC Africa proudly appoints first black female GM  KFC (www.global.KFC.com) today announced the appointment of its very first black female General Manager for Africa – Akhona Qengqe – who will step into this role on 01 April 2023. She will replace outgoing GM – Dhruv Kaul, who is moving into a GM role for KFC

SpendTrend23 Report by Visa and Discovery Bank Points to Price Inflation Driving Grocery Spend and Loadshedding Influencing Takeout Meal Consumption

In a landmark collaborative initiative, Visa and Discovery Bank today announced their Spendtrend23 report, which is aimed at identifying and understanding shifts in consumer spending behaviour during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlights include: South Africans’ spending via credit card has bounced back and is more than 20% higher than pre-pandemic levels. Spend on categories

Future Dairy Products Will Be Sustainable and Focused on the Consumer

By Sasha Ramjathan, Leader of the CPG Segment for Southern Africa at Schneider Electric The consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry stands to benefit greatly from digital innovation advancements. According to a paper entitled the next frontier in consumer goods: digitally enabled innovation by the strategy firm McKinsey & Company, digitisation can bring new products to market

Pick N Pay Taps into ‘Show-Webrooming’ Influence to Grow its Omnichannel Offering

“The future of retail is the ability to create a seamless shopping experience across online and offline” As online shopping continues to grow in the country, customers are spoilt for choice on how and where they shop. Trends show that many South Africans are increasingly choosing to shop both in-store and online, or often simultaneously,

Tribunal Approves Heineken-Distell Merger Subject to Competition and Public Interest-Related Conditions

The Competition Tribunal (“Tribunal”) has approved the international transaction between European brewer, Heineken, and South African alcohol producer, Distell, subject to competition and public interest-related conditions that enhance and tighten proposed remedies tendered by the merging parties, and recommended by the Competition Commission (“Commission”). In terms of the merger the Heineken Group, through Sunside Acquisitions

Massmart Donates R1 Million to Female Academic Leaders Fellowship

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Massmart has donated R1 million to the Female Academic Leaders Fellowship (FALF) NPC’s – Nonjulabuchopho Project, that researches Gender Based Violence and alcohol abuse. Massmart’s contribution will be used to support and develop talented female academics who are interested in researching Gender Based Violence and alcohol abuse. “Rates of

Shoprite Grows Customers, Baskets, Volumes and Jobs

Unaudited results for the 26 weeks ended 1 January 2023 DOUBLE DIGIT GROWTH SEES HALF-YEAR SALES EXCEEDING R100 BILLION Key information – continuing operations Group sale of merchandise increased by 16.8% to R106.3 billion Supermarkets RSA sale of merchandise increased by 17.5% to R85.1 billion Diluted headline earnings per share (DHEPS) increased by 10.2% to

Switching On | The Role of Retail in Loadshedding

Admittedly seeing another loadshedding article can mean lights out for many – turn the page – next, as the hum of generators trigger a fragile sense of ‘normality’ when all we want is power plays, not dark delays. Despite the severity of the current status quo, humour typically prevails– “imagine what they’re going to say

Sustainability Trends That May Impact the Hospitality & Food Industry in 2023

Sustainability has become a top priority for many industries and the South African hospitality industry is no exception. The increasing demand for eco-friendly and socially responsible tourism has led to sustainable food trends in hotels, resorts and restaurants. This is the opinion of Etresia Booysen, a senior lecturer at the IIE’s School of Hospitality &

Danone Southern Africa Proudly Welcomes Marketing Leader – Thandeka Ngqumeya – as New Marketing Director

Today, Danone Southern Africa announced that they have appointed marketing expert, Thandeka Ngqumeya, to join their team as Marketing Director for Southern Africa. Thandeka has a strong track record in growing successful global brands on the local stage having worked previously for brands such as Kimberley Clark, L’Oreal, and for the past 10 years at

Everything a Retailer Needs to Know About Payment Platforms in 2023

Every successful retailer knows that to nurture customer loyalty and establish a strong brand, you have got to perfect four key considerations: product, price, place, and promotion. First introduced in the 1950s, these are old principles, but they remain essential in understanding the foundations of the retail industry. However, in the South African market, where

Shoprite Group 2023 Interim Financial Results Announcement

Unaudited results for the 26 weeks ended 1 January 2023 DOUBLE DIGIT GROWTH SEES HALF YEAR SALES EXCEEDING R100 BILLION Key information – continuing operations Group sale of merchandise increased by 16.8% to R106.3 billion Supermarkets RSA sale of merchandise increased by 17.5% to R85.1 billion Diluted headline earnings per share (DHEPS) increased by 10.2%

Online Retail Driven by Age, Income, Education

A newly released study revealed that South Africans’ online spending patterns and behaviour continued to grow at a rapid pace in 2022. This is despite the country’s ongoing recovery from lockdown restrictions and social distancing. The comprehensive results of the Online Retail in South Africa 2022 study, released today by World Wide Worx with Mastercard,

6 Vital Ways CRM is Fuelling Growth and Boosting Sales for South African Businesses

A growing number of successful companies and organisations across South Africa are investing in innovative Customer Relations Management (CRM) platforms to help grow their business, boost sales and deliver excellent customer service. “CRM technology is one of the most effective solutions to help companies who are serious about growing their business and giving their employees

Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) Welcomes the National Budget Saying It Has Some Poisitive Measures Which Will Benefit the Fast Moving Consumer Goods Sector

The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) has welcomed the National Budget presented on 22 February by the Minister of Finance, Mr. Enoch Gondongwana which had some positive announcements which will benefit the consumer goods sector in particular and the economy in general. The announcements also showed that the government was beginning to listen

Power Crisis Creates a Globally Unpreceded Environment for SA Retail Sector

Smaller manufacturers may benefit due to agility & smaller overheads to fill local supply gaps Staples come out tops as consumers seek long-lasting product offerings 40% fewer shopping trips per month compared to two years ago COVID-19 trends of homebound economy and fewer trips to stores continue OVERVIEW – The current power crisis is creating

Strong Trading Lifts Spur Corporation Profit by 103%

Spur Corporation continued its post Covid-19 recovery to produce a strong trading performance for the six months to December 2022 as revenue increased by 35.0% to R1.5 billion and group profit before tax by 103.0% to R168 million. Revenue growth was driven by the 31.5% increase in franchised restaurant sales, higher sales in the retail

Pick n Pay Becomes First Retailer to Stop Using Barrier Bags at Till Points

For the love of the environment: Pick n Pay on track to achieving 2025 plastic waste reduction targets Pick n Pay has removed all plastic barrier bags from its till points – a first in South Africa that will prevent over 20 million of these small bags from entering the environment. Barrier bags are traditionally

Retailers Must Accommodate the 86% of Consumers Who Still Use Cash

With recent research showing that only 14% of South African consumers are ready to go completely cashless, retailers should be looking at ways to accommodate their customers’ preferred way to pay, while also reducing their operating costs. Leading retailers are looking towards automating the handling and management of cash, so that they can meet this objective. The

Bolt to Invest Over €500 Million in Africa Over Next Two Years as It Surpasses 1 Billion Rides on the Continent

Bolt, the leading mobility app in Africa, has announced plans to invest €500 million in its operations on the continent over the next two years. The funds will be used to expand Bolt services in Africa and create opportunities for over 300,000 new drivers and couriers to join the platform in 2023. Having launched in

RedCloud Expands Leadership Team with Appointment of Sameer Jooma as GM for SA

UK-headquartered global technology firm, RedCloud Technology, is proud to announce the appointment of Sameer Jooma as the General Manager for South Africa. Sameer, who has a wealth of experience in ecosystem development, will be responsible for accelerating the adoption of the world’s first Open Commerce platform, Red101, and driving growth in the Southern Africa region. An

Standard Bank Advises Vivo Energy on its Combination with Engen to Create a Pan-African Energy Champion

Standard Bank is pleased to announce that it advised Vivo Energy on its combination with Engen to create one of Africa’s largest energy distribution companies. The combined group will have over 3,900 service stations and more than two billion litres of storage capacity across 27 African countries. Engen is the clear market leader in South

NielsenIQ | 40% Of South African Consumers Say They are in a Worse Financial Position This Year Compared to a Year Ago

43% of surveyed consumers already feel like they are living in a recession. 74% say that increased costs of living are to blame for their recent financial struggles. 48% mention they only have enough money for food, shelter, and the basics. 32% have turned to online to get better deals, save on gas and minimize

Uber Selects Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

Oracle and Uber Technologies, Inc., has announced a seven-year strategic cloud partnership to accelerate Uber’s innovation, help deliver new products to market, and drive increased profitability. As Uber continues to grow and enter new markets, it is increasingly important for the business to focus resources on its core strengths and strategic initiatives. By migrating some

Vukile – Black Friday and Festive Season Trading in November and December 2022

Vukile’s South African and Spanish retail property portfolios delivered strong sales performances in November and December 2022, with excellent Black Friday and festive season trading growth, despite worsening load shedding and water security challenges in South Africa. Vukile is a specialist retail REIT that holds a defensive portfolio of property assets of which 44% are

How Click & Collect Can Help Stores Achieve Greater Footfall

The increased flow of shoppers to in-store pickup points is breathing new life into traditional brick-and-mortar businesses. The numbers don’t lie  It doesn’t seem that long ago that customers saw online and in-store as two separate shopping experiences. You were either in the online camp or a brick-and-mortar die-hard, and never the twain shall meet.

Supporting Local Business by Shopping Local and Online – A Strategy for Economic Growth

Retail chains across the country scrambled to upgrade existing platforms or create online stores to ensure they could continue operating during the hard lockdown in 2020. During this period online shopping experienced unprecedented growth, irrevocably changing shopping behaviour. Many small businesses did not survive the lockdowns. A study by FinFind and the Department of Small

DIY Retailer Builders Appoints Karen Ferrini as New Vice President

Leading home improvement, DIY and building materials retailer, Builders has announced the appointment of Karen Ferrini as Vice President of Builders and member of the Massmart Executive Committee. Effective 1 February 2023, Ferrini takes over Herman Venter’s position following his appointment to Group Chief Merchandise Officer (CMO). With almost 25 years’ experience in retail and

Pick N Pay Removes Over 3,500 Tonnes of Salt and Sugar From Private Label Foods Over Five Years 

PnP Offers free dietary guidelines from in-house dietitian at PnP Pick n Pay has taken significant steps to improve the health of South Africans by removing over 3,500 tonnes of salt and sugar from its private label range over the last five years. Consumers the world over – and South Africans are no exception –