NEWS - Africa's FMCG Retail Authority

Trading profit for the period under review reflected a pleasing improvement over the same period last year. The consumer remained under pressure, high unemployment levels persisted and food retail competition intensified, which all led to a challenging trading environment. This was partly countered by higher internal inflation of 7.2% for the period. read more

New York - Greek winemakers are not pricing their wares in drachmas - yet. read more

Johannesburg - South African consumer goods firm Tiger Brands [JSE:TBS] posted a modest rise in first-half earnings on Tuesday, helped by growth in its exports and international businesses as the domestic market remains subdued. read more

Unilever plans to create and improve more products from its new research and development (R&D) facility that opened at the Indonsa factory in Durban this week. read more

Demand by SA’s traditional trading partners in the north was likely to remain constrained in the near future and the country’s prospects for economic growth would increasingly depend on diversifying and strengthening ties with economies in the south and in Africa, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said last week. read more

A diplomatic feud between SA and Israel could be on the cards following moves by the Department of Trade and Industry to compel traders in SA not to label products originating from occupied Palestinian territories "made in Israel". read more

Brands management group Barloworld (BAW) issued a cautionary on Friday saying it was in negotiations with Caterpillar Global Mining LLC and some of its subsidiaries for the acquisition of the Bucyrus distribution businesses in certain of Barloworld's southern African Cat dealership territories. read more

Johannesburg - Holdsport has reported a strong set of maiden results for the year ended February 2012 with core headline earnings per share rising 22.5% to 387.4 cents. read more

Confusion surrounds whether the Department of Labour has dropped proposed amendments to the laws that were set to tighten regulations around strikes and picketing.  read more

New York - Wal-Mart Stores’ profit and sales surpassed expectations as more people shopped at its established US stores and spent more, pushing shares up more than four percent despite ongoing internal and government probes into possible bribery.  read more

There will be a “substantial decrease” in the price of fuel next month, Energy Minister Dipuo Peters said on Thursday.  read more

After 8 months of construction the wait is finally over. There to unveil the plaque was Executive Mayor, Mpho Khunou, Boitekong Mall opened its doors on 26th April 2012. read more

TWO listed sugar producers issued upbeat trading statements yesterday, saying their March year-end results would be boosted by good rain after two years of drought.  read more

Regional logistics and supply chain services provider Value Group ’s diluted headline earnings per share rose 3,8%, from 58c to 60,2c in the year to February, which the company said was strong given market factors. read more

For the first time, the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) is setting maximum prices for gas, after it determined that there was insufficient competition in the piped gas market. read more

Los Angeles - American shoemaker Skechers is set to pay $40-million to settle claims that it deceived consumers by suggesting its sports shoes could help tone their butts and lose weight, officials said on Wednesday.  read more

Parliament - Transnet will cover two-thirds of its R300bn infrastructure programme with "retained earnings", Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba said on Tuesday. read more

The number of South Africans using the internet has risen significantly because of the use of cellphones, a new study has shown. read more

Johannesburg - The South African economy is recovering, although at a very slow pace, according to the BankservAfrica Economic Transaction Index (Beti) released on Monday. read more

Johannesburg - Retailer Pick n Pay agreed to change its labelling next year after a complaint over the amount of candy-coated chocolate buttons inside an Easter egg, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said on Tuesday. read more

KPMG, the global consultancy firm, says SA is no longer the only gateway into Africa and it repeated previous statements by economists that the country could eventually lose its title of being the continent’s largest economy. read more

Creative Housewares (Pty) Ltd, a leading importer and distributor of branded household appliances and houseware products, today announced the acquisition of Lucky Distributors CC, a distributor of salon and personal care products and equipment specializing in the emerging market. read more

While an outright ban on labour broking is not on the cards in SA, and while some in the industry are embracing the proposed amendments to two labour laws, the amendments could signal an "indirect ban" for many in the industry, according to Anastasia Vatalidis, head of employment law at Werksmans Attorneys.  read more

Singapore - Oil prices fell to near $94 a barrel on Tuesday in Asia, extending a two-week sell-off that has brought crude to a five-month low amid concern about Europe's debt crisis. read more

The increasing internationalisation of Africa’s retail industry — specifically Walmart’s entry to the market — has shaken up SA’s supply chain, forcing local solutions companies to reinvent themselves, Amalgamated Appliance Holdings (Amap) CEO Alan Coward said on Friday. read more

South African consumers experienced a further improvement in their cash flow position in the first quarter of 2012, Unisa's Bureau of Market Research's (BMR) consumer financial vulnerability index released on Wednesday showed.  read more

Growth in SA's retail trade sales at constant (2008) prices for March is expected to increase by 6.8% year on year, from a growth of 7.2% in February, according to a survey of leading economists by I-Net Bridge. read more

In a tight-lipped scenario that has developed over the past few days, Business Report has exclusively established that Hugues Witvoet, the chief executive of Edgars Department Stores, has suddenly resigned from the Edcon Group. read more

Johannesburg - South Africa has some of the busiest ports on the continent but no commercial ships, but officials hope a new tax regime may give it an entry into the multi-billion-dollar industry.  read more

GS1 South Africa, the local custodian of bar codes to the retail industry, has warned South African retail businesses, suppliers and wholesalers about an unauthorised barcode seller that has recently begun soliciting business, offering prospective clients any bar codes they want, including several which are owned by GS1 Global. read more

New research from Tetra Pak, the global food processing and packaging company, has identified 2,7 billion low-income consumers in developing countries as the dairy industry’s next big growth opportunity due to an expected rise in prosperity, purchasing power and desire for packaged liquid dairy products (LDP). read more

Hoofddorp, May 10 – Today, Capi, market leader in electronics retail at airports, has opened a 245 sq. meter shop at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. The shop has been completely refurbished in the new Capi style. read more

The number of internet users ballooned in SA last year, due to increased adoption of mobile technology, a new study released on Thursday revealed.  read more

Manufacturing output contracted unexpectedly in March, suggesting that the recession in Europe is already taking a toll on exports and signalling growth in the economy may be slowing more sharply than expected.  read more

Tokyo - Japanese electronics giant Sony on Thursday posted a record full-year loss of $5.7bn, but vowed it would swing back into the black this year as it embarks on a huge restructuring plan. read more

Johannesburg - South Africa lost R3.9bn worth of output last year to sick leave and absenteeism, recruitment company Adcorp said on Thursday. read more

SA’s top companies have experienced a battering in their reputations this year, a survey showed, but clothing and food retailer Woolworths emerged with the most robust reputation score, despite a controversy involving the alleged misuse of the intellectual property of a small ginger beer maker earlier in the year. read more

Clicks Group will ramp up its footprint over the next three to five years as it targets the 500-store mark, CEO David Kneale says. read more

US soybeans fell for a third consecutive session on Wednesday, while corn and wheat dropped amid wider weakness in financial markets, a stronger dollar and risk-aversion ahead of a key US government crop report on Thursday.  read more

British retail sales fell at their fastest rate in more than a year last month and jobs growth slowed, nudging the economy closer to a third quarter of contraction and raising the chance of another cash boost from the central bank. read more

Johannesburg - Producers of alcoholic beverages - brewers in particular - stand to benefit from the growing consumer market in Africa as more people on the continent move out of poverty, says Moody's Investors Service in a new report published on Wednesday. read more

Social grants paid by the state are helping retailers in township shopping centres weather tough economic conditions.  read more

It has been a solid first quarter for MillerCoors - the joint venture in the US between SABMiller and Molson Coors Brewing Company - driven by strong mix, positive pricing and unseasonably warm weather. read more

Tractor sales rose 43.5% to 528 units last month, compared with 368 units sold in the comparative period of 2011, South African Agricultural Machinery Association data showed on Tuesday. read more

Markets were disappointed by Walmart-controlled Massmart ’s sales update released yesterday, with its shares falling as much as 2,5% to reach their lowest level in almost a month. read more

South African maize futures finished the session higher on Tuesday, rebounding from a sharp selloff amid some bargain hunting. read more

Sprawling Chatsworth is set to have a new R150 million shopping centre by this time next year. read more

Events such as last year’s Japan earthquake and Arab Spring (pictured) should act as a wakeup call to companies to evaluate the “change readiness” of countries in which they operate, business consultants have advised. read more

The arrival of regular rains across most of Ivory Coast's cocoa growing regions last week will strengthen the development of flowers and small pods, brightening the prospects of a delayed mid-crop, farmers and analysts said on Monday. read more

Tiger Brands yesterday confirmed it was in talks with Nigeria’s flour milling company Dangote Flour, a deal that one analyst said could be valued at at least $150m if 80% of the shares were acquired at the market capitalisation of the Nigerian company. read more

Many South African households are in a financially precarious position after taking on an unsustainable debt burden, says Marc Sternberg, MD of Spark ATM Systems, one of the main automated teller machine deployers in South Africa. read more

US grain futures dropped on Monday as investors fled riskier assets, after Greek and French polls stoked doubts that struggling euro zone economies could continue to pursue austerity measures crucial to resolving the bloc's debt crisis. read more

Everyone expected all the learnings to come from Walmart. There was an expectation within the retail industry that Walmart would change how Massmart does business not only within the company itself, but for its suppliers and mostly its customers.  read more

A ground-breaking one-stop border post (OSBP) at Chirundu between Zambia and Zimbabwe has demonstrated how the cost of trading in Southern Africa can be substantially reduced by streamlining border procedures. read more

South African companies are still very much in the race into the rest of Africa, but could lose out to international competitors if they do not position themselves for the opportunities on the continent. read more

The future of global manufacturing is turning into a competition for global talent according to a new report. This a trend that is mirrored in SA, where a lack of skills is adding to the woes of a manufacturing sector that has grown by just over 2% in five years, according to Deloitte. read more

The retail petrol price should fall by about 53 cents per litre (c/l) on June 6 if the international petrol price and rand exchange remain at their May 3 level for the rest of this month, data from the Central Energy Fund showed. read more

Samsung Electronics, sanctioned by a US judge for its failure to produce source code in a patent-infringement case in San Jose, California, will be unable to use some evidence to defend itself against Apple.  read more

The number of credit active consumers has soared in the past few years despite net job losses, suggesting that credit is being extended to people without formal employment, according to a report released on Thursday.  read more

Human Resources departments at companies including PepsiCo, Pfizer, Red Hat, First Citizens Bank and Netflix have been trialling a social media tool designed to improve staff recruitment efficiency. read more

CIOs ranked customer relationship management (CRM) as their number eight technology priority for 2012, according to a global survey of CIOs by Gartner.  read more

Astral Foods advised on Friday that a reasonable degree of certainty exists that its earnings and headline earnings per share for the six months ended March 2012 would both reflect a decrease of between 16% and 19% compared to the previous comparable period. read more

Germany's Adidas said on Thursday it would cut the number of its Reebok stores in India by about one-third as it tackles “commercial irregularities” at the unit, an issue that has clouded a strong start to a bumper sports year. read more

Milan/London - World food prices eased in April after rising in the first quarter of this year, the United Nation’s food agency said, but inflation worries are still simmering as soybean prices climb. read more

The latest expansions into Zimbabwe and Swaziland meet the burgeoning demand for ESL systems throughout the rapidly growing African retail market and complement Skydirect's existing operations throughout South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Mozambique read more

Johannesburg - Pick n Pay opened its second centralised distribution centre in Cape Town on Wednesday. read more

Americans are growing more frustrated with customer service, and their social media savvy is making it hard for businesses to get away with ignoring the problem, according to the 2012 American Express Global Customer Service Barometer. It found that consumers who have used social media for service wield the greatest amount of influence. They tell significantly more people about their service experiences, and say they'd spend 21 percent more with companies who deliver great service — compared to 13 percent on average.  read more

The Manufacturing Circle, the group representing SA's major manufacturers, says the Purchasing Managers' Index decline for a second consecutive month in April reflects "still quite challenging" conditions for local manufacturing. read more

Johannesburg - Retailer Mr Price Group [JSE:MPC] advised on Wednesday that for the 52 weeks ended 31 March 2012 it expects basic and headline earnings per share to have increased by between 18% and 23% over the prior year, being the 53 weeks ended 2 April 2011.  read more

Johannesburg - Trade between South Africa and Saudi Arabia will increase to a targeted R60 billion within the next five years, the department of international relations and co-operation said on Wednesday. read more

Motorola Solutions has released a report that shows an increasing interest from retail, hospitality and field service industries for mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) solutions as a core strategy for improving customer service read more

The latest credit figures are a positive sign that domestic demand is improving and that the economy should manage better growth levels in 2012, Gina Schoeman, Absa Capital economist says. read more

The South African manufacturing industry faces significant headwinds, probably more severe than a number of other manufacturing countries, Stewart Jennings, chairman of the Manufacturing Circle says. read more

Samsung Electronics reported a record $5,2bn profit in the first quarter on Friday, overtaking Nokia as the top cellphone seller, and its Galaxy smartphones outsold Apple’s iPhone at the top of the market.  read more

Brussels - The world's leading brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev, maker of Budweiser, Beck's and Stella Artois, posted on Monday a 75% jump in first quarter net profit to $1.69bn. read more

Nyon, Switzerland, 27 April 2012: UNI Global Union welcomed the signing of an historic first collective agreement at Carrefour Colombia that it says should serve as a new model for labour relations in the country. Along with the gains for Carrefour Colombia the workers, the agreement is notable for the fair and secure organising collective bargaining process that created it.  read more

One of Engen Petroleum Limited’s most popular urban 1-Plus service stations, Engen Oranjezicht in Cape Town, is again open to the public following a four-month makeover.  read more

Local high-end retailer Woolworths came one step closer in its bid to lure what CEO Ian Moir calls "trolley shoppers" away from rival Pick n Pay by opening its first supermarket on Friday.  read more

There's a new refrigerator on the market that allows customers to buy cold products using QR codes and a Mobile App. The Vending Fridge, created by ShelfX, a provider of self-checkout and inventory management solutions, is aimed at hotels, offices, retail stores, gyms, coffee shops, schools, libraries or retail locations where flexible food vending is needed, according to a company press release. read more

Clicks Group, the health-and beauty-focused retailer, will this year expand into Lesotho and spend R95m in the second half on opening new stores and refurbishing existing ones. read more

Johannesburg - South Africa’s producer inflation, which represents domestic output, slowed to 7.2% year-on-year (y/y) in March from 8.3% in February, Statistics South Africa said on Thursday. read more

Pretoria - The High Court in Pretoria granted an urgent interdict to halt the contentious R20bn e-toll project in Gauteng on Saturday. read more

Freshstop are steamrolling ahead with their 75th store opening in 62 Koedoe Ave,Birchleigh, Kempton Park.  read more

South African maize futures ended marginally lower on Wednesday, weighed down mainly by the firm rand to the US dollar, and lower international corn spot prices. read more

The R160 million once-off, share-based payment charge that came into effect after phase two of Pioneer Foods’ broad-based black economic empowerment (BEE) transaction, could have an impact on the company’s interim results, which are scheduled for publication on May 21. The scheme was implemented in the third week of March read more

Johannesburg - The price of all grades of petrol will rise by 28c a litre next week, keeping the cost of fuel at a record high. read more

Lagos - Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) figures will shoot up by around 40% in the second quarter this year, when Africa’s second-biggest economy changes the base year for its calculation to 2009 from its current 1990, a source close to the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.  read more

Washington - Global food prices are rising again, pushed higher by costlier oil, strong demand from Asia and bad weather in parts of Europe, South America and the United States, the World Bank said on Wednesday. read more

Airports and airport retailers looking to better serve and generate more revenue from today's time-starved and mobile-enabled travellers are missing opportunities to do so, according to a survey of travellers in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany conducted by Opinion Research Corporation for NCR Corp., a manufacturer of self-service, retail, wayfinding and mobile solutions. read more

JDA® Software Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: JDAS), The Supply Chain Company®, today announced the release of JDA® 3D, an integrated category optimisation and three dimensional (3D) virtualisation solution that provides true consumer-driven collaboration and visibility that is faster, less expensive, more interactive and incorporates the consumer’s point of view. Powered by Red Dot Square, JDA 3D transforms space and floor planning solutions into a smart, interactive photo-realistic world. read more

Local retailers should take advantage of Wal-Mart's weaknesses, rather than competing on price, which is one of its greatest edges, Natalie Berg, global research director of retail analyst firm Planet Retail said.  read more

The outcome of government's appeal against the R16.5 billion merger of Wal-Mart and Massmart was positive, says Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel.  read more

Battling against challenging conditions, packaging group Astrapak (APK) witnessed a 66% decline in fully diluted headline earnings per share from 72 cents to 24.6 cents for the year ended February. read more

Pick n Pay was now "well placed" to fulfil its founder Raymond Ackerman’s dream of free-market petrol prices, thanks to a deal with BP Southern Africa, a company spokeswoman said yesterday.  read more

More than a third of US-based manufacturing companies with sales greater than $1bn are planning to bring back production to the United States from China  read more

Cocoa arrivals at ports in top grower Ivory Coast reached around 1,070,000 tonnes by April 22 since the start of the season in October, exporters estimated on Monday, compared with 1,038,928 tonnes in the same period of the previous season. read more

South African clothing workers have become more productive over the last few years, yet each year, they earn comparatively less per garment they produce, the Southern African Clothing & Textile Workers' Union (Sactwu) said on Monday.  read more

Walmart Stores shares were down 3.1% in early premarket trading on Monday following an article in the New York Times this weekend alleging that the world’s largest retailer stymied an internal probe into bribery at its Mexican affiliate, Walmart de Mexico. read more

Zurich - Swiss food group Nestlé is to buy US drugmaker Pfizer’s infant nutrition business for $11.85bn, beating out French rival Danone in the battle for dominance of baby food in fast-growing emerging markets.  read more

SA's producer price index is expected to clock in at 7.9% year on year in March from 8.3% in February read more

Brewer SABMiller said on Monday that Alan Clark, currently head of its European business, would become chief operating officer in July, preparing the ground for him to succeed Graham Mackay as CEO. read more

London - GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to sell a clutch of international over-the-counter healthcare brands for £164m to South Africa’s Aspen Pharmacare Holdings [JSE:APN], Britain’s biggest drugmaker said on Friday. read more

Johannesburg - There has been a significant decrease in the number of jobs lost in the clothing, textile and leather sectors, the SA Clothing and Textile Workers' Union (Sactwu) said on Friday. read more

It has already been proven that Massmart-Walmart’s ten week extended price cut promotions offer numerous benefits to customers, including more time to plan for purchases. Adding to this, the promotions provide important insights regarding some of the implications of introducing Walmart's famed Every Day Low Price (EDLP) approach, to Massmart buyers.  read more

SA’s wine exports have shown healthy growth in the first three months of this year, with Nigerian connoisseurs developing a keen nose for the local grape. read more

MasterCard on Thursday announced a new structure for its Middle East and Africa business, spurred by continuous economic development, steady population growth, a stable outlook and a large pool of young consumers entering the workplace each year. read more

Far higher real wholesale sales growth than real retail sales in February may herald a switch from consumer-dependent SA economic growth to a more business-dependent growth.  read more

Five million active users of Pick n Pay’s Smart Shopper card received combined benefits worth R350 million from the retailer during the 12 months to February. While the total cost of these benefits was not carried by Pick n Pay, the non-recurring set-up costs relating to the card appear to have been a major factor in the group’s weaker-than-expected performance for the year. read more

Johannesburg - South Africa's headline inflation slowed in March to within the central bank's target range for the first time in four months, suggesting inflation may undercut the bank's forecasts and ease pressure for action in the form of an interest rate rise. read more

Johannesburg - Growth in South Africa’s retail sales jumped to 7.2% on an annual basis at constant prices in February from a revised 4.2% in January, Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday. read more

The UK’s largest retailer Tesco has announced plans to expand on-line supplier collaboration in an effort to reduce supply chain carbon emissions  read more

UK retailer Marks & Spencer has been hit by stock shortages caused by what the group’s CEO referred to as ‘not perfect buying’ read more

West African cotton growers forecast a 29 percent increase in output to 1,738,500 tonnes for the 2012/13 season from 1,346,941 tonnes in 2011/12, data collected from cotton producers and compiled by Reuters showed on Wednesday. read more

Johannesburg - Online shopping in South Africa is on the rise, with the majority of active internet users saying they do so, according to a survey released on Wednesday. read more

London - Global brewer SABMiller [JSE:SAB] showed a 3% rise in underlying beer volumes in the first three months of 2012 as growth in the emerging markets of Latin America, Africa and Asia offset declines in Europe and North America. read more

Johannesburg - South Africa’s No2 food retailer, Pick n Pay Stores [JSE:PIK], reported a 15% fall in full-year profit on Wednesday, missing expectations, hit by costs related to its shopper loyalty programme and investments in its supply chain. read more

Johannesburg - South Africa’s consumer inflation slowed to 6.0% year-on-year in March, in line with market consensus from 6.1% in February, Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday.  read more

Hobart's SuperSPAR in Bryanston is using a billboard employing real people to draw attention to the fact that residents in the area have almost unanimously awarded it an excellent service rating across the board.  read more

Investec Property, Tintswalo Property Group and RPP Consortium are pleased to announce that construction on the 27 000m2 Dihlabeng Regional Centre in Bethlehem is well underway and that the centre, which is due to open in April 2013, already has a significant commitment from national tenants such as Checkers, Pick ‘n Pay, Woolworths, Foschini, Truworths, Reggies, Game, Mr Price Group, as well as a number of smaller regional and national tenants. It is important to the success of the development that local traders are also afforded an opportunity to participate in this new venture and leasing will commence shortly.  read more

Though operational results for the second half of Pick n Pay's financial year are expected to show an improvement, the group's fervent investment in its turnaround strategy is likely to have had a negative impact on profit growth for the year.  read more

SABMiller plans to invest up to $2,5bn in Africa over the next five years to build and refurbish breweries, its head for the region said yesterday, as it looks to slake rising demand for beer on the fast-growing continent. read more

Moody’s rating agency yesterday downgraded Nokia’s debt grade to near-junk status, citing a sharp decline in first-quarter cellphone sales that led to a 35% fall in revenue. read more

Durban - Durban International Airport is set to be dug out and converted into the city's second sea port following approval from the Competition Tribunal, the Mercury newspaper reported on Monday read more

Washington - US retail sales rose solidly in March as Americans shrugged off high petrol prices and bought a range of goods, implying economic growth in the first quarter was probably not as weak as many had feared.  read more

A shock draft bill from the Department of Health that totally prohibits the advertising and promotion of alcoholic products is being reworked behind closed doors by an interdepartmental government task team.  read more

Ignorance about career opportunities in the wholesale and retail sector deprives the youth of chances in one of the fastest growing sectors.  read more

JSE-listed PBT Group has agreed to buy out SAP specialisation company BI-Blue for an undisclosed amount. read more

During the 3rd annual Climate Change Leadership Awards held in Sandton, PnP was the winner in the Private Sector Retail category. read more

Treasury Director General Lungisa Fuzile is optimistic on SA's real gross domestic product growth prospects for this year, but the Treasury will wait until October to revise its current 2.7% GDP growth forecast.  read more

SA’s biggest drug manufacturer, Aspen Pharmacare, on Friday welcomed the announcement by Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies that the pharmaceuticals sector had been designated as one in which the government would purchase selected products exclusively from domestic manufacturers. read more

SA’s oldest packaging company, EH Walton, is fighting to reopen its doors this week after a liquidation application by its creditors forced it to close this month, leaving 450 workers without jobs.  read more

London - The London Olympics will give a short-term boost to Britain's weak economy but economists predict the greatest sporting spectacle on Earth will fail to prevent a sharp slowdown this year. read more

As the advertising world emerges from a torrid financial period characterised by recession and global instability that forced companies to cut marketing budgets, it faces a very different consumer environment.  read more

Walmart has launched a programme to provide training to women working for companies in its global supply chain read more

Pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) yesterday revealed plans to clamp down on human rights abuse in its supply chain. read more

Samsung Electronics Co., Apple's biggest competitor in the market for iPad-sized tablet computers, is updating its line to include a feature that lets a tablet act as a universal remote control for an entertainment centre. read more

Senwes, one of the most powerful and profitable agri-businesses in the country, faces the possibility of having to divest its grain storage facilities following yesterday’s ruling by the Constitutional Court. The ruling also opens the way for parties who believe they suffered from the company’s anti-competitive conduct to take civil action against Senwes. read more

Detailed information about optimal ripening helps the company plan harvest of individual vineyards, good sales growth lifts profits read more

The third quarter will see the arrival of Apple’s iPhone 5, bug on new Nokia smartphone with Windows operating system has dashed hopes for a comeback read more

The Constitutional Court will hand down judgment in a case between a grain storage company, accused of squeezing margins, and the Competition Commission on Thursday. read more

South African maize futures ended lower on Wednesday, tracking lower corn prices on the Chicago Board of Trade following the disappointing US government crop report. read more

Johannesburg - Trade conditions continued to improve in March after moving into positive territory in February, as reflected in the Trade Activity Index (TAI) released by the SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) on Wednesday. read more

Johannesburg - Growth in South Africa’s manufacturing output outpaced expectations in February, adding to signs that domestic demand is recovering and backing the case for higher interest rates.  read more

Output of South Africa’s manufacturing sector 4,1% higher than in February last year, while economists had expected an increase of only 2% read more

Government has so far spent about R4.1 million in challenging the Walmart-Massmart merger, Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel said on Tuesday. read more

Coca-Cola Company’s Simply Orange juice brand is not simply orange juice, according to a lawsuit filed against the beverage company read more

UK manufacturing is under immense pressure according to research out this week which shows 25 per cent of the major manufacturers for the retail sector are struggling to survive. read more

After a one-year pilot study of Savvy Penny, an in-store digital coupon system that uses Bluetooth technology to offer value and savings to consumers, Milam's Market in Coral Gables, Fla., is rolling out the loyalty solution that delivers two-way interactive promotions directly to the consumer at the point of sale through touchscreens on the store shelf, according to a company press release. read more

Johannesburg - Economist and Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz has been appointed as the government's expert on the Walmart study, the Economic Development Department said on Tuesday.  read more

A ruling by the Competition Appeals Court ordering retailer Massmart to reinstate 503 retrenched workers could cost the company R80-million to R100-million in lost wages. read more