FMCG SUPPLIER NEWS

Pharmaceutical firm Adcock Ingram has appointed Werner van Rensburg as its chief operations officer, and Doreen Kosi has been confirmed as the government relations executive. read more

Johannesburg - South Africa has entered into a bilateral agreement with Argentina on co-operation in the agricultural sector, it was announced on Tuesday.  read more

Harare – Zimbabwe’s leading grocer OK Zimbabwe, whose revenues for the year to March 31 surged 16.3% to US$479.6m, is planning to open two new stores and modernise five others during the current year. read more

Johannesburg - South African corn declined for a second day after a report from the US Department of Agriculture showed more production than anticipated.  read more

Johannesburg - South Africa’s International Trade Administration Commission said it plans a further probe into the poultry association’s request to raise tariffs on chicken imports to as much as 82 percent before making a recommendation. read more

Johannesburg - Global factors are the main contributors to the current volatility of the rand, analysts said on Wednesday. read more

Mr Delivery opts for three wheels, times 60 Mr Delivery has acquired 60 Mahindra three-wheeler vehicles, fitted with specially designed, lockable canopies, to service a new contract for the Pick n Pay Online Shopping delivery service, which operates from a number of hubs in the country.  read more

Cape Town - Illovo-based Imara S P Reid Stockbrokers is about to open up African share and bond markets to local retail investors. read more

Brussels - International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and the European Commission vice president Baroness Catherine Ashton are having talks behind closed doors at the European external affairs headquarters in Belgium's capital.  read more

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc. reported a 27% drop in first-quarter earnings amid a cool spring throughout much of the country and rising costs. But the company, a spinoff from Sears Holdings Corp., pointed to improving signs in late spring. read more

For many young people, fashion sense is what gives them status and dignity. With the diverse clothing lines and brands to choose from, every one of them is able choose a certain brand that they can identify with. David Motawana, or 'Di' has launched a clothing line in Botswana that many of the fashion conscious in Botswana will surely identify with.  read more

Consumer confidence boost Vukile Windhoek - The value of Vukile Property Fund received a boost in the last financial year and the dual-listed South African property fund has just reported a 26.7 percent increase in profit or N$556.4 million available for distribution for the full year, as of March 31, 2013. read more

The 2013 MasterCard Top Global Destination Cities Index reveals that Johannesburg has taken the number one spot as Africa’s top destination. read more

Goodlettsville, Tenn. -- Dollar General reported record net income and sales during for the first quarter, but still reduced the top end of its profit forecast due to moderating same-store sales.  read more

Johannesburg - Oceana, South Africa’s biggest seller of canned fish, agreed to acquire Foodcorp’s fishing unit for 445 million rand ($45.9 million) to extend operations.  read more

Johannesburg - Unlisted retailer Edcon on Tuesday reported a 3.1% increase in total revenues to R26.7bn for the year ended March 2013‚ while retail sales increased by 2% to R25.2bn. read more

San Francisco -- Gap Inc. announced Monday that it will introduce the Gap brand to Paraguay and Hungary through new agreements with existing franchise partners: Neutral for Paraguay and Gottex Brands for Hungary.  read more

Pareto injects R228m redevelopment of Pavilion Shopping Centre Pareto Ltd today announced renovation plans to upgrade the Pavilion Shopping Centre in Durban, which will see an initial R228 million investment for re-development. read more

A BBC World Service 2013 Country Ratings poll has revealed that global sentiment towards South Africa remains positive, overall, but only just. read more

French retail giant Carrefour SA said Wednesday it has teamed up with African distribution company CFAO to expand its presence in Africa, as the grocer seeks to reinforce the global footprint of its name. read more

Johannesburg - The Foschini Group, South Africa's No.3 listed clothing retailer, missed estimates with an 11 percent rise in full-year profit as debt-laden consumers cut back on spending. read more

According to a new forecast from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker, tablet shipments are expected to grow 58.7% year over year in 2013 reaching 229.3 million units, up from 144.5 million units last year. read more

New York - The board at Dell said that a takeover bid led by the company's founder and CEO is in the best interest of the slumping PC maker's shareholders and asked them to approve the deal when it's put to a vote in July. read more

Johannesburg - Jeff Wright has resigned as Country Bird Holdings [JSE:CBH] after five years at the helm‚ the poultry producer said on Friday. read more

Tokyo - Apple raised prices of iPads and iPods in Japan on Friday, becoming the highest-profile brand to join a growing list of foreign firms asking Japanese consumers to pay more as a weakening yen squeezes profit. read more

Cape Town, 30 May 2013: Regarded as one of the fastest growing middle class suburbs in South Africa, Parklands in Cape Town’s Northern Suburbs continues to attract interest, thanks to easy access to local schools and main transport links, and close proximity to Blouberg & Table View beaches.  read more

London - British consumer sentiment hit a six-month high in May, and a leading business association revised up its growth forecasts for the first time since the financial crisis, adding to hopes that a tentative recovery is under way. read more

Tiger Brands Ltd. (TBS), South Africa’s biggest food maker by market value, said the company regained volume in bakeries, rice and snacks and treats and maintained profit margins across many of its domestic businesses.  read more

Speaking at the Buy Zimbabwe procurement conference in Harare yesterday, Kasukuwere said companies should comply with the stipulated procurement regulations, in which local firms should be granted at least 50% contracts on procurement deals. read more

VENTURES AFRICA. JSE-listed general retailer, Massmart, on Wednesday said it will start paying more attention to store growth in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. read more

Wearable computing is emerging as the type of significant technology shift that will drive innovation in the way personal computing did in the 1980s or mobile computing and tablets are doing currently, said Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner Mary Meeker at the All Things D conference on Wednesday. read more

The world's leading yogurt maker Danone announced that it has agreed to acquire a 8.3% stake in the Chinese dairy company Mengniu, and it will establish a joint venture with Mengniu in China. read more

VENTURES AFRICA – A new $93million first class shopping mall- The West Hills Mall- under construction in west Accra is expected to be ready by October 2014.  read more

Retail group Edcon has launched its Red Square brand online, the latest of its stores to head into the realm of e-commerce. read more

(Reuters) - Energy drinks maker Monster Beverage Corp's (MNST.O) sales missed analysts' estimates as the industry took a hit from concerns over the health risks of such drinks, sending its shares down 16 percent after the bell. read more

Johannesburg - Shares of Verimark Holdings drop 4.5 percent to 126.40 rand after the South African retailer of “as seen on TV” products says full-year profit dropped by more than two-thirds, as a weaker rand weighed on sales and margins. read more

Distribution of Namibian music has been a true reflection of the current state of the industry as a whole, and can only be described as disorganised due to the lack of proper distribution channels, with artists being left to do it on their own. read more

Johannesburg - Africa’s economic growth is expected to accelerate this year and next, led by oil and mining projects in West Africa and a resurgence in foreign direct investment, according to the African Development Bank.  read more

A new property sector is opening up in African markets as retailers growing their presence there are now in need of or building their own distribution warehouses, according to Belinda Clur, managing director of Clur Research International. read more

Google Inc intends to finance, build and help operate wireless networks from sub-Saharan Africa to Southeast Asia, hoping to connect a billion or so people in emerging countries to the Internet, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. read more

Johannesburg - Nougat, rooibos tea espressos and art will be on display at the African Fair in Japan later this month, the trade and industry department said on Sunday.  read more

Johannesburg - The battle around raising tariffs on imported chicken has descended into a smear campaign, with opposing lobbies calling each other liars and producing completely contradictory facts to support their positions. read more

Shoprite brings 150 jobs NHLANGANO – Shoprite Checkers has added a stimulating effect to the economy of the small town of Nhlangano by availing about 150 jobs to locals.  read more

n an effort to accelerate understanding of beverage sector impacts on climate change and identify reduction priorities for greenhouse gas emissions, the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) has published its research on carbon footprints for five beverage categories, including beer, bottled water, carbonated soft drink, spirits and wine.  read more

Johannesburg - Tongaat Hulett [JSE:TON] reported a 15% rise in full-year earnings on Friday as sugar production rose and said it expected further growth in the year ahead.  read more

Johannesburg - Mr Price Group, extended gains after full-year earnings beat estimates as sales improved at its apparel chain. read more

Lenovo Group Ltd’s bold acquisitions in its flagship PC business, a foray into mobile gadgets, and a relatively light debt load are setting it apart from PC rivals as industry shipments take their steepest fall in decades. read more

Tokyo - Sony chief Kazuo Hirai said Wednesday the company was examining a hedge fund proposal to sell off part of its entertainment unit in a bid to boost profits in its core business. read more

Nairobi - Kenya's economy is expected to expand by about 6% in 2013, up from a growth rate of 4.6% last year, driven by a pick-up in sectors like agriculture, the planning minister said on Thursday. read more

Rosss Breeders Africa plans to invest US$17 million this year to expand its operations in Zambia, the company stated yesterday. read more

A local retail giant is said to have acquired a rival’s operations in Nairobi in a bid to consolidate its business in the city. read more

Harare - Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang arrived in Zimbabwe on Tuesday on a business visit praising Beijing's ties with the southern African country. read more

Heineken will not be launching its sweeter, low-alcohol Radler beer in Kenya. It will instead focus on its flagship brand to grow local market share. read more

Marks & Spencer Group Plc (MKS), the U.K.’s largest clothing retailer, said annual profit fell 5.8 percent as consumers spent less on its fashion goods, even as food sales increased.  read more

The South African supermarket chain, Shoprite, which invested its business in the country some years ago has dismissed recent speculations regarding the imminent closure of some of its stores and possible exit from Tanzania for good. read more

Pioneer Foods Ltd. said it expects slower spending to curb its full-year performance. read more

Shrinkage costs Pick n Pay During the financial year 2011/2012, Pick n Pay lost almost N$8million as a result of theft and pilferage which took place in a number of Pick n Pay stores across the country. In a bid to bring down shrinkage in its stores, the retailer introduced an anonymous tip-off line for the public and its stakeholders.  read more

The Witness newspaper has broken the mould of typical print media by integrating augmented reality as a way to extend the life its physical print content. read more

Prague - Brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev says it no longer has plans to acquire Czech brewer Budejovicky Budvar, with whom it has been fighting a long legal battle over the use of the “Budweiser” brand. read more

The rand weakened as foreigners sold off R400 million in equities and R799m in bonds last week, driving the rand from R9.15 to the dollar at the start of the week to almost R9.40 on Friday. International markets are very sensitive to any labour disruptions in the mining industry given the tragedy at Marikana last year. read more

Johannesburg - Illovo Sugar Ltd., Africa’s largest sugar producer, rose to a record as investors anticipate a recovery in output after a drought. read more

Madrid - At least 24 retail companies, including Hennes & Mauritz and Inditex, have agreed to improve safety at Bangladeshi textile factories by contributing up to 2.5 million dollars each towards that goal.  read more

Johannesburg – For the third consecutive month in May‚ South Africa continued to be the least-favoured major emerging market according to fund managers polled by Bank of America Merrill Lynch.  read more

Harare - Delta Beverages, the Zimbabwe-based subsidiary of SABMiller [JSE:SAB], continued to defy the odds in the economically ravaged country with forecast-beating earnings for the year ended December 31 2012. read more

Spar Group Ltd. (SPP), a South African food and liquor retailer, said first-half profit climbed 12 percent as higher prices countered slower consumer spending. read more

Achieving consistent growth in spend and a devoted shopper base, Nicolway Bryanston Shopping Centre has made its first year of trade, and its unusual concept, a success story. read more

Kenya's Uchumi Supermarkets will open 13 new stores over the next year as East Africa's sole listed retailer prepares for a cash call and a cross listing of its shares, its chief executive said on Tuesday. read more

Pick n Pay has formally joined forces with BP Southern Africa to roll out Pick n Pay Express stores at BP service stations in the country’s major metropolitan areas. read more

New York - There's expensive and then there's Hong Kong. read more

Choppies Enterprise Limited, the opaque retail store, issued a trading update earlier last month ahead of its two-year ambitious plan that will see its turnover hitting the US$ 1 billion mark (about P 8 billion) per annum. .  read more

Kgalagadi Breweries Limited (KBL) recently revealed that the placing of the people dressed in orange suits in strategic locations around Botswana was a part of their marketing strategy to relaunch its cider, Core Original. read more

Diversified company Lifestyle Holdings has introduced a TN Virtual Mart — where it will deliver groceries to its clientele’s doorstep, as competition in the country’s retail sector intensifies. read more

Imperial Holdings has gained a foothold in Nigeria’s fast-growing logistics market with the acquisition of a 49 percent stake in leading Nigerian provider MDS for $26 million (R237m) in cash. read more

Ghana’s premier beverage manufacturer, Accra Brewery Limited (ABL), has begun a responsible alcohol retailing training programme for retailers of its alcoholic products in the country. read more

A Namibia Trade Forum official has defended proposed government plans to grant interim protection to the local broiler industry against cheap imports.  read more

Sony forecast annual profit that missed analysts’ estimates on Friday as chief executive Kazuo Hirai rolls out new Xperia smartphones and Bravia televisions to recapture market share lost to Samsung Electronics. read more

Johannesburg - Poultry producer Astral Foods [JSE:ARL] on Monday reported a 82% plunge in diluted headline earnings per share to 94 cents in the six months ended March 2013 as operating profit slumped by 80% despite a 5% rise in revenue to R4.234bn. No interim divided was declared. read more

Nakumatt’s stores on wheels targets outdoor events Regional retailer, Nakumatt Holdings has announced plans to introduce a containerised mini retail stores. The outlets will provide shopping solutions during key events in remote locations. read more

The gloves are off in the fight for a giant share of Kenya’s multi-billion shilling beauty industry as French multinational acquires part of the company that owns Nice & Lovely. read more

The big hole being dug in Newtown is the start of a R1.3 billion retail and office development incorporating some of Johannesburg's most historic buildings, it was reported on Monday. read more

South African drugmaker Adcock Ingram said on Thursday a rival bid was in the offing to a $675m (R60.7) one made by conglomerate Bidvest [JSE:BVT], raising the stakes for a possible acquisition and pushing its share price up almost 8%. read more

The output of textile, clothing and leather sub-sector of the Zambian industry increased marginally by 3.5 percent year-on-year in 2012, according to the Central Statistical Office (CSO). read more

ZAMBIA’s inflation rate for this month has slowed down by 0.1 per cent to 6.5 per cent from 6.6 per cent in March, while the trade surplus has gone up to KR307.7 million. read more

Nambia Breweries Ltd (NBL) celebrated Reinheitsgebot Day in style in April by launching its RHG campaign and opening the first barrel of Urbock, the brewer’s winter beer. read more

VENTURES AFRICA – SABMiller reported in April this year that full year lager volumes in Africa surged 6 percent on the back of additional capacity coming on stream and enhanced availability. read more

New York -- Target isn’t letting any grass grow under its feet when it comes to the suddenly hot category of home goods and home furnishings. The discounter has installed a giant, two-story dollhouse — some 21 ft. high and occupying some 1,500 sq. ft. of space, smack in the middle of Vanderbuilt Hall in New York City’s Grand Central Station.  read more

Asda will open its controversial multi-million-pound store in East Cleveland this summer, the retail giant has confirmed. read more

Johannesburg - SA’s entertainment and media companies have reached the “end of the digital beginning”‚ with digital activities now becoming the “new normal” for traditional media companies‚ according to a report by professional services firm PwC.  read more

Cape Town - Mauritius has long been a popular tourist destination among South Africans. But now many hard-nosed investors wanting to mix solid returns with a luxury lifestyle are also heading for the tropical paradise.  read more

For the President of DMSRetail West Africa, Joseph Ebata, the retail sector in Nigeria has witnessed a huge growth, despite the challenges bedeviling it. read more

London - Microsoft, trying to find growth markets for its mobile products, is projecting that rising demand in South Africa will help it pass BlackBerry and Android and pave the way for further gains on the continent. read more

Johannesburg - Foreign direct investment from emerging markets into Africa outpaced that from developed markets in 2012, but the number of new FDI projects into the continent fell 12 percent from the previous year, Ernst & Young said on Monday. read more

Makro has expanded its presence in Gauteng with the opening of a new urban store in Alberton on 24 April 2013. Massmart invested R400 million rand to build the 19 008m2 Makro Alberton store.  read more

Residents of Ibadan metropolis trooped out enmasse on Wednesday, to have a glimpse of a wear outfit located at the newly opened Odu’a Shopping Mall, along J Allen area, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. read more

Experts contend that the introduction of the multiple-currency system in 2009 has seen low income retail shops which thrived during the years of economic meltdown scale down their operations due to heightened competition. read more

An estimated 405 million handsets, including 197 million smartphones, were shipped in the first quarter of 2013, according to market intelligence firm ABI Research.  read more

London - British manufacturing contracted by the narrowest of margins in April, and much less than expected, the first major set of data for the second quarter of the year showed on Wednesday. read more

New developments, refurbishments and an increase in international brands set to drive continued growth Cape Town, 02 May 2013: The V&A Waterfront continues to track ahead of national retail growth figures in 2013. According to the latest report by Statistics SA, results for the national average sales growth in January indicate a 6.8% increase while the V&A reports show a growth of 11.64% increase for January.  read more

Local Botswana retail chain, Choppies, has moved to wholly acquire one of its competitors, SupaSave, the Competition Authority (CA) revealed on Wednesday. read more

An Indian business delegation was in Botswana last week to seek investment opportunities and strengthen ties with local stakeholders.  read more