RETAIL NEWS ON FASTMOVING

Shoprite is seeking a foothold in Kenya’s retail industry, where the collapse of two local supermarket chains has created opportunities for Africa’s biggest grocer and its international rivals. read more

Superdry has revealed a massive drop in underlying profit in its interim results despite an uptick in overall revenue, as the fashion retailer conceded it had a “difficult first half”. read more

South Africans are set to spend over R200bn this festive season, with an average of nearly R6 000 each, a recent survey has found. read more

The retail sector experienced bigger than expected growth at the start of the fourth quarter. read more

Asda remains the best performer of the UK’s ‘Big Four’ supermarkets, registering a 1.5% sales rise in the 12 weeks to 2 December, according to the latest market share figures from Kantar Worldpanel. read more

With two prime shopping periods ahead - Black Friday and the Festive Season shopping extravaganza - retailers are preparing for a bumper sales season to mitigate the slow retail sales growth experienced during much of the year. Consumers have been under pressure from VAT hikes, petrol price increases and a stagnant economy.  read more

Ted Baker’s CEO and founder Ray Kelvin is to take a voluntary leave of absence while allegations about his conduct are investigated, the British fashion retailer said. read more

Global fashion retailer, LC Waikiki opened their first store in the Western Cape at Tyger Valley Shopping Centre on Saturday 08 December 2018. LC Waikiki offers on-trend, well-priced clothing for all occasions for women, men and children with the brand philosophy of “Everyone deserves to dress well”.  read more

The Shoprite Group recently opened a new world-class distribution centre (DC) in Lagos, Nigeria. read more

A study by the Bureau of Economic Research (BER) has shown that the retail sector showed signs of a revival in the last three months of the year after the sector ran into trouble in the third quarter of the year.  read more

Aldi UK has opened a record eight stores on a single day as part of a tranche of 24 new outlets that are opening throughout November and December.  read more

Grocery retailers have had a tough year, and like other retailers are hoping to see a boost in sales over the festive season. read more

Advances in telecommunication technology have transformed the tools used for marketing and consumerism and ultimately, the way that businesses operate. The Statista 2017 Report indicated that the number of smartphone users in the United States is estimated to have reached 224.3 million, with smartphone users worldwide exceeding 2 billion. Undoubtedly, we are running headlong into the end of the industrial era of consumption and into a consumer power-shift.  read more

Weaker-than-expected growth in the month of October is putting retailers under pressure as Christmas approaches, according to Nielsen. read more

Despite the lacklustre macro-economic indicators, South African tenacity showed itself once again as retailers – especially smaller stores – cashed in on the online space over the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend says Payment Service Provider, DPO PayGate. read more

Hamleys has marked its entry into the Japanese retail market with the opening of two large, theme park-style outlets. read more

US teen apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch forecast same-store sales for the holiday quarter above analysts’ estimates, driven by strong sales at its Hollister and flagship stores, sending its shares rising 24% in early trading. read more

The UK’s five largest property funds stand to risk billions of pounds invested in the country’s struggling retail sector. read more

Black Friday promotional sales are transforming the SA retail sector. read more

ASG, owner and importer of some of the world’s best cycling brands, has joined forces with South Africa’s leading online retailer, Takealot.com, to elevate the Tour of Good Hope to an international level.  read more

Online sales for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2018 exceeded figures for 2017, according to BankservAfrica, Africa’s largest automated payments clearing house. read more

With the fast-approaching Festive Season only a few weeks away, malls, shopping centres and stores anticipate an influx of feet through their doors. Millions of Rands have been spent on extensive advertising, product placements, marketing and merchandising-just to name a few, but is that enough?  read more

H&M, the world's second-biggest fashion retailer, said that it would close down its struggling independent brand, Cheap Monday. read more

Woolworths pies are the first South African food products to be certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) https://rspo.org/  read more

The festive season is a challenging time for shopping malls in Cape Town. Customers are ready to spend their hard earned money and make impulse decisions, therefore, you need to ensure your store is ready for the holiday rush and that your marketing strategy attracts the big spenders.  read more

Sainsbury’s has launched dedicated shelf-edge labels to alert its customers to items most useful for food banks. read more

Improved consumer perception of Mr Price's quality and fashion helped it grow sales and profit in the first half of its 2019 financial year. read more

Port2Port.wine, an online wine marketplace based in South Africa, has been awarded the Best Overall Wine List Award in Wine Searcher’s Retailer Awards for the second consecutive year. read more

It’s too early to say to what extent Black Friday sales have boosted retailers’ bottom line but there is no doubt that South African consumers are increasingly turning to tech-enabled solutions for their regular dose of retail therapy. read more

Wallet squeeze has seen South African consumers growing increasingly sensitive to prices and promotions over the past several years.  read more

Swedish furniture giant Ikea said that it plans to cut 7,500 jobs worldwide by 2020, mainly office jobs, as it re-organises to focus its business on e-commerce and smaller shops in city centres. read more

Even though it is tempting to relegate Black Friday as just another marketing gimmick, the reality is that it signifies the start of a month-long consumer spending frenzy that significantly boosts retail revenues. read more

South Africa’s leading value retailer, Ackermans, has launched its new in-store electronic learning solution to train new and existing staff.  read more

Pick n Pay has released all its Black Friday deals that will run over a three-day period from 23 – 25 November 2018.  read more

The ocean plays a critical role in sustaining life and livelihoods. Sadly, reports show that the world’s fisheries are rapidly being overfished.  read more

Lowe’s stated it was looking to shed its retail operations in Mexico and certain noncore US businesses as the country’s second-biggest home improvement chain strives to compete with rivals including Home Depot.  read more

Black Friday is fast approaching, and a lot of retailers are preparing for an influx of sales and consumer traffic across all points of purchase – apps, online and in-store. This high volume of purchases puts most retailers and consumers at risk for a range of cyber security fraud and loss of critical information. read more

Update your summer style with the best of Black Friday deals. Whether you want to dress up or down, get new sports gear, fashion for your kids or the latest in jewellery, technology or homeware – this is one shopping list you’ll definitely find it on! read more

Black Friday has developed a reputation for frantic shopping frenzies and incredible deals. This year, in addition to offering incredible deals of up to 50% off, Woolworths has decided to do Black Friday with a difference.  read more

The global Black Friday phenomenon has cemented itself as the precursor into Festive Season shopping and it is no surprise that it is making a growing impression amongst South African retailers and consumers alike.  read more

Retailers and shoppers gear up for what promises to be the biggest sale day of the calendar year, Black Friday, but with payday falling after Black Friday, will Cyber Monday outsell Black Friday this year?  read more

The biggest challenge on Black Friday isn’t a system crash or a payment failure. It’s the delivery problems that come after the purchases have been made. This year, courier companies are working closely with e-tailers to ensure that delivery expectations are met – but consumers can also play their part in getting their parcels as quickly and efficiently as possible. read more

Black Friday is here to stay: as part of a retail festival that entices consumers in their millions to part with their cash, it’s another way of increasing revenue just before the festive season officially kicks in.  read more

There was a time when Santa got people spending. Now it’s Black Friday. read more

Pick n Pay has released a sneak preview of five deals that will be available to customers in-store nationwide this Black Friday.  read more

Standard Bank expects retailers to experience another bumper Black Friday weekend this month, despite consumers feeling the pinch from all-time-high petrol prices and a one percentage point increase in VAT. read more

Black Friday is the new precursor imprinting a trend into Festive Season Shopping. Over the years, this recent sales tactic has grown in leaps and bounds with more retailers and shopping centres jumping on the bandwagon to offer South African consumers bang for their buck while creating an exciting environment to shop in.  read more

According to Google Trends, last year South Africa registered the largest ‘Black Friday’ search interest of any country, even ahead of the US where the retail mega-event was conceived. read more

Amazon is preparing to host what it believes will be its biggest ever Black Friday sale, with more deals available than in previous years over a 10-day period. read more

The inflow of imports, most consumer goods, is contributing to increasing demand for storage, logistics and warehousing services in South Africa, and a clear correlation is visible in the trend of wholesale and retail trade sales in comparison to imports. read more

Black Friday is almost here! Around South Africa, eager shoppers are double-checking their budgets and making wish-lists! Black Friday is now so well-entrenched, everyone’s getting in on the action. With discounts of as much as 80%, thousands of bargain hunters will flood SA’s online retailers when the clock strikes midnight. read more

A meagre boost in the retail sector will likely see SA steer out of the recession. read more

Macy’s raised its annual earnings forecast, signalling a strong holiday shopping season ahead, as the department store chain builds on a recovery strategy that focuses on its well-performing stores and expanding online.  read more

Ireland was JSE-listed Spar’s best performing region, helping to offset sales and profit declines in Switzerland. read more

Woolworths will return to profit in the first half of its 2019 financial year following the loss caused by its R7bn impairment of Australian department store chain David Jones in the matching period.  read more

Customers use the service by choosing “Collection” when they check out on the Superbalist website or app. They are provided a pin code via email and sms and take that to their chosen Takealot Pickup Point within 7 days of delivery - orders arrive within 2-4 days of purchase.  read more

Muted growth in the retail sector may be enough to help steer SA out of a recession. read more

Massmart, which is 51% owned by US giant Walmart, is battling one of the worst retail environments yet it has seen in SA, chair Kuseni Dlamini says.  read more

Mobile commerce is set to overtake desktop sales globally by 2023 while the UK’s market is expected to nearly double. read more

British American Tobacco’s (BAT) share price plunged 11% to R555, wiping R176bn off its market capitalisation, on a report the US government is considering banning menthol cigarettes. read more

The retail industry has undergone a massive transformation with the advent of technology. Beyond the rapid rise of online shopping, retailers are spying innovative ways to hang on to traditional shoppers while diversifying both their channels and their wares.  read more

Woolworths chair Simon Susman will be succeeded by former Imperial and Sanlam Personal Finance CEO Hubert Brody at its 2019 annual general meeting (AGM), which is likely to take place in a year’s time. read more

The city is leading the e-commerce space in South Africa with 10 of the most visited online retailers based in the City. read more

French fashion house Hermes has reported another quarter of brisk sales growth, propelled by red-hot demand in China, where the ultra-chic brand expects further growth as it opens stores and rolls out online sales. read more

German sporting-goods maker Adidas lifted its profit expectations for 2018 after a “strong” third quarter saw brisk global demand for its sportswear and sneakers, but sales in western Europe slipped. read more

Informal trade and distribution data specialists, 5M2T (5 Minutes 2 Town) sets five common myths about the spaza market straight – and the facts could change your entire brand to market strategy. read more

Checkers LiquorShop is the first South African supermarket to enter into an exclusive, national partnership with Mr D Food. read more

Morrisons has achieved “three years of positive like-for-like” sales after reporting growth across the board in its third quarter. read more

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are famous for huge deals and steep discounts. That’s why participating in these days can seem like a big retailer’s game. read more

Lego has launched its first ever global Christmas campaign, as it continues to push forward its TV marketing presence after a four-year hiatus. read more

Instagram is fast becoming a hugely important sales channel for retailers - as a way to showcase your store and brand, market new products and promotions, and even tap into social selling. If you’re marketing on Instagram, chances are you’re in it because you want to increase customer engagement, followers, and ultimately, revenue. read more

Pick n Pay launches dedicated Black Friday deals for its online customers in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town as a ‘taste’ of what is to come.  read more

Online shopping hit the R14 billion mark in South Africa with 1.4 percent of overall sales in the country despite persistent apprehensions about its safety. read more

Retailer and financial service group HomeChoice International has opened its first brick and mortar showroom in the Johannesburg CBD. read more

Clothing retailer Truworths, which has been targeted by activist shareholders because of the dominance of long-standing white males on its board and executive management team, says it is fully committed to transformation and is on track to reach its board-level BEE targets within 18 months. read more

Burberry has revealed plans to launch limited monthly product drops over Instagram as it ramps up its fashion releases. read more

Consumers have become increasingly concerned about plastic waste. But if we are to experience a real shift in behaviour and make a sustainable long-term impact in our environment, we need to reinforce the message of reduce, reuse and recycle. read more

TFG has amplified its online shopping presence with the launch of myTFGworld.com. By repositioning its e-commerce platform as a marketplace, TFG eCommerce is no longer competing with the single retail brand sites of their competitors but is taking on global marketplaces such as Amazon.com. read more

In 2016, Amazon unveiled the “future of shopping” with its Go store. The store does not require shoppers to go through a checkout point – you walk in, pick what you want from the shelves, and walk out.  read more

Builders is on a continual drive to deliver enhanced customer experiences through innovation within the DIY, Home Improvement and building materials sector. October 2018 has seen the opening of three stores which carry the new Builders aesthetic.  read more

Shoprite says low internal food inflation at SA supermarkets and currency devaluation in other African markets where it operates hit sales in the quarter ending September 2018, with the group managing a 0.4% increase in turnover. read more

Dramatic changes in retail can be seen through the lens of large and small technology companies. Retailers are facing an urgent need to improve shopping experiences and no retail technology is more exciting than autonomous checkout. read more

Pick n Pay is preparing for its biggest Black Friday ever. read more

The days are getting longer and hotter, suburban South Africans are firing up their braais and the malls will soon be filled with the sounds of Boney M. Yes, it’s nearly time for the festive shopping season, preceded by Black Friday, an imported tradition that South African shoppers have made their own. With a few weeks to go before Black Friday on 23 November, technical goods retailers and manufacturers are scrambling to get ready.  read more

South African retailers are planning to pull out all the stops to make this year's Black Friday the biggest one-day discount sale the country has seen. read more

Tshepo “Young King” Tau,15 from Boksburg and Busisiwe “Busi” Maphalala,13 from Pretoria West have been announced as the winners of the 2018 Ackermans Style Squad Young Fashion Designer competition.  read more

Retiring Clicks CEO David Kneale says he is “going out on a high” and that the business has good growth prospects given that only half of SA’s population lives close to one of the group’s stores. read more

The Shoprite Group, the only national retailer with a verified 100% recycled shopping bag in all its stores, has announced that it will now be rewarding customers for using their newly introduced “planet” bags in both Shoprite and Checkers stores. read more

Rising inflation. Record petrol prices. A VAT increase. A technical recession. South African consumers are feeling the pinch as a confluence of forces put immense pressure on their wallets.  read more

Online grocery sales in the US have more than tripled between 2013 and 2018 and are set to quadruple between 2018 and 2023, according to a report by research agency Packaged Facts. read more

The more technology changes, the more customer behaviours change too. So, in order to keep up with your customers’ needs, you need to empower your employees in a time of digital transformation. read more

Walmart has announced that it is building a new high-tech grocery distribution centre in Shafter, California to increase the efficiency of its distribution operations. read more

Checkers is making healthier alternatives to everyday products more accessible and affordable with the launch of Simple Truth, its new private label wellness range.  read more

VF Corp shares fell 9% after the apparel maker lowered revenue forecasts for its jeans business and reported slow outdoor wear sales even as its popular Van sneakers lifted quarterly profit. read more

Walmart expects some of its fastest sales growth this decade as it draws in more digital customers in its turf war against Amazon.com. read more

Mr Price CEO Stuart Bird will be succeeded by CFO Mark Blair on January 1, the retailer announced. read more

The 2018 Retail, Design and Development Awards (RDDA) winners were announced on the opening day of the South African Council of Shopping Centres (SACSC) Annual Congress, held at Durban’s International Convention Centre. read more

Retailers surprised economists in August, with annual sales growth of 2.5% — far higher than the consensus 0.3%. read more

Picture the situation: you're on the phone with customer support. You speak to a representative who can't help you. Your call gets forwarded to another agent. So you start your story over from the beginning and explain what you need to get out of the call. They can begin a process but will really need another team to jump in to complete. Another agent takes up your case and again you explain your situation as well as a summary of the two previous calls. read more

Pharmacy chain Dis-Chem plans to maintain its expansion pace of more than one store a month, it said in its interim results. read more