RETAIL NEWS ON FASTMOVING

US e-commerce giant Amazon said it would not build a new headquarters in New York City due to opposition from "some state and local politicians," though most New Yorkers support its plan.  read more

Consumer spend over the traditional holiday period in December reflected a year-on-year increase, according to BankservAfrica’s data which measured the value and volume of sales in December. read more

US retail sales recorded their biggest drop in more than nine years in December as receipts fell across the board, suggesting a sharp slowdown in economic activity at the end of 2018. read more

The sudden departure of two Australia-based nonexecutive directors of Woolworths has fuelled speculation that the troubled retailer will be forced to announce another huge write-down related to the R21bn acquisition of the David Jones department store. read more

Available economic activity data has shown that the economy ended last year on a weaker footing, with December retail sales figures being the latest to disappoint, declining for the first time in nearly two years.  read more

Woolworths has categorically denied allegations by Michelle Legge, who founded beverage company Superlatte in 2016, that the retailer has copied her product. read more

The community of Thokoza welcomed the opening of Matlala Market and it will now offer customers greater variety, a fresh offering and money services under one roof and on their doorstep.  read more

Dis-Chem’s Christmas sales have been hurt by a strike, the pharmacy chain warned in a trading update. read more

According to the latest Mastercard Love Index, South Africans are willing to dig deeper into their pockets to spoil the ones they love on Valentine’s Day, splashing out on experiences like dining out and travel rather than on traditional gifts.  read more

Robust liquor sales and the inclusion of the pharmaceutical distribution business it bought in 2018 year boosted grocery retailer Spar Group in the weeks leading up to Christmas. read more

One of the biggest frustrations instore shoppers face is not being able to find products they’re looking for - whether they are sold out, hard to find or simply not practical to keep in stock. And customers hardly ever ask about them if they’re not. While these missed opportunities may seem inconsequential, they are starting to add up in this competitive retail environment where every sale counts.  read more

The Co-op has confirmed that it is looking to develop a network of franchise stores following successful trials of the model. read more

Pick n Pay is trialling the lowest priced reusable bag yet in South Africa, as an affordable reusable alternative to plastic carrier bags. read more

Retailers have taken note of the huge gin trend - for example, in 2011, Pick n Pay stocked around 20 gins and now have over 100 different varieties - with over 25% of those being locally produced. read more

Toys R Us is making a comeback as a brand new company known as Tru Kids Brands, one year after the toy retailer went bust.  read more

Struggling retailer Woolworths saw its share price decline to the lowest level since 2012 after saying two nonexecutive board members with extensive business experience in Australia resigned with immediate effect on Monday. read more

Woolworths will not be keeping the profits it made from the sale of baby carriers similar to those of a Cape Town-based small business, Ubuntu Baba. read more

Valentine’s Day is all about spoiling your loved one(s), but let’s be honest, between the stress of finding the perfect gift and remembering to make a restaurant reservation, it seldom goes according to plan.So this year, why not stress less and let Checkers play cupid? You’re guaranteed an unforgettable Valentine’s Day for all the right reasons. read more

The UK click & collect market is set to grow 45.8% over the next five years to reach £9.8bn by 2023, but growth will slow as the fulfillment method matures and services offered by retailers are optimised, according to data and analytics company GlobalData. read more

French luxury handbag label Hermes said that sales momentum in its Chinese stores stayed strong in the fourth quarter, adding to reassuring signals from rivals over enduring demand in one of the industry's biggest markets. read more

Over 7 800 of Clicks Group employees will share in a R1.5bn payment that has been created through the group's employee share ownership scheme (ESOP). read more

Amazon.com Inc’s grocery service is slowly returning on its India website after the online retail giant faced disruption from revised e-commerce curbs which kicked in on Feb. 1. read more

Happy (almost) Valentine’s Day, retailers! Since the day of hearts is upon us, we thought it’s high time to remind merchants about the things they can do to spread the love. You don’t have to be in the flowers or gifts industry to show your V-Day spirit. read more

The CEO of Woolworths’s Australian department store chain David Jones has resigned after less than two years in the job, and the JSE-listed retailer is now headhunting its fourth CEO for its Australian chain since it acquired it in 2014. read more

Ackermans' latest star-studded lingerie campaign inspires women to celebrate their true selves. read more

Investors have welcomed a new strategy from jewellery maker Pandora, which is struggling to regain its competitive edge in a weak retail market, sending its shares up more than 10%. read more

Amazon.com’s grocery service is slowly returning on its India website after the online retail company faced disruption from revised e-commerce curbs which kicked in on February 1. read more

As each new app or tech gadget appears on the horizon, keeping the Customer Experience (CX) fresh and relevant becomes more complex. But making and retaining customers in 2019 is not just about keeping up with the sophisticated robotics of the 21st Century. Yes, branding and selling is knowing what and how technology can assist in the CX experience but it’s also ensuring there’s a human and emotional connection with the consumer every step of the way. read more

Edcon Holdings is making progress toward securing R3bn in funding to keep the South African clothing retailer afloat, with the Public Investment Corporation part of the ongoing talks. read more

The Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) has instructed Woolworths to change the labelling on some of its pork product packaging. read more

Danish toymaker Lego plans to more than double the number of shops in China in 2019 to 140 in its most rapid expansion in any market as demand for its colourful plastic bricks remains unaffected by a broader slowdown in the economy.  read more

Local Pick n Pay stores have answered the call to aid in the rescue operations to save the thousands of flamingo chicks from the Kamfers Dam just outside Kimberley.  read more

Traditional brick and mortar stores still have a future despite the boom in online retail, says Andrew Jennings, chair of the Prince's Trust Retail Leadership Group in London. But, he says, with techno-savvy customers, it won't mean business as usual. read more

Retail sales in South Africa are expected to reach R20 billion in 2020 on the back of a surge in online sales of apparels, alcohol and tobacco products. read more

A forecast by World Wide Worx shows that online retail sales figures in South Africa are expected to more than double from 2016 to almost R20-billion by 2020. As such, South African small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating in the retail sector should start to consider entering into the e-commerce space – an industry poised for growth as millennials and digital Generation Z, who have been dubbed digital natives, begin to make up an increasingly large portion of consumers.  read more

LVMH shares surged high after LVMH struck a “cautiously” confident tone for the year and said sales had picked up in China in the fourth quarter.  read more

There are four key elements for retailers to remain relevant, according to Andrew Jennings, chair of the Prince's Trust Retail Leadership Group in London. read more

Investors shaved R15bn off the value of Shoprite after Africa’s biggest retailer by market capitalisation issued a dire trading warning. read more

Recession, economic uncertainty, political upheaval – these factors, among many others, are playing havoc with retail stability and longevity around the world. In the United Kingdom, well-known brands such as House of Fraser and Orla Kiely have either gone into administration or closed down. Edgars may shut the doors of its landmark store in the centre of Johannesburg in an attempt to revive the ailing brand, and Nine West and Mango have closed their stores across the country due to increased competition and economic pressure. As outlooks go, this may seem dire, but for those retailers that are paying attention and preparing to adapt, it’s a landscape filled with potential.  read more

Woolworths has kickstarted the year with its latest announcement in its journey to ZERO packaging waste to landfill, with the rollout of Woolworths branded paper-stemmed earbuds.  read more

Unilever has continued its recent acquisition spree with a deal to buy The Laundress, a New York-based business that sells a line of eco-friendly detergent, fabric care, and home cleaning products. read more

Shoprite's share price fell 16.6% to R148.83 on Wednesday morning when the market reacted to a trading update it released at 5.30pm on Tuesday. read more

Up to 9,000 jobs are at risk as part of a restructuring programme announced by British supermarket giant Tesco. read more

General goods retailer Pepkor, formerly known as Steinhoff Africa Retail, released solid numbers for the three months ended December despite challenging trading conditions.  read more

Alibaba has created new smartphone technology that allows the blind and visually-impaired to shop online. read more

Iceland has maintained its position as the highest-rated supermarket for customer satisfaction for the second time running.  read more

The hard work and success of two Gauteng community food gardens are being celebrated on the Shoprite Group’s truck fleet. read more

Major retailers insist they’re doing their bit to help mentor emerging businesses. But are they really doing enough to help entrepreneurs overcome the many hurdles they face? read more

Launched in 2012, Zando has grown from a small e-commerce store to become South Africa’s largest fashion destination. Aimed at the 20 to 40 somethings, it has sold more than 1800 local and international brands on its site and also has its own private label, UTOPIA.  read more

Massmart, which is owned by US retail giant Walmart and runs the Game, Makro and Dion Wired chains, saw its share price drop 21%, to close at R90.65, after reporting flat sales for the festive season. read more

Amazon has been named by consumers as their favourite brand, with other retailers such as Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, Sainsbury’s and Tesco following close behind. read more

Shoprite's share price fell as much as 5.7% to R175.32 after it warned shareholders its interim results would show flat sales. read more

Debt-laden Edcon reached a non-binding agreement with unidentified investors to recapitalise and avoid selling some of its business, the Sunday Times citing Chief Executive Grant Pattison. read more

Retail buzzwords like “personalisation” and “omnichannel” are no longer just concepts and strategies that companies are working toward. Today, more retailers are actively deploying new technologies and migrating to an intelligent environment to reclaim their relevance in the on-demand economy.  read more

As consumer expectations continue to shift, grocery retailers must ensure that they keep a finger on the pulse of changing demands. James Butcher, managing director of grocery retail specialist, Solutions for Retail Brands (S4RB), examines the key grocery trends to keep an eye out for in 2019. read more

Verimark shareholders approved a plan to take the direct retailer private, sending the stock to its best close in nearly eight years. read more

As Woolworths tries to recover from the impairments of A$712.5 million (R7.02 billion) it suffered last year in its Australian subsidiary David Jones, the retailer continued to experience declining sales in the 26 weeks to end December trading period in South Africa.  read more

Apparel group TFG, which operates the Foschini, American Swiss and Markham chains, has bucked the retail trend and produced solid growth numbers for the festive season. read more

Edcon is at a turning point yet again. The retailer — which operates the Edgars, Jet and CNA chain stores — has just wrapped up a deal with 250 stakeholders, including its shareholders and landlords, in a bid to keep its doors open. read more

Marks & Spencer confirmed the location of the next batch of stores it plans to close as part of its restructuring plans. read more

Consumers came under pressure in 2018, with the first VAT hike in two decades and steep fuel price increases.  read more

Surplus stock is one challenge that every retailer wants to turn into an opportunity. read more

Carrefour has announced plans to use artificial intelligence to optimise its inventory management, making it the first French retailer to do so. read more

Macy’s did not have as merry a Christmas as it expected, and now all of retail is under the microscope. read more

Johann Rupert’s Richemont, the luxury goods group that was initially cautious about e-commerce, has seen online businesses YOOX Net-a-Porter (YNAP) and Watchfinder giving its earnings a handy boost.  read more

As convenience retail continues to grow as an industry sector, retailers must remain focused on the most significant trends that will see their businesses flourish, and in so doing, strengthen their standing in the ever-competitive retail environment. read more

Despite South Africa exiting the technical recession following growth in the economy in the three months to September, the outlook for the country’s retail sector for 2019 continues to be subdued. read more

Woolworths has said it will remove the baby carrier product from its stores, following a meeting with a business owner who claimed the retailer had copied her idea. read more

Going back to school after the holidays is often a stressful time for most families; children and parents have to make the inevitable transition from easy summer life to days filled with carpooling, homework and extra-mural activities. read more

December retail figures from the US, UK, China and South Africa differed widely and are, more than ever, relative to the prevailing politics and consumer confidence in each area.  read more

New stores and demand for its premium ranges helped Aldi generate UK sales of almost £1bn in December, its best ever result for the Christmas trading period.  read more

Shoprite is helping to ease the burden of rising education costs by offering its customers a basic school uniform for under R100 and giving more than 460 learners the opportunity to have their 2019 school fees paid for.  read more

High operating costs and tight customer budgets have left US coffee giant Starbucks needing a caffeine hit after it abandoned ambitious expansion plans in South Africa – seen as a foothold for the continent. read more

Clothing retailer Edcon has been given some breathing room by its lenders as it struggles for survival. The group, which confirmed that it was in talks with its funders and other stakeholders, said its lenders have extended waivers to allow time for the implementation of its restructuring and recapitalisation. read more

Troubled clothing retailer Edcon confirmed it is in talks with new investors in its efforts to ensure its survival. read more

Most retailers had high expectations of bumper sales on Black Friday, November 23, but data from retail management platform Vend shows that that in-store retail spending decreased from 2017 with a 10% drop in spending and a 2% drop in sales volumes. read more

For the third consecutive year, bulk retailer The Kit Kat Group’s long-standing association with stokvels is showing strong growth. read more

The report, ‘Business models to ride the food-to-go wave,’ released by Rabobank, explores the growing trend of precooked and ready-to-eat meals, and how retailers and foodservice providers can work together to benefit from this movement. read more

More than 50 per cent of people who shopped online over last year’s Christmas period have experienced some sort of problem with their delivery, according to new research. read more

Achieving long-term brand loyalty has become brutally difficult for South African retailers. Mobile represents an unparalleled opportunity for savvy retailers to reach customers in more personalised, efficient and powerful ways – paving the way for a new era of data-driven brand loyalty. read more

Hot off the heels of the global Black Friday phenomenon, retailers, brands and shopping centres across South Africa have geared up to make the most of 2018’s Festive Season which is already upon us. read more

While SA’s retail sector is yet to fully embrace e-commerce, its Brics partner, China has become a behemoth in online shopping, which accounts for a massive chunk of luxury retail around the world.  read more

Consumers are ringing in the holiday season with a solid start to retail sales, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse™, which looks at overall retail spending trends across all payment types.  read more

Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) are, by their very nature, products that are designed to be sold quickly at a relatively low cost. Unlike luxury items that often need to sit on the shelf for an extended period of time in order to build up some exclusivity, FMCG products need to be sold as quickly as they’re advertised. With speed being the key ingredient in the FMCG industry, any weak links in the chain can harm a manufacturer's bottom-line. read more

South African retailer Edcon confirmed that it is in discussions with stakeholders, including landlords and suppliers, regarding the group’s continued recapitalisation programme. read more

Iceland has introduced a new concept for Christmas – shopping on ice! read more

Superdry shares plunged more than a third after the British fashion chain warned on profits for the second time in less than three months, blaming unusually warm weather for hitting sales of winter jackets and jerseys. read more

SPAR Eastern Cape achieved global recognition for their commitment to reducing plastic pollution when they received an award at the SPAR International Conference last month. read more

Falling fruit and vegetable prices helped slow producer inflation in November. read more

Panel television sales soared in South Africa during Black Friday week, climbing by 66% to just over 93,000 units when compared to the same week in 2017, according to point of sale tracking data from GfK South Africa’s Weekly Monitor. This builds on the 47% growth over 2016 recorded during the week of Black Friday in 2017.  read more

2019 is here, and if you’re in retail, you’re likely wondering what the next 12 months will bring. read more

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