Because 2020 wasn't weird enough, South Africans are apparently now able to purchase coffins on popular retail site Takealot. The items sell for just under R5000 per box and the company has stipulated that they will not accept returns. Which I guess is understandable, if one thinks about it. 9 Jul 2020
Steinhoff has agreed to dispose of its shares in home furnishings retail chain Conforama France to Mobilux Sàrl, the parent company of BUT, a French retailer of furniture, appliances and consumer electronics, for a "nominal sum". The disposal includes the sale of certain related trademarks and domain names. 9 Jul 2020
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The retail experience for South African consumers and businesses has certainly changed in the past few months. The social and economic implications of the national lockdown have forced businesses to rethink their sales strategies in order to stay afloat and meet shifting consumer demands. 9 Jul 2020
"E-commerce's rise, especially now, reinforces the point that consumer trust and legitimacy of online retailers are paramount, especially in an era of heightened risk and uncertainty," says Craig Lubbe, CEO for Bidorbuy. 8 Jul 2020
Customers can now make cash deposits directly into their own bank account at any Pick n Pay till point, anywhere in South Africa. 8 Jul 2020
Parts of South African retail chain Edgars may be sold to Edcon competitor Retailability Ltd, business rescue practitioners in charge of Edcon's restructuring said on Tuesday. 8 Jul 2020
Woolworths scooped two international accolades at the Shop! Global Awards 2020 in June. The retailer's 'Christmas Gifting Window of 2019' was recognised in both the Sustainability and Window Display categories in the Design Awards segment of the competition, which recognises excellence in retail design, including originality in the use of space and materials and quality of concept execution. 8 Jul 2020
Over the coming weeks, the City of Cape Town will be issuing 10,000 CPT+U Covid-19 Informal Traders' Toolkits to qualifying informal traders so they and their customers can continue to do business in a safe environment, in line with Covid-19 protocols. 7 Jul 2020
Massmart said in a shareholder statement on Tuesday that it has started a consultation process under Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act. This process may affect 1,800 employees at Game stores in South Africa. 7 Jul 2020
Being successful in retail used to be about offering the best possible customer experience, in the best possible location, with price often playing a tertiary role. For brands like Edgars (and other brands in the Edcon stable) and Makro, this worked well in the past. But their failure to have visible digital shopfronts over their brick-and-mortar offerings has put their future business in jeopardy. 7 Jul 2020
Many companies are exploiting ignorance and fear and selling Covid-19 cleaning solutions that are unnecessary and expensive. Regular cleaning with household products is sufficient. Photo: Ashraf Hendricks
Last week, after some of their colleagues tested positive for Covid-19, teachers at a Cape Town school refused to return to work until the school had a "deep clean". This type of incident has played itself over and over across the country since the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, hit our shores. 7 Jul 2020
In #FreshOnTheShelf, we round up our pick of food and beverage products that have hit the shelves recently. 6 Jul 2020
Retail was in trouble long before Covid-19 hit. The past five years saw daily reports of store closures and retailer bankruptcies. The growth of online commerce eroded many retailers' top-line revenues, forcing them into an ongoing cycle of discounts and promotions just to keep up. 6 Jul 2020
Amazon India office, Bengaluru
Amazon is expanding its reach in India, a key market for the e-commerce giant, with the launch of Smart Stores. The new initiative, allows retailers to create a digital storefront, offer contactless payment options and reward customers with Amazon Pay incentives. 6 Jul 2020
Most citizens feared the Covid19 pandemic. Many others fear being locked down with their killers in the same house. 6 Jul 2020
Warrick Kernes, founder of Insaka eCommerce Academy
South Africa's e-commerce industry is booming. Constrained from operating as normal due to lockdown and safety restrictions, many businesses have made a long-overdue entry into the online sales space, with remarkable consumer uptake. 3 Jul 2020
The Fair Cape Cares Foundation has partnered with Cape Talk to help provide nourishing meals for the communities left vulnerable by the Covid-19 lockdown. 3 Jul 2020
An analysis of the South African fast food industry in 2019 showed that there was opportunity for the continued expansion of fast food outlets but that the market was beginning to saturate. A consequence of this is that there are fewer sites available for fast food outlets and those that are available, are generally for smaller outlets. 3 Jul 2020
Adidas and Parley for the Oceans have marked the fifth anniversary of their partnership, focused on addressing the global plastic crisis and its contribution to marine pollution. The pair has renewed its commitment to fighting marine plastic pollution through eco-innovation and material revolution. 2 Jul 2020
Distell has launched Click2Collect.co.za, a web-based solution to help South Africans order alcoholic drinks from more than 22,000 taverns countrywide in a simpler and safer manner. 2 Jul 2020
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