Woolworths has scooped four awards in the Private Label Manufacturers Association's (PLMA) 2020 International 'Salute to Excellence' Awards. This is the world's largest competition dedicated exclusively to own brands, recognising innovation and quality in food and non-food products. 1 Oct 2020
FNB now supports QR code payments (Scan to Pay) on all its standalone point-of-sale terminals (Speedpoint devices) across the country, meaning that more local merchants can now accept payments without contact with customers. 1 Oct 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic and related lockdowns disrupted global supply chains, and necessitated a greater reliance on local goods and services. "Local businesses, manufacturers, petrol stations, retailers, local products and services... in the absence of exports... have carried us through this pandemic," said Happy Ngidi, chief officer: marketing and communications at Proudly South African. 30 Sep 2020
According to Herman Melville, American writer of the classic novel Moby Dick, "It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation". Mellville's words ring true today, especially for trade mark owners who appreciate that, in the world of intellectual property, imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery. 30 Sep 2020
Nána Lloyd is the founder and owner of Nunuki, a proudly South African skincare brand developed to care for the sensitive skin of little humans. 30 Sep 2020
While not expected to show the same growth as previous years, retail mega-event Black Friday could still help local retailers struggling to make up lost lockdown revenue, especially for those with an online presence, according to South Africa's largest payment gateway, DPO South Africa's PayGate. 30 Sep 2020
The novel coronavirus (Covid-19) has severely affected the livelihoods of many, as well as the economy. This economic instability has sparked numerous conversations and views about the future of industries going forward. It has required businesses to be agile and responsive to the current disruption. 30 Sep 2020
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The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) has launched the South African Food Loss and Waste Voluntary Agreement which commits food manufacturers and retailers to reducing food waste to achieve the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goal to halve global food waste by 2030. 29 Sep 2020
Architects of Time will open its new luxury watch and jewellery multi-brand boutique in Cape Town's V&A Waterfront this October. The Boutique Haute Horlogerie (BHH) flagship store will give shoppers access to some of the world's most prestigious brands of watches and jewellery. 29 Sep 2020
On 11 September, along the sidelines of UN Day for South-South cooperation, UNOSSC and CADFund jointly launched the South-South in Action Report on "China-Africa Development Fund: Promoting the Sustainable Development of Africa through South-South Investment", including the case of Hisense Appliance Industrial Park Project. UNOSSC and CADFund launched this important publication on today's online event. Mr Jia Shaoqian, president of Hisense Group, Ms Xiaojun Grace Wang, deputy director of programmes and operations, United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, Mr Song Le, chairperson of CADFund and others attended. 29 Sep 2020
Changes in consumer habits have taken place on a massive scale due to lockdowns and social distancing decrees. Consumers have had to adapt to work without offices, fitness without gyms and schooling without classrooms. Evergreen trends of cocooning and wellness have intensified as consumers spend more time and money at home. 29 Sep 2020
Image credit: RCL Foods
RCL Foods has joined Pick n Pay in the international '10x20x30' initiative, which focuses on rooting out food loss and waste from the supply chain. 28 Sep 2020
The Italian fashion industry is a prime example of how a well-coordinated and government-supported fashion industry can blossom into a major economic force. Generating €66.6bn in 2019, it is among the top industries in Italy. 28 Sep 2020
The first Tobacco Transformation Index, released last week and made possible with funding from the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, finds that the majority of the 15 largest tobacco companies are not making substantive progress in phasing out cigarettes and other high-risk tobacco products and transitioning smokers to reduced-risk alternatives. 28 Sep 2020
Credit: Blue Route Mall
Edcon announced on Friday that the sale of parts of Jet to The Foschini Group (TFG) has been concluded. The transaction includes the transfer of 382 South African Jet stores and approximately 4,800 employees. 28 Sep 2020
In response to the severe drought that is currently affecting the Karoo, Eskort has donated 500 bales of hay to farmers who are in desperate need of animal feed. 25 Sep 2020
Private label products experienced startling double-digit growth during the initial period of South Africa's lockdown. This was particularly evident during March when a massive 27.2% increase in sales took place, amidst pre-lockdown stockpiling, versus the same month in 2019. 25 Sep 2020
The call for South Africans to support local brands has been amplified in 2020, with the dire need to restore the country's economy and replace the jobs lost during the Covid-19 lockdown. 23 Sep 2020
Homegrown retailer The Crazy Store will open its 400th store on Heritage Day, 24 September, in North Cape Mall in Kimberley. 23 Sep 2020
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