A group of former Truda Foods employees who were suspended for "liking" a controversial Facebook post by a community association will have to wait until next month for the court to rule on the company's interdict against them. 9 Nov 2020
Mara Phones has opened the doors to its first franchise Mara Experience Store, located at Maponya Mall in Soweto. The store launch comes a year after Mara Phones, a subsidiary of Dubai-headquartered Mara Corporation, opened South Africa's first smartphone manufacturing facility at the Dube TradePort in KwaZulu-Natal. 6 Nov 2020
Contemporary London dry gin brand, Bulldog Gin, has partnered with four South African artists, designers and creatives to produce unique collaborative pieces that celebrate each creator's individual craft and trade. 6 Nov 2020
Luyanda Hlatashwayo, reclaimer with the African Reclaimers Organisation, and Luc-Olivier Marquet, EVP Unilever South Africa.
By teaming up with expert partners to reward South Africa's most underappreciated recycling community and developing sustainable plastic packaging on some of their most well-known products, Unilever has taken its first steps in South Africa to help address society's damaging throwaway culture. 6 Nov 2020
South African packaging manufacturer Tuffy has partnered with WWF SA to drive education, awareness and behaviour change around plastic waste. 5 Nov 2020
In an era of connectivity and hyper-personalised engagement, shopping during the ongoing pandemic continues to evolve rapidly. Recent research highlights that 40% of South African shoppers will continue to shop online more beyond the pandemic, while 25% are buying from a combination of online retailers, brands and marketplaces. 5 Nov 2020
Those coveted Veritas Gold and Double Gold medal winning wines and brandies will now be available for easy ordering and delivery on your doorstep thanks to a new, specially developed app for online wines sales - a first in the world of wine competitions by Veritas, South Africa's oldest and most trusted competition for market-ready wines and brandies. 5 Nov 2020
Rand Capital Coffee is forging ahead with its expansion strategy, announcing that eight new Starbucks stores will be opening in South Africa within four weeks - from mid-November to mid-December - with six of them planned for Cape Town. 5 Nov 2020
LG Electronics (LG) and online luxury fashion retailer Net-A-Porter have launched a limited-edition sustainable clothing collection, designed in partnership with global fashion designers. With environmental responsibility top of mind, the clothing in the range has been made from high-quality, natural materials developed to last for years. 4 Nov 2020
Parenting and lifestyle portal BabyYumYum has announced the winners of its Product of the Year Awards for 2020. 4 Nov 2020
Shopping is bound to look different this year, but will stores be pushing for online sales to avoid endless queues, or will retailers tailor the in-store experience to reflect the times? We asked experts from the dentsu SSA network to weigh in. 4 Nov 2020
Consumers shied away from cash and gravitated towards digital payment solutions during the national lockdown according to statistics from Standard Bank's card division. South Africans were asked to stay at home between April and September 2020, and this sudden change in circumstance was mirrored by changes in the way consumers spent their money. 4 Nov 2020
To mark the week in which Propak Cape 2020 would have taken place had it not been postponed due to Covid-19, industry experts shared insights around the latest packaging trends and technologies during a Propak Cape Connect 'Opportunities in Packaging in the New Normal' webinar. 4 Nov 2020
For its second annual Checkerboard Day, to be held on 19 November, Vans will focus on the vital role creativity plays in helping individuals and communities address mental health and well-being, in light of the period of global isolation recently experienced as a result of Covid-19. 3 Nov 2020
2020 has been a shot of adrenaline to the e-commerce sector, with the Covid-19 pandemic boosting adoption rates across the board. It is estimated that the 1-2% hold the sector had in the retail space will double to as much as a 2-4% share by the end of the year. 3 Nov 2020
The holiday gifting season offers hope for retailers emerging from lockdown. With confidence in e-commerce higher than it's ever been, it's critical that stores stock up, staff up, and that their shipping systems are ready for the rush. 3 Nov 2020
Technical Consumer Goods market to bounce back in Q4 on the back of Black Friday specials 3 Nov 2020
South African businesses can now get an e-commerce-ready website, including a full payment suite, integrated delivery service and free hosting for just R349 per month. SA's largest payment service provider, DPO South Africa, launched DPO Store, described as ecommerce-in-a-box, its specifically designed to help start up and small businesses move online easily, quickly and securely.South African businesses can now get an e-commerce-ready website, including a full payment suite, integrated delivery service and free hosting for just R349 per month. SA's largest payment service provider, DPO South Africa, launched DPO Store, described as ecommerce-in-a-box, its specifically designed to help start up and small businesses move online easily, quickly and securely. 3 Nov 2020
The winners of this year's Gold Pack Awards were announced during an online ceremony last week. Established in 1974, the annual competition is organised and presented by the Institute of Packaging SA and is regarded as the premier event for South Africa's packaging industry. 3 Nov 2020
Bendeta Gordon
The weaknesses inherent in franchised businesses and the health of relationships between franchisor and franchisees are being revealed as the Covid-19 pandemic unfolds. Excessive reliance on retail infrastructure, insufficient investment in digitisation and poor delivery capability is severely impacting franchised networks. In contrast, more agile franchised businesses are riding the crest of the Covid-19 wave by providing services that drive changed consumer behaviour. 2 Nov 2020
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