Rising inflation doesn't only put pressure on the Reserve Bank - it also tests short-term insurance cover. Macro factors like inflation and rising import costs on the back of a weaker Rand can drive up replacement values of many household items, from audio equipment to furniture and appliances. 5 May 2008
When New Clicks started rolling out pharmacies in Clicks stores a few years ago, the concept was not roundly met as a brilliant plan. 5 May 2008
Most e-commerce sites are approaching their 10th birthday. The standard approach - with left-hand navigation and search, a product catalogue and product detail, cart and checkout - is a tired format. Just like brick-and-mortar stores, Web stores need refurbishing, and retail is the new darling of Web innovation. After all, what major vertical has more to gain from the recent craze in social networks than retail? 5 May 2008
US - Who would have thought the meltdown in financial services could fuel the overhaul of the industry's customer service departments? Actually, it's just one of several factors driving companies to put customer service initiatives on the fast track in pursuit of compelling business advantage. 5 May 2008
Motorists are set to dig deeper into their pockets again as the petrol price is set to rise again on 7 May by 55 cents a litre. 1 May 2008
Soft drinks are the single most important product group to the turnover of small informal business, according to a study conducted by the University of South Africa's (UNISA) Bureau of Market Research. 30 Apr 2008
When the going gets rough, customer retention becomes even more important. By that logic, continued sluggishness in the overall economy could have little to no dampening effect on the CRM sector, which is on a roll. 30 Apr 2008
Sony Ericsson announced the launch of the G502 last week, a compact candy-bar phone that extends its range of web-enabled devices to give a broader, mainstream appeal. It brings the power of the web to a more affordable phone segment, enabling even more users to stay up-to-date with high-speed web browsing and fast downloads. 30 Apr 2008
There could again be a shortage of soft drinks following a three-week maintenance shutdown of the Afrox gas plant, although this would affect certain bottle sizes only. 30 Apr 2008
Health and beauty sales bolstered drug and cosmetics company New Clicks, which showed robust growth in a tough trading environment for the six months ended in February. 30 Apr 2008
According to results from Accenture's Global Broadcast Consumer Survey, consumers are growing increasingly disenchanted with their overall television experience, but are remaining loyal to their favourite programs. 30 Apr 2008
What began with Peri-Peri chicken and famous sauces has exploded into a snack range of Nando's superi-perior potato crisps. And these cheeky spuds are the heroes of a brand new national campaign. 30 Apr 2008
Given the powerful double-digit growth of e-commerce during the first decade of the industry, few merchants worried that a payment alternative to credit cards or the well-established PayPal was needed. More recently, however, as e-commerce growth rates slow, the fast-growing, credit card-free alternative Bill Me Later has proven that merchants and consumers alike are hungry for alternatives. 30 Apr 2008
Cell C's new Controlchat 100 package not only offers control over cellular expenditure and great benefits from both prepaid and postpaid subscriptions, it now gives subscribers one of the best value packages available. For only R100 a month, customers receive R115 worth of airtime, 100 free SMSes and a free handset from the latest models available. 29 Apr 2008
As South Africa and China celebrate their 10th year of strong and sound diplomatic relations, SA officially opens its Consulate-General in Shanghai. 29 Apr 2008
Japanese electronics maker Matsushita's profit more than doubled in the January-March quarter, buoyed by strong sales of cell phones, flat-panel TVs and DVD players, the company said Monday, 28 April 2008. 29 Apr 2008
There's no Burger King tie-in or special flavor of Mountain Dew. No commercial directed by Peter Jackson, or even an action figure. 29 Apr 2008
Online shopping appears to be finally taking root in SA, with the number of e-retailers gradually expanding. 29 Apr 2008
The iMac received its latest performance bump on Monday as Apple rolled out its all-in-one consumer desktop line with new processors and specs. The latest addition to the iMac line is the appearance of new Intel Core 2 Duo processors that offer up to 3.06GHz of power. 29 Apr 2008
Following the success of its book project with Minki van der Westhuizen, online retailer kalahari.net has announced the launch of a new book project in conjunction with MySchool, a leading community support and fundraising programme. This project aims to donate as many books as possible to a disadvantaged school every quarter, over the next 12 months. 29 Apr 2008
