Economists believe there's further good news on the way for motorists with a R1 cut in the petrol price next month, following a significant drop and stabilisation in oil prices. 21 Aug 2008
South Africa and Turkey have sought to strengthen their bilateral political and economic relations at the First Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit in Istanbul on Wednesday, 20 August 2008. 21 Aug 2008
The South African National Retail Alliance (SANTRA) in partnership with Smartcall Insurance Administrators launched South Africa's first Funeral Membership Plan for informal traders this week. The plan is the brainchild of SANTRA President Livingstone Mantanga, a seasoned leader and campaigner for the rights of street traders and hawkers. 21 Aug 2008
While the better growth figures for the 2Q of 2008 were expected, Business Unity South Africa (Busa) said, in a statement released this week, that it sees the overall 4,9% growth in 2Q 2008 as mainly a rebound from the serious negative impact of South Africa's power crisis in the 1Q 2008. 21 Aug 2008
The creative minds behind Belgium-based Hedgren Bags and Travel Gear have been jetting around South Africa this week for launch the brand's latest summer collection - much to the delight of local designer bag connoisseurs. 21 Aug 2008
Clothing retailer Truworths International has bucked the trend of slower retail sales by posting a 16% rise in sales to R5,65bn. 21 Aug 2008
Small business is under fire - and increasingly, it is the small business website strategy that is being relied upon to create an effective defense. 21 Aug 2008
Digital television services are experiencing strong growth in Western Europe and North America as analog switch-off looms and consumers demand additional digital services. 21 Aug 2008
USA: It's rare to see Google command anything less than a large presence in just about any given e-business study these days, and the latest annual American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) from the University of Michigan is no exception: ACSI scores for e-business rose 5.5% to 79.3 on ACSI's 100-point scale. That jump can largely be attributed to Google's own 10% climb to a score of 86. 21 Aug 2008
The US federal courts have embraced various interpretations of patent law as it applies to business methods over the years. With In re Bilski, heard 8 May, the court again took up the issue, and its ruling will have a major impact on patent law, writes Greg Reilly of Morrison & Foerster. 21 Aug 2008
Bolstered by a well-balanced and well-protected suite of compelling brands across the pricing spectrum and broader and stronger global distribution networks in developed and developing markets, Distell has once again shown its resilience to a global contraction in spending to report solid revenue and earnings growth for the year to 30 June 2008. 20 Aug 2008
Southern Africa's premier grassroots awards programme, the Jet Community Awards, has honoured four outstanding community-based organisations from Gauteng and North West in the first leg of the awards regional winner announcements. 20 Aug 2008
Adopting a customer-centric approach can be a winning business model in tough economic times. 20 Aug 2008
A 1950m2 unique Pick n Pay concept store will anchor the R280 million Morningside Shopping Centre redevelopment in Sandton, which is set to open in June 2009. 20 Aug 2008
Several incidents of iPod nanos bursting into flames have created consumer jitters in gadget-happy Japan. Apple is downplaying the problem, pointing out that no major injuries or damage have been reported. The problem is due to defective batteries, the company said, and only a tiny percentage of the devices have caught on fire. 20 Aug 2008
In my last Metrics Insider column, I wrote about the question of how advertising works. The column generated some great comments, and I got some very thoughtful responses via email. This week, I want to revisit the topic, and perhaps amplify a few points. 20 Aug 2008
Do loyal customers translate into steady sales or profits? Intuitively, the answer should be yes - and indeed, customer loyalty is a significant metric by which companies rate their performance. However, there a few problems with the concept of customer loyalty and a corporate strategy to develop it, according to Esteban Kolsky, practice leader with eVergence. 20 Aug 2008
Year-end results from several retailers this week will reflect tough trading conditions although there might be surprises on the upside, analysts say. 19 Aug 2008
How economically viable are the outlying regions of Richard's Bay and Empangeni in Zululand? The Newspaper Advertising Bureau (NAB) commissioned Freshly Ground Insights (FGI) to take a look at grocery shoppers in Zululand's eSikhawini, Ngwelezane, Nseleni and Macekane and found that they all travel to the centres to shop - most often to Sanlam Centre in Empangeni. The study also found that Spar is the number one grocery store for these shoppers. 19 Aug 2008
The Tshwane Street Furniture Consortium, comprising Primedia Outdoor and Street Pole Ads, has inked a R69-million, ten-year contract with the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality to provide new directional street name signs. 19 Aug 2008
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