There is no end in sight to the stand-off between the minerals and energy department and fuel retailers over the retail margin after the department on Friday announced a 2,6c/l increase in the margin — a move deemed inadequate by the industry. 29 Sep 2008
Apple tends to prove unstoppable even when other computer makers falter. In the most recent quarter, shipments of Macs surged 41%. That's nearly three times the 15% global growth rate for PCs in general. 29 Sep 2008
It looks like recording labels are willing to give music away for free if it means not having to deal with iTunes - the No. 1 online music vendor and the No. 2 nemesis of music execs, due to its rigid pricing. 29 Sep 2008
Call it a customer service Christmas. Consumers are expected to rein in spending this year, and the retail climate favours big-box stores that can offer bargains. But because small retailers can't win price wars, experts say independents need to leverage their biggest advantage over the chains: personal relationships with customers and the ability to deliver superior service. With some economists predicting one of the weakest Decembers since 1991, retailers that falter could face a cold winter. 29 Sep 2008
Clothing and textile manufacturer Seardel has finally clarified the extent of its expected losses for the year to June. 29 Sep 2008
The 2008 lineup of the Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild (CWG) Auction to be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on Saturday, 27 September, has excelled at blind tastings by Wine Spectator in New York as well as Steve Tanzer's authoritative International Wine Cellar, with the majority of the wines breaking the venerable 90 point barrier. 26 Sep 2008
For much of the last decade, AIG was the shining star in the insurance industry. Last week this all changed, when a liquidity crisis at the company forced the US government to intervene. 26 Sep 2008
The Exact clothing store, which was affected last month by a devastating fire in Port Elizabeth‘s central business district, on Thursday donated hundreds of clothing items to charity. 26 Sep 2008
The battle between the South African Commercial Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) and Woolworths over union recognition seems far from over. 26 Sep 2008
Make room, iTunes. MySpace is hoping to shake up the digital music scene. 26 Sep 2008
The Department of Health has called for any product of Chinese origin that may contain milk or dairy products to be detained until the department is able to run tests on certain products. 26 Sep 2008
The Global Risk Network has launched its second Global Growth@Risk report ahead of the Forum's Annual Meeting of New Champions in Tianjin, China. The report considers a number of short-term and longer-term risks to growth for both markets and corporations. 26 Sep 2008
Package design can be a key advantage in beating generic and house-brand products. 26 Sep 2008
How the colours of fashion have changed. Red was once identified as being in fashion. Members of Royalty and the Church dressed in red. To be seen in the brightest of red was to identify oneself as an aristocrat. Neanderthals buried their dead with red ochre. It was the mark of vitality, or seen as a colour of magic. Seeking the Cochineal insect to make red dye resulted in invasions of South America, murder, political intrigue and ruthless laws to protect the secrets of the dye makers who were considered as tricksters of deception. 26 Sep 2008
The South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) plans to launch a consumer boycott of retailer Woolworths later in the day as part of its efforts to be granted union recognition, it said on Thursday. 25 Sep 2008
South Africa's factory gate price known as the Producer Price Index (PPI) has increased by 19.1% year-on-year in August compared with that at August of 2007. 25 Sep 2008
Vodacom is launching three new 'speaking phones' as part of its drive to make cellular communication accessible to people with special needs, specifically customers who are blind or partially sighted. 25 Sep 2008
Every time Apple introduces another version of iTunes, it risks turning a large yet muscular media organiser and shopping centre into a bloated, unnavigable mess. iTunes 8 gets it right and adds some useful features like Grid view and a so-called Genius playlist creator. For the next version, however, Apple may need to pull another "leapfrog". 25 Sep 2008
Recent political instability in South Africa, culminating in the removal of South African President, Thabo Mbeki, and the resignation of several of his cabinet colleagues, may discourage offshore business process outsourcing (BPO) investors. However... 25 Sep 2008
Retail sales fell 4,6% in July compared with the same month last year the sharpest annual fall since records began a decade ago, fanning fears the key sector was sliding into a recession. 25 Sep 2008
