With the global economy in the throes of what could be the worst recession in decades, consumers have made dramatic cutbacks in discretionary spending. 8 Dec 2008
Besides the damper of a dragging economy, fraud also threatens to cast a pall over the holiday season. E-tailers should work together to help protect their customers - and they can do so without sacrificing their convenience. 8 Dec 2008
Fruit and vegetables imported from SA and other countries will no longer be subjected to a “beauty contest” in the European Union (EU). Member states have voted to scrap controversial marketing standards for 26 types of fruit and vegetables. 8 Dec 2008
Competition Appeals Court Judge Dennis Davis has expressed grave concern about a tendency in the legal fraternity to prolong court cases indefinitely. 5 Dec 2008
Greg Solomon has been appointed as the new MD of McDonald's South Africa. Solomon's promotion, effective 1 January 2009, is a significant milestone for the company as he will be the first South African to run the local operation since the business opened here in 1995. 5 Dec 2008
After years of strong growth, sales for the iPod appear to be plateauing and may soon decline for the first quarter since it was introduced seven years ago. Everyone who wants an iPod now has one, it seems. Perhaps the iPod's biggest benefit to Apple these days is in helping it sell Macintosh computers. 5 Dec 2008
The Department of Minerals and Energy could implement a retail petrol price cut of some 80 cents per litre (c/l) on 7 January 2009 and a wholesale diesel price cut of some 90c/l, provided the daily over-recovery remains at or above the 3 December level. 5 Dec 2008
As many as half of the small businesses now in operation have no web sites, a figure that should spur more business owners to action, especially in today's economic environment. There are many free and low-cost tools available to help build a functional Web site that helps grow your business. 5 Dec 2008
Nestlé Healthcare Nutrition celebrated the launch of their new Nutren Diabetes website by hosting a media day. Journalists were given some low GI cooking lessons that taught everyone how to “Live Well with Type 2 Diabetes”. 5 Dec 2008
Digital downloads of movies and CDs should be seen as an opportunity rather than a threat to the entertainment industry says Matthew Tagg, MD of Web Africa. 4 Dec 2008
Frisco has embarked on a national campaign to build the brand through consistent and relevant above- and below-the-line support. The campaign was split into two activations, one national and the other in the Western Cape. These campaigns incorporate the new television commercial (TVC), as well as wet and dry sampling, an extensive print campaign, mall and taxi rank activations. 4 Dec 2008
Time is precious and people no longer have the time to shop around for products that can assist them with living a nutritionally good life. Hence, healthy eating habits fall by the wayside and people resort to “quick-fix” solutions to meals like ready-made dinners and takeaways. 4 Dec 2008
Shoppers must buy locally-produced products, trade union federation Cosatu says. 4 Dec 2008
The new partnership between fuel giant and local retail titan materialised when the first Pick n Pay Express store was opened at a BP service station in Hout Bay, Western Cape, recently. 4 Dec 2008
Amarula lent its support to a team of specialists who monitor and assess the impact of elephants on the environment with a collaring exercise that took place at the end of October 2008. 4 Dec 2008
Like their counterparts at the malls, online merchants finally got some relief with the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season, spurred by a bevy of deals and free shipping offers. But the stronger-than-expected bump in online sales Monday couldn't cancel out a lackluster November. 4 Dec 2008
No matter what your needs, it pays to think design projects through before starting. 4 Dec 2008
The global economic slowdown is breeding new discerning luxury consumers, a report released by diamond giant De Beers has found. 4 Dec 2008
Steve Gordon was in the room the day Sony executives learned about Napster. He also took part in some of the decisions on how to deal with the advent of digital music. Now, he's written a book on how to succeed in the new digital age. Blake Glenn interviews him. 4 Dec 2008
Demand for low-latency infrastructure in financial markets continues despite current turmoil. 4 Dec 2008