Frustration over the relentless climb in food prices has reached fever pitch throughout the Eastern and Southern Cape, with families forced to cut back on basic foodstuffs just to be able to scrape by on their monthly budget. 20 Jul 2009
South African consumers may indirectly be financing the hefty fines imposed by the competition authorities. 20 Jul 2009
The new Consumer Protection Act (CPA) was likely to lead to an increase in consumer activism, attorney John Oxenham said in Johannesburg on Friday, 17 July 2009. 20 Jul 2009
SEOUL: South Korea's Samsung Electronics Monday, 20 July 2009, announced a US$4.29 billion plan to develop eco-friendly products and cut emissions from its manufacturing plants by 2013. 20 Jul 2009
Retail group Truworths International (TRU) anticipates that both basic and headline earnings per share for the 52 week trading period to 28 June 2009 will be between 10% and 15% higher than those reported for the 53 week period to 29 June 2008. 20 Jul 2009
President Jacob Zuma has appointed Gill Marcus to take over from Tito Mboweni as Reserve Bank Governor in November 2009. 20 Jul 2009
E-commerce could not have evolved into the potent force it is today without one crucial characteristic: measurability. Web analytics changed the game for advertisers, and advances in its development and deployment are making e-commerce stand taller, see farther, and recognize ever-more-sophisticated patterns. 20 Jul 2009
Windows 7 is done. The latest version of Microsoft's dominant desktop computer operating system will be sent to PC manufacturers in the next few weeks and to production facilities around the world where millions and millions of DVDs will be pressed and distributed to retail stores in time for the product's commercial launch on 22 October 2009. 17 Jul 2009
SAN FRANCISCO: US videogame sales in June slid for the fourth consecutive month as the previously recession-defying industry yielded ground to tough economic times, according to NPD Group. 17 Jul 2009
Geen & Richards is celebrating 100 years of providing distinctive and exclusive furniture to its customers and, to date, is still considered one of the leaders in the furniture industry. 17 Jul 2009
The application from the Clothing & Textiles Workers' Union (Sactwu) to raise customs duties by 5% on a broad range of imported clothing will fail to dent imports or stem industry job losses. In fact, it has the potential to make matters worse by increasing the incentive for customs fraud — the industry's biggest problem. 17 Jul 2009
WASHINGTON: US retail giant Wal-Mart on Thursday, 16 July 2009, announced plans to develop a database that it said would revolutionise shopping by putting information about products' sustainability at consumers' fingertips. 17 Jul 2009
The country's third-largest supermarket group, Spar Group Limited, is selling 10% of its shares to staff and franchise employees in a R1-billion deal. 17 Jul 2009
To foster a healthy long-term relationship with customers, you must do much more than provide a good product or service. You must pay attention to your customers' needs and meet them. There are always competitors ready to lure your customers away, and there are always customers who will switch given any slight, perceived or real. 17 Jul 2009
In one of the first partnerships of its kind, Port Elizabeth shopping centre, Moffett on Main, will be hosting the second bi-ennial South African Automotive Week (SAAW) international trade show and convention, from 7 - 10 October 2009. The national event is one of the biggest of its kind in the country, and has outgrown existing conference and convention facilities in Port Elizabeth, according to show director Andrew Binning of Inkanyezi Events. 16 Jul 2009
The Competition Tribunal is eager to flex its muscles over the telecommunications sector, believing it could create a more affordable and fairer market than the sector's ineffectual regulator has achieved. 16 Jul 2009
Retail stocks yesterday, 15 July 2009, shrugged off poor Statistics SA figures on sales, with investors remaining optimistic that next year will yield positive returns though the rest of this year will stay in negative territory. 16 Jul 2009
South African retail trade sales at constant (2008) prices for May decreased by 4.2% year-on-year (y/y) from a revised decrease of 6.9% ( 6.7%) in April, figures released on Wednesday, 15 July 2009, by Statistics South Africa show. 16 Jul 2009
Coffee lovers have a new way to get their daily fix, thanks to Fair Cape's new ready-to-drink coffees. Available in three flavours: Cappuccino, Hazelnut Latte and French Vanilla Latte, the new range can be enjoyed hot or cold. 16 Jul 2009
Despite being heralded as the future of personal care, so-called ‘beauty foods' are not yet the worldwide phenomenon that manufacturers had hoped they would become, according to Mark Whalley*, consumer markets analyst at Datamonitor and author of Opportunities in Heart Health: Consumer Attitudes & Behaviours**. 16 Jul 2009