Tag Archives: Retail

Carefully balancing technology and people can elevate retailers and benefit SA. The Human Face of Retail

In this piece, Ludi discusses the balance between technology and human interaction in the retail industry. The article explores how technology and people can work together to create a positive retail experience for customers.

Retail is in the midst of the biggest technology paradigm shift yet: Insights from NRF 2024 New York

The piece focuses on the key takeaways from NRF 24: Retail’s Big Show, which took place earlier this month in New York, USA. In the article, Peter examines the main themes covered at the event and how they could impact the South African retail sector. Some of the key points he covers include:
Expected improvements in the South African retail environment
The increasing importance of AI and automation for retailers
The need for South African retailers to adopt omnichannel strategies
The role of technology in reducing the risk of product returns

Expert Predicts Sustainable Retail Trends for 2024 and Beyond

Figures from Deloitte show how important sustainability is to modern shoppers and consumers, with 58% valuing durability, 39% focusing on repairability, and another 37% considering how biodiverse the purchase will be. Vikki Makinson, head of marketing and communications at Oceans, the leading supplier of sustainable toilet paper, has provided expert insight into the future trends of sustainable retail for 2024 – from eco-conscious consumerism to circular economy initiatives.

Leveraging unified commerce solutions for customer-centric retail success

In the dynamic world of retail, understanding the evolving nature of the consumer journey is paramount. With increasing technological advancements and rising customer expectations, retailers need to be agile and responsive, ensuring their customers can seamlessly navigate an unlimited array of shopping experiences. To cater to this demand, unified commerce platforms are stepping up, offering […]

Retailers Can Drive Commerce Experiences Via Mobile Messaging, New Clickatell Research Shows

Clickatell (www.Clickatell.com), the Chat Commerce and business messaging leader, announced the results of its latest Chat Commerce Trends Report: Retail Edition, which reveals new findings about how today’s consumers prefer to communicate and make purchases with retail companies through mobile and chat messaging conversations. The report, which fielded responses from over 1,000 participants, found that 95% of […]

Zebra Mobile Computer to Support Digitalisation of Operations in Africa

Zebra Technologies Corporation has introduced the TC15 mobile computer in Africa to help businesses in logistics, retail and field industries with a durable connectivity solution. The launch of the TC15 addresses the increasing need for a rugged, durable mobile computer for delivery drivers, transport and logistics staff, retail workers and small and medium-size enterprise (SME) […]

Africa is leapfrogging into the future of retail

The bi-annual Global Retail Development Index (GRDI), which is a study of the global retailing landscape has revealed Africa is poised to move away from traditional retail models and become the fastest-growing, richest, and most sophisticated market in the world. Prashaen Reddy, a partner at management consulting firm Kearney says that this is thanks to the […]

Africa: tax implications of digital transformation in the consumer goods and retail sector

By Jana Botha, Tax Consultant, and Prenisha Govender, Associate, Tax Practice, Baker McKenzie Johannesburg The pandemic-fuelled growth of the digital economy and unabated demand for online retail products across Africa have led to extensive disruption in the Consumer Goods and Retail Sector (CG&R) sector. Due to a growth in demand for online retail, CG&R companies […]

Zebra Technologies introduces its first Wi-Fi 6-Enabled Mobile Computer

Zebra Technologies Corporation, an innovator at the front line of business with solutions and partners that deliver a performance edge, announced the new TC52ax mobile computer with support for Wi-Fi 6. The TC52ax also features Workstation Connect, a new software solution which enables users to turn Zebra mobile devices into mobile-driven workstations. The solution can […]

Future proofing banking through the power of data, APIs and automation

The global pandemic has ushered in a new paradigm for the Retail Banking sector, one which demands quicker transformation to a customer-centric service that is digitised, personal and convenient. A recent Financial Industries panel discussion held by Kearney, a global consultancy, shed light on how the power of data, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and automation […]

Afrikrea Launches ANKA to Power Global African E-Commerce

Ivorian company partners with DHL and Visa and builds SaaS Platform for omnichannel global selling for African micro retailers Afrikrea, the e-commerce platform for “all things made of Africa”, is launching ANKA – an all-in one SaaS solution to provide a seamless ecommerce, payments and global shipping online service for thousands of micro retailers and […]

5 Principles for Retail Center Repositioning

As we look ahead to a post-pandemic future, there’s one market segment that’s currently ripe for redevelopment and transformation: the traditional retail mall. With the massive transformation of real estate spurred by the pandemic, retail centers will emerge as one of the most valuable asset classes in a post-pandemic landscape, as building owners, investors, and […]

SA shoppers are online. Retailers need to meet them with an exceptional experience

Consumers are embracing the e-commerce experience in growing numbers and corporate South Africa is taking serious notice, according to Geoff Hardy, Head of Digital, Immersion Group, a global team of experience design experts. Across the globe online sales have surged, while locally online transactions on Black Friday alone grew by more than 60%, and a recent […]

Why ecommerce matters for small businesses in SA

Trevor Gosling, Co-founder and CEO of Lulalend

There has been a permanent change in the way that people shop and, in turn, the way that businesses need to operate. In the absence of brick-and-mortar stores being open during the lockdown, as well as a general fear of crowded malls when things were able to re-open, South Africa’s ecommerce sector exploded. According to […]

Zebra Technologies improves worker productivity with its first individually assigned Enterprise Mobile Computer

New Zebra EC5x series provides sleek yet durable smartphone-style design with an enriched software suite, enabling greater collaboration, individual performance and productivity Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), an innovator at the front line of business with solutions and partners that deliver a performance edge, today announced the EC5x series, a new category of individually assigned mobile computers […]

TradeDepot highlights smaller packs and increased food spending as top trends that will shape Nigeria’s retail sector in 2021

TradeDepot, the B2B eCommerce platform for consumer goods in Africa, has today released new insights from its market data that highlights the trends that will shape Nigeria’s retail sector in 2021. According to TradeDepot, the impact of the pandemic, rising inflation, border closures and other issues drove significant changes in behaviour for retailers, distributors and […]

Five Business Strategies a Retail Business Needs to Stay on Top

The current COVID-19 pandemic has led to a massive economic disruption that has affected the performance of various businesses. As a retailer, you want to maintain steady production to meet the market demand while maximizing profits and minimizing cost. With the many health regulations to meet and the prevailing economic downturn, expenditures might become higher […]

Transformation in Africa’s digital retail landscape

Undeniably, digital transformation continues to dramatically change the way we live and do business – almost daily it seems. Globally, the retail industry is one of the top industries in which we are seeing massive strides and changes when it comes to the adoption of technology, the evolving customer journey, and innovation in terms of […]

MITSUMI IT Distribution Africa concluded its GITEX 2012 debut on a high note

MITSUMI IT Distribution has concluded its GITEX debut successfully which run from October 14 – 18, 2012 at Dubai World Trade Centre.  GITEX is the ICT business gateway to the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. This year, for the very first time, MITSUMI has exhibited its world-class product portfolio from renowned global […]

Telecoms journal highlights challenges in the sector

By Thandisizwe Mgudlwa Johan van Huyssteen, PwC Communications Leader for Southern Africa reports that with billions of dollars of international investment flowing in and subscriber numbers rising across the continent, Africa’s communications market is at the inflection point where high potential starts to turn into high growth. And more reports showing that strong growth in the telecommunications […]

Ireland’s Minister for Trade and Development Leads Enterprise Ireland Trade Mission to South Africa

On Sunday 10 November 2012, Ireland’s Minister for Trade and Development, Joe Costello TD, will lead an Enterprise Ireland trade mission with 37 companies to South Africa. The trade mission is being organised by Irish trade and technology agency, Enterprise Ireland in close cooperation with Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Embassy […]