MARKETING NEWS

National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA) director general Charles Mpundu says Levy Park Shopping Mall has contributed to national development through job creation during the construction and post-construction phases. read more

Zambian Breweries has reportedly abandoned its two major expansion projects worth over 130 million US dollars following government’s decision to introduce 60 percent excise duty on clear beer. read more

2013 is set to be the PC market’s worst year on record, finds new data from the IDC, with PC shipments expected to fall by 10.1%. read more

Engen Sea Point Convenience Centre, located along the Atlantic Seaboard in Cape Town, became the 50th Quickshop convenience centre with a Woolworths Foodstop when it opened its doors to the public recently after a significant revamp. read more

This week, Makro SA scooped a prestigious eta award for its energy efficient new generation stores at Eskom’s 24th eta Awards ceremony.  read more

Johannesburg - The price of Rooibos tea will rise by 15% from January next year because of supply constraints and growing demand, producer Rooibos Limited said on Tuesday. read more

Copenhagen/Shanghai - Danish brewer Carlsberg upped its stake in China's Chongqing Brewery to 60 percent, strengthening its foothold in the world's largest beer market by volume, and hopes to further increase its holding, the latter said. read more

Cape town - Following on China’s recent significant investments in the French wine industry, especially in Bordeaux, they have also made their first investment in the South African wine industry. read more

On Thursday, 28 November, the biggest Woolworths food market to date opened at Waterstone Village, Somerset West in the Western Cape. With a truly comprehensive range of Woolworths own products including some exciting innovative ideas and more product categories, as well as more of South Africa’s favourite brands  read more

DionWired has embraced the multichannel retail concept with the launch of its brand new website, which was developed to give consumers a highly positive, symmetrical shopping experience between the web and the brick-and-mortar stores. read more

Massmart’s anticipated new format Builders Superstore opened on 29 November 2013 in Gauteng. A total of 58 job opportunities were created with the opening of the two new stores in Tembisa and Evaton. The new format will service customers with homes situated in dense residential, township, rural and developing areas, and will be conveniently located near commuter nodes  read more

Local brewing giant Namibia Breweries is set to take over the equipment and brands of the financially troubled micro brewer, Camelthorn Brewing. read more

Fears have emerged that the Treasury may not be able to meet its excise tax targets following a decision to impose a 50 per cent duty on low cost beer Senator Keg. read more

Indigenous liquor production giant, Kasapreko Company Limited, has been awarded for promoting festivals in Ghana. The company was adjudged the award at this year's National Tourism Awards held at the State Banquet Hall in Accra. read more

Ninety percent of office and restaurant space at The Grove Mall of Namibia, which is currently under construction in Kleine Kuppe in Windhoek, has already been taken. read more

Ottawa - BlackBerry's new chief executive cast off persistent talk of the smartphone maker's demise, vowing on Monday that the company would pick itself back up and was "here to stay". read more

Cape Town - Cie. Financiere Richemont SA, the owner of the Cartier brand, fell the most in more than two months after chairman Johann Rupert said he’s very concerned that the global economy is in a precarious position. read more

Harare - John Moxon, the chairman of Zimbabwe’s Meikles Africa, which runs TM Supermarkets jointly with South African grocer Pick n Pay, is bullish about future prospects in the country’s retail industry, saying the company has adopted a robust expansion plan to capitalise on the expected shift for the better in consumer spending patterns.  read more

Chicago -- A majority (88%) of retailers are using social media as part of their 2013 holiday marketing blitz. But they still remain divided about mobile marketing, with only 38% using it this year, down from 50% in 2012. read more

Chicago -- Shoppers visited more stores and spent more money across the days of Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday (Nov. 28 and 29) than they did last year, according to ShopperTrak. read more

Moscow - Russia plans to raise minimum vodka prices next year as it seeks to reduce consumption of alcohol, despite risks that drinkers will resort instead to cheaper illegal liquor. read more

Johannesburg - A Chilean group's $1.2bn (R12.6bn) bid for drugmaker Adcock Ingram [JSE:AIP] was challenged on two fronts on Monday, as a group led by Bidvest [JSE:BVT] sought nearly a third of Adcock's shares and launched a court action against the bid. read more

Hundreds of shoppers flocked to the Keetmanshoop Old Mutual Retail Centre last month after Crazy Stores became the first outlet to open its doors to the public with Fashion Express and Exact following suit.  read more

After an improved performance at the half year, Pick n Pay is demonstrating its commitment to pursuing positive growth through focused, streamlined operations and an expanding store footprint, with plans to open over 60 new stores in the six months to end February 2014. read more

Woolworths opened its 50th Foodstop at Engen in Sea Point, Cape Town, yesterday, in line with its strategy to bring Woolworths quality and convenience to more customers.  read more

Shoprite Checkers will celebrate the opening of its 1000th supermarket in Africa when a new generation Checkers store opens its doors for trading in the Western Cape on Thursday, 28 November 2013. Checkers Zevenwacht is located in the Shoprite Group’s newly developed shopping centre, Langverwacht Plein, in Kuils River.  read more

Undertaking an extensive expansion programme while minimising the impact on an estimated 24 million visitors per annum is no small feat. In a R140 million upgrade to its Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre, the V&A Waterfront has managed to not only improve its retail trade performance over the nine month construction period, but also increase the number of visitors to the Centre over the same period. read more

Johannesburg - Adcock Ingram Holdings Ltd., the South African drugmaker subject to a $1.2 billion takeover bid from Chile’s CFR Pharmaceuticals SA, suspended its dividend after full-year profit and margins fell as import costs rose. read more

Johannesburg - Retailer Foschini Group [JSE:TFGP] said on Thursday it planned to more than double its African presence in the next five years, a day after a rival pulled the plug on the key Nigerian market. read more

South Africans made up 22 of the 100 most influential Africans, according to a new list published by the New African on Wednesday. read more

Cape Town - The extreme drought, that forced livestock farmers in many parts of the country to slaughter "up to a third" of their livestock, will lead to a serious shortage of red meat. read more

According to Woolworths chief executive Ian Moir, the company always listens to what its shareholders say about executive remuneration, “especially those who have issues” with the subject. read more

Hewlett-Packard Co beat revenue forecasts as sales growth in its enterprise group inspired cautious optimism about the company’s turnaround plan, and its shares rallied more than 7 percent.  read more

Green Bay, Wis. -- Shopko on Monday named Peter McMahon, most recently COO of Loblaws, as its new CEO, effective immediately. Loblaws is Canada’s largest food retailer with over $30 billion in sales.  read more

Government has with immediate effect banned the trading and marketing of pigs and its products to help in the fight against African swine fever. read more

Seoul - South Korean markets took in stride a US federal jury's order for Samsung to pay $290 million in damages to Apple, with Samsung shares going up 0.69 percent on Friday. read more

Johannesburg - Shares of South Africa's RCL Foods fell 1.6 percent on Friday, a day after the company said it would issue $394 million in stock to acquire two sugar businesses from its top shareholder Remgro Ltd. read more

Johannesburg - Ascendis Health debuted on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on Friday, after raising more than R450m in a share sale to fund acquisitions. read more

Minneapolis -- Target Corp.'s third-quarter net income fell 47%, hurt by costs related to its Canadian expansion. Its adjusted profit beat analysts' estimates, but sales fell short. The retailer lowered its full-year adjusted earnings forecast. read more

Value fashion retailer, Mr Price has taken its homeware division, Mr Price Home online. Mr Price Apparel launched its online sales platform in South Africa in July 2012 and internationally in July 2013. read more

The Liberty Group announced today significant plans to further entrench its Liberty Midlands Mall investment as the lifestyle centre of choice for tenants and shoppers in the Pietermaritzburg area. read more

Kenya's top three retail chains, Nakumatt, Tuskys and Uchumi are set to open new stores in strategic locations across the country in time for the December festive season's shopping boom. read more

Ghana’s first cassava based beer, Ruut Extra premium beer, has been adjudged the 2012 Emerging Brand of the year by the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) at its 24th National Awards held Friday September 13, 2013. read more

Washington - Walmart reported on Thursday a 2.8% year-on-year rise in third-quarter net profit, but warned that sales during the crucial holiday shopping season are expected to be "relatively flat." read more

New York -- Macy’s Herald Square store has taken the wraps off a dramatic makeover of its beauty and fragrances department. Re-fashioned within a brand-new 24,000-sq.-ft. space, the new department includes brand new counters, shops and bars for brows, blow-outs and nails. read more

Johannesburg - South African shares put in a second straight day of gains on Friday with drugs maker Adcock in focus after Chile's CFR Pharmaceuticals formally bid $1.2bn to acquire it.  read more

Motorola is betting that low-cost smartphones can provide the spark to rekindle its struggling business, even as the company’s ownership by Google Inc will force it to sit out of China, the world’s largest smartphone market. read more

Retailer, Choppies Enterprises Limited is said to have gone into agreement with an unnamed Zimbabwean company to acquire 49 percent of its total share holding. The unnamed company is believed to be in the business of running supermarkets and it is understood to be running ten retail stores in Zimbabwe. read more

Uchumi Supermarket has received approvals to trade its shares on the Uganda Securities Exchange. read more

Game Gateway will launch its ‘Fresh for Less’ range on 13 November in time for Christmas. This will be the first store in KZN to get a taste of Game’s fresh food offering that has converted numerous shoppers in the Western Cape and Gauteng since its first appearance in the Western Cape in November 2010. read more

Johannesburg - Retailer Mr Price on Tuesday posted interim earnings growth of 22% because of sales growth and said it plans to open over 40 stores in the second half of the year. read more

New York -- Procrastinating is out this year when it comes to holiday shopping, with most consumers (62%) planning to finish their gift buying on or before Dec. 16, according to a survey by the International Council of Shopping Centers. read more

BlackBerry Ltd’s board does not believe a break-up of the Canadian smartphone maker is currently in its best interests, even though Microsoft Corp, Apple Inc and Lenovo Group Ltd, among others, have expressed interest in acquiring parts of the company, according to people familiar with the discussions. read more

Kenya Breweries has unveiled East Africa’s first whisky festival to grow the drink’s sales. The drive, which is a campaign driven themed ‘Love Whisky Festival’ will take place during this month in different venues around Nairobi. read more

Johannesburg - Truworths International Ltd., South Africa’s largest listed clothing retailer, fell the most in more than four years as inflation curbed consumer spending and slowed its sales growth. read more

Johannesburg - Cie. Financiere Richemont SA, the maker of Cartier jewellery and IWC watches, said a “subdued” environment increases the need for caution and countered speculation it will sell any of its 20 brands.  read more

Clothing retailer, Woolworths Kenya has signed an agreement with consumer finance firm afb allowing its customers to buy goods on credit to be repaid in six months.  read more

In just under three weeks, Pick n Pay will open its new store at the V&A Waterfront, bringing an unprecedented retail offering to the central Cape Town area. Located in a prime and highly accessible position on the lower level of the Victoria Wharf, the store will start trading at 10am on Thursday 28 November 2013. read more

Atterbury Property Developments’ Waterfall Business Estate is poised to become one of the strongest and most successful nodes within the Gauteng market and in South Africa.  read more

Retail group TFG (The Foschini Group) has increased total retail sales by 9% to R6.7-billion with sales in the rest of Africa growing 25% in the six months to the end of September 2013. Cash sales in this period grew by 12.7%.  read more

Named for its unique location, the newly developed Cradlestone Mall in the heart of Mogale City in Johannesburg’s West Rand - near the world heritage site of the Cradle of Humankind - officially opens its doors on 20 November 2013. read more

Kgalagadi Breweries Limited (KBL) has launched a bottle moulding plant that will produce containers that are shatterproof and easy to store, carry, clean up and reseal.  read more

The Association of Meat Importers and Exporters of Namibia, which represents the interest of dairy and meat importers and exporters, has said that the recent decision by government to limit the amount of milk imported into the country will limit consumer choices.  read more

South African consumers are the second most satisfied in the world, according to the South African Consumer Satisfaction Index (Sacsi), with MTN and Apple appealing most in the ICT space.  read more

Edcon, South Africa’s largest non-food retailer, and Kobo, a global leader in eReading, today announced that Kobo eReaders are now available at 91 CNA stores, one of the largest book and stationary retailers in the country.  read more

New York -- The first Walmart to be entirely lit with LEDs has opened, in South Euclid, Ohio, just outside of Cleveland. The store will serve as a model for environmentally friendly design for future locations, with 100% LED lighting, electric vehicle charging stations in the parking lot and more.  read more

Cape Town - The South African wine industry can look forward to a good, but smaller 2014 wine grape harvest than the record harvest obtained this year.  read more

Johannesburg -Shoprite [JSE:SHP] reported a 10% rise in July-September sales on Monday, helped by a strong showing at its sub-Saharan stores outside its struggling home market. read more

Sugar importers have asked for two weeks to discuss the new regulations that are to be introduced by the Kenya Sugar Board to regulate the market.  read more

The super-regional 76 000sqm Cradlestone Mall is set to open its doors in Mogale City on 20 November 2013, with more than 200 stores offering unparalleled choice to shoppers, both local and from further afield. read more

Construction of commercial space is turning out a lucrative venture for landlords in Nakuru as letting prices appreciate. Prices have doubled from Sh20-30 per square foot a month three years ago to Sh60-70 per square foot, a spot check by the Star reveals. read more

Indigenous liquor giant, Kasapreko Company Limited (KCL) placed sixth in the 2013 Ghana Club 100 ranking. read more

Minneapolis – Target Corp. is making a big online push for the holidays, including expanding its in-store pick-up program for products ordered online to all of its U.S. stores by Nov. 1 (the service is now available in about half of the chain’s locations). And for the first time, Target will promote the concept of Cyber Week, with an ad campaign Dec. 1 through Dec. 3 that focuses on Cyber Week deals including Cyber Monday. read more

Bentonville, Ark. – Wal-Mart Stores plans to open as many as 110 stores in China between 2014 and 2016, as well as several new Sam’s Club locations there. The new stores will employ as many as 19,000 people. read more

Mr Price Group Ltd. advanced to a record high after the South African clothing and furniture retailer said earnings climbed 18 to 22 percent even as household budgets tightened. read more

Microsoft Corp cruised past Wall Street’s quarterly profit and revenue forecasts on Thursday, helped by strong sales of its Office and server software to businesses, sending its shares up more than 5 percent after hours.  read more

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd’s quarterly operating profit surged 26 percent to a new record, matching estimates and powered by a strong recovery in its memory chip business as smartphone sales growth eases sharply. read more

Massmart will open the doors to three George pop up stores today, to give South African consumers a taste of the famous British brand of clothing. read more

HTC Corp’s chief executive has handed some duties to the company’s chairwoman as the smartphone maker struggles to claw back market share from Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, the Financial Times reported. read more

The construction of a shopping mall to be the property of the University of Zambia (UNZA) Great East Road campus will cost K248 million. read more

Bentonville, Ark. – The Indian central bank is reportedly reviewing findings of an investigation into whether Wal-Mart Stores broke that country’s investment rules in 2010.  read more

Goodlettsville, Tenn. – Dollar General is opening its first fuel station, as part of a test pilot project. The new fuel pumps are located at the Dollar General Market in Hanceville, Ala. read more

BOS Ice Tea has recently celebrated its third birthday in South Africa, and has taken the first steps into European markets, launching in Belgium and Holland earlier this month. read more

Samsung Electronics has offered to stop taking rivals such as Apple to court in Europe over patent disputes in order to end an antitrust investigation, European Union regulators said on Thursday. read more

Nakumatt is targeting new sales within the hospitality industry by offering select label products like furnishings, decorative accessories, bath towels, bed and table linen. according to the supermarket chain's business development manager Neel Shah. read more

Bentonville, Ark. - Wal-Mart Stores detailed a number of moves, including opening smaller stores in the United States, cutting back on overseas growth and increasing its investments in technology and e-commerce, on the occasion of the company’s 20th annual investor meeting. read more

IBM reported a 4 percent drop in third-quarter revenue, worse than expected by Wall Street, amid a decline in hardware and emerging markets even as it beat earnings estimates. read more

Port Washington, N.Y. -- The majority of consumers intend to spend the same as or more than last year, with fewer saying they plan to spend less, according to The NPD Group’s Holiday Spending Survey, the twelfth annual survey of consumers’ holiday spending intentions. read more

East Africa Glassware Mart plans to double its revenue to $34 million (Sh2.9 billion) by opening in 10 new markets within Africa over the next three years. read more

Kgalagadi Breweries Limited (KBL) has taken in the quest to provide information on alcohol and responsible consumption is through their site, www.talkingalcohol.com read more

Despite a year on year decline of 7.6%, the worldwide PC market didn’t do as badly as it was expected to do in Q3 2013. read more

Fountainhead Property Trust last week declared a distribution for the 11 months to 31 August 2013 in line with market guidance and 2% down on its distribution for the comparable 11 months in 2012. The Trust changed its financial year-end from 30 September to 31 August. read more

Johannesburg - Africa’s CEOs are optimistic about the prospects for growth over the next 12 months, according to the PWC Africa Business Agenda 2013. read more

Hewlett Packard Co Chief Executive Meg Whitman expects revenue to stabilize in 2014 with “pockets of growth” before the business accelerates again in 2015, sending the stock up as much as 9.5 percent on Wednesday. read more

Foschini, JSE’s worst-performing clothing retailer this year, said it plans to open 21 new stores on the rest of the continent as consumers in South Africa continue to struggle in debt.  read more

The World’s largest privately held spirits company, Bacardi Limited is set to open its first African sales outlet in Nairobi, Kenya on Tuesday following the growing demand for luxurious goods such as alcoholic beverages by consumers. read more

East African Breweries Limited (EABL) in August said it posted “good results” in the year to June despite tough operating conditions in markets such as Uganda and Tanzania.  read more

Mall of the North is bringing shoppers more of what they want and improving its shopping experience.  read more

Seattle -- The global retail real estate market rebounded in the first half of the year, with international and luxury brands expanding to new markets and high street properties growing in popularity, according to a new report from Colliers International.  read more

Jozini Mall, the new 18,220 square metre community shopping centre in North-Eastern KwaZulu-Natal, is now fully let and will open on Thursday, 24th October 2013. read more