S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.6 No.01, January 7, 2020

This Newsletter is sponsored by SAFLIA

Please note: Click on any ad to go to the advertiser’s website

It's a New Year. Try, each day, to do something better.

Retail last week

A mixed bag
"Leather sandals worked well across genders, with the opening price point in leader (leather like) performing the best. Open toe sandals out-performed closed shoes with a significant drop in heeled sandals. Our contribution of leather bags was too small to quantify, but in general bags were slow for the season." - Anthony Smith, Hub merchandise executive, Decofurn (Pty) Ltd. Family outfitting chain.

"December was fair, and January so far has been fair also. You can describe it as up-and-down." - Naseem Tadia, Less Price Fashion, Nigel, Gauteng, SA. Independent, family outfitter, 2 stores.

"We saw a lot of fatigue until Black Friday, but thereafter there was some good trade with a tourist spike late in December. It wasn't quite back to business as usual, but it was an improvement over the previous month. January seems to have started quite well. We position ourselves between the local and tourist markets, so that when the one group is down, the other is up." - Chris Warncke, director, Luggage Warehouse/Waterfront Leathers, Cape Town, W Cape, SA. Independent, 3 stores, travel goods, bags and smalls.

"December was down on the previous year and a bit of a disappointment. Black Friday really affected trade, because last year it was right at the end of the month. January - last week was quiet, but today things picked up a bit." - Yusuf Tikly, member, Legends, Zeerust, NW Province, SA. Independent, 1 store, men's outfitter.

"From 2016 to 2018 our Decembers were constant, but last December we had a massive dip. I think it was Black Friday, with people overspending. It's not a problem - we'll just have to find a way around it. January has started okay." - Amish Rama, manager, L. Rama & Sons, Witbank, Mpumalanga, SA. Independent, 1 store, men's outfitter.

Billabong merged into Boardriders' Durban office

Jeffreys Bay, E Cape, SA – Nearly 2 years after the global takeover of the Billabong group by its biggest rival, Boardriders Inc., the local operations are being merged in Durban, and most Billabong staff have opted to take retrenchment packages rather than relocating.
       Billabong financial manager Digby Byleveld confirmed GM Ernest Bendeman left at the end of December, and that group retail manager David Allan would also leave. Byleveld will do some work for the global group, and has also opened a consultancy business.
       2 wholesale division staff, Andrew Hobday and Chad Darcy, will remain in a small satellite office in Jeffreys Bay.
       Boardriders SA GM Jethro Jewell heads the combined operation in Durban.

FMD: Quarantine still in place warning

Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (January 07, 2020)  – In a joint statement, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and the FMD technical task team on the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Limpopo today said that a message on social media stating that the Vhembe District of Limpopo has been cleared of foot and mouth disease was fake news.
       "Trace back and forward investigations from farms that were proved to be FMD positive are still ongoing. These identified locations remain under precautionary quarantine until diagnostic testing is completed and the status of these farms have been confirmed as negative for FMD. This phase has not been completed yet.
       "The prohibition on the gathering of cloven hoofed animals from two or more properties, for distribution to two or more properties, as published in the Government Gazette on 4 December 2019 and applicable to the whole country, is still in place. This notice does not prohibit the movement of livestock from farm to farm, or private auctions of individual farms. The gazetted notice is available on the DAFF website https://www.daff.gov.za/daffweb3/Home/Foot-and-mouth.
       "A review of the situation will only be considered, once all the involved properties are tested and the investigation of the outbreak has been completed in order to confidently exclude any further FMD virus circulation." - Reggie Ngcobo, Media Liaison Officer, 082 883 2458.

They Said It

"To a man, no-one wanted to move to Durban. After years of living in Jeffreys Bay, it's difficult to leave." - Billabong's Digby Byleveld on the mass exodus of its staff. So much for Durban's surfing image.

The 2020 S&V Directory - Order now

The 2020 edition of the S&V Directory is in production and will be available in January. The online version is available immediately at R450 for 12 months' access.

2020 Trade Fairs Another essential service from S&V

Please note that we have updated most 2020 trade fairs and conferences on our website, linked to their websites: http://www.svmag.co.za/events

Exchange rates

Source: http://www.x-rates.com/calculator/

ABSA Agri Trends: Hides & skins prices

Hides: We have not received any prices so far for 2020. Note: For previous prices, see HERE
 

06/01/1942: Hennie du Plessis, Strassberger Shoes, Clanwilliam.
06/01/1947: Allan Harris, Woodheads, Cape Town.
06/01/1968: Gavin Kisten Pillay, Topline Manufacturers, Durban.
06/01/1970: Neville Walters, ACA Thread, Cape Town.
06/01/1976: Michael Gounden, Michelle Footwear, Durban.
07/01/1941: Dieter Zettler, retired, formerly PMC group, Pinetown.
07/01/1977: Hannelie Scholtz, Fabulous Fashions, Vryburg.
07/01/1970: Ingo Fleischer, Johnson Controls SA, Uitenhage.
08/01/1972: Imtiaz Butler, agent, Durban.
09/01/1962: Ming-Ter Tso, Mingfay International Trade, Johannesburg.
10/01/1947: Pieter de Villiers, Shoes & Do’s, Pretoria.
10/01/1955: HR Hassim, Suliman Jooma & Son, Pretoria.
10/01/1960: Viroo Harry, Mr Man, Grahamstown.
10/01/1982: Arnold Britten, Zambezi Tanners, Bulawayo.
11/01/1954: Dilip Merchant, Merchant’s Outfitters, Port Elizabeth.
11/01/1958: Michael Prinsloo, Shoelettes, Cape Town.
12/01/1936: Reg Hattingh, agent, Johannesburg.
12/01/1946: Walter Kassier, Eston Leather, Eston.
12/01/1954: Dave Nagle, agent, Port Elizabeth.
12/01/1957: Melanie Thompson, Little Slipper Co., Port Elizabeth.
12/01/1969: Lenny Moodley, Michelle Footwear, Durban.

In Memoriam this week

06/01/2000: Alan Palmer (b. 02/09/1946), Medicus, Port Elizabeth.
06/01/2010: Minty Kock (b. 15/06/1950), Meroda Footwear [closed], Cape Town.
07/01/2010: Danie Du Toit (b. 22/02/1948), Carca Footwear, Lesotho.
07/01/2015: Rob Thompson (b. 06/08/1948), agent, Johannesburg.

Have you let us know about your birthday, or the birthdays of your colleagues? Our readers love this section, so please become part of it. This also applies to the In Memoriam section. Help us remember former colleagues.

Have a look at these links

We invite businesses to send us links to websites, Facebook pages and the like which they feel would be of interest to others. The links below are from our database:
Brown Sugar, Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, SA. Women's boutique.
Brumby Shoe Components, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA. Suppler to repairers and crafters.

Contact us

News & Classifieds: Tony Dickson, +27 (0)31 209 7505, tony@svmag.co.za

Next newsletter: January 13, 2020.

SAFLIA enquiries: Tel 0800SAFLIA * Email info@saflia.co.za * Website http://www.saflia.co.za

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