S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.7 No.01, Jan 4, 2021

This Newsletter is sponsored by SAFLIA

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S&V Weekly Newsletter will appear every Monday during the Festive Season. Readers are welcome to submit news during this period. We wish all readers a happy, prosperous and healthy New Year. Welcome to 2021. May it be a much, much better year for all of us.

Business

Botswana

JB Sports: Starting 2021 with confidence

Gaborone – December turnover was up on 2019, "in line with our budgets", said merchandise manager Tinu Jacob of the technical and lifestyle sports chain, which has 32 stores in Botswana and 6 in Namibia.
      "The year overall was down, because we lost 2 months," he said.
      JB extended its trading hours for the last week of December to encourage shoppers.
      There was rain over the first weekend of January, "and in Botswana, when it rains, people don't shop". In addition, there is now a 7 pm curfew until the end of January.
      But he said JB was confident of growth this year. "Schools are going back, and our backpack sales always do well."

Kopano Stores: Long promotion period paid off

By Zaf Khan, director. Men's outfitter, 1 store and wholesale.
Gaborone – Retail sales this December for us went up by 30% compared to last year primarily because we ran a promotion starting from Black Friday in November running through to the 31st December – whilst we took a cut in gross margins we benefitted from a healthier cash flow and better liquidity for the business.
      The surprising thing about this year’s promotion that left me puzzled was that the high- to medium-end shoes (like your Barker and Crockett & Jones) sold faster and better that than the rest (like Jordan and Watson).
      As for January retail  sales I am not expecting any fireworks!!
      On the wholesale/distribution side I look forward a positive incline in sales.

South Africa

Mr Tekkie: December up, January may be tough

George, W. Cape– Sales were "up on 2019 and better than target", footwear buyer Ruaan Ferreira said, but like-on-like store sales growth was more muted.
      "We didn't offer specials as aggressively as last year. In a situation where every retailer is trying to hold on to market share, good service and good variety influence consumers."
      He said the first weekend of January had started "a little bit slow", and he anticipated "an interesting month".
      "Particularly in coastal areas, where holidaymakers came for a beach holiday which they were not able to have, I think they spent more than they would otherwise have done on entertainment, which I think will impact on sales in January."

Changes

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA  – Cobus Loubser, former CEO of MoreSport, left the company and the industry as the end of October 2020. He was succeeded by Bradley Moritz, former CE of MoreSport's Sportsman's Warehouse division. Anthony Shaw, former operations executive of Sportsman's Warehouse, became CE, and his position was filled by Faeez Mahri, former regional manager.

Death Notices

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA  – Neville Dodo, who was part of the family that created the Edworks empire, and who worked with Dodo's Shoes during the last part of his career, died after a long illness on December 29, aged 80.

Paris, France  – French fashion designer Pierre Cardin, best known in SA through various licensees, including Intershu for footwear and luggage, died on December 29 aged 98.

They Said It

"There’s not much anyone can do except batten down the hatches and ride out the storm whilst hoping for better days to come. I’m sure this is an oft repeated litany these days but one lives in hope." - Rafiq Hajat, Footwear Centre, Malawi.

"Sometimes it's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission." - Jirka Vymetal, SAFLIA director, on having to take urgent decisions unilaterally.

"I am a January baby. My birthday is on the 23rd, usually after the festivities and expense of Christmas and New Year, and before January paydays, so it was always a low-key celebration growing up.  Nevertheless, I am happy to be another year older and grateful for my health, which has been excellent.  I continue to thank God for that; with age and a pandemic, good health is not something we can take for granted." - Lesley Williams, Lesley Williams Agencies, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. 

"And NO, we are not enjoying the snow!" - Lionel Astill, formerly of Italian Leathers, Pinetown, SA, now living in Wales, UK. 

Got anything you'd like to share?

Do you have any suggestions, comments or experiences about the lockdown that you'd like to share with the industry? We will publish the throughout the lockdown, so please let us know. - tony@svmag.co.za

ABSA Agri Trends: Hides & skins prices

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA (December 21, 2020) - The current average hide price increased by 0.8% to R3.68/kg from R3.65/kg green a week ago. The current price is 54.2% higher than the average price a month ago and is 167.3% higher than the average price a year ago. Industry players are receiving prices between R4.00/kg and R5.00/kg depending on the quality of the hide. There is general strength in the market. It should be noted that the base was so low that the recovery in price is actually just getting back to a rational price as opposed to ‘high’ prices. The current demand for hides is exceeding supply, which is adding support to prices. Expectations among industry members are that prices will continue to see an improvement in the coming months until reaching a more sustainable level where prices will then likely hold. NB* Hide prices are determined by the average of the RMAA (Red Meat Abattoir Association) and independent companies. - Abrie Rautenbach, head Absa agribusiness, and Paige Bowen, agricultural economist, Absa group.

04/01/1945: Mike Lambrakis, retired, formerly various shoe factories in Pinetown, KZN, now in Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
04/01/1956: Allison Gans, GW Cowie & Co., Pinetown, KZN, SA.
05/01/1950: Roger Durrbaum, retired, formerly Barker Footwear (now part of Bolton Footwear), Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
05/01/1952: Charles Poole, Design Unique Belts, East London, E. Cape, SA.
05/01/1957: Herman Alheit, Dick Whittington Shoes, Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA.
05/01/1983: Andreas Lambrakis, Europa Art Group, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
05/01/1963; Hugo Zuanni, Leather Link, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
05/01/1977: Peter Lin, C.Y. Lin, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
06/01/1942: Hennie du Plessis, Strassberger Shoes, Clanwilliam, W. Cape, SA.
06/01/1947: Allan Harris, Woodheads, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
06/01/1968: Gavin Kisten Pillay, Topline Manufacturers, Durban, KZN, SA.
06/01/1970: Neville Walters, ACA Thread, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
06/01/1976: Michael Gounden, Michelle Footwear, Durban, KZN, SA.
07/01/1941: Dieter Zettler, retired, formerly PMC group, Pinetown, KZN, SA.
07/01/1977: Hannelie Scholtz, Fabulous Fashions, Vryburg, N.W. Province, SA.
07/01/1970: Ingo Fleischer, Johnson Controls SA, Uitenhage, E. Cape, SA.
08/01/1972: Imtiaz Butler, agent, Durban, KZN, SA.
09/01/1962: Ming-Ter Tso, Mingfay International Trade, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
10/01/1947: Pieter de Villiers, Shoes & Do’s, Pretoria, Gauteng, SA.
10/01/1955: HR Hassim, Suliman Jooma & Son, Pretoria, Gauteng, SA.
10/01/1960: Viroo Harry, Mr Man, Grahamstown, E. Cape, SA.
10/01/1982: Arnold Britten, Zambezi Tanners, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

In Memoriam this week

04/01/2004: Rob Gowie (b. 01/07/1938), GW Reynolds/Rob Gowie Components/ Fashion Components/ Plasticone [all closed], Pinetown, KZN, SA.
05/01/1996: Henry Ogus (b. 09/02/1944), Bata SA, Shoes for Africa, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
06/01/2000: Alan Palmer (b. 02/09/1946), Medicus, Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
06/01/2010: Minty Kock (b. 15/06/1950), Meroda Footwear [closed], Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
07/01/2010: Danie Du Toit (b. 22/02/1948), Carca Footwear [closed], Lesotho.
07/01/2015: Rob Thompson (b. 06/08/1948), agent, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.

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:
CWL Clothing Trims, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA. Component supplier.
Cycle & Sports Centre, George W. Cape, SA. Sports retailer.

Contact us

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

Next newsletter: Jan 11, 2021.

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

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