Publisher of leading trade magazines for the Footwear, Leather-goods, Leather & PPE industries
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S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.7 No.15, April 12 2021

This Newsletter is sponsored by SAFLIA

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

 

Urban Angel: Rents the biggest problem

Boksburg, Gauteng, SA – Women's accessories store Urban Angel, which specialises in fashion jewellery as well as handbags and small leather goods, has seen its main markets - items for office workers, matric dances, weddings and funerals - decimated by lockdown regulations, partner David Barnett said, "and that's on top of the fact that the country was in recession before this started."
      However, he said the biggest problem was mall rentals charged by major property companies. "Their 'Covid discounts' lasted a few months, then it was back to the normal rentals," he said. "They continue with their increases, no matter how many empty shops there are."
      He said the wholesalers Urban Angel buys from were also battling.
      He said he and his wife, Gill, had been running the business since 1984, "and we'll survive".
      "But we also both teach, and I don't think we could live just off of the stores at the moment."

 

Welbourne Shoes: Men's trade hit harder by bad times

Robertson, W. Cape, SA – Family footwear retailer Welbourne Shoes was finding business "up and down", member Hamish Whyte said. "You have a couple of days when you feel business is returning to normal, then it's down again. There's no pattern."
      Formal footwear had been very hard hit, and the men's business in general was down more than women's, which currently makes up 70% of Welbourne's sales. "Over the years, I've noticed that whenever there's a downturn, men's sales suffer more," he said.
      He said another problem was the expansion of chains into smaller towns, and Robertson had been "hard hit by the closure of the wine industry for extended periods during the past year".
      "Buying has become very difficult under these conditions," he said. "I closed the second store, in Caledon, this time last year, mainly due to ill health, which has also made it more difficult to buy pre-packs."
      He said Adidas's decision to stop supplying smaller retailers had hurt. "I never carried Nike, but my Adidas business had built up well, and customers expect you to carry brands. So far, no other brand has stepped into that gap."
      What's the way forward? "Service. Doing the best we can."

 

 

Footwear consumption 'recovering'

According to World Footwear, there will be a 'slight recovery' in global footwear consumption this year. It is forecasting a 2.8% increase. Pre-pandemic levels "won't be reached before 2023", it says.

 

Crocs US 'cutting links with some retailers'

According to a report in Footwear News, Crocs is cutting back on its customer base.
      "While Crocs didn’t confirm how many retailers it was exiting, it appears the decision has heavily impacted the independent sector, which was facing deep challenges even before the pandemic." To see the full report, click here Click Here

 

 

They Said It

"It's easier to rob a bank than to get information from a chain at the moment." - An agent who wished to remain nameless.

 

Death notice

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – Marco di Lembo, member of Villani Shoes cc, died on April 06, aged 49. An obituary will follow in the April edition of S&V Footwear & Leather Goods.

 

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

 

12/04/1922: Harry Hoyte, retired, formerly Hoyte Shoes/agent, Durban, KZN, SA.
13/04/1970: Jason Wilkins, agent/retailer, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
13/04/1976: Gareth Kemp, Apollo Brands, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
14/04/1946: Pierre Lailvaux, formerly Service Agencies [closed], Durban, KZN, SA.
14/04/1955: Bharatlal Ranchod, Ramjee's Shoe Store, Klerksdorp, NW Province, SA.
15/04/1971: Jacques Ergas, Red Planet Shoes, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
16/04/1952: Russell Lochner, agent, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
16/04/1954: Lynn Sukool, Devan's Footwear Agency, Durban, KZN, SA.
17/04/1948: Graham Althorpe, agent, East London, E. Cape, SA.
17/04/1948: William James Mail, Norton Wellworth Agencies, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
17/04/1957: Colin Battle, agent, Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
18/04/1976: Neelan Parumaul, Melton Adhesives, New Germany, KZN, SA.

 

In Memoriam this week

13/04/2014: Theuns JK Viljoen (b. 25/12/1942), Divac, George, W. Cape, SA.
14/04/2015: Neville Horwitz (b. 25/11/1932), agent, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
16/04/2016: Barrie Walsh (b. 19/03/1949), Eddels Shoes, Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA.
18/04/2020: Val Barnes (b. 13/02/1943), retired to the UK, formerly Edcon, Durban, KZN, 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.

 

Exchange rates

1. SA Rand (ZAR)/Lesotho Loti (LSL)/Namibian Dollar (NAD)/Swazi Lilangeni (SZL)

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

 
  Euro € GBP £ US $ CNY ¥
2020/12/05 R18.42 R20.42 R15.20 R2.32
2020/12/12 R18.34 R20.03 R15.14 R2.31
2020/12/19 R17.81 R19.65 R14.53 R2.22
2020/12/26 R17.80 R19.68 R14.59 R2.23
2021/01/02 R17.95 R20.08 R14.68 R2.24
2021/01/09 R18.69 R20.74 R15.29 R2.36
2021/01/16 R18.39 R20.68 R15.22 R2.34
2021/01/23 R18.42 R20.71 R15.14 R2.33
2021/01/30 R18.40 R20.78 R15.16 R2.35
2021/02/06 R17.88 R20.38 R14.84 R2.29
2021/02/13 R17.63 R20.14 R14.55 R2.25
2021/02/20 R17.79 R20.57 R14.68 R2.26
2021/02/27 R18.25 R21.05 R15.12 R2.33
2021/03/06 R18.30 R21.26 R15.36 R2.36
2021/03/13 R17.87 R20.81 R14.94 R2.29
2021/03/20 R17.52 R20.38 R14.69 R2.25
2021/03/29 R17.67 R20.74 R15.01 R2.28
2021/04/05 R17.16 R20.19 R14.52 R2.21
2021/04/10 R17.38 R20.01 R14.60 R2.22

Note: For previous rates, see HERE

 


2. Botswana Pula (BWP)

Source: https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/

 
  Euro € GBP £ US $ CNY ¥
2020/12/05 13.36 14.81 11.02 1.68
2020/12/12 13.27 14.50 10.96 1.67
2020/12/19 13.21 14.58 10.78 1.65
2020/12/26 13.19 14.58 10.81 1.65
2021/01/02 13.17 14.75 10.79 1.65
2021/01/09 13.19 14.63 10.79 1.66
2021/01/16 13.29 14.93 10.99 1.69
2021/01/23 13.33 14.99 10.95 1.69
2021/01/30 13.37 15.10 11.02 1.71
2021/02/06 13.23 15.08 10.98 1.69
2021/02/13 13.30 15.19 10.97 1.69
2021/02/20 13.12 15.17 10.83 1.66
2021/02/27 13.17 15.19 10.91 1.68
2021/03/06 13.08 15.20 10.98 1.69
2021/03/13 13.13 15.29 10.98 1.68
2021/03/20 13.16 15.30 11.03 1.69
2021/03/29 13.06 15.33 11.10 1.69
2021/04/05 13.03 15.33 11.03 1.68
2021/04/10 13.13 15.12 11.03 1.68


3. Malawian Kwacha (MWK)

Source: https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/

 
  Euro € GBP £ US $ CNY ¥
2020/12/05 926.76 1027.46 764.52 117.04
2020/12/12 925.52 1010.82 764.06 116.73
2020/12/19 939.48 1036.81 766.84 117.34
2020/12/26 938.70 1037.73 769.62 117.63
2021/01/02 941.20 1053.64 770.57 118.00
2021/01/09 944.79 1048.60 772.99 119.37
2021/01/16 934.87 1050.81 773.46 119.35
2021/01/23 940.27 1057.01 772.53 119.19
2021/01/30 934.58 1055.41 770.00 119.79
2021/02/06 935.16 1066.25 776.26 120.04
2021/02/13 941.10 1074.93 776.44 120.22
2021/02/20 943.91 1091.50 778.83 120.07
2021/02/27 943.34 1088.25 781.40 120.60
2021/03/06 930.18 1080.40 780.90 120.19
2021/03/13 932.59 1086.14 780.18 119.87
2021/03/20 936.19 1088.76 784.84 120.62
2021/03/29 924.77 1085.10 785.88  
2021/04/05 928.15 1092.12 785.75 119.66
2021/04/10 935.73 1077.61 786.22 119.97


4. Zambian Kwacha (ZMW)

Source: https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/

 
  Euro € GBP £ US $ CNY ¥
2020/12/05 25.60 28.38 21.12 3.23
2020/12/12 25.61 27.98 21.14 3.23
2020/12/19 25.94 28.63 21.18 3.24
2020/12/26 25.81 28.53 21.16 3.23
2021/01/02 25.85 28.94 21.17 3.24
2021/01/09 26.02 28.87 21.28 3.28
2021/01/16 25.84 29.04 21.38 3.29
2021/01/23 26.01 29.24 21.37 3.29
2021/01/30 26.07 29.44 21.48 3.34
2021/02/06 25.98 29.62 21.57 3.33
2021/02/13 26.27 30.01 21.67 3.35
2021/02/20 26.28 30.39 21.68 3.34
2021/02/27 26.38 30.44 21.85 3.37
2021/03/06 26.12 30.34 21.93 3.37
2021/03/13 26.22 30.54 21.93 3.37
2021/03/20 26.33 30.60 22.07 3.39
2021/03/29 25.99 30.50 22.09 3.36
2021/04/05 26.06 30.66 22.06 3.36
2021/04/10 26.47 30.48 22.24 3.39



5. Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL$)

Source: https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/

 
  Euro € GBP £ US $ CNY ¥ Official US$
2020/12/05 438.69 486.36 361.90 55.40 81.87
2020/12/12 438.38 478.79 361.90 55.29 81.85
2020/12/19 443.37 489.30 361.90 55.37 81.73
2020/12/26 441.40 487.97 361.90 55.31 81.78
2021/01/02 442.03 494.84 361.90 55.88 81.78
2021/01/09 442.33 490.92 361.90 55.88 81.78
2021/01/16 437.42 491.67 361.90 55.84 82.09
2021/01/23 440.48 495.16 361.90 55.83 82.08
2021/01/30 439.25 496.03 361.90 56.30 82.67
2021/02/06 435.97 497.09 361.90 55.96 83.37
2021/02/13 438.64 501.01 361.90 56.03 83.37
2021/02/20 438.61 507.18 361.90 55.79 83.75
2021/02/27 436.90 504.01 361.90 55.85 83.88
2021/03/06 431.07 500.70 361.90 55.70 83.88
2021/03/13 432.59 503.82 361.90 55.60 83.98
2021/03/20 431.67 501.77 361.90 55.62 83.98
2021/03/29 425.86 499.76 361.90 55.13 84.11
2021/04/05 427.48 503.00 361.90 55.18 84.40
2021/04/05 430.72 496.02 361.90 55.22 84.39

 

 

 

 

ABSA Agri Trends: Hides & skins prices

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA (April 08, 2021) - The current average hide price increased by 2.6% to 6.50/kg from R6.33/kg a week ago. The current price is 14.2% higher than the average price a month ago and is 603.5% higher than the average price a year ago. Industry players are still reporting low availability with strong export demand, which sustained an increasing price trend this week. NB* Hide prices are determined by the average of the RMAA (Red Meat Abattoir Association) and independent companies - Abrie Rautenbach, head Absa agribusiness, Marlene Louw, senior agricultural economist, Absa group.

Hide & skin price progression
Date Hides/Kg Dorper/Skin Merino Skin
2020/11/06 2.36 26.00 44.00
2020/11/13 2.38 23.59 40.00
2020/11/20 2.69 35.00 50.00
2020/11/27 3.08 36.00 49.00
2020/12/04 3.65 34.03 49.00
2020/12/11 3.68 33.21 50.83
2020/12/18 3.93 32.59 51.67
2021/12/25 4.08 34.39 51.67
2021/01/01 3.93 34.03 54.00
2021/01/08 3.88 31.43 46.43
2021/01/15 4.03 31.43 46.43
2021/01/22 4.16 30.00 47.00
2021/01/29 4.04 33.05 50.83
Note: For previous prices, see HERE
 

  

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:
Mila's Boutique, Welkom, Free State, SA. Family outfitter.
Milady's, part of Mr Price Group, Durban, KZN, SA. Sport fashion retailer. Women's outfitter.

 

Contact us

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

Next newsletter: April 19, 2021.

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

Our website www.svmag.co.za

 

 

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