S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.9 No.25, June 19 2023
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Pride month
In South Africa, only Woolworths, so far as I’m aware, chose to mark ‘Pride Month’ with pro-LBGTQ marketing and merchandise, which generated a lot of heat. Whether it affected sales one way or the other we’ll have to wait to find out.
In the US, it was a much bigger thing, and Footwear News ran an article last week. Below are excerpts:
What the Pride Backlash Can Teach Brands About Corporate Values
Retailers and brands across the board are seeing a rise in backlash for their LGBTQ-themed collections for Pride month this year. In the last few weeks, consumers have taken to social media to criticize retailers like Kohl’s and Target for selling LGBTQIA+ Pride Month clothes and products, including for children, with some calling for consumers to boycott the store entirely.
While elements of pushback during Pride is not new, overall sentiment regarding these campaigns this year are on the whole more negative than they were in 2022, according to RILA Global Consulting, a consumer sentiment monitoring firm that tracks more than 100 million websites and social media pages per day.
“The national discourse, and the political discourse around diversity, equity and inclusion, is also fueling some of the responses that companies are having,” explained Juliette Mayers, founder and CEO of DEI consulting firm Inspiration Zone. “What’s different now, I think, is that everyone is feeling like they’re under a microscope, because the country is so polarized.”
The strong reaction comes on the heels of similar uproar at other brands that have recently showcased campaigns featuring LGBTQ+ models and talent. In April, Bud Light’s and Nike women’s partnerships with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney ignited boycotts and a slew of transphobic comments directed at those brands as well, with right-wing critics taking issue with the brand’s promotion of Mulvaney, a transgender woman. This upset has persisted into through June. Just this week, Bud Light lost its top spot in the U.S. beer market, according to a Reuters report that cited data from consulting firm Bump Williams. Anheuser-Busch, which owns Bud Light, said in a statement that “Bud Light remains the #1 brand in the US nationally in volume and dollar sales” for the year. FN reached out to Nike for a comment.
Whereas most of the Pride negativity in 2022 centered around brands being seen as performative or inauthentic, the backlash this year is coming from people accusing brands of being overly woke and sexualizing kids, RILA found. As of June 5, there were more than 15,000 social media posts from consumers threatening to boycott brands, compared to about 400 similar posts in May and June of 2022, RILA found.
Retail
Drip closes the tap on Kiddies Republic
Polokwane/Pietersburg, Limpopo, SA – Drip Footwear has closed a children’s retail store, Kiddies Republic, the first of a planned roll-out, according to a report in Times Live. Drip owner Lekau Sehoana said the store had not been financially viable.
He said the closure would have no effect on the 21-store Drip chain, which specialises in sneakers.
They Said It
"I said I would hope to fill in gaps - not craters! My concern is that accuracy where an obituary is concerned is vital. Should have included the old-fashioned E.&O.E." - Alastair MacGregor, retired former MD of Colin D. Bailey, Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA, appalled at the scanty information I had for an obituary which I was asking for help with. He’s quite right, of course. Oh, and E.&O.E? Google remembers the past, even if I don’t. Its an accounting term which stands for “errors and omissions excepted’.
New subscribers last week
Biruk, Accountant, Addis Ababa, Ethopia
Nicole, Revaro Group of Companies, South Africa
Ali Pezeshkfar, Sales manager, Novichem Co., Tehran, Iran
Got anything you'd like to share?
Do you have any suggestions, comments or experiences about the industry that you'd like to share with the industry? - tony@svmag.co.za
Birthdays this week
19/06/1979: Sumen Naicker, Fusion Footwear, Springs, Gauteng, SA.
19/06/1969: Monica Frank, Labora Shoes, Durban, KZN, SA.
20/06/????: Patricia Khumalo, the DTI, Pretoria, Gauteng, SA.
21/06/1962: Carl Brinkmann, agent, Windhoek, Namibia.
21/06/1969: Du Toit Kruger, KKI, Oudtshoorn, W. Cape, SA.
22/06/1964: Collin Govender, Owen’s Press Knives, Durban, KZN, SA.
24/06/1956: Dhirendra Bhoola, Danny's Outfitters, Pretoria, Gauteng, SA.
24/06/1968: Meshi Sunker, Soviet Group, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
24/06/1978: Ashveer Kallichurum, Shoe Component Supplies, KwaDukuza, KZN, SA.
In memoriam this week
19/06/2021: Hennie du Plessis (b. 06/01/1942), Strassberger Shoes, Clanwilliam, W. Cape, SA.
21/06/1992: Jonathan Greenblatt, Richleigh Shoes [closed], Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
22/06/2010: Boris Levin (b. 03/07/1935), footwear agent, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
23/06/2016: Benjamin ‘Buzz’ Burke (b. 22/08/1949), Dolphin Components, Shoe Buzz [both closed], Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
23/06/2016: Billy Moodley (b. 31/08/1956), BM Components, Durban, KZN, SA.
24/06/1995: Anand Singh, Angel Footwear Manufacturers, 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
Note: For previous rates, see HERE
1. SA Rand (ZAR)/Lesotho Loti (LSL)/Namibian Dollar (NAD)/Swazi Lilangeni (SZL)
Source: http://www.x-rates.com/calculator/
| |
Euro € |
GBP £ |
US $ |
CNY ¥ |
| 03/06/2023 |
R20.89 |
R24.27 |
R19.49 |
R2.75 |
| 10/06/2023 |
R20.14 |
R23.53 |
R18.71 |
R2.62 |
| 17/06/2023 |
R19.91 |
R23.32 |
R18.19 |
R2.55 |
2. Botswana Pula (BWP)
Source: https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/
| |
Euro € |
GBP £ |
US $ |
CNY ¥ |
| 03/06/2023 |
14.64 |
17.00 |
13.66 |
1.92 |
| 10/06/2023 |
14.58 |
17.04 |
13.55 |
1.90 |
| 17/06/2023 |
14.49 |
16.97 |
13.24 |
1.85 |
3. Malawian Kwacha (MWK)
Source: https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/
| |
Euro € |
GBP £ |
US $ |
CNY ¥ |
| 03/06/2023 |
1094.62 |
1271.60 |
1021.25 |
144.14 |
| 10/06/2023 |
1094.60 |
1279.18 |
1017.29 |
142.78 |
| 17/06/2023 |
1020.69 |
1312.23 |
1023.44 |
143.62 |
4. Zambian Kwacha (ZMW)
Source: https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/
| |
Euro € |
GBP £ |
US $ |
CNY ¥ |
| 03/06/2023 |
21.19 |
24.62 |
19.77 |
2.79 |
| 10/06/2023 |
21.89 |
25.59 |
20.34 |
2.85 |
| 17/06/2023 |
21.29 |
24.93 |
19.44 |
2.72 |
5. Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL$)
Source: https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/
| |
Euro € |
GBP £ |
CNY ¥ |
Official US$ |
| 03/06/2023 |
387.90 |
450.61 |
51.08 |
2670.02 |
| 10/06/2023 |
389.30 |
455.11 |
50.79 |
5086.33 |
| 17/06/2023 |
396.28 |
464.01 |
50.78 |
6596.76 |
Note: For previous rates, see HERE
ABSA Agri Trends: Hides & skins prices
Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA (15 June 2023) - The current average hide price increased by 0.2% to R3.43/kg from R3.42/kg a week ago. The current price is 5.1% lower than the average price a month ago and 17.3% lower than the average price a year ago. The range of prices reported was as follows: Minimum price: R3.25 Maximum price: R4.50. Please note: Our methodology weighs the prices we collect according to the number of hides they sell in a month. This is done to make it more representative of the prevailing market price. NB* Hide prices are determined by the average of the RMAA (Red Meat Abattoir Association) and independent companies. - Marlene Louw, senior agricultural economist, and Nkhensani Mashimbyi, agricultural economist, and Zama Sangweni, agricultural economist, Absa group.
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:
Junxion Group, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA. Leather hat manufacturer.
Just Cruizin, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA. Women’s clothing retailer.
Contact us
News & Classifieds: Tony Dickson, +27 (0)31 209 7505, tony@svmag.co.za
Next newsletter: June 26, 2023.
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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