East London, E. Cape, SA – They affect every business, I’m sure, though I don’t know how much. I certainly don’t know how much they affect mine, but it’s not massively.The way to counteract them is to improve customer service – after all, we’re on the ground. I suppose also improve our buying.&nbs ...more

Steelmaker Arcelor Mittal – Iscor in the good old days – announced the imminent closure of 2 plants, in Newcastle and Vereeniging. While Vereeniging is a major industrial area, Newcastle has been dependent on the jobs provided by coal mines – many now closed – and the steelmaker. We asked leather and apparel busine ...more

Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA - Jumbo Footwear group subsidiary Foothills Trading & Investment 2 (Pty) Ltd’s distribution agreement with Kangol ends on 31 December, Dionne Prinsloo of Allied Agencies confirmed on Friday.”We are currently in the process of winding down our involvement,” he wrote. “We have no idea wh ...more

We asked 35 retailers - mostly privately owned chains and mini-chains - across SA, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini and Zimbabwe - for a 1-sentence comment on Black Friday. Just 10 responded, 1 whose response is under They Said It, 1 to promise a response later today, 1 to say 'no comment', and another to say he didn't offer it. ...more