Retail industry trends for 2021
Understanding customer data has been at the core of 2020's challenges and will remain a critical need for 2021 and beyond. By Tom Bianculli, chief technology officer of Zebra Technologies What have been the top three biggest developments in our industry in 2020? We...
The benefits of an agile PoS enablement
There is little doubt that the rapidly evolving point-of-sale (PoS) landscape and the growing number of digital applications and mobile payment methods is exciting for many retailers. However, it is also challenging, as the PoS environment must be made more agile and...
Leroy Merlin banks on hybrid model to drive future growth
International retailer Leroy Merlin, with a presence in 15 countries, has invested in a cloud-based customer experience platform designed to complement its physical retail stores. Leroy Merlin executive, Dmitriy Anderson, says the future of retailing will be driven by...
The perils of legacy software for retailers adopting digital journeys
In the devastating wake of the global pandemic, companies across industries are grappling with the economic impact - and few more so than the embattled retail sector. By Allan Dickson, independent chairman at redPanda Software Without a doubt, 'making the numbers' is...
Move over Black Friday, here comes Green Monday
Black Friday, Cyber Monday and now Green Monday. Retailers would be forgiven for becoming a little breathless with all the shopping events that fall just weeks before the traditional rush of the festive season. But, with some timely action, these shopping holidays can...
Customer experience remains key in e-commerce
It is now months into the Covid-19 pandemic and South African consumers are adapting their shopping behaviour with patterns starting to emerge. Locally, we saw a sudden shift to online shopping, in particular the fresh food category at the beginning of lockdown. By...
Why consider automated cash management for peak trading?
South African merchants will ring up billions of rand in sales over the Black Friday period, now second to the festive season as a major event on the annual retail calendar. This brings along with it the annual challenge of storing, securing and depositing large...
How to make Black Friday and Cyber Monday count
We are on the cusp of the festive shopping season, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday kicking off the spending spree in the run up to Christmas and Boxing Day. By Dharshan Naidoo, senior sales manager at Infobip South Africa However, this year's shopping season will...
4IR tech disrupts traditional lay-by system
The traditional lay-by system has long represented an enormous headache for merchants and retailers, marked by high administrative costs and high non-completion rates. But through utilising new technologies, South African digital disruptor LayUp seeks to improve...
Who takes responsibility for shoppers on Black Friday?
This year's Black Friday will be like no other. After all we've never had a Covid-19 situation before. Burt Rodrigues CEO of Biodx and Alan Hirsch, founder and CEO of Hirsch's Homestores, give their insight into shopping this Black Friday. Before you go out and fight...
Retail businesses can boost access to cash flow for Black Friday
This has been an extraordinarily difficult year for most South African retailers, with sales showing year-on-year declines for five consecutive months up to end-August, according to Stats SA. Many of them are hoping for a bumper Black Friday and festive season to set...
Black Friday and the Covid-19 pandemic
Holiday shopping has always brought the year's best deals, and many shoppers are looking forward to Black Friday specials. However, Covid-19 has cast a dark cloud on the bargains-seeking event, which has gone online. Since many retailers consider Black Friday to be...