Black Friday and load shedding: retailers need to be ready
Media briefings and updates from Eskom and the Government last week seem to indicate that South Africa is set to experience load shedding for the foreseeable future. Power interruptions (whether planned or unplanned) can have a detrimental effect on any business'...
Keep shoppers happy on Black Friday
The way that we shop has changed. Nowadays, consumers are quick to turn to their mobile phones or laptops to grab the latest deal, order food online or pay for a service. The rapid uptake of digital services and a shift away from brick-and-mortar stores means that...
Africa Cup Awards accolade for CIRT’s Q-Hop
Consumption Information Real Time (CIRT) has been award second place at the prestigious Africa Cup Awards for its Q-Hop solution that provides a digital shopping experience in a physical store environment. The Africa Cup Award - hosted by the SA Innovation Summit -...
The importance of accelerating digital enablement in the retail market
A question that retailers are grappling with is where to focus their energy to drive sales: in brick-and-mortar stores or by investing in their online presence. By Hymie Marnewick, MD of XLink and Celine Thungaveloo, head of sales at XLink The simple answer is that...
Omnichannel strategy key for retailers to boost sales, deliver a better shopping experience
As consumer behaviour continues to change due to the impact the global COVID-19 pandemic has had both on business and individuals – retailers are increasingly having to position themselves to provide omnichannel services that can meet these evolving digital consumer...
Why data integrity is critical for successful omni-channel retail
Now, more than ever, consumers are demanding a personalised shopping experience. Adding to the challenge for retailers, the way consumers buy products and services has changed, due in part to the digital revolution, and accelerated as a result of the Covid-19...
Lay-bys enter the digital age
Paying for goods using the lay-by payment method has been part of the South African retail landscape for years. Then local tech start-up Payflex brought this tried and trusted payment method into the digital age, by allowing customers to buy online now and pay later...
Digital retail and its relationship with data
With more South Africans shopping online than ever, retailers have had to rethink their digital strategies, especially when it comes to data analysis and optimising the supply chain. By Vishalan Moodley at TechSoft International Consumers can buy just about anything...
How some retailers managed better post-protest recovery
Managing stock availability has always been important but it became more so as ecommerce gained traction due to how we now live and the effect it had on our shopping experience. By Hendrik Bredenkamp, GM of NEC XON Retail But the challenges in managing stock have...
Can SA retail rise from the rubble?
Tens of thousands of jobs lost. More than 100 people dead. Scores of businesses looted, burnt, and damaged, many of which will never reopen. Vital supply chains destroyed. South Africa is reeling from its greatest crisis since the dawn of democracy almost three...
NFC versus QR code payments: there’s room for both
The last year-and-a-half has seen a rapid rise in all forms of contactless payments. For merchants across the globe, enabling these payments as a means to reduce surface contact has been a pandemic trading necessity. However, as time moves on, choosing which payment...
Retail cybersecurity in an evolving threat landscape
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, global online retail sales increased in 2020. By Courtney Radke, chief information security officer: national retail at Fortinet According to statistics, consumers spent $861,12-billion online with US retailers in 2020, a 44%...