Retailers must invest in customer satisfaction
Online retail in South Africa has hit a major milestone, eclipsing R50-billion in annual sales during 2022. Research from World Wide Worx records a 40% increase in the total number of South Africans shopping online since the onset of the pandemic in 2020. Yet many...
Digital payments could boost FMCG industry
The fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector contributes R1 trillion to South Africa's annual gross domestic product (roughly 20% of economic production) and employs 2,5-million people (or 16% of the country's total formal labour force). From a continental...
The impact of blockchain technology on the retail sector
During its formative years, blockchain technology became synonymous with the advent of cryptocurrency. Today, its use cases have transcended the world of finance, expanding into sectors such as retail. In Africa, its application in payment technology has demonstrated...
How SA retailers can future-proof their businesses
As motivational speaker Garrison Wynn nce said: "Action and adaptability create opportunity". For local retailers, there is an opportunity to future-proof by taking action on initiatives that maintain and drive customer loyalty. But they must be adaptable as they...
Smart and intelligent: payments redefined
The global fintech market is currently expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20% over the next few years, achieving an impressive $305-billion by 2025. The Global Fintech Market Report also pointed out that low-cost, personalised, and intelligent...
Retailers must accommodate consumers who use cash
With recent research showing that only 14% of South African consumers are ready to go completely cashless, retailers should be looking at ways to accommodate their customers' preferred way to pay, while also reducing their operating costs. Leading retailers are...
Embrace UCX to improve customer engagement, raise brand awareness
Modern consumers have become accustomed to communicating with brands over their preferred communication channels, whether this is chat, voice or other virtual experiences, meaning that offering a unified customer experience (UCX) is key for businesses to build...
Stretched retail IT teams will demand more from the network
New predictions from HPE Aruba Networking revealed at NRF 2023, detail how retailers will leverage technology to get ahead of evolving customer demands and operational challenges over the next 12 to 18 months. Against an uncertain macro environment and growing...
VMware modernises PoS for global retailers
Vmware has unveiled a new solution to help global retailers modernise point of sale (PoS) and unlock more financial value from their PoS systems. Developed in collaboration with Stratodesk, a VMware retail ISV partner, the new VMware Retail PoS modernisation solution...
The future of retail in a data-driven world
Retail success in a highly interconnected, data-driven world requires a balance of multiple dimensions, including providing value to customers at the right time and in the right place, while also reducing friction, and increasing engagement. This is according to some...
How to give your retail store a competitive edge
By supporting real-time decision-making, combining edge computing with digital signage improves the customer experience and boosts sales. Sarah Moseley, head of vertical solutions and business development, retail and consumer goods at BT, shares her insights on how...
SMBs seek faster financing in a volatile market
South African retailers have come to regard quick access to financing as key—and a new breed of agile fintech has emerged to respond to these demands. These progressive providers of finance offer retailers access to opportunity capital so that they can move rapidly in...