Stocktake: CMO networking forum launches

CMO peer discussions, several interesting rebrands, South Africans making waves overseas with homegrown heritage, and yet another sporting brand launches a mega-custom store.

Marketers in conversation with industry

To facilitate open discussion and networking in a forum that provides a safe place among peers, the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS) will be hosting the first virtual Marketers in Conversation on 12 October 2021. Johanna McDowell, CEO of the IAS and SCOPEN partner, says the session will be an invitation-only event once a quarter, where CMOs can discuss issues that affect them and the industry in a relaxed and candid manner. “The IAS is well-placed to facilitate these sessions, and notes the value of collaboration between marketers who are facing a rapidly changing landscape,” says McDowell. “We feel it’s important to keep senior decision makers talking with their peers, and we will be inviting a topic leader to add insight at each session.”

Orderin relaunches as delivery-as-a-service platform 

Orderin, the food delivery app, has relaunched as a B2B delivery-as-a-service platform, giving retailers across various industries the power to move online and deliver goods in minutes, without the costs of building and owning all the infrastructure needed to do so. Founded in 2012, Orderin built South Africa’s first food delivery app. It’s new model focuses on delivery-as-a-service; as well as providing all the software (SaaS), organisations of varying sizes need to power their on-demand experience – from customer facing technology to delivery fulfilment. With plans of a phased expansion to its suite of on-demand services, Orderin will be able to target the broader ecommerce space and service clients in food and beverage, retail, wholesale, pharmaceuticals and many more sectors, in South Africa and further afield. Through data optimisation that harnesses the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI), retailers can constantly monitor and improve performance, particularly in a highly competitive arena where customer experience is constantly evolving. For example, Orderin was able to help Pick n Pay scale online deliveries to four times their initial size, within just one month of their pivot to grocery delivery. New Orderin CEO, Thembani Biyam: “We’ve ensured that retailers are able to fully leverage the entire stack or integrate it into their existing ecosystems. Our core infrastructure encompasses every possible element of delivery and fulfilment.”

Eastgate introduces solar trees to rooftop Piazza

Solar trees installed on the roof of Gauteng’s Eastgate Shopping Centre’s rooftop Piazza serve to provide a source of renewable solar energy to the centre, which also hopes to increase the public’s awareness of alternative and responsible energy sources. The solar trees are self-reliant, harnessing energy from the sun to illuminate at night. With a bespoke installation of lights, the trees also contribute to feature lighting in the Piazza, while operating off the grid. The installation of the solar trees at the centre will contribute towards minimising the centre’s impact on the natural environment as well as L2D’s Net Zero target. Jonathan Sinden, Chief Operations Officer at L2D comments, “The solar trees form part of a wider Piazza project which includes a journey through an artistic interpretation of sustainability, community and nature for the benefit of future generations. The centre is able to present patrons with a renewed ambiance, and overall experience when dining out, or simply strolling through the Piazza.” This initiative is in partnership with Architects Batley Partners.

Bravo Group rebrands

Bravo Brands (formerly Bravo Group) has unveiled a new logo and corporate identity as part of an extensive rebranding initiative. The rename aligns with the company’s mission to grow and acquire home comfort brands, under one group. With more than 121 years of craftsmanship and heritage to its name, the rebrand takes effect in  September 2021, and comes as the company’s growth path has enjoyed a steady upward trajectory, even through the pandemic, seeing the business evolve from furniture manufacturer to multiple home comfort brand owner. Bravo Brands has eight of South Africa’s home comfort brands under one roof: Sealy, Slumberland, Edblo, and King Koil make up the Sleep division; while Alpine, La-Z-Boy, Grafton Everest, and Gommagomma are part of the Lounge division.

As the expansion strategy evolves, more household brands are expected to join the stable. The rebranding initiative coincides with recent changes to the company’s internal structure and processes. “This rename and rebrand represents a significant step in Bravo Brands’ evolution. We’re redefining who we are, driving change and shaping the future of the furniture and manufacturing industry,” said CEO, Dave Govender. Speaking to the woven elements of the new corporate identity, Thabang Lehobye, head of design,  FCB Joburg says: “Weaving has formed an integral part of African culture for thousands of years… and these coveted skills are passed down from generation to generation. Time-consuming and complex, each woven item has a story to tell, of long-standing African traditions. We thought it apt to use this to bring the heritage and craft of the Bravo Brands’ story to life.”

Engen launches tipping app

Engen has launched Tip an Attendant app which makes it easy to tip for good service at Engen petrol stations, with a view of extending this service outside of the Engen environment, enabling Engen customers to use the Engen 1app to tip anyone that provides great service. In partnership with Telkom Financial Services, this new value add feature has been specifically designed to enable motorists and Quickshop customers to tip Engen petrol attendants and cashiers for efficient service. “Engen encourages all motorists to download 1app because it offers a safer customer service experience, as there is no touching of devices, cards or cash required. You will also no longer need to carry cash or cards to make your fuel purchases; and loyalty points will automatically be registered with Engen’s respective loyalty partners, Clicks Clubcard, FNB eBucks,” says Seelan Naidoo, Engen’s general manager: retail.

New custom PUMA store opens at Gateway

Refurbished and extended to 400sqm, the largest PUMA store in South Africa has re-opened in Durban’s Gateway Theatre of Shopping, offering customers sections dedicated to their specific interests and a section devoted to kids. A UGC (user generated content) wall will be installed in the coming weeks to encourage customer engagement by showcasing their tags on Instagram.

Store features include: A Select section housing the latest PUMA collaborations with the likes of Nintendo, Mr Doodle, Maison Kitsune, Felipe Pantone, Aka Boku and Michael Lau; the Teamsport section showcases an extensive selection of apparel for all PUMA sponsored football and rugby teams including Manchester City, Italy, AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Mamelodi Sundowns and the Vodacom Bulls;  aRun/Train/Fit section offers the latest running and training gear and apparel and features a Technogym treadmill for testing out the Nitro running shoe range; and there will be an expanded Motorsport offering.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

After growing its workforce to more than 1.3 million people in 2020, Amazon.com is planning to hire another 55,000 employees globally in the coming months, the company announced earlier this week. This is the first major hiring push since new CEO Andy Jassy took the reins from Jeff Bezos in July. Most of the new jobs will be in corporate and technology roles, which Jassy told Reuters are needed to help the company keep pace with demand in retail, advertising and cloud computing — business units that all got a boost during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hellbent, the Belfast-based developer of meat products crafted from Northern Irish beef with South African spices, has won its first business in England following a deal with a luxury food retailer in London. The artisan enterprise, formed by former Ulster rugby stars, South Africans Louis Ludik and Schalk van der Merwe, has begun supplying its award-winning Boerewors coiled beef sausages, burgers and meat balls to Planet Plenty Food and Wine, a luxury food and drink retailer with outlets and takeaway services in Fulham and Wandsworth. Hellbent has been growing sales steadily and has also achieved success with Aldi Ireland. Retail clients in Northern Ireland include Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and EUROSPAR supermarkets.

Majid Al Futtaim, a Carrefour franchise holder, has reached a deal to take over six stores in Uganda from South African retailer Shoprite, it said on Wednesday. Shoprite said last month it would shut down operations in Uganda and Madagascar after currency devaluations, lower commodity prices and high inflation hit household incomes and weighed on earnings. Majid Al Futtaim, which is a United Arab Emirates-based mall developer that holds Carrefour franchise rights in dozens of countries, said it had signed an agreement with Shoprite to take the Ugandan stores by the end of this year. It did not disclose the value of the deal. Carrefour entered the Ugandan market in 2019 and currently operates two stores. Shoprite has been in Uganda since 2000.

*Additional sources: Kantar, Total Retail Report, Ireland Newsletter, Reuters.

This week in numbers

R71 billion

South Africa’s private label sector has continued its upward trajectory amidst the age of lockdowns and an altered consumer reality. This is borne out by NielsenIQ analysis which shows that the PL sector now commands 24.3% of total basket value sales in South Africa which equates to R71 billion in annual sales (12-months to end May 2021). This served to cement PL’s growth path from 2019, when its share of sales was 22.8%; which rose to 23% by May 2020; and 24.6% by May 2021. These insights stem from a new NielsenIQ’s new client report The State of Private Label in South Africa, which provides a far reaching view of the evolution of Private Label (PL) in the local market based on trended data and insights gathered over the last 10 years. NielsenIQ South Africa MD, Ged Nooy comments, “There’s no doubt that a new generation of private label ‘house’ brands have provided the impetus and created momentum in the local retail sector during one of its toughest times and most difficult trading periods.”

QUOTE of the week:

“The global AR market is projected to grow from $6.12 billion this year to reach $97.76 billion by 2028. Some of the biggest retailers and flashiest brands want a slice of that pie,” by Michael Smollan, Chief Growth & Innovation Officer of Smollan, on Retailing Africa this past week.

Main image credit: Eastgate.

*Stocktake is a weekly roundup of current FMCG retailing and brand news, curated and edited by Retailing Africa Publisher & Editor, Louise Burgers. Keep the industry updated and send your announcements and news to: news@retailingafrica.com.

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