Stocktake: Fine dining and Metaverse Fashion Week

It’s great to see local restaurants and chefs generating some heat after the live foodie scene withered somewhat under lockdown, even if it did create an entire new industry of dark kitchens and home delivery food fulfilment. We’re all somewhat starved of fine dining experiences in the company of ‘good company’.

Makers Landing restaurant wins African category at Luxe Restaurant Awards

Chef Mmabatho Molefe saw her Emazulwini Restaurant at Makers Landing at the V&A Waterfront win African Restaurant of the Year at the 4th annual Luxe Restaurant Awards last week. Emazulwini, which opened about 18 months ago, is a modern Zulu-inspired restaurant which seeks to celebrate Nguni cuisine and South African ingredients. Emazulwini was one of three fine dining restaurants at the V&A Waterfront which scooped awards at the Luxe Restaurant Awards; while Pier won New Restaurant of the Year; and chef Siba Mtongana of The Table Bay’s eponymous ‘Siba’, won the Culinary Icon Award. Emazulwini recently launched its summer menu, which is dedicated to Molefe’s parents. “It is a seven-course set menu, starting with mielie bread sticks with sweetcorn dip and parsley mayo, and includes dishes such as vetkoek with home-made chicken polony, white cheddar catalan, and corned beef tongue with tomato puree. The chicken neck mousse tartlet looks so cute that is my personal favourite,” she says. Dessert is fermented maize porridge. Molefe’s aim is to continue spreading the word about rethinking traditional food and reusing ingredients that people deem less than worthy. “We use a lot of offal, on the menu at the moment, which is usually seen as food that privileged people don’t want to eat, but it has a lot of flavour and can be used with many different techniques.”

Pick n Pay and Dotsure offer discount for pet insurance 

Pick n Pay’s Smart Shopper loyalty product has teamed up with pet insurer Dotsure and will offer its Pet Club members 50% off their pet insurance premiums for the first three months of their new policy. Pick n Pay has the largest retail pet club membership base in South Africa, with nearly 120,000 members, while Dotsure.co.za is South Africa’s largest pet insurance company and has insured nearly 125 000 pets in South Africa, including exotic pets. Pick n Pay Pet Club – which is free to join – continues to grow steadily as members enjoy a range of benefits including 3X Smart Shopper points on all pet products to use as cashback, exclusive discounts, access to pet-related content and regular competitions. “Our Pet Club community is an active, engaged group of customers who care for their pets. Many customers spoil their animals regularly so we know that insurance for their pet family members would be high on their list of priorities. This partnership helps us reduce part of the cost for our members and is another way for us to give our customers more value,” says Andrew Mills, group executive: marketing at Pick n Pay. Another benefit of the partnership is that Pet Club members who get a free quote will stand a chance to win R5,000 in Smart Shopper points every month.

Tiger Brands invests in SA plant-based food company

Tiger Brands’ Venture Capital Fund has made its first investment in Herbivore Earthfoods, a Cape Town headquartered female-founded business specialising in the manufacture and sale of plant-based and vegan products. The plant-based global market product forecast is growth of over  USD162-billion by 2030. The African plant protein market, of which South Africa represents 57%, is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5% to $560.62 million by 2023. The Tiger Brands Venture Capital Fund was launched in mid-2021 with the aim of driving growth for Tiger Brands by investing in innovative businesses based in sub-Saharan Africa which offer healthier eating options in line with the latest consumer movement towards health and nutrition, snackification and economical food options. Together with co-investor, Secha Capital, an early-stage impact private equity firm, the Tiger Brands Venture Capital Fund has become a minority shareholder in the business, which is co-run by founder, Chanel Grantham and Davey du Plessis, Herbivore Earthfoods director. “In line with global trends, consumers in South Africa and across the continent are driving increased interest and desire for a wide range of plant-based products. Herbivore’s innovative and tasty meat and dairy alternatives have gained significant traction, with scope to scale and drive further penetration. This is a compelling opportunity, where we are very proud to back innovative entrepreneurs and we are inspired by the team’s underlying desire to improve eating habits and change the current food system for the better. Our partnership with the Herbivore team will involve leveraging each other’s combined strengths to achieve their growth strategy and to push the boundaries of an affordable and healthy alternative product offering to consumers,” explains Barati Mahloele, Venture Capital Fund director, Tiger Brands.

Clicks grows footprint with plans to open 20-30 new stores every year

Clicks has opened its 800^th store at Somerset Crossing in the Western Cape. As one of the largest retailers in South Africa, Clicks has committed to investing and growing the South African economy, as each new store creates around 20 in-store employment opportunities, as well as five additional employment opportunities for support staff. Their aim is to open between 25 and 30 new stores each year, with an overall target of 900 stores situated throughout South Africa by 2026. Clicks’ ultimate aim is for the majority of households in South Africa to be situated within a 5km radius of a Clicks store, with each store tailored to the needs of the community it serves. Operating in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland, Clicks currently employs 16,550 people across its 800 stores which includes 650 pharmacies and 195 Clicks Clinics. While its online offering saw significant growth during the various waves of the Covid-19 pandemic, customers have reverted to brick and mortar stores, reveals Vikash Singh, Clicks managing executive. The exception to this trend is its dedicated baby stores where hardware baby products such as prams, cots and car seats are primarily sold online. “Clicks has a 20% share of the baby market. Our three dedicated baby stores at Mall of Africa, Canal Walk and Gateway, are a one-stop destination for baby essentials, offering a wider range of baby products than is found at a traditional Clicks store. In line with global trends, hardware baby products are typically purchased online with baby stores acting as showrooms.”

Top names lined up for The Plant Powered Show

Top South African and international chefs and food personalities will be taking to the stage when The Plant Powered Show comes to Cape Town in May. They include the Giggling Gourmet Jenny Morris, Jason McNamara, Jane Nshuti, Mira Weiner, Mokgadi Itsweng, Arabella Parkinson, Claire Sharryn Roberto and Phil Mansergh, with more names to be announced in the coming weeks. Top vegan chef and MasterChef Australia contestant, Simon Toohey, will live stream from Melbourne in Australia. The Plant Powered Show will incorporate a three-day live and in-person event as well as an online platform, to allow visitors from other provinces and around the globe to attend. The inaugural show (under the name The Festive Vegan & Plant Powered Show) took place online in 2020 due to Covid lockdown restrictions. Jason McNamara, owner of The Kind Kitchen in Woodstock, comments, “The past two years have been a time of reflection for all of us globally. Eating healthy and well-balanced meals is imperative to maintain peace of mind. This is even more important in times of turmoil as most of us have experienced. Making healthy lifestyle choices for oneself and one’s family should be top of the list as we navigate this new world order. Being part of this forward thinking event gives chefs like me the opportunity to share knowledge and serve you and yours.” The Plant Powered Show takes place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, 27-29 May 2022. To book, click here.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Held in Decentraland, a virtual-social world powered by the Ethereum blockchain, Metaverse Fashion Week (MVFW) is a four-day virtual event with fashion shows, live music sessions and branded after-parties, reports AdWeek. While this isn’t the first event ever held in the metaverse, MVFW represents a step change in the future of digital, not only because of the sheer number of famous brands involved, but also because it is a test f or digital as a destination, not just a channel. As the digital counterpart to New York Fashion Week, which holds an economic impact estimated at $887 million, Morgan Stanley estimates the virtual fashion market could be worth more than $55 billion by 2030.

Nike continues to stay aggressive in transforming its business, reports Total Retail Report. The athletic brand is acting on its previous promises to focus heavily on its D-to-C and digital businesses, acquiring virtual sneaker company RTFKT in a push to enter the metaverse. Nike has pulled out of more bricks and mortar retail partnerships in the last few years, including DSW, Urban Outfitters, Macy’s and other significant wholesalers. It’s betting on the power of its own business following quarterly results that report NIKE Direct sales up 15% and NIKE Brand Digital sales up 19%.

Lay’s has launched Lay’s Sizzlin’ Hot into the Indian market, reports Indian Retailer, in “a snacking experience that’s ‘Too Hot To Stop’”. Stemming from the globally iconic and widely loved platform, Lay’s Flamin’ Hot, Lay’s Sizzlin’ Hot taps into the growing ‘chili’ flavour bucket with the hottest chips from the House of Lay’s.

*Additional sources: AdWeek, Total Retail Report, Onclusive, Perch Interactive, Indian Retailer.

Best brand April Fool’s Day joke

Instead of our Meme-of-the-Week, we present our best of April Fool’s Joke in our industry. The winner is Fairview with their Facebook new product launch announcement of an ‘extra-flavoured’, super chilled, Fairview cannabiod cheese, discovered accidentally after their alleged cannabis crop was ravaged by their famous herd of goats. To quote from Fairview’s Facebook post: “Fairview’s famous goat herd have long been known for their mischievous behaviour and their latest antics are sure to become the stuff of legend in the Winelands… Early one morning the herd of milking goats escaped from their paddock and made their way to the hidden cannabis plantation. All that remained was the goat herd, half of which were sleeping amongst the carnage and the rest visibly perplexed and moving at a fraction of their usual, fun and frantic pace. The goats were found shortly before the afternoon milking and were, with considerable effort, able to be milked. Upon analysis it was found that the milk contained surprisingly high counts of both THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid, and CBD. As luck would have it, a loophole in the legislation governing dairy production allows Fairview to produce products from the cannabis infused goats’ milk! Fairview owner Charles Back is delighted at the spot of luck and excited to venture into the world of edible cannabis products! “Our first product to go to market is a camembert called Muncheese, rich in both CBD and THC, which is now available for pre order. Soon it will be readily available in our Tasting Room and Medicinal Marijuana Dispensaries.” The brand then extoled the health benefits of this wonderous new cheese, with a link that directed you to order your Muncheese!

This week in numbers

86%

The global pre-owned luxury market swelled to US$36 billion in 2021, galvanised by increased demand and supply. In fact, this market grew by 65% between 2017 and 2021, compared to 12% for first-hand items. As a whole, the international fashion resale market is predicted to grow 11 times faster than the broader retail clothing sector by 2025. In 2020, 86% of consumers said that they have either bought or were open to buying pre-owned products – a massive jump from 45% in 2016. Luxity co-founder, Michael Zahariev, says that although lagging, similar trends are taking shape in South Africa where the local market is at a growing pace. “We predict that by 2027, one in 10 luxury items bought will be pre-owned.” This is backed up by the fact that, internationally, Gen Z and Millennials have adopted pre-owned shopping 2.5 times faster than other generations.

QUOTE of the week:

“I believe, like many, that mindfulness in omnichannel retail is the key to a successful future. The fact that consumers and employees alike are becoming more conscientious about the impact of retail operations, is fast becoming a top business priority for online brands, and one we will continue to see develop,” said Kirsty Bisset, MD, HaveYouHeard, on Retailing Africa.

Main image credit: Emazulwini Restaurant.

*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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