Shein, Temu growth puts thousands of SA retail jobs at risk

Shein, Temu growth puts thousands of SA retail jobs at risk

South Africa’s e-commerce sector isn’t growing fast enough. Offshore e-commerce retailers, such as Shein and Temu, are rapidly gaining ground in South Africa’s retail clothing, textile, footwear and leather sector, displacing thousands of local jobs, including in e-commerce. This is creating an urgent need for digital transformation, including the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). The…

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Retail Peak Season Strategies For 2025: Buckle Up

Retail Peak Season Strategies For 2025: Buckle Up

As the retail calendar barrels toward Black Friday and the festive season, brands are bracing for what could be a very unpredictable peak period. The economic landscape is volatile, consumer behaviour is shifting, and external pressures, from tariffs to supply chain disruptions, are mounting. Why This Year’s Peak Will Be Different “This year’s retail holidays…

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Smart retail unlocked: Five hurdles SA retailers must overcome in 2025

Smart retail unlocked: Five hurdles SA retailers must overcome in 2025

Quentin Daffarn, Managing Director, UC Wireless. South Africa’s retail landscape has undergone a profound transformation over the past few years, with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating existing pressures and introducing new urgent challenges. “Fixed-location retailers are asking the same critical question,” says Quentin Daffarn, Managing Director of UC‑Wireless. “How do we stay relevant in the…

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Retail Credit Trends in 2025: Insights and Implications

Retail Credit Trends in 2025: Insights and Implications

As we headed into 2025, the stage seemed set for South Africa’s interest rates to drop, with inflation within the South African Reserve Bank’s (SARB) target range. However, global factors – including heightened geopolitical instability and tariff-related tensions – prompted SARB to hold firm. This interest rate stagnation has had both direct and indirect effects…

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