Economic concerns curtail back-to-school shopping
In the United States, high fuel prices have affected the buying trends of parents of school-going children. The trend could well repeat itself here in SA, come 2009. 5 Sep 2008 08:25

BMI Foodpack and Adcheck Research announce merger - Adcheck
BMI Foodpack, the country's leading market research house for the food, beverage and packaging industry, and Adcheck Research, previously a division of Adcheck (Pty) Ltd, the retail and manufacturing industries'leading market intelligence organisation, have announced a merger of the two companies. 4 Sep 2008 18:34

Survey: DVR makes homes happier
[Walaika Haskins] The digital video recorder (DVR) has become a must-have appliance, according to a survey released by NDS, a digital pay TV technology solution provider. More than 70% of consumers who currently own a DVR told surveyors that they could not live without it. 4 Sep 2008 12:05

Study reveals why so many adults hate their cell phones
USA: More than a third of mainstream consumers over the age of 30 experience deep frustration associated with their cell phone's interface according to a study revealed yesterday by Bowen Research, a firm that researches and evaluates consumer attitudes and behavior about high tech products, software and electronics. 29 Aug 2008 12:53

Worldwide mobile phone sales increase 12% in 2Q 2008 - Gartner
Worldwide sales of mobile phones reached close to 305 million units in the second quarter of 2008, a 11.8% increase over the second quarter of 2007, according to Gartner, Inc. Sales of mobile phones in the mature markets of Western Europe and North America slightly recovered after a difficult start. Western Europe reached close to 42 million units while North America surpassed 44 million units in the second quarter of 2008. 27 Aug 2008 13:28

Rich feel the pinch
The spending power of middle and upper-class consumers has plunged while lower-class consumers have more spending power, research by Cadiz shows. 22 Aug 2008 11:20

Search sites edge out portals in customer satisfaction
[Erika Morphy] USA: It's rare to see Google command anything less than a large presence in just about any given e-business study these days, and the latest annual American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) from the University of Michigan is no exception: ACSI scores for e-business rose 5.5% to 79.3 on ACSI's 100-point scale. That jump can largely be attributed to Google's own 10% climb to a score of 86. 21 Aug 2008 06:16

In praise of online advertising
[Josh Chasin] In my last Metrics Insider column, I wrote about the question of how advertising works. The column generated some great comments, and I got some very thoughtful responses via email. This week, I want to revisit the topic, and perhaps amplify a few points. 20 Aug 2008 12:01

Misunderstanding the black target market in SA
[Nokuthula Radebe] During the 14 years of South Africa's democracy, the country has changed considerably in terms of the mindset, ambition and beliefs of its citizens. Many marketers and advertisers have been tweaking their messages to accommodate the changing times. 20 Aug 2008 09:14

Investigating Zululand's viability as a shopping destination
How economically viable are the outlying regions of Richard's Bay and Empangeni in Zululand? The Newspaper Advertising Bureau (NAB) commissioned Freshly Ground Insights (FGI) to take a look at grocery shoppers in Zululand's eSikhawini, Ngwelezane, Nseleni and Macekane and found that they all travel to the centres to shop - most often to Sanlam Centre in Empangeni. The study also found that Spar is the number one grocery store for these shoppers. 19 Aug 2008 13:00

Savvy sales says target teachers
According to a leading US-based research company, Market Data Retrieval (MDR), which carries out research into direct sales and marketing solutions, educators in the US are a market that sales executives should target. 19 Aug 2008 09:05

Got a customer service nightmare? You're not alone
[Bill Torpy] Have you been bumped from a flight? Belittled by a hotel clerk? Or stewed in a doctor's waiting room? Then Rupert Barkoff wants to hear all about it. 18 Aug 2008 10:23

Airport retailing shrugs off global economic downturn
While many retailers around the world are suffering from deteriorating consumer confidence, there is one channel of retail that will continue to boom. According to the latest report from Verdict Research, a Datamonitor company, retail sales at airports will grow by 11% in 2008 to $30bn (about R235bn), making it the fastest growing channel of retail after the Internet. 18 Aug 2008 06:00