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by Louise Burgers. While brands like Eskort are actively seeking partnerships to promote their meat products; retailers like Spar and Massmart are launching innovative own brands for their consumers.
PUMA has entered New Tokyo virtual city
Every week, we receive news of another brand entering the Metaverse in a unique way. This is now the playground for innovation in branding and retail. Puma has joined the New Tokyo virtual city as part of the 10KFT retail offering. The shop is known for its streetwear offerings and is owned by Wagmi-san, a digital artisan whose collections and NFT community recently welcomed the global sports brand. “We’re excited to join 10KTF and bring a physical layer to the current digital experience,” said Adam Petrick, chief brand officer at PUMA. Wagmi-san has previously alluded to his ambitions of bringing physical goods beyond the metaverse. News of the partnership was shared at an event hosted by 10KTF in New York during the week of NFT.NYC, a conference attended by crypto industry professionals, traders, and other web3 enthusiasts. The official announcement confirms weeks of speculation.
Chicken Chips are the latest on-the-go food in SA
First for the South African market, Chikka Chicken has introduced Cheeky Chikka Fries in Spar, which are crispy chips that are made from chicken, not potatoes. Perfect as an anytime meal for kids or as an on-the-go snack for all. Pianca Meintjies, SPAR’s Group home meal replacement manager, says the innovative addition to the Chikka Chicken in-store offering will ruffle some feathers. Cheeky Chikka Fries begin with chicken that is cut into strips and coated in a light savoury batter. The result is a tasty strip that looks like a regular potato chip. Prepared in your local Spar store, Cheeky Chikka Fries can be eaten by themselves or with dipping sauce. Meintjies adds: “Chikka Chicken forms part of The Food Stall offering at Spar the new in-store deli and home meal replacement Spar concept.
Massmart launches new small appliances private brand
As part of the expansion of its private brand offering, Massmart has acquired appliance brand, Eiger. “Through our ongoing research, we identified a clear gap in South Africa for a brand of well-priced, beautifully designed small appliances that have all the features customers expect in a premium product,” says Trevelyan Hall, group private brand merchandise executive at Massmart. The group notes that even with rising pressure on household budgets, research shows that small appliances are still viewed as a necessity by the South African consumer. “As cooking oil prices rise, for example, the air fryer remains a popular item with customers and is now seen as a staple item in the kitchen,” says Hall. To add additional value, Eiger promotes a healthy modern lifestyle by offering free recipe books and meal planning templates to customers. The range of products available through Massmart’s brands currently includes small appliances such as toasters, kettles, irons, hand vacuums, blenders, and air fryers of multiple sizes including a very large12L model. Massmart have been working closely with Eiger product specialists to develop new products that will be first to market in their categories. Eiger appliances are now available in-store and online at Makro, Game and Builders Stores.
CAMPAIGN: Eskort partners with restaurants to beat food inflation
The latest Statistics South Africa figures show food and beverage enterprises had only recovered some 60% of their pre-pandemic income by March this year, with sales still impacted by lingering Covid fears despite the easing of lockdown restrictions. The Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity group (PMBEJD) also revealed that the price of cooking oil jumped 53% year-on-year in May, potatoes as much as 22%, and beef 15%, placing restaurants at risk as households gradually tighten their belts. Arnold Prinsloo, Eskort CEO, notes that this has placed increased pressure on restaurateurs to develop creative tactics to keep customers at tables. “The food industry is at a crossroads, and restaurants need to prepare for a major shift as consumers grow more price-sensitive by the day. More expensive meats such as beef and lamb have become particularly unaffordable, which has pushed resourceful restaurants to consider alternatives such as pork that will appeal to their budget-conscious customers while still generating profits.” In a bid to support restaurants and stave off passing higher costs to consumers, Eskort has therefore entered into partnerships with several leading local restaurants to place more pork on the menu. The GrubHouse, uses Eskort pork on its pizzas, burgers and breakfast dishes, as well as offering diners a selection of ribs, eisbein and pulled pork. “Menus need to be affordable for customers, and the challenge for restaurants over the next few months will be striking the right balance between quality and price,” says Andrew Crain, chef and the GrubHouse’s menu development expert.
Main image credit: Puma.
Louise Burgers is the Publisher and Editor and Co-Founder of RetailingAfrica.com. She has spent over 20 years writing about the FMCG retailing, marketing, media and advertising industry in South Africa and on the African continent. She has specialised in local and Africa consumer trends and is a passionate Afro-optimist who believes it is Africa’s time to rise again and that the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) will be a global gamechanger in the next decade.
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