RETAIL TRENDS
BY ANGIE REDMOND
Technological Advances In Retail Trends
Don’t be left behind
A
recent study by the South African Council
of Shopping Centres (SACSC) shows that
South Africans are increasingly latching
onto technological advancements and that social
media is playing a vital role to both retailers and
consumers.
One questions raised by the study was: “If only
18% of South Africans own a computer then how
come one in three has access to the Internet? “The
answer, is cellphones,” says Amanda Stops, CEO
of the SACSC. “Some 84% of South Africans own
a cellphone. That’s how more and more people
are going online while on the move.” With the
role of social media in everyday life increasing
all the time, at least three quarters of Internet
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Commercial Handbook 2013
astute South Africans use mo bile means to stay in
touch with social media platforms like Facebook,
LinkedIn, Twitter and Mixit. When the SACSC
commissioned its detailed survey of 100 local
shopping centres, it came up with some fascinating
figures about how South Africa’s favourite hangouts
are using South Africa’s favourite online pastime to
engage with customers. For instance, an impressive
59% of social media users actively follow brands. In
addition, 27% actually discovered unknown brands
via social media. The retail centres and brands of
today cannot afford to be left behind technologically.
Shopping centres and retail stores need to harness
this trend and use it to promote foot traffic, so who
is winning the social media race when it comes to
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