Survival in the retail market is all about change, anticipating opportunities through subtle shifts in consumer behaviour and having the courage to adapt. And there is a lot of change taking place in South Africa. Some of it part of global trends and fashions, some of it a result of South Africa's emergence as a tourist destination and some of it reflects structural shifts in our society. Worldwide, people are living a lot longer and populations are ageing as people have fewer children. This is true of parts of South Africa's population too, but at the same time we are beginning to feel the effects of the Aids pandemic, which is projected to reduce the population by 5 million people over the next 8 years. Counter balancing this is an influx of immigrants from the rest of Africa through our porous borders. Some estimates put the number of illegals in the country at about 9 million. Then there is a steady stream of young, well educated whites leaving the country as job opportunities are closed to them, and a brain drain of older professionals seeking a better life elsewhere. There is a continuing drift of jobless people from the rural areas to the cities, and a general de-population of the farming areas as younger folk opt not to follow the family farming tradition. There are also shifts within the farming community as reflected by falling land prices in KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Province, and rising prices elsewhere. But, in the tourist areas business is booming. Towns like Swellendam, Montagu, Sabie and Pilgrims Rest have taken on a new lease of life, and the Maputo corridor has brought windfalls to Komatipoort, Malelane and Nelspruit. Within the cities, we are seeing major structural changes in lifestyles, as the wealthy move away from their traditional large properties to more secure homes in cluster developments, golf estates and security complexes. Town planning parameters have changed, with a view to increasing suburban densities, and there has been a boom in the development of affordable flats and townhouses in the more affluent areas. Residential areas no longer have a homogeneous character. Some areas, particularly those close to the townships or industrial areas have seen a complete transformation in profile from white to black, and much the same is happening in the more affordable high density areas such as Windsor Park. These demographic shifts reflect changes in the social structure of urban society, and are accompanied by changes in buying behaviour and market potentials. Then there are lifestyle changes that have impacted on the market like the shift to more casual work attire, health and fitness, convenience shopping, eating out and prepared foods. In such a dynamic and turbulent environment it is imperative to keep well informed. Through its Consumer Laboratory and cutting edge analysis technology, Douglas Parker Associates helps its clients keep ahead of the pack. Since 1978 Douglas Parker Associates has been the leading retail research consultancy in South Africa, offering customised and specialised services to their clients including: store location; business development planning; shopping centre market evaluations; concept development; product, pack, pricing research; tenant mix; and advertising research. |  |
