Latest news with #retailgrowth
Zawya
3 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Why digital health adoption is the catalyst for South Africa's retail health sector expansion?
Amid cautious consumer spending, the Retail trade sales report from Stats SA reveals that retail trade sales in March increased by 2.8%, with sales up compared to the same period in 2024. South Africa's retail health sector is showing signs of growth. The sector experienced an impressive 7.1% growth in March, contributing 0.5 percentage points to overall retail performance. Retail pharmacies and small-to-medium sized medical practices are more than just businesses; they are essential building blocks of South Africa's healthcare infrastructure. Often serving as the first point of contact for patients, these practices are embedded in their communities and vital to delivering preventative care and treating common illnesses. As these frontline providers take on a growing role in communities, they're also uniquely positioned to benefit from the shifts reshaping the industry. Our data at Merchant Capital shows clear signs of momentum in the sector, driven by several key trends that present strong growth opportunities for pharmacies and practices: Growing demand: With a rising number of chronic conditions and a steadily increasing population, the need for accessible primary healthcare is expanding. This presents a clear opportunity for practices looking to scale and serve more patients. Digital health adoption: Electronic health records (EHRs), digital diagnostics, and telemedicine are redefining how care is delivered. While these technologies improve efficiency and patient experience, they require upfront investment and training—areas where access to funding can accelerate adoption. Regulatory compliance: As the regulatory landscape becomes more complex, practices are facing increased administrative and compliance costs. This creates a growing need for financial support to keep pace with evolving standards. Preventative care emphasis: There is a marked shift towards proactive healthcare, with a surge in patient education initiatives and screening programmes. To participate meaningfully, practices must invest in outreach, specialised equipment, and broader service offerings. To capitalise on these trends, access to strategic funding becomes a critical lever for success. For healthcare professionals, the right financial support doesn't just plug budget gaps, it unlocks growth. Whether it's expanding consultation space, investing in diagnostic tools, or implementing AI-powered admin systems, the right Asset-Free Medical Practice funding partner can help practices modernise and meet the needs of today's patients. As South Africa's retail health sector continues to grow, now is the time for small practices and independent pharmacies to act. With the right stock strategy, enhanced customer experience, and tailored working capital solutions, healthcare entrepreneurs are well-positioned to strengthen their offering, serve more patients, and thrive in a transforming industry. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Reuters
4 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
M&S food sales show resilience despite cyberattack, says NielsenIQ
LONDON, May 29 (Reuters) - British retailer Marks & Spencer's (MKS.L), opens new tab food business saw food sales increase 10.8% over the 12 weeks to May 17 year-on-year despite the fallout from a cyberattack last month denting availability, industry data showed on Thursday. Researcher NielsenIQ said M&S' share of the UK grocery market rose 20 basis points to 3.8% in the period year-on-year. M&S' sales growth did, however, slow from 14.7% in NielsenIQ's previous report. As part of its management of the cyberattack, M&S stopped taking online clothing orders and also took other systems offline. That hit food availability and also resulted in higher waste and logistics costs. Last week M&S said the attack would cost it about 300 million pounds ($404 million) in lost operating profit, with disruption to online services lasting probably until July. Most of NIQ's data broadly echoed the findings of rival researcher Kantar's report on Wednesday, with robust sales growth from discounters Aldi and Lidl, market leader Tesco (TSCO.L), opens new tab, number two Sainsbury's (SBRY.L), opens new tab and online supermarket Ocado (OCDO.L), opens new tab. However, M&S is not fully included in Kantar's market share data set. ($1 = 0.7430 pounds)
Zawya
7 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Clur Index: Small retail centres lead growth stakes in South Africa
According to the latest Clur Shopping Centre Index, community and smaller retail centres led the growth stakes in the first quarter of 2025. Along with these centres, super-regional malls and the Western Cape were top performers for the quarter, said Belinda Clur, managing director of Clur International, which produces the index. 'The outperformance of community and smaller centres points to a shift in the consumer value system,' said Clur. She positions the market as a Belief Economy, with the Attention Economy fading out. 'Meaningful values are now prioritised over excessive exposure, and trusted emotional and human connection is the new currency. This is a critical backdrop for future shopping centre and business strategies. 'The national Clur Index for Q1 outperformed March 2025 CPI and saw growth relative to December 2024, in both annualised trading density and base rentals,' she said. 'The rent-to-sales ratio maintained its lowest level over five years, indicating continued stability and reduced market risk.' The index is derived from the Clur Collective, an asset management industry standard and economic indicator, now tracking performance at more than 5.4 million square metres across over 130 shopping centres in South Africa and Namibia. The platform helps listed and unlisted property funds to understand asset health and optimise returns. 'Over the quarter, all measured shopping centre segments outperformed Mar '25 CPI,' said Clur. 'But it was the community and smaller centres that showed the highest y/y% growth rate of 5.1%, beating CPI by 2.4% and expanding by 1.4% relative to Dec '24. Small regional centres followed at 3.6%, beating CPI by 0.9%. Regional centres showed the next highest growth expansion of 0.9% relative to Dec '24. 'The national Clur Index closed Q1 '25 with an annualised trading density of R41,162/sqm and y/y% growth of 3.4%. This outperformed Mar '25 CPI by 0.7% and showed an expansion of 0.4% relative to the 2024 year. Super regional centres showed the highest trading density of R50,440/sqm, followed by community and smaller centres at R46,564/sqm.' In rental performance, community and smaller centres showed the highest y/y% growth rate of 5.0%, beating CPI by 2.3%. Regional centres followed at 4.9%, beating CPI by 2.2%. The national Clur Index for Base Rent closed Q1 '25 at R233.10/ sqm and y/y% growth of 3.4%. This outperformed Mar '25 CPI by 0.7% and showed an expansion of 0.1% relative to Dec '24. Super regional centres showed the highest rentals of R314.23/sqm, followed by regional centres at R227.48/sqm. Super regional centre rentals grew by 2.6% y/y, underperforming CPI by -0.1%. Clur said the Western Cape showed the strongest rental performance of the key three provinces of R256.22/sqm and y/y% growth of 6.2%, beating CPI by 3.5%. KwaZulu-Natal was second, at R238.53/sqm, growing by 2.5% y/y. Gauteng's y/y% growth rate was 2.4%, underpinned by a rental of R233.17/sqm. The national Clur Index Base Rent to Sales ratio closed Q1 '25 at 6.6% and stable y/y% growth. 'The market has not deviated from this level since late '23, indicating an ongoing position of stability and reduced market risk against the volatility of the last five years,' said Clur. Super regional centres showed the highest rent to sales ratio of 7.2%, whereas community and smaller centres showed the lowest level of 4.8%. The Western Cape showed the lowest rent to sales ratio of the key three provinces at 6.1%, with Gauteng showing the highest at 6.9%. Clur says: 'Trust, social connection and greater good are key elements of the new Belief Economy. These elements are evident in the growing theme of social impact retail in South Africa, which takes products and services to underserved communities. 'The Belief Economy is also evidenced through substantial growth and interest in the pre-loved second-hand and refurbished market, storytelling, the need for transparent provenance of product supply chains, as well as plant-based and organic segments becoming more mainstream shopper categories.' Clur said the Attention Economy was based on seduction via aggressive broad-based promotional activity on social media platforms that was mostly unashamedly brash and often dishonest. 'However, consumers have outgrown the superficial, 'in your face' quality that this embodied and now crave something real. The associated 'less is more' approach of the Belief Economy ties in with new thinking on luxury now being defined by peace and minimalism. 'Integrity and well-intentioned principles are cornerstones of a new language that resonates with consumers. In this case, a deep emotional connection is essential to attracting consumers and stimulating their desire to engage and spend. 'Additionally, there is a focus on global wellness and philanthropy. Strategies that stir emotional resonance through important themes such as climate change, empathy, animal welfare, inclusivity, ethics, responsible tech and circular economies are more likely to be successful in the Belief Economy, as emotional and altruistic touchpoints inspire change. 'This desired consumer sentiment seeks human medicine via physical, social, and community interactions. Therefore, shopping centre strategies should focus on human connection as an overarching theme.' Clur said this emotional and human currency was also based on a growing loneliness pandemic with global rising rates of single person dwellings and dropping fertility rates. Within this context, whilst social media platforms sell connection, this was often a mirage without substance. 'The Belief Economy further embodies a well-intentioned future skills set including adaptability, critical thinking, leading with impact, emotional intelligence, tactical ideas and solutions, personal development and tech savviness. All of these are key themes that shopping centres and businesses need to consider.' All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc (ZTO) Q1 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Navigating Growth Amidst ...
Parcel Volume: RMB8.5 billion, up 19.1% year over year. Adjusted Net Income: RMB2.3 billion, increased 1.6% year over year. Total Revenue: RMB10.9 billion, up 9.4% year over year. ASP for Core Express Delivery: Decreased 7.8% or RMB0.11. Total Cost of Revenue: RMB8.2 billion, increased 17.9%. Gross Profit: RMB2.7 billion, decreased 10.4%. Gross Profit Margin: 24.7%, decreased 5.4%. Income from Operations: RMB2.4 billion, increased 6.1%. Operating Cash Flow: RMB2.4 billion, increased 16.3%. Capital Expenditure: RMB2 billion for Q1. 2025 Full-Year Parcel Volume Guidance: RMB40.8 billion to RMB42.2 billion, a 20% to 24% increase year over year. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 1 Warning Sign with ZTO. Release Date: May 21, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc (NYSE:ZTO) achieved a 19.1% year-over-year increase in parcel volume, reaching RMB8.5 billion in the first quarter of 2025. The company reported an adjusted net income of RMB2.3 billion, marking a 1.6% increase year over year. Retail parcel volume increased by 46% year over year, with reverse logistics volumes surging over 150%, indicating strong growth in these segments. ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc (NYSE:ZTO) successfully decreased unit transportation and sorting costs by RMB0.09 year over year through digitization and accountability metrics. The company maintained strong corporate cost efficiency, with SG&A expenses as a percentage of revenue decreasing to 4.7%. The ASP for core express delivery business decreased by 7.8% due to intensified competition, impacting revenue. Gross profit decreased by 10.4% to RMB2.7 billion, and the gross profit margin rate decreased by 5.4% to 24.7%. Price competition in the express delivery industry intensified, putting pressure on profit margins. The proportion of lower value parcels increased, further intensifying price competition and impacting revenue growth. Despite efforts to narrow the gap, ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc (NYSE:ZTO) was slightly slower than the industry in volume growth during the first quarter. Q: How does ZTO plan to achieve its volume growth target despite intense competition, and what are the implications for profit? A: (Huiping Yan, CFO) ZTO aims to maintain service quality while focusing on volume leadership and reasonable profit. The company has narrowed the gap between its volume growth and the industry average by incentivizing network partners. ZTO continues to focus on upgrading its revenue structure, particularly in retail and reverse logistics, which saw significant growth. The company plans to deepen cooperation with e-commerce platforms to sustain this growth. Q: What are the expectations for unit revenue and cost, and how is AI being integrated into ZTO's operations? A: (Huiping Yan, CFO) The decline in unit revenue is due to intense competition and an increase in lower-weight parcels. ZTO is focusing on cost efficiency, with significant reductions in transportation and sorting costs. AI is being used in sorting operations, route planning, and order allocation to improve efficiency and reduce errors. ZTO plans to further explore AI applications in last-mile delivery and other areas. Q: What progress has been made in direct linkage and cost optimization, and what are the expectations for the upcoming shopping festival? A: (Huiping Yan, CFO) ZTO is optimizing outlet layouts and promoting direct sorting and delivery to reduce last-mile costs and increase outlet earnings. The company expects significant cost savings and improved network partner earnings. For the upcoming shopping festival, ZTO anticipates high parcel volumes and plans to maintain competitive pricing while supporting network stability. Q: How does ZTO plan to handle the intensified price competition and its impact on ASP? A: (Huiping Yan, CFO) ZTO is focusing on maintaining high service quality and strategically adjusting pricing based on market conditions. The company is leveraging its cost efficiency initiatives to offset pricing pressures and plans to continue optimizing its revenue mix to sustain profitability. Q: What are ZTO's strategic priorities in response to current market challenges? A: (Meisong Lai, CEO) ZTO's strategic priority is to solidify its leadership in quality and scale while achieving reasonable profit levels. The company is committed to sustainable growth, reinforcing its network stability, and leveraging technology to enhance operational efficiency. ZTO aims to build an enduring enterprise that can adapt to changing market dynamics. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Reuters
13-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
China's JD.com beats quarterly revenue estimates
May 13 (Reuters) - China's ( opens new tab topped market estimates for quarterly revenue on Tuesday, in a sign the e-commerce giant saw steady demand even as U.S. tariffs and prolonged economic weakness weighed on consumer sentiment. Consumer demand in China has faced a series of hurdles in recent years, with a prolonged property sector crisis and high unemployment rates never allowing for a full recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. But e-commerce players such as and Alibaba ( opens new tab have resorted to slapping heavy discounts and cutting product prices to lure shoppers, while also leaning on government subsidies to drive consumption. That has helped a major retailer of home appliances in China, even as consumer sentiment took a hit from U.S.-China trade tensions. China's retail sales growth also quickened in January and February. reported total revenue of 301.08 billion yuan ($41.82 billion) for the quarter ended March 31, up 15.8% from a year earlier. Analysts' estimate was 289.22 billion yuan, according to data compiled by LSEG. U.S.-listed shares of the company fell more than 1% in premarket trading.
