SA retailers and manufacturers face a significant shift in the way consumers behave over the next few years as economic conditions tighten, consumer confidence falls and Internet shopping takes off. Research conducted by GfK South Africa shows that many people are fearful about the future, with 46% saying they are not very, or not at all, confident about it. Crime and lawlessness are of the biggest fears for the future, with 61% of local respondents highlighting these as a concern. Protecting their families is therefore paramount for these respondents. This has a major effect on consumer behaviour when it comes to in-store and digital shopping. The study reported not only bad news, however. South Africans are becoming better educated. There were nearly 900,000 students in SA’s public universities in 2016 – an 82% increase in student numbers since the advent of democracy. And more South Africans today have access to the Internet than do not. Meanwhile, Generat...
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