Latest News from Core Catering

SABMiller reports SA beer sales up

SABMiller has reported a 2% growth in lager sales volumes in South Africa for the 12 months to the end of March.

In a trading update issued today, South Africa’s biggest brewer attributed the growth to “upweighted brand and market facing investment”  together with some improvement in consumer confidence.

Despite the absence of an Easter peak period this year lager volumes in the fourth quarter were level with the prior year.

“Our core power brand portfolio continued to gain momentum, with sustained strong growth from Castle Lite and good performances from Castle Lager and Hansa Pilsener.”

Soft drinks volumes grew 3% for the year reflecting early success for the new soft drinks growth strategy, notwithstanding a 3% decline in volumes in the fourth quarter due to wet and cold weather and the absence of an Easter period.

Industry gets "future fit" to make most of online tourism growth

Tourism associations announce dates for fourth e tourism summit in Cape Town: 15-16 September 2011

The Fourth Annual E Tourism Africa Summit was launched in Cape Town at the quarterly Joint Association Membership Meeting (JAMM) of Cape Town Tourism, Fedhasa Cape, SAACI and SATSA Western Cape. The meeting was attended by more than 200 delegates, keen to learn how the tourism industry needs to become “future fit” to benefit from advances in technology and changing global travel trends.

The future sustainability of tourism will be a strong theme at this year’s E Tourism Africa Summit, which will take place on 15 and 16 September 2011 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. South African Tourism is the title sponsor of the event, with Cape Town Tourism as the host sponsor.

Building on the success of last year’s summit and on feedback from industry, this year’s summit will feature a new programme format, with a line-up of international speakers from leading travel firms, social networks and best practice destinations.

On the first day, a selection of international speakers will present the latest innovations and technologies, plus demonstrate the opportunities that technology creates for the sustainability of economic growth in a market defined by slow economic recovery, alternative energies and changing demographics.

The second day of the summit will offer delegates the option of attending a full practical online tourism seminar that will help bring tourism stakeholders up to speed on digital marketing, e-commerce management and using social media to promote their businesses. Alternatively, delegates can attend a series of specialised panel discussions – moderated by international experts – on key issues for the ongoing development of online tourism across Africa. These sessions will include discussions on the roles of destination managers, travel agents, tour operators, wildlife managers and airlines.

Damian Cook, the CEO and founder of E Tourism Frontiers, the company organising the summit, says: “Online travel continues to grow. Last year the sector recorded 7% growth and stands at well over US$160-billion in sales. Statistics show that 55% of travel sales are completed online and more than 95% of travel research is done online. Mobile is also a growing area with 28% of mobile users in the UK using their phones to access the internet every day.

“With figures like these, it is clear that online is now the arena of choice for travel sales, but we need to look at how we can also use technology to build growth in challenging markets and make our industry more sustainable. This is especially true in Africa, where we are only beginning to realise the full potential of technology for tourism.

“South Africa and Cape Town are leaders in this respect and therefore a logical host country and city for this event, where we will explore ways of working together with both the public and private sector to ensure sustainability and a future fit environment for tourism in Africa”, says Cook.

William Price, the global e marketing manager for South African Tourism, adds: “It is vital that destinations and tourism companies in Africa wake up and smell the cyberspace if they want to gain their rightful share of the vast US$160-billion plus online travel market business. We need to start making online a priority. In Africa we have some of the richest, most diverse and dramatic destinations on the planet and the limitless world of the web to tell our stories.”

Mariette Du Toit-Helmbold, CEO of Cape Town Tourism, comments that hosting the E Tourism Africa Summit in Cape Town for the second year running served to highlight the commitment of the city’s tourism industry to embracing technology and building on Cape Town’s global competitiveness.

She explains: “As a destination Cape Town has made great strides in terms of our digital presence. E marketing is the cornerstone of Cape Town Tourism’s marketing strategy. Our website, www.capetown.travel, has grown rapidly since its launch in 2008 and our Facebook fan page, I ♥ Cape Town, is widely regarded as a best practice example of effective social networking, with one of the largest groups of destination fans in the world. We also make extensive use of Twitter, Flickr, blogs and e newsletters.

“This year will see the introduction of our real-time booking system and a strong focus on converting web traffic into transactions. We’ll also be increasing our online activity with the launch of the new Cape Town brand position, which will be rolled out predominantly via our digital platforms. This year’s E Tourism Africa Summit will give us, as an industry, valuable insight and tools to create a more sustainable future in tourism.”

Core Catering Swakopmund Franchise Opening 2011

CORE Catering Supplies has a new branch in Swakopmund and is especially more accessible to their clients at the coast. The South African franchise store chain which opened in Windhoek two years ago, says their high quality products is now easily accessible at their new store in Swakopmund’s industrial area. "For us it is about service and now our products are available in two areas of Namibia," said Core’s franchise owner Jenny Comalie during the opening of the new branch in Swakopmund.

One of the leading products they provide are Libbey glassware which has a guarantee against any chip on the glassware. A demonstration by the sales officer, Hendrik Scholtz during the opening confirms the quality of Libbey glasses by dropping it on the ground then showing off the undamaged glass to all the guests present. Although the branch in Swakopmund is the smallest in the core chain sequence according to the managing director of Core Holdings Mr. Olav Rucker, does not mean any compromises are to be made to their clients. Any products of Core’s catering or furniture products can be ordered here. "Anyone can buy by us be it a few items for their home or large catering companies such as restaurants and hotels," he said.

"We are trying to be a one stop shop for the catering industry and if we do not have it we will get it. We are specialists in our industry and our people more than adept at what they do, "says ms. Comalie.

The wide range of products Core Catering Supplies offers includes glassware, cutlery, bar equipment, crockery, kitchen equipment from ovens to tablecloths, chef knives, kitchen specialist clothing and a wide variety of furniture to really make everyone feel welcome.

Core Catering Swakopmund Tak Oopening 2011

CORE Catering Supplies het ʼn nuwe tak op Swakopmund en die spesifiek om meer toeganklik aan hul kliënte by die kus te wees. Die Suid-Afrikaanse kettingwinkelreeks wat twee jaar terug in Windhoek oopgemaak het, se hoë kwaliteit spysenieringsprodukte is nou makliker bekombaar by hul nuwe winkel in Swakopmund se industriële gebied.  “Vir ons gaan dit oor dienslewering en nou is ons produkte op twee plekke in Namibië beskikbaar,” sê Core se agentskapeienaar in Namibië, me. Jenny Comalie, tydens die opening van die nuwe tak op Swakopmund.

Een van die voorste produkte wat hulle verskaf is die Libbey glasware wat ʼn waarborg teen enige versplintering het. ʼn Demonstrasie deur die verkoopsbeampte, Hendrik Scholtz, tydens die opening bevestig die gehalte van die Libbey glase soos een glas op die grond laat val word, dit rond hop en hy dit onbeskadig weer vir gaste wys.

Hoewel die tak op Swakopmund die kleinste in die Core kettingreeks is volgens die besturende direkteur van Core Holdings, mnr. Olav Rücker, beteken dit nie kliënte hoef enige kompromieë te maak nie. Van hier kan enige produkte van Core se spysenierings- of meubileringsprodukte bestel word. “Enigiemand kan hier kom koop van die persoon wat net enkele items vir hul huis soek of groot spysenieringsmaatskappye soos restaurante en hotelle,” sê hy.

“Ons probeer om ʼn enkel stop winkel vir die spysenieringsbedryf te wees en as ons dit nie het nie sal ons dit kry. Ons spesialiseer in ons bedryf en ons mense is self ook meer as gevoeg in wat hulle doen, ” sê me. Comalie.

Die groot verskeidenheid produkte wat Core Catering Supplies bied sluit in glasware, eetgerei, kroegbenodighede, breekware, kombuistoerusting van oonde tot tafeldoeke, sjef messe,  gespesialiseerde kombuiskleredrag en ʼn groot verskeidenheid meubels om gaste wragtig welkom te laat voel.