Clicks has just released its trading update for the 21 weeks to the end of January and while not exactly a corker, it’s not without its pockets of general corkishness. Group sales were up 11.6% to R7.7 billion, with total retail sales coming in at 7.5%, helped thither by Clicks itself, which grew at an inflation-beating 8.4%. Pharmacy contributed nicely at 12.4% with front shop sales growing 5.7%. Once again, Musica somewhat let the side down with total sales declining by 1.9%. The big story – and you know what's coming – is UPD, the pharmaceutical wholesaler, which came blistering through at 19.5% on the back of continued growth in its distribution business. Look for some modest fireworks this year as Clicks spends R338million earmarked for automated systems, more growth at UPD, and added stores.

Comment: The drive to in-store pharmacies has proven to be a solid strategy during Mr Kneale’s unflappable tenure.

It’s My Big Book of Woolies this week, a bumper collection of stories for young readers who dream of growing up and owning their own white-collar grocery store one day. First off: The Dapper One has lured Puerto Rican supermodel Joan Smalls over to represent the re-launch of Studio W, their line of upscale kit for the well-turned-out boulevardier and his missus. Next: In another stride on the Good Business Journey, Woolies are about to embark on the installation of a 108kW photovoltaic power supply system at their Cape Town head office, working with preferred partner SOLA in a first for SA retailers. And finally, don’t worry about Woolies down in the hellish Antipodes – Country Road’s profits climbed a positively loony 72% year on year for the six months to December, following the acquisition of Witchery and Mimco in September.

Comment: So there you have it: a little something for everyone.

Is it just us, or is the dear old Comish going a little soft if you’ll pardon the expression, after the recent travails of young Mr Shan who found his work there competing, ahem, with his expensive internet pornography habit, and had to give it up? The Competition Commission, you see, has elected not to pursue its action against the respondents Pick n Pay, Shoprite and Spar in its investigation into long-term supermarket lease agreements, as its evidence does not conclusively prove the anti-competitive effects of such agreements. However, it remains concerned about the restriction of completion and the raising of barriers to entry that these leases might entail, but says that it will pursue any further action in the form of “advocacy engagements with key industry stakeholders, including property owners and supermarkets.”

Comment: Can you see the worry in our eye?

As other businesses have also found, the growing prosperity of emerging markets is the gift that keeps on giving for P&G. For the quarter to December, sales rose just 0.5% globally to around $22.3billion, with growth in the developing world particularly helping the fabric and home-care business, as well as the baby-, feminine- and family-care unit. On the downside (and we’re looking at you Mr Rand) currency fluctuations in some of these markets cost the business growth to the tune of three percentage points, in the midst of the biggest sell-off of merging market currencies in the last five years. This is a result of socio-political instability and the end of the Federal Reserve’s stimulus package in the US. While P&G sells less than some of its competitors in these markets, a higher proportion of goods produced locally ups their impact on the bottom line.

Comment: Don’t mention it, Big Guy.

“Who?” you might ask, and you’d be wrong: Cape-based Natural Herbs and Spices is expanding its customer base in local retailers like Pick n Pay, Spar and Dis-Chem, but cranks out over 70% of itself revenue through sales of both private-label and branded goodies to Coles and Woolworths in Australia, Aldi in Europe and elsewhere. How’d they do that? They had the vision to import and operate a steam sterilisation plant, which enables them to prepare herbs and spices for the export market. Steam, you see, is preferable to radiation and the use of ethylene oxide as a means of pasteurizing and preserving such products for the discerning first-world punter. The company sources its herbs and spices all over the show, but is now experimenting with growing some back home as well.

Comment: Nice work, Natural. “Packed with irradiated, ethylene oxide goodness”? We don’t thinks so.

Having conducted our customary mocking ritual last week of the economists who’d got the inflation numbers for November wrong, we went to boldly predict that Mr Doubtfire over at the reserve Bank would do precisely nothing about the slight increase. And we all know how that went. With the rand in something of a tailspin, the monetary committee felt that it had no choice in pre-empting runaway inflation, but to hike the interest rate for the first time in six years by 0.5% to 5%. This means that the prime lending rate goes up to about 9%, and that any indebted punters out there – those with a bond or say, an overdraft – will have that much less to spend on groceries. In related news, the Bank has revised its GDP growth forecast for the year from 3% to 2.8%, and from 3.4 to 3.3% next year.

Loathe as we are to toot on our own brass instrument … in fact, what the heck, yay us. Trade Intelligence, which publishes this august periodical, is proud to announce the addition of a new feature on our website: ten searching questions, and their no doubt illuminating answers, with various respected, influential or even controversial industry figures – leaders, visionaries, thinkers and doers alike. First up is Eugene Stoop, the quietly successful MD of Boxer, who is doing a stellar job of clearly defining this juggernaut company and entrenching their position within the retail industry as a worthy contender. Next up: Cobus Rossouw, Chief Integration Officer at Imperial Logistics and one of SA’s leading lights in the supply chain industry.

Comment: These insightful pieces will change the way you think about business in our exciting and challenging market