At Currency HQ we know shopping. The floor plans of Sandton City and the V&A Waterfront are etched in our brains, the Superbalist specials are on automatic alert and the Instagram algorithms are onto our love of a second-hand find. Hell, we even remember when Cresta had an ice rink, the Workshop was the place for a rainy-day Durban movie and the Vida on Kloof Street was the only one. Our retail radar is that ingrained.
From this week, we’ll be using our power for good – alerting you to all the cool shopping finds, big retail news, hot deals and all the shiny things in stores that we really want (but probably don’t need).
‘The Simpsons’
At 34 seasons,The Simpsons holds the records for longest-running sitcom and animated series in TV history. It’s no surprise, then, that the show has done collabs with Balenciaga, Nike, Adidas, Swatch and Levi’s. The latest company to jump on the money-spinning bandwagon is Australian stationery and homeware brand Typo. It’s launched a collection of Homer-, Marge- and Bart-bedecked goodies, and it must be said that the show’s iconic aesthetic of simple, black-outlined characters in a solid colour looks great in product form. We particularly love the Krusty the Clown ceramic cereal storage jar and the Duff Beer mug. Plus, in the immortal words of Mr Burns, the glorious glut of Simpsons wrapping paper, gift tags and ornaments will make for an “excellent” festive season. Don’t you agree, Smithers?
Get in line
Never seen a stripe you don’t like? May we point you in the direction of the fantastic new Riviera outdoor cushions that Cape Town furniture legend Pedersen + Lennard is producing. A subtle lime or salmon stripe seems a great summer addition to any home décor scheme. Of course, they’re made to fit the loungers, chairs and benches that P+L create, but that shouldn’t hold you back. The company’s wonderfully crafted pieces are instant heirlooms. Also, it’s got some great small items, ranging from candlestick holders to toast racks, that are perfect gifts, all easily ordered on a slick website.
Return of the snack
Oh happy day, Woolies has brought back its trout terrine. Does this sound like ultimate middle-class affirmation? Well, quite – except, it is not an hors d’oeuvres classic for nothing. A slice on a piece of melba toast might be the zenith of 1970s chic, and only outdone by your own homemade salmon mousse, but it remains perennially delicious. Of course, salmon is wildly expensive in South Africa, so it’s not surprising that trout has become the equally delish local swap-in. Someone at Woolies obviously thinks the same, as the retailer has recently introduced a moreish-looking creamy dill dip with beechwood trout too. There’s also a new cream cheese and smoked snoek dip and fragrant marinated prawns, which seem easy bets for your holiday entertaining table. And, currently, there are a few deals on these little nibbles including a “buy three deli fish, pay for two” offering.
A bright spark
Not that we need an excuse to imbibe a glass or two or 10 of sparkling wine, but somehow the silly season makes quaffing bubbles more regularly a lot more acceptable. And Stellenbosch’s Van Hunks sparkling wine is a fantastic option to get you started. The Western Cape brand is named after the legend of Jan van Hunks, who faced off with the devil in a smoking competition and thus created the foggy “tablecloth” on Table Mountain. The Van Hunks journey kicked off in 2020 with a sparkling mead and the brand has since created a delicious crisp brut and brut rosé Cap Classique that put the spark into sparkling.
Art on the move
After nearly 20 years at its Church Street space, Cape Town art gallery WORLDART has just moved to a bigger and better location on Long Street. The new location, in a beautiful historic building, is light, bright and larger, so it can offer more variety and more art. It’s also a short stroll to Bree Street’s popular restaurants and coffee shops, and across the road from the City Sightseeing Bus stop. The gallery, which specialise in contemporary African art with a bold street art and pop-art aesthetic, is launching with an exciting joint showcase of Kilmany-Jo Liversage and Norman O’Flynn titled Fuck Normal I Want Magic.
The big hype
We vaguely remember a time before we did weekly Sixty60 orders, and we recall them with little joy. We have drunk the Checkers delivery Kool-Aid completely, and so spotting the teal and green Hyper van (it makes us think of The A-Team) whizzing around delivering big items has added some joy to our humdrum lives. That we’ve upgraded to the new app and now can, hypothetically, order a braai, flat-screen TV or ice-maker from the closest Checkers Hyper at the same time as ordering groceries is mind-blowing. Added to this, Checkers says it’ll be rolling out products from Apple, Dyson, Smeg and Thule as part of the Sixty60 app offering – so we’ll never need to leave home again.
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