Why bigger brands are under threat from high cost of living

Employees offload maize flour from a truck. [File, Standard]

If you walk into a supermarket today, the scene is akin to that of a restless man in the maternity ward – pacing up and down the corridor – waiting for the doctor or nurse to emerge with hopefully good news.

Or two chess players, deeply immersed in the game, calculating their opponent’s next move to see how to counter it.