Most people (90%) want to take control of the type and timing of the promotional messages they receive, according to research by branding agency Corke Wallis. Its online survey of UK consumers found the overwhelming majority want an alternative to regular targeted promotions that’s more in-sync with their shopping activity. Eighty six per cent said they would [...]
UK retailers saw their customer footfall recover in the week ending 19 May 2013 compared with the same week in 2012, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and Path Intelligence and as measured by the Path Index. The Path Index — which melds shopping-centre footfall and the time spent per visitor into [...]
UK soap stars are portraying irresponsible lifestyles, with high levels of unhealthy eating and alcohol consumption, and a total lack of exercise, according to a new study by The Co-operative Food, which reveals the full extent of the characters’ unhealthy lifestyles displayed during prime-time TV. Working with Liverpool John Moores University Business School, more than 830 scenes of the UK’s four most popular [...]
Stores will continue to be the hub for retailer engagement with connected customers despite the rise of online and mobile commerce across Europe, according to a new survey of European retail managers commissioned by retail solutions provider, Fujitsu. The Fujitsu Pan-European Retail Survey 2013 explores the future of the store in a multi-channel environment, including store [...]
Today’s shoppers expect a higher than ever level of support and expertise from high street retailers, a new survey by Vista Retail Support has revealed. Ninety five per cent of those polled by the retail IT support specialist said if in-store assistants were inefficient or unknowledgeable, they would go to a rival retailer instead; while [...]
Supermarkets are doing a better job of communicating with their customers in a meaningful way than other businesses, with consumers rating them well above firms in all other industry sectors, according to the new Customer Intimacy Index produced by database marketing specialist GI Insight. The Index also indicates companies in some predominantly retail sectors are, surprisingly, struggling to connect with customers – revealing that clothing andhome furnishings/DIY brands need to [...]
Holland & Barrett parent, NBTY Europe, has announced it will adopt 100% renewable biomass energy throughout the health food chain’s 700 UK store estate. As part of the company’s ‘Plan It Green’ initiative, Holland & Barrett will use Haven Power to supply electricity generated from biomass, a form of stored solar energy. Biomass, which is produced from [...]
Duck Tape, the leading duct tape brand, is launching a range of products in the UK, targeting the booming craft market. The Duck Tape Colours adhesive tape range is being introduced to offer consumers a selection of bright, durable and flexible tapes that can be used to create and decorate anything, from school books to [...]
McDonald’s has installed Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) from Trend Controls across 1,100 of its UK restaurants to reduce costs and help make it one of the world’s most sustainable quick service restaurant chains. Since it was founded in 1954, McDonald’s has grown from a family burger stand to one of the world’s most recognisable restaurant [...]
Retail traffic counter and analyser, ShopperTrak, has formed a global business unit to address the needs of shopping mall developers and centre owners. Todd Starcevich, ShopperTrak’s chief executive officer of Europe and the Middle East, will return to the company’s corporate headquarters in Chicago to lead this team. The new business unit will be responsible [...]
Fashion retailer LK Bennett has appointed Sarah Thornley as merchandising director, based at the company’s headquarters in London’s Cavendish Square. Thornley was previously at Burberry for 13 years, most recently as global director of merchandise for online and director of merchandise for Europe. Prior to this Sarah worked at luxury multi-brand and department store Harvey [...]
Spar International has reported a 2.8% increase in worldwide retail sales to €32bn in 2012. Spar now has retail operations in 34 countries and its global partnership encompasses 12,322 stores. Spar will have retail operations in 36 countries when the first Spar supermarkets open in Qatar and Lebanon later this year. Speaking at the 58th [...]
Now Mobile, a leading mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) specialising in international calling and low cost pre-paid mobile solutions, has signed a national sales agreement with Tesco. The distribution agreement will see Now Mobile SIMs made available across the UK in selected Tesco stores, as well as online. The deal is the next step in a [...]
LINPAC Packaging has developed a new range of hinged bakery boxes for morning goods which are lighter than previous designs to ease the eco-tax burden on retailers and manufacturers across Europe. The LeanBake range, which comprises both hermetic (airtight) and semi-hermetic boxes, doesn’t compromise on functionality or product protection and will appeal to those looking [...]
151 Products – a leading UK supplier of value household items – has secured a licence agreement with the Beano and Dandy comics publisher, DC Thomson. The Manchester-based company has signed a two-year contract with the Scottish publishing house – made famous across the world for its much-loved cartoon characters and TV animation series from its [...]
Amazon has overtaken Wal-Mart to become the world’s most valuable retail brand in the eighth annual Millward Brown Optimor BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study. The e-tailer grew its brand value by +34% to reach $45.7bn, and has risen four places to no.14 in the overall Top 100 ranking. Wal-Mart grew by 5%, and is [...]
Aldi has posted an all-time record share of 3.5%, increasing from 2.8% last year, according to the latest grocery share figures from Kantar Worldpanel for the 12 weeks ending 12 May 2013. The discount retailer also achieved its highest ever year-on-year growth, 31.5%, over the past 12-week period. Waitrose holds on to its record share of 4.9% [...]
The Co-operative’s own-brand vintage Champagne has scooped its second major accolade in a week after winning Gold at the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA). The win means the convenience retailer’s own brand Les Pionniers Vintage 2004 Champagne has beaten competition from top-drawer Champagnes and rival retailers at the world’s two most influential wine awards, after it also potted Gold at the [...]
David Grossman has been appointed CEO of BT Expedite & Fresca, BT’s multi-channel retail specialist business. Grossman has worked at BT for seven years, running a consumer mobile business and most recently as chief executive of BT Directories. Before BT he worked for AOL where he headed a strategic partnership and business development team across [...]
Employees from Spar wholesaler AF Blakemore dug out their gardening gloves and got green-fingered on 15 May 2013 to take part in Give and Gain Day 2013. The team, consisting of employees from both the Talbot Green and Tipton depots, got their tools ready and set to work to create a sensory garden for the [...]
The Skills Show, the UK’s leading skills and careers event, has recruited Gail Cohen to the newly created role of director of marketing, content and commercial development. Formerly the director of marketing, communications and audiences at the British Film Institute (BFI), she will oversee a new directorate within the organisation which draws together all the elements of [...]
Europe’s fast moving consumer goods industry faces a bright future despite the current economic difficulties. That was the upbeat verdict of business leaders speaking at the ECR Europe annual conference in Brussels this week (14-15 May 2013). More than 600 delegates from over 30 countries – including as far a field as Singapore, Brazil, Canada and [...]
Apple juice made from some of the rarest apples trees in Britain is to go on sale at The Co-operative Food. Some of the trees date back to pre-Victorian times, including one identical to the apple tree made famous by Sir Isaac Newton, when he discovered gravity. Others have long-forgotten names such as Duck’s Bill, Bloody Ploughman, [...]
Retail sales of homeopathic and herbal remedies in the US have reached $6.4bn in 2012, up almost 3% from 2011, and growing 16% over the past five years, according to new research by Mintel. Today, 30% of respondents who suffered an ailment within the past year claim to have used a homeopathic or herbal remedy [...]
Walkers and Muller have the highest number of promotions running across the five leading online supermarkets, according to analysis of the 10 most popular FMCG brands for the week commencing 13 May 2013 by pricing intelligence provider Profitero. Based on Kantar Worldpanel’s recent baramoter of the UK’s most chosen FMCG brands, Profitero analysed 10 of the most popular [...]
A new online business guide to help businesses in the retail sector survive a potential disaster has been launched by a leading UK cloud and IT service provider. Managing costly power outages, IT failure, flooding and even terrorism are some of the potentially damaging scenarios examined in the Would Your Business Survive? study produced by InTechnology. Designed to [...]
The Co-operative’s own brand Champagne has scooped Gold medals at the International Wine Challenge 2013, beating top class Champagnes from leading brands and rival retailers. The community-based retailer’s own brand Les Pionniers Vintage 2004 Champagne collected Gold for the third year running, while The Co-operative’s Les Pionniers NV Champagne also picked up Gold. Both Champagnes, named after [...]
John Lewis has announced plans to recruit more than 100 apprentices for its 2013/2014 Retail Apprenticeship programme, and launch a Technology Apprenticeship aimed at training the next generation of IT and systems leaders in the business. Now in its second year, the one-year retail scheme focuses on young people and guarantees that everyone who successfully [...]