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 [...]

Garden centre sales in the first three months of 2013 were down by a quarter (25%) compared to the first three months of 2012, as cold weather meant gardeners stayed away, according to data released by Barclaycard on the launch of the 100th Chelsea Flower Show.  An unseasonably cold March had a significant effect on [...]

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 [...]