In-Store articles from August 2006

In-Store archives from August 2006

Petrol stations to convert forecourt stores to Spars.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Forecourt stores at 22 Total petrol stations are to be converted to Spar stores, after a three-store trial at sites representative of the fuel group's portfolio, in Bishop Stortford, Ickenham and Ruislip. Last month, Pace Petroleum...

George brand extended into cosmetics.
August 10, 2006... Asda's George brand is being extended into the cosmetics sector, using launch P-O-P developed by Bezier. "The George brand has been phenomenally successful and we have been keen to extend this to the cosmetics range. The new unit gives the...

Ladybird brand breaks away from Woolworths.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Woolworths will open its first standalone Ladybird store in the UK before the end of the year and will invest in 92 dedicated Ladybird areas in its larger stores. Design for the children's clothing sub-brand is by Checkland Kindleysides...

Bell puts cows on trolley.(The Laughing Cow Squeeze )(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Bell UK is running a shopping-trolley advertising campaign across Sainsbury's supermarkets for its new The Laughing Cow Squeeze cheese spread product. The Laughing Cow brand is aimed at children and the campaign, run by outdoor...

Boots adds integrated unit for 'make-up artist' brand.
August 10, 2006... Boots has launched two new in-store units for make-up brand Ruby & Millie for use in 101 stores. One unit is a cosmetics table, the other a 'beacon' unit with an integrated plasma screen. Design is by Checkland Kindleysides. The new...

Fopp launches live-music flagship.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Music and book retailer Fopp has launched a flagship store on London's Tottenham Court Road with 1,858 sq m of trading space including a cafe and a stage for live music in-store. The ground floor houses a large range of specialist music...

Project on digital future.(Popai Digital, Decision Tree Consulting)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Popai Digital and Decision Tree Consulting have launched a research project into the future of digital media networks in retail. "Making digital media networks work" is due to be completed in October, and will involve original research...

Sailing inspires limited edition shoe by Camper.(25th annual Copa del Rey sailing race)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Camper is celebrating its participation in the 25th annual Copa del Rey sailing race with the launch of a limited edition shoe, Imar, available only in selected stores. The co-sponsorship of the sailing event involving crews from...

Phase Eight new look.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Contemporary women's label Phase Eight is launching a new boutique- inspired look with store design by Caulder Moore. The format will be introduced at the end of August in its new 132 sq m site in Basingstoke. Caulder Moore's design aims for...

Coral takes ironic view in pre-season P-O-P push.(in-store campaign)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Betting store Coral, has launched an integrated in-store campaign to promote its offer before the start of the football season. The campaign, by 141 Worldwide, is based on irony and uses wording such as "The beautiful game" contrasted...

Premium Asian sauces.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Sharwood's has launched a range of premium Asian sauces with packaging design by Jones Knowles Ritchie. Going beyond the usual flavours of Indian, Chinese and Thai food, Sharwood's aims to take consumers to previously unexplored culinary...

Game plan for PSP owners.(PlayStation Portable)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Computer games retailer Game has been offering free in-store downloads for customers who bring their PlayStation Portable (PSP) consoles into branches. An initiative in the last week of July allowed gamers who visited stores on...

IN BRIEF: Barr launches packs for whole range.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Barr Soft Drinks is to introduce new packaging for its entire range for the first time in nearly a decade. The company has appointed Glasgow design group Stand after a pitch between eight consultancies for the job. Leithal Thinking, the...

IN BRIEF: Lil-lets campaign joins lingerie retailer.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Lil-lets has launched a campaign with high-street lingerie retailer La Senza, capitalising on Lil-lets "ultimate fit" proposition. The campaign, designed by below-the-line agency Woo, will appear on more than three million Lil-lets packs,...

IN BRIEF: Organic Pharmacy opens second outlet.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... The Organic Pharmacy has opened its second store on London's Kensington High Street. With a policy of using cutting-edge research in active botanicals, the retailer offers a large range of strictly organic health and beauty product and...

IN BRIEF: Schuh stores roll-out 'tidy' cashier desks.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... UK footwear retailer Schuh is to roll-out NCR point-of-sale technology to its 69 stores. Touchscreen workstations and thermal receipt printers will help keep cashiers desks tidy and improve the looks of the stores, says the retailer. ...

IN BRIEF: Coutts rebranding combines five firms.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... P-O-P group Coutts Retail Communications has relaunched as CRC, bringing together five companies in different retailing marketing sectors. Brands include Lucid, a planning, strategy and research specialist, experiential team Theatre and CRC...

IN BRIEF: Hula Hoops launches 'pirate' multi-pack.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Snack brand Hula Hoops is launching a pirate-themed multi-pack promotion in August which, it claims, will give snackers the chance to win #5,000 in gold while trying new flavours. The concept, promotion and packaging were developed by...

NEWS ANALYSIS: Premier league.(Premier Foods)
August 10, 2006... The acquisition by Premier Foods of iconic brand names highlights the need for investment and resources to sustain growth, even if the brands score highly on recognition. Jacky Hyams reports The news that Premier Foods - makers of...

After making sale, many large retailers let clients down on delivery.
August 10, 2006... In most areas of life, people are free to decide whether or not size matters. But when it comes to shopping, the truth is that if you buy something really big you will have to get it delivered. Therefore, size is relevant. Logic would...

SCREEN TALK: A Natural affinity.
August 10, 2006... Dee Evans, managing director of Clearly Herbal, says The Pharmacy Channel screen ads, which were placed directly in front of consumers as they shopped, helped boost recognition of the brand Clearly Herbal Natural baby wipes are targeted...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Burberry announces store in Austria.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Dee Evans, managing director of Clearly Herbal, says The Pharmacy Channel screen ads, which were placed directly in front of consumers as they shopped, helped boost recognition of the brand Burberry will open its first store in Austria in...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Toy franchise to open in Middle East.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Iconic toy retailer Hamleys is due to open a franchise operation in the Middle East in conjunction with Daud Investments LLC. The series of large-format launches will begin with a Dubai store in autumn 2007, followed by Kuwait and Saudi...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Carpet sensors aim to profile customers.(Japan)(National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology's innovation)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... A carpet developed in Japan and incorporating a layer of silicon sensors aims to tell a person's age and sex when they walk on it. Researchers claim it will be used in analysing retail shopping patterns. The prototype was developed by a team...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Lee showcases new brand architecture.
August 10, 2006... Denim brand Lee has launched a new brand architecture for brand stores, shop-in-shop fixture design, permanent P-O-P and branding. Design by Dalziel & Pow is showcased in the flagship in Paris. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Levi's adds organic versions of range.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Levi's is launching organic products, including versions of the Levi's 506 Standard Fit Jean and the Levi's 570 Straight Fit Jean. The styles will launch from the end of 2006. "With Levi's Eco, consumers who seek to minimise their personal...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Iranian firm opens pilot store in Dubai.
August 10, 2006... Iranian dried fruit and nut producer Mani & Co is launching a new retail concept in the Middle East with a pilot store in Dubai. Its retail environment is by Portland Design and it launches in Autumn 2006. Copyright: Centaur...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Tesco spends #72m on outlets in Poland.
August 10, 2006... Tesco has acquired 220 convenience stores in Poland from the French Casino group, for #72m. The UK group already has more than 100 stores in Poland. The new stores, currently trading under the name Leader Price, will be rebranded with the...

DISPLAY OF THE MONTH: Points of view.(Leighton's Opticians)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... There are no glasses in sight in the eye-catching display of Leighton's Opticians, explains Lloyd Meheux There are 23 Leighton's shops in the south of England, but the optician keeps the image of a smaller independent retailer by...

CITY TALK: Renovation for DIY retail.(do it yourself )
August 10, 2006... The boom for DIY outlets appears to be over and it's now time for the struggling chains to decide whether to improve or move, says Lauren Mills, retail correspondent at the Mail on Sunday. After a romance spanning at least two decades,...

CITY NEWS: Burberry announces increased revenue.
August 10, 2006... The boom for DIY outlets appears to be over and it's now time for the struggling chains to decide whether to improve or move, says Lauren Mills, retail correspondent at the Mail on Sunday. Fashion label Burberry has announced a 19 per...

CITY NEWS: M&S continues to recover as sales rise.(Marks and Spencer PLC)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Marks & Spencer continues to recover with its overall sales for the first quarter up more than 10 per cent. It said like-for-like sales rose 8.2 per cent in the 13 weeks to 1 July. Overall sales were up by 10.4 per cent, with food sales...

CITY NEWS: MFI posts pre-tax losses of #5.7m.
August 10, 2006... Furniture retailer MFI has posted interim pre-tax losses of #5.7m for the 24 weeks to 10 June, compared with a #19.5m profit a year ago. It is six months into a financial recovery plan involving store closures, job cuts and a possible...

CITY NEWS: Footwear firm's profits step up to #7.73m.
August 10, 2006... Wolverine World Wide - owner of Merrell, Sebago and Hush Puppies footwear brands - has posted a second-quarter profit to 17 June of #7.73m. These figures are up from #7.24m the previous year. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

CITY NEWS: Woolworths sales fall following refit.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Woolworths has announced a fall of 7.7 per cent in its first half like- for-like sales. The company's chief executive Trevor Bish Jones said: "This performance shows that, for us, the current retail environment remains challenging."...

CITY NEWS: Carphone Warehouse profits up by 30%.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... The Carphone Warehouse Group's retail revenue for the 13 weeks to 1 July 2006 is up 29.7 per cent to #394.3m. Retail gross profit is up 30.5 per cent with like-for-like profits up 6.8 per cent. Charles Dunstone, chief executive officer,...

CITY NEWS: Supermarkets face European competition.
August 10, 2006... Budget European supermarket chains such as Lidl and Aldi could grab a 10 per cent share of the UK's #90bn-plus grocery market over the next decade say forecasts from consultancy Allegra Strategies. It predicts sales rises for such stores...

PROFILE - DAVID WHITLOW: The outside edge.(Ellis Brigham)
August 10, 2006... Marketing director at Ellis Brigham, David Whitlow, believes that active customers want to see products in action, and reality theatre and expert staff help achieve this. Maeve Hosea reports A blast of air chilled to -12 degrees C hits as...

SECTOR REPORT: Market makeover.(building materials industry)
August 10, 2006... Home-improvement stores are experiencing a drop in sales as the British public ends its love of doing DIY. Retailers are trying to address this issue by putting their own house in order. Matthew Valentine reports. While the UK seems...

STRATEGY REPORT: Night vision.
August 10, 2006... New technology is providing an interactive forum in which retailers and customers can converse even when stores are closed, and it's helping to expand communications on the high street. Maeve Hosea reports Retail is tough, and many...

SPECIAL REPORT: International recognition.
August 10, 2006... As consumer markets become increasingly global, the passport to success is having recognisable brands and related P-O-P that travels well, says Maeve Hosea More than ever, P-O-P must be designed with a global audience in mind. As...

PRODUCT NEWS: V4 suite aims for ease of use.(Marketsuite introduced Marketsuite V4)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Marketsuite has introduced Marketsuite V4, which is an email, mobile and web-integrated digital marketing suite for companies to carry out sophisticated marketing activities in-house. The product enables users to easily set up, design,...

PRODUCT NEWS: Trident supplies bright displays.
August 10, 2006... Trident has launched two high-brightness open-frame kiosk displays manufactured by Planar. The LB1500R and LB1503R are aimed at hospitality and retail industries, where their high brightness levels may help grab customer attention. The...

PRODUCT NEWS: Cyan publishes analysis of long-running Adidas.(All Day I Dream About Sport by Conrad Brunner)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Cyan has published the Adidas brand story All Day I Dream About Sport by Conrad Brunner. The book explores how, as a brand, Adidas has been one of the most enduring in world sport. As well as being linked to football superstars such as...

PRODUCT NEWS: Loop alarm triggers PC alerts.(Xpyda from Solutions Distributions)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... A security product has been launched to combine the traditional loop alarm systems used in many retail stores with existing computer networks. Xpyda is provided by Solutions Distributions. It is a black box about the size of a pack of...

Laminates give realistic stone effect.(Geaves & Partners)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... The Sparks range of laminates from Geaves & Partners aims to give a realistic-looking stone effect, at a fraction of the cost of using real stone. The range can be used vertically or horizontally for wall panels, counter tops, cabinet...

POPAI: Getting into show business.
August 10, 2006... As we move towards the summer holidays it is time to plan for later in the year. POPAI's conference season gets under way on 5 October with the Retail Marketing and In-store Communications conference in London. A range of speakers,...

Eye on design: Skandium.(home furnishings company)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Michael Fern, senior designer for Portland, reports on London design stores that aim to sell lifestyle as well as products by displaying complete room settings SKANDIUM It's difficult to remain objective about a store when my love...

Eye on design: Aria.(home furnishings stores)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... ARIA Located on Upper Street in Islington, Aria's store is laid out in a series of lifestyle rooms. The shopping experience includes bathrooms, kitchens, living, and an Alessi concession, with a seasonal display area adjacent to the...

Eye on design: Aram.(Furniture stores)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... ARAM Aram is more of a destination than a casual browse. Located in an old fruit-and-veg warehouse in the back streets of Covent Garden, the store focuses on showcasing some of the 20th century's finest examples of designer furniture....