In-Store articles from August 2007

In-Store archives from August 2007

Slow sales push retailers toward more promotions.
August 10, 2007... Supermarkets are relying on promotions to drive sales increases, with up to a third of all sales now representing items on promotion, according to till monitor data from Nielsen. The trend could signify further increases to in-store marketing...

Hi-Tec aims for less impact.(Hi-Tec Sports PLC)(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Footwear brand Hi-Tec has launched a global marketing campaign to promote a new range of shoes. Marketing agency Live & Breathe has developed the strategy, to run in 29 markets worldwide, highlighting the V-Lite range, including the V-...

Fopp shops given new lease of life by HMV.
August 10, 2007... Music giant HMV has agreed a deal to buy the Fopp brand, and up to six of its key stores, for an undisclosed sum. Music retailer Fopp closed its 105 stores in June after a failed bid to expand rapidly. The sale of the stores is subject to...

John Lewis goes ahead with flagship food hall.
August 10, 2007... John Lewis will be opening its first food hall, located in its department store on London's Oxford Street, in November of this year. Design group JHP has been appointed to develop interiors for the feature, with brand implementation agency...

Budgens goes premium.
August 10, 2007... An own-label "premium" food range is being launched across Budgens' convenience stores. The "Our Kitchen" range will have more than 180 lines across fresh, frozen and ambient categories. The products will focus on provenance and...

USA PRO opens first UK store.
August 10, 2007... USA PRO is opening its first UK store, in Broadwick Street, Central London. Selling womens sportswear and fitness clothing, the 150 sq m space will be divided into four distinct areas by activity: dance, outdoor, sport and lifestyle. Retail...

Giant steps in to help small cycle specialists.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... The UK arm of bicycle brand Giant has embarked on a long-term project to revamp around 30 independent cycling stores by the end of this year, and to open Giant's first fully branded UK store. Up to 100 stores will be refitted over a...

In-store goes online at Virgin.
August 10, 2007... Virgin Megastore is taking the high-street experience online with a number of functions on its revamped website. An In-Store Events section will give surfers a chance to view live performances that take place at Megastore branches. The site...

NSC takes on supermarkets.
August 10, 2007... National Schoolwear Centres is aiming to compete directly with supermarkets during the key back-to-school period, by launching its lowest-ever priced range of school uniform items. The "V for Value" range will see trousers sold for as little...

Flexible P-O-P stand debuts at Maplin.(Maplin Electronics)(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... A semi-permanent P-O-P unit has been installed in 140 Maplin Electronic stores across the UK, to be used in the retailer's next four major promotions, including at Christmas and for its January sale. The Flexxiperm free-standing display...

Johnson ad models P-O-P the question.
August 10, 2007... Johnson Cleaners is running a campaign to promote its Wedding Dress Cleaning and Formal wear service. P-O-P material is being used in all 530 branches throughout the UK to promote the service. The wedding couple used for the promotion were...

CIM urges self-regulation.
August 10, 2007... The Chartered Institute of Marketing is urging UK companies to introduce self-regulation on the way they advertise to children. The advice follows reports that 11 US companies are planning to take the self-regulation route to avoid having rules...

Bench marque goes solo.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Urban clothing label Bench is opening its first standalone store in the UK. The flagship outlet at Meadowhall in Sheffield will reflect the brand's Manchester roots. It is a collaboration between London-based agency Barber Design and...

Nisa and Skillsmart join forces.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Symbol group Nisa-Today has signed a memorandum of understanding with Skillsmart Retail, the government-funded training body, that will see the organisations work together to develop a structured system of skills and qualifications. The...

Sony store to promote Vaio.
August 10, 2007... A new area has been created in the Sony flagship store on London's Tottenham Court Road to promote the Vaio range of laptop computers. Designed by Iris, the section has been divided between "in home" and "on the move" laptops. The Vaio area...

Fighting in the aisles?(Report)(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Weekend shopping is a recipe for family arguments, according to new research from retail consultant Ripple Group. The group gathered responses from 1,327 consumers. Their answers show that 68 per cent of couples are likely to argue when...

IN BRIEF: Fairtrade goes from strength to strength.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Consumers spent E1.6bn on Fairtrade certified products in 2006, representing a 41 per cent increase over the previous year, according to Fairtrade Labelling Organisations Worldwide. Demand for Fairtrade cotton has doubled in a year. ...

IN BRIEF: Water and oil mix for Volvic.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Danone is targetting motorists with a forecourt advertising campaign for its Volvic Touch of Fruit and Revive ranges. Eye-height petrol pump ads from MagneCap will appear on 8,000 pumps at Morrison's, BP, Esso and Texaco stations around the...

IN BRIEF: Lloyds experiments with electricals.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Lloyds Pharmacy is to launch new packaging for its range of own-brand electrical products at the end of the year. Design agency Boxer has been appointed to develop the new look. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Small retailers don't train staff.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Nearly a third of small retailers can't afford to train staff, according to a new survey from the Learning and Skills Council. Some 31 per cent of smaller stores have no facility for training and don't have time to look for an alternative. ...

IN BRIEF: Big furniture squeezing out independents.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... The continued growth of large furniture retailers across Europe will force small independent players out of business, or drive them to consolidate, according to a new survey by Verdict Research. "All rounder specialists serving the middle...

IN BRIEF: Billington's sweetens sugar packs.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Sugar brand Billington's has introduced new packaging, designed by Springetts. The brand is seeking to gain greater prominence on-shelf and to allow future stretching of the brand with new products. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd....

IN BRIEF: Angus branches out with own brand.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Angus Soft Fruit, a supplier of own brand supermarket strawberries and raspberries, has launched its own range of branded fruit using a brand identity designed by Dragon. The identity focuses on the natural benefits of the products. ...

ANALYSIS: Keeping it real.
August 10, 2007... From the car boot sale to the cyber-market of the internet, the trade in counterfeit goods is booming, says Matthew Valentine, so what are brands doing to turn back the tide and keep their reputations intact? Imitation may be the most...

ANALYSIS: Counterfeiting - calculating the cost.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... As well as the legal implications of the theft of intellectual property, there are a number of issues created by counterfeiting that can help brands defend themselves. Consumer health and safety can be placed at risk by products that do not...

LETTER: Praising Potter's barcode.(Letter to the editor)
August 10, 2007... Retailers recently prepared themselves for the launch of the final Harry Potter book and the enormous spike to the supply chain that comes with order fulfilment. Many businesses have invested heavily in their infrastructure to ensure...

LETTER: Potter success isn't magic.(Letter to the editor)
August 10, 2007... The Harry Potter phenomenon offers retailers a huge opportunity to maximise on the hype surrounding the book launch. The demand is there, and sales will inevitably be high, but with such stiff competition forcing prices down, for many retailers...

LETTER: Revolution is on the way.(Letter to the editor)
August 10, 2007... Last month Neil Johnson made some good points regarding the power of shopper insights and the effect of display on shopper decisions (Letters, In-Store, July). Johnson also commented on the POPAI MARI study currently running in the US in four...

Supermarkets: read between the lines.
August 10, 2007... As the kind of reader who finds it hard to get past a bookshop without delving inside, I can't avoid the bad taste that the latest Harry Potter launch has left in its wake. This was not caused by the book itself, nor even by the publicity...

LETTER: There's no place like home.(Letter to the editor)
August 10, 2007... In response to "Face facts: it's a brand's world" in the In-Store Globalisation in P-O-P supplement 2007, it is very true that consistent execution of the brand message is essential to any campaign with a broad reach. However, as well as...

LETTER: Globalisation begins at home.(Letter to the editor)
August 10, 2007... It's interesting to note In-Store's new perspective on international retail. International projects represent about 70 per cent of JHP's work, so we feel in a good position to give some feedback. Let's begin by saying that the more you...

LETTER: All for one - or one for all?(Letter to the editor)
August 10, 2007... I agree that companies facing a global market will need to learn new tactics. As always, companies supplying the retail sector must mirror the developments and changes within their customer demographic. As brands and retail chains embrace...

LETTER: Good things come in threes.(Letter to the editor)
August 10, 2007... The globalisation of branding is well established. All of us are familiar with coming back from trips to Europe and beyond, impressed/lamenting the similarity of brand names and high streets, seeing the same names and format . . . wherever...

GLOBAL TALK: Screens out of Africa.
August 10, 2007... Implementing a national screen network can set challenges in countries where infrastructure and technology are lacking, but opportunities await those companies prepared to invest the resources to make it happen The digital age has...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Dorothy Lane gets the personal touch.(Dorothy Lane Market Inc.)(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Independent US grocery chain Dorothy Lane Market, which specialises in hard to source items, is to extend biometric marketing and payment systems supplied by Pay By Touch to all of its stores. Customers will be able to receive personalised...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: JHP lands new HyperCITY formats.(JHP Development Inc.)(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Indian hypermarket chain HyperCITY has appointed UK design group JHP to develop two new store formats. GourmetCITY and ExpressCITY will aim to address the premium food and convenience product top-up markets respectively. At least 15 new...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: C&A checks out self-payment checkouts.
August 10, 2007... C&A has installed self-payment checkouts for a trial period at two European stores. The systems, using BT technology, are located in Germany and Holland. The multinational retailer has more than 1,000 stores in 15 countries. Copyright:...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Advent has high hopes for Takko bargain.
August 10, 2007... Private equity group Advent International has acquired a majority stake in German discount fashion chain Takko, for E770m. The deal has been made with the approval of Takko's management team, subject to approval by EU competition...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Only Natural tea leaves arrive in UK.
August 10, 2007... Only Natural Products has launched the UK's first organic single-estate version of South Africa's popular rooibos tea. "We decided to work with one of the leading traditional South African growers to bring a truly authentic South African...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Claiborne decides to ditch brands.
August 10, 2007... International fashion group Liz Claiborne is reviewing the future of a number of its brands, with a view to disposing of or licensing them. C&C California, Dana Buchman, First Issue, JH Collectibles and Kensie are among the brands being...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: New shores, new stores for M&S.
August 10, 2007... Marks & Spencer opened ten overseas stores in the quarter to 30 June, as the group expands into new markets. These include its first branches based in Lithuania, Taiwan and Ukraine. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

DISPLAY OF THE MONTH: Charmer chamelon.
August 10, 2007... Christine Macaulay of MkOne love s the quirky chic of streetwear boutique I Saved Laurence Sitting on the trendy Portobello Road in West London is streetwear store I Saved Laurence. It has only been trading for three months but Christine...

CITY TALK: A global Supermarket?
August 10, 2007... Another month, and another one of the UK's favourite retail institutions is under threat of being taken over by a private equity vehicle. A little over a decade ago, J Sainsbury was the leading supermarket group in the UK, while Tesco was...

CITY TALK: More cash, less ash for BAT.
August 10, 2007... Matthew Valentine ponders the changing fortunes of two giants of the supermarket sector, and wonders where in the world it will end British American Tobacco has seen first half operating profits increase by 13 per cent to #1.49bn,...

CITY TALK: Juice VAT benefits no-one, says BSDA.
August 10, 2007... The British Soft Drinks Association has called for a reduction in VAT on fruit juice, in a bid to increase consumption for the benefit of consumer health. The groups says that although 71 per cent of consumers know they are advised to eat five...

CITY TALK: One in ten now spent in supermarkets.
August 10, 2007... Supermarkets now account for #1 in every #10 spent on non-food products in the UK, according to Verdict Research, and the grocers' share of the market is expected to grow by a third over the next five years. Copyright: Centaur...

CITY TALK: Burberry harvests seasonal fruits.(Burberrys Ltd.)(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Fashion chain Burberry has seen retail sales grow by a quarter in the three months to 30 June, from total revenues that are up by 30 per cent. Wholesale revenues increased by 51 per cent. "Results for the quarter are consistent with our...

CITY TALK: M&S feels the pinch.(Marks and Spencer PLC)(Report)(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Sales growth has slowed down at Marks & Spencer, as trading conditions become "challenging". Like-for-like sales at the retailer rose by 2 per cent in the 13 weeks to 30 June, compared to growth of more than 8 per cent in the same period...

CITY TALK: United Carpets smooths out flaws.
August 10, 2007... United Carpets Group has seen profit before tax for the year to 31 March grow by 23.6 per cent, to #1.43m, compared to last year. "This has been a period of consolidation, improved quality of customer service, an increase in our product range,...

CITY TALK: Interest rises "too great" says BRC.(Report)(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... The July increase in interest rates, to 5.75 per cent, could be a step too far, the British Retail Consortium has warned. "Food inflation is now falling and non-food prices are down every month this year. It's clear inflationary pressure is...

PROFILE - PETER ABBISS: Back to slacks.(Occupation overview)
August 10, 2007... Peter Abbiss, president of Perry Ellis Europe tells Jo Roberts why the search for the most successful approach to promoting mens' leisurewear is anything but a casual occupation With more than 30 years experience of the rag trade Peter...

CONSUMER SURVEY: In which we serve.
August 10, 2007... The consumers have spoken, and their votes have been counted for the In- Store Customer Service Survey 2007. Matthew Valentine examines the results to see if retailers and industry are meeting their expectations Polite, helpful and...

SPECIAL REPORT: New departures.
August 10, 2007... With Heathrow's new Terminal 5 aiming to set the standard for the travel/retail experience, Jo Roberts examines the big challenges and bigger opportunities facing one of the UK's biggest buildings Heathrow's Terminal 5 is due to open its...

SPECIAL REPORT: Lipstick, powder and paint.(Company overview)
August 10, 2007... Beauty may be skin deep, says Jo Roberts, but new P-O-P trends on the high-street aren't just cosmetic The colour cosmetics industry thrives on offering the latest "must have" products, but must also cope with high levels of competition...

PRODUCT NEWS: Trident goes large with NEC LCDs.
August 10, 2007... Distributor Trident has introduced a new range of commercial large- screen LCD displays from NEC. The new "20" series includes the LCD4020 (40in) and LCD4620 (46in) versions. The screens feature a 1366x768 resolution with 1200:1 contrast...

PRODUCT NEWS: Samsung launches next generation TFT.
August 10, 2007... Samsung Electronics has developed the world's first LCD panel to utilise the next-generation "DisplayPort" video interface. Display Technology has been appointed as the sole UK industrial TFT (transfer liquid crystal) distributor. ...

PRODUCT NEWS: Image Kiosk helps shoppers.(Hand Held Products Inc. to launch new service range Image Kiosk 8570)(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Hand Held Products has launched a new addition to its self-service mini- kiosks range, the Image Kiosk 8570. The IK8570 has a range of self-service options such as price checking and product information. It also has a magnetic strip reader...

PRODUCT NEWS: Latest Muraspec papers glitter.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Interior decorations manufacturer Muraspec has developed two new wallpaper collections within its Platinum range. The Eden range is laminated on non-woven silver reflective film incorporating images from the natural world such as vines and...

PRODUCT NEWS: New lighting Decades ahead.
August 10, 2007... A new range of recessed 600x600mm fluorescent lights has been launched by Concord: Marlin. The Decade range can display photographs, logos and patterns on a front diffuser, while coloured lamps or gels can be used to create a range of...

PRODUCT NEWS: PoS-sibilities in-store with LivePos.(Image Computer Systems Inc.)(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Image Computer Systems has launched an interactive web-based application to allow retailers to print professional in-store signage. LivePos is a PoS printing system which allows anyone with an internet connected PC and printer to produce...

Eye on design: August 2007.
August 10, 2007... Martin Dawe, founder of Martin Dawe Design, digs around in south-west London and unearths some garden centres with a fresh approach to horticulture World's End Nurseries World's End Nurseries on Chelsea's Kings Road is an icon that...