In-Store articles from December 2007

In-Store archives from December 2007

JML steps up search for stars despite modest sales.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... JML Music is on the verge of signing a deal with a major newspaper to promote its version of The X-Factor. The sub-brand of JML has collaborated with production company Brit Hit Music to give up-and- coming bands the opportunity to win a...

Bad gifts outnumber good.(Survey)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Nearly three out of five people receive Christmas gifts they would not have chosen for themselves according to reseach commissioned by the VA (formerly the Voucher Association). The survey, by YouGov, found that 57 per cent of respondents...

John Lewis plans city centre stores.(John Lewis Partnership PLC)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... John Lewis is set to expand its plans to open a dozen new department stores over the next six years, to open more than two dozen over a decade. Director of retail operations Gareth Thomas says new store formats are likely to be...

M&S DVD sales tool.
December 10, 2007... Marks & Spencer has introduced a DVD sales tool to its in-store screens for the Christmas season. With content developed by Logistik, the disc promotes the retailer's top 30 gift products. Ranges such as toy Aston Martin cars, kites and toy...

Harrods gets Urban Healing.
December 10, 2007... Holistic pharmacy brand Farmacia is to roll out its Urban Healing beauty concession to Harrods and Selfridges during 2008, having already installed it in five branches of House of Fraser this year. Interiors for the project have been...

Bagpuss mobile phones.
December 10, 2007... O2 stores are selling mobile phone gift sets themed around children's TV favourite Bagpuss this Christmas, as part of a scheme to raise funds for charity Asthma UK. "The most magical saggy old cloth cat" is the charity's mascot, and features...

MusicStore makes sweet music for Thorntons.
December 10, 2007... Music is in the air at high street chocolatier Thorntons. Accoustic and easy listening tracks will now play out at 48 stores to enhance the customer shopping experience. In-store media provider PEL Music and Media installed and...

Health bars go with the grain.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Demand for healthy food has led a number of convenience stores to stock a new snack brand. Nature's Sugar Free snacks have been developed by the Anglo Peruvian Trading Company and are made with grains and seeds. Variants include Sesame...

Shoppers thirst for in-store promos.(Survey)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... A quarter of food and drink purchases are influenced by in-store sales promotions, compared to just 4 per cent that are influenced by "mass advertising" according to research commissioned by promotional label group Denny Bros. ...

BRC applauds public transport revenue plan.
December 10, 2007... The British Retail Consortium says the Government must protect retailers from local authority road pricing plans, by ensuring that "tumble weed town centres" are not allowed to develop. Without proper investment in public transport...

Try Me Free promotion.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... A firm selling fruit-based products is encouraging customers to trial three varieties of its smoothies with a Try Me Free promotion. Orchard House Foods is using a Protag neck collar made by labels and packaging company Leading Edge to...

Xmas comes early at Matalan.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Deft fingers and fast workers were needed to install Matalan's Christmas cheer this year. The festive material was produced and delivered into stores by P-O-P specialist Simpson Group in just three weeks. The range includes #30k-worth of...

Department stores on the up.
December 10, 2007... Expansion in both mature and expanding markets indicates a healthy future in prospect for department store operators according to Verdict Research, which predicts the sector's growth rate will double over the next five years. Improved...

House of Fraser Christmas campaign.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Department store chain House of Fraser has unveiled its in-store Christmas campaign in its City of London and Oxford Street branches. A dandelion motif has been used consistently around the store and in the windows. Festive sculptures have been...

IN BRIEF: JML globe makes scents in-store.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Display cases are being scented with aromatherapy oils to entice customers to purchase JML's Fresh Air Globe. The product is being rolled out to 500 stores nationwide including Boots, Woolworths, Debenhams, Roberts Dyas and Asda. The air...

IN BRIEF: Capital deal for Avanti Screenmedia.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Land Securities has signed five-year contracts with Avanti Screenmedia that will see the screens group continue operating networks at shopping centres in Clapham, Islington and the Victoria Centre, all in London. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: Posh burgers taking market by storm.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... 2007 has been the year of the "glamburger", according to Waitrose. The John Lewis Partnership supermarket group has seen sales of Venison burgers soar by 50 per cent year-on-year, with Aberdeen Angus burger sales up by a fifth. ...

IN BRIEF: Limited value boosts Yoplait spin-offs.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... A limited edition pack is being used by Yoplait spin-off Frubes, to celebrate the launch of The Simpsons Movie on DVD. The range replaces the previous Frubes & Spider Man 3 version. "The Frubes limited editions now account for 20 per cent of...

IN BRIEF: Moxley launches cosmetics range.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Celebrity make-up artist Sue Moxley has launched a new cosmetics brand - Famous by Sue Moxley, using a bespoke retail fixture designed and manufactured by Sheridan & Co. The 100-strong range of products is aimed at women aged between 16 and...

IN BRIEF: Promo to treasure from Kellogg's.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Kellogg's has launched an on-pack campaign to highlight a Tutankhamun promotion. A text-to-win offer, run by Mediaburst, offers the chance to win trips to Egypt and tickets to the Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of Pharaohs exhibition at the...

IN BRIEF: Virtual store helps Argos predict future.(Argos Distributors Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Catalogue retailer Argos is using a virtual reality store walk-through system, developed by Bezier, to plan tactical and seasonal use of promotional campaigns and communication. "Whereas the old method of testing might involve a lengthy...

IN BRIEF: Halewood gives new twist to Red Square.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... A vodka brand has added two new flavours to its range. Red Square Vodka, owned by Halewood International, has launched Green Apple and Wild Berry flavours, which can be used with a mixer or drunk on their own. This follows a relaunch of the...

IN BRIEF: Halewood adds new shots to the mix.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... In addition, Halewood International is introducing a new variety of vodka shots to supermarkets and off licences in time for the festive season. Sidekick Splitz single pots contain two different flavours in each shot. Five flavours including...

IN BRIEF: Kiosks tick airport boxes for DSG.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Electrical retailer DSG International is to trial Max Box kiosks, developed by Felix Group, in its stores at Gatwick and Heathrow airports. The kiosks offer travellers a range of services including mobile phone top-ups, digital downloads and...

IN BRIEF: Asda dinner suit "cheaper than hiring".(ASDA Group Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Supermarket-own label dinner suits have gone on sale in time for the office Christmas party season. Asda Wal-wart has introduced a two-piece suit for #35 as part of its popular George collection. The chain boasts it is cheaper to buy its...

JoJo Maman Bebe keeps mutliplying.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... A chi-chi mother and children's chain is continuing its expansion across the UK with its first standalone maternity store. JoJo Maman Bebe has just converted its original flagship on Northcote Road, South London, and opened a second store on...

Green breakfast good for all.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Breakfast cereal manufacturers must focus on key issues of sustainability and the environment because of pressure from both consumers and multiple retailers, according to the Weetabix Food Company's annual report. "We recognise how...

Wild West comes to key Diesel stores.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... The Wild West has come to key Diesel stores across the UK. Visual merchandising specialist Props Studio has designed the Bladerunner Gaucho-themed display, which is being used in windows and in-store. Galloping scale model horses have been...

ANALYSIS: Bag behaviour.
December 10, 2007... As London prepares to declare open season on plastic bags, Matthew Valentine canvasses opinion from the retail sector on whether the carrier is fair game, or innocent victim of the green revolutionaries They have become such a familiar...

LETTER: How green is your Christmas tree?(Letter to the editor)
December 10, 2007... Retailers put a lot of time, money and effort into producing "greener" product ranges and into customer-facing items such as recycled carrier bags and biodegradable packaging. All of which is laudable, but how many have had a long, hard look...

LEADER: The customer is always righteous.
December 10, 2007... It is hard to argue with the current drive to rid our stores of free plastic bags. The things are everywhere and, when we are all supposed to be taking care of the environment, it can be hard to justify the use of such a disposable device if...

GLOBAL TALK: Runway success.
December 10, 2007... The diverse representation of customers and continents makes airport retail a fascinatingly experimental environment, says Mark Riches of World Duty Free, and one that's really taking off Once upon a time airport shops were only good for...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Stores multiply as Eire enjoys boom.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... The widespread availability of new retail space in Eire is attracting international retailers as part of a store-opening boom, says research group Verdict. The E24.4bn retail market has grown by 34 per cent in five years, with major new...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Italy suffers retail slump.
December 10, 2007... Italian retail sales hit an 18-month low in September, according to national statistics. A month-on-month drop of 0.2 per cent followed a small rise in August. Year-on-year figures also saw a fall, of 0.6 per cent. Both food and non-food sales...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Ilva furnishes online deliveries.
December 10, 2007... Danish furniture retailer Ilva has launched an online store, with a delivery service, in its home market. The company plans to extend the service through Europe. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Cross new format success is in the jeans.
December 10, 2007... Cross Jeans, a Turkish family business that has supplied denim products to other retailers for many years, has introduced a new store format at its flagship store in Berlin's Mitte district. The design, by Dalziel & Pow, will be rolled out...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: BRC offers brief advice to Far-East.(British Retail Consortium)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... The British Retail Consortium has launched a series of briefings in China and Malaysia, to promote its range of Global Standards - designed to show suppliers have reached and maintained high levels of product safety. Minister of State for Trade...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Shoppers' Stop for middle classes.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... A department store chain in India is using a British-based design company to develop a retail concept. Shoppers' Stop has appointed Portland to design a 5,000 sq m store in Hyderabad. The agency will work on store graphics and brand language to...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: UK's Elemis tops Asian awards.
December 10, 2007... British brand Elemis has been awarded "Product of the Year" at the AsiaSpa awards. The accolade was handed out to the spa and skincare brand at the Grand Hyatt, Hong Kong. The awards ceremony highlighted innovation in Asia's spa industry....

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Business bee-set by global problems.
December 10, 2007... A world-wide shortage is driving up the price of raw honey, according to The Honey Association. "An unfortunate combination of a long, dry summer in Eastern Europe, prolonged drought in Australia, and the phenomenon of Colony Collapse...

Apple of his eye.
December 10, 2007... Halifax Building Society's Jake Kirkham gets bitten by the iPod display The launch of Apple's latest gadget, the iPhone, caused one man to queue for 26 hours outside the brand's flagship store on Regent Street, London. Several others...

CITY TALK: Animal instincts.
December 10, 2007... Private equity gambles don't always bear fruit, says financial journalist Glynn Davis, but Bridgemont's pursuit of Pets at Home showed a sharp nose for a business with good breeding potential When private equity firm Bridgepoint bought pet...

IN BRIEF: Consumers will spend despite fears.(Survey)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Shoppers are expected to defy the "credit crunch" by continuing to spend heavily over Christmas, despite half of them expecting the economy to take a downturn. Computer games consoles and MP3 players are set to be popular gift choices,...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Retailers face penalty of Euro 2008 exit.
December 10, 2007... England's failure to qualify for the Euro 2008 football tournament could have a hefty economic impact, according to retailers. Sports Direct has informed shareholders that it "can no longer be confident of achieving" the level of turnover it...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: RH Amar gets a taste of success.(Financial report)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Fine foods distributor and importer RH Amar saw its annual sales exceed #50m for the first time in the 12 months to October. The company says that the UK's love affair with high quality food helped secure an 11.8 per cent rise in sales. RH...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Grolsch deal on the table from Miller.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... SAB Miller has agreed to buy the company behind premium lager brand Grolsch for E816m (#583m). The second largest brewer in the world has said it would offer E48.25 per share, an 84.3 per cent premium on Royal Grolsch's average closing share...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Signs of improvement at Sainsbury's.
December 10, 2007... Sainsbury's reported a strong first half performance for the 28 weeks to 6 October. Like-for-like sales excluding fuel were up by 4 per cent with underlying profit before tax up 27 per cent. The results are ahead of plan for the supermarket,...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Morrisons "on track" to deliver vision.(Financial report)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Increased marketing and new branding have helped drive up sales at Morrisons. Like-for-like sales in the 14 weeks to 4 November rose by 3.7 per cent, excluding fuel. This has resulted in like-for-like sales rising to 3.1 per cent in the 39...

PROFILE - DAVID BICKETT: The call guy.
December 10, 2007... David Bickett, director of retail business development at 3, tells Jo Roberts about his plans to ring the changes on the high street and bring the glamour back to mobile phone retail A baffling array of complicated tariffs, mobile phone...

MARKET REPORT: Getting more than you bargained for.
December 10, 2007... After years getting by on the bare essentials of retail communication, cut-price chain Netto is embracing the world of P-O-P. Glynn Davis finds out why less is no longer more in-store. Any visitor to a Netto supermarket this Christmas...

P-O-P LEAGUE TABLE: The champions' league.(Company rankings)
December 10, 2007... Matthew Valentine looks over the results of the annual In-Store P-O-P League Table There may have been considerable movement in this year's In-Store P-O-P League Table, with climbers and fallers throughout the top 25, but one...

DIGITAL RETAIL MEDIA.
December 10, 2007... As retailers and suppliers gather data on what makes in-store networks effective, the technology is finally is coming of age, says Jo ROBERTS An epiphany in the retail industry has seen the role and purpose of digital signage develop from...

DIGITAL RETAIL MEDIA: Foxtons.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Estate agent Foxtons has been using screens since the launch of its cafe-style format in 2002. Content is played out so that passers-by can browse the properties available for sale in the area. All the information presented on the screens can...

DIGITAL RETAIL MEDIA: Camelot.
December 10, 2007... Consistent sales uplifts have shown the National Lottery operator the worth of using in-store screens. Camelot expanded its screen network after a 400-screen trial showed an 8-12 per cent sales increase in stores with screens as opposed to...

POPAI: Global gathering.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... The world's largest retail trade fair has always attracted huge numbers of visitors - 93,000 at the last count - but the show this year takes on an even greater significance for POPAI globally on a number of fronts. Members will be...

PRODUCT NEWS: Hologram foils fakers.
December 10, 2007... Optiguard, a machine-readable hologram, has been launched by security specialist TSSI. The hot foil hologram is designed to combat the rising number of counterfeit goods on the market. As well as providing an overtly visible symbol of...

PRODUCT NEWS: New screen sizes from NEC.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... NEC Display Solutions has launched three new model sizes in its PlasmaSync XP series of digital screens. The 42, 50 and 60-inch models offer a range of features, such as text ticker facilities and an enhanced video wall function. Using the...

PRODUCT NEWS: Lighthouse shows the way.
December 10, 2007... Environmental concerns and a drive to improve picture quality have led to a company unveiling new LCD panels at a Japanese trade show. Lighthouse Technologies has launched black-faced indoor LED panels at the International Broadcast Equipment...

PRODUCT NEWS: In touch with wines.
December 10, 2007... Retec Digital has extended its range of guided selling products, by launching an interactive touch-screen unit to help customers make informed wine purchases. Developed in collaboration with Master of Wine Matthew Stubbs, the touch-screen...

Eye on design: December 2007.
December 10, 2007... Tim Leahy, creative director of London-based design consultancy Leahy Brand Design, takes his inner child on a spree to some central London toyshops Disney store The Oxford Street Disney store is everything you'd expect - the ubiquitous...