In-Store articles from January 2005

In-Store archives from January 2005

Natural History store shows off its redesign.(MWorldwide)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... The Natural History Museum has redesigned the retail offer at its landmark London visitor attraction. The store, designed by MWorldwide, consolidates a number of stores from around the museum in one place. It aims to encourage greater...

Esprit store.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Esprit has opened its fifth London store - its second on Oxford Street - in an 800 sq m space with design by JHP. It features a floating stainless steel staircase underlit by partially concealed red lights, and a large, multi-coloured...

Travis Perkins increases DIY share with Wickes acquisition.(do it yourself)(Focus Wickes)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Travis Perkins, the builders' merchant, has announced its acquisition of the Wickes DIY division of Focus Wickes for #950m. The deal is subject to shareholder approval at an extraordinary meeting and clearance by the Office of Fair...

Availability heads shoppers' wish-list.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Supermarket customers are more concerned about product availability than price, according to the latest findings from market research company ACNeilsen. The group surveyed 600 UK shoppers to determine which factors are most important to...

In-Store 2005 Awards launches call for entries.
January 12, 2005... The call for entries brochure for the In-Store British P-O-P Awards 2005 will be available this month. New categories featuring in this year's awards include Client Company of the Year, Best P-O-P Compliance by a Retailer and P-O-P in...

Parents slam 'junk food' school equipment tokens.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Nearly 60 per cent of parents want to ban on-pack tokens that children collect to gain school equipment from appearing on what they consider to be 'junk food', according to a report from BMRB Social Research. The survey was jointly...

UK Independence Party votes for Ramsgate Election Shop.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... The UK Independence Party (UKIP) has opened its first Election Shop in Ramsgate, Kent. The store, which sells 'patriotic paraphernalia', was opened in December by UKIP leader Roger Knapman and UKIP MEP Nigel Farage. The Election...

Sarson's on-pack promotion.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Vinegar brand Sarson's will be launching an on-pack promotion during February, offering customers the opportunity to claim a portion of fish and chips for free when they purchase a 250ml bottle of vinegar. The promotion is running on 1.9...

Budgens campaign.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Budgens has launched an in-store campaign focusing on value, promoting 'Great Local Deals' to reinforce the group's 'helping you shop locally' message. On-shelf P-O-P material has been redesigned in red and yellow to bring value to the...

Supermarkets claim a bigger stake in Europe.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Supermarkets accounted for 46 per cent of all European retail sales in 2003, according to new data from research group Mintel. A rise in sales of E10bn (#6.85bn) is expected to see the sector achieve sales of E880bn (#603bn) in 2004. ...

Fallen Hero is ready for in-store media launch.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Fallen Hero, the Scunthorpe-based design label and retailer, has announced that it has appointed retail television service specialist Avanti Screenmedia to provide its Music Video Network (MVN) channel. The multi-purpose MVN product gives...

Joy branches out of capital with 'Bridget Jones' offer.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Independent urban lifestyle retailer Joy has worked with architect and designer SHH to launch its first stores outside London. A 177sq m (1,900 sq ft) Manchester branch opened in December, with outlets in Leeds and Birmingham to follow...

X Leisure picks digital screen group for 02 Centre network.(PH4)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... The X Leisure group has commissioned digital P-O-P specialist PH4 to provide sales and content for a digital screen network at the 02 Shopping and Entertainment Centre on north-west London's Finchley Road. PH4 will provide promotional...

Corgi corporate identity.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Toy and die-cast models manufacturer Corgi is introducing a new corporate identity with the aim of providing a stronger, more consistent presence in-store. A 'rainbow of colours', which includes pink and purple, will be added to the brand's...

Online sales up as high street struggles.(christmas presents)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Thirty-two per cent of UK consumers were planning to buy Christmas presents online at the end of last year, according to the Deloitte Christmas survey. "Online auctions are helping to fuel growth, alongside consumer demand for increased...

Tesco plugs into Jersey tax benefits.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Tesco is to continue its venture into online music by launching Tesco Jersey, a music and DVD web site that takes advantage of the Channel Island's tax exemption. The company claims products will be available at 10 per cent less than from...

Anchor ploughs #4m into Spreadable.(advertising campaign)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Dairy brand Anchor is launching a #4m advertising campaign to promote Anchor Spreadable, to be supported by a range of in-store P-O-P. A 'What's in your tub?' strapline urges consumers to assess what they are buying in a spread and aims to...

Asda finds Brussels capital of UK.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Asda has announced that Longwell Green, a suburb of Bristol, is the Brussels sprout-eating capital of the UK. The suburb, with a population of just 7,250, eats up to 80,000 sprouts a week, according to statistics released by the supermarket...

Which? welcomes price-fix ruling.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Consumer association Which? has welcomed the decision by the Competition Appeals Tribunal to uphold the Office of Fair Trading's decision to restrict price-fixing arrangements between Littlewoods and Argos. "The decision is excellent news for...

Ethical Scottish spend reaches #600m.(consumer spending reports)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Consumers in Scotland spend #600m annually on ethical goods and services, says a new report commissioned by corporate social responsibility organisation Agenda. "Although as consumers we like to get value for money, we are also prepared to...

Food Partners unveils pack design.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Food service supplier Food Partners has introduced new packaging developed by design group Springetts. A new brand name, Simply Fresh, has been introduced, along with on-pack graphics designed to ease product selection. Copyright:...

Cigarette advertising limited to A5.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Legislation that came into force last month bans cigarette advertising at the point of sale apart from an A5 size allowance if attached to the tobacco merchandising wall or counter unit. Regulations state the advertising material must also...

Tesco makes strides in grocery league.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Tesco will overtake Metro and Ahold to become third in the global grocery retail league by 2010, says a report by retail analyst IGD. Tesco's international business has grown from #1.3bn to #6.1bn in value in the past five years. IGD...

Packaging leaves consumers cold.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Consumers are unimpressed by packaging, according to research by Envirowise, a government-funded body that advises businesses about being environmentally friendly. Seventy-four per cent say they are not influenced by the bows, glitter and...

B&Q reports third-quarter tail-off.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... B&Q has announced a drop in like-for-like sales over the third quarter, although its French parent company Kingfisher has posted an increase of 8.2 per cent during the same period. The business fell from a 2.5 per cent like-for-like gain...

Bershka sets up shop in the UK.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Spanish company Inditex Group, which includes Zara and Massimo Dutti, has launched its Bershka brand in the UK. The first store has opened in Newcastle's MetroCentre. The clothing brand, which targets 15 to 27- year-old females, will open...

Vodka Kick pack echoes football ads.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Global Brands-owned alcopop VK Vodka Kick has launched a mixed-flavour 12-pack of 275ml bottles. Packaging will reflect the brand's advertising on football ground perimeter banners. "The new format for the 12-pack has been designed to take...

Waitrose tops index of healthy retailers.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... The National Consumer Council has launched a Health Responsibility Index, scoring UK retailers on their encouragement of healthy eating. The NCC's Rating Retailers for Health report measures and compares areas including in-store...

Waitrose redesigns own brand.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Waitrose is to relaunch its Perfectly Balanced own-brand healthy eating range this month with an expanded choice of products. The move coincides with the introduction of the latest government initiatives to encourage healthy eating. ...

Promotional offer on Evian.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Danone Waters has launched a promotional offer on 20 million bottles of Evian with a campaign developed by SMP. Available in all major outlets, the project is supported by P-O-P and editorial in retailers' in-store magazines. Each bottle...

Learning curves.(Evans Ltd. woman collections)
January 12, 2005... The average British woman is bigger than 50 years ago but the fashion industry has been slow to understand what this means to shoppers. By Will Cooper Comments by Karl Lagerfeld, German fashion guru and boss of Chanel, have provoked a...

A new year but the same lousy service.(Editorial)
January 12, 2005... We never hear the end of retailers applauding themselves for the high standards they achieve in the provision of customer service. Most of these claims are, of course, complete rubbish. Anybody with eyes and ears in their head knows this,...

SCREEN TALK: WELCOME TO THE 3 WORLD.
January 12, 2005... For Kirsten Ward, head of channel marketing at mobile phone company 3, there was a very straightforward reason for deciding to employ in-store screens - and there is no question that they will continue to play a role throughout 2005 and...

Brown Thomas pilots electronic cards.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Leading Irish department store Brown Thomas has fully implemented a BT technology platform to support the operation of its electronic gift card scheme, the first of its kind in Ireland. The cards, purchased in- store, have replaced...

Waterford Wedgwood in china mergers.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Dublin-based Waterford Wedgwood Group has announced a #40m deal to merge with fellow fine china maker Royal Doulton. Waterford Wedgwood is paying 12p per share in cash for Royal Doulton. The move will reverse a decision to send more Royal...

Metro takes first stake in Moldova.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... German retail group Metro has become the first international retailer to invest in Moldova. The Metro cash-and-carry store in capital city Chisinau increases the group's portfolio to 10 Eastern European countries. The Moldovan store offers...

M&S considers Russian move.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Marks & Spencer is undertaking an investigation through its Turkish franchise partner Fiba Group into the possibility of opening stores in Russia. M&S currently operates 174 franchise stores in 27 countries in Europe and the Middle and Far...

Wal-Mart executives get the elbow.(executives fired)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Wal-Mart has fired three US executives and four other workers for "failing to follow internal company rules", according to a spokeswoman. No details were given as to who the executives were or the reason behind their dismissals. ...

Sprint and Nextel combine operations.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Sprint and Nextel have announced they are to merge in a $35bn (#18.1bn) deal, creating the third largest mobile phone operator in the US. The new company, to be known as Sprint Nextel, is expected to be split 50:50 between existing...

Sony and Samsung sign patent swap.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Sony and Samsung Electronics have announced an exclusive patent cross- licensing agreement to share knowledge on developing technologies. However, the deal does not include flagship products such as the Sony Playstation. Copyright:...

DISPLAY OF THE MONTH: Good on paper.
January 12, 2005... Bureau's Mark Fitzgibbon believes specialist stationery store Confetti is a brand to watch Mark Fitzgibbon, managing director of Covent Garden-based stationery retailer Bureau, ranks a company that could almost be classed as one of...

CITY TALK: Mistletoe and misery.(christmas retailing business)
January 12, 2005... Lauren Mills, small business editor at the Sunday Express, dismisses the usual Christmas doom-merchants, at least until the trading statements hit the streets early this year Yuletide festivities began early for Marks & Spencer...

Mulberry profits from accessories push.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Luxury goods brand Mulberry has reported half-year profits for the six months to September of #17,000, compared with a loss of #615,000 the previous year. An increased focus on accessories, now accounting for 80 per cent of sales, was...

Digital drives Jessops sales rise.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Jessops has announced an 11 per cent rise in sales to #319m in the year to 30 September 2004. "Our results show the continuing impact of growing consumer demand for digital photography products," says chief executive Derek Hine. Cash sales...

Bridgepoint has Faith in shoe sector.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Faith Shoes has been bought by European buyout group Bridgepoint for #64m. The group, founded by Samuel Faith in 1964, operates 67 standalone stores and 120 concessions. The acquisition was financed by a mixture of equity and debt provided...

Bird flies Scotmid nest.(resignations)(Colin Bird)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Colin Bird has resigned as chief executive of Scotmid, Scotland's largest retail co-operative. The move was unexpected after a Scotmid announcement of a 26 per cent increase in first-half pre-tax profits six weeks previously. Deputy chief...

Courts stores reopen for delivery.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Courts, the insolvent furniture chain, has temporarily reopened its 88 stores, allowing almost 4,000 customers to receive undelivered purchases. Administrator KPMG has agreed to sell 14 stores to SB Capital, a specialist in saving retailers....

Cadbury Schweppes stands its ground.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Cadbury Schweppes has announced that it has maintained its UK market share, despite renewed pressure from Nestle and a decrease in soft drinks sales following poor summer weather in Europe. In a trading statement, the group announced it...

Carpetright nails half-year profit.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Carpetright has posted a sales increase of 8.3 per cent to #203.3m for the six months to the end of October 2004. The floor coverings specialist has more than 500 stores in the UK, Ireland and Benelux countries. Copyright: Centaur...

PROFILE - ANDY PASS, IMPERIAL TOBACCO: Smoke signals.
January 12, 2005... Imperial Tobacco brand group manager Andy Pass has a tricky marketing job. He tells Maeve Hosea why he relishes the challenge of current advertising restrictions on the sector Marketing cigarettes at a time when tobacco use is a burning...

MARKET REPORT: Call it a day.
January 12, 2005... The unorthodox practice of one-day sales has undoubtedly generated footfall, but why are so many big high street retailers discounting before Christmas? Will Cooper investigates New Year sales are the most popular time of the year for the...

CONSUMER FOCUS: Hey little spender.
January 12, 2005... Today's brand-conscious children belong to one of the most savvy consumer groups and retailers are jostling for a share of this increasingly lucrative market. Maeve Hosea reports Dedicated followers of fashion, logo-conscious brand...

SPECIAL REPORT: Identity snatchers.
January 12, 2005... Credit card fraud in all its forms is rising but by far the most worrying area is identity theft, where criminals buy goods using other people's details. Matthew Valentine reports on responses to unlawful card use We are advised to...

The cost of card fraud.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... According to the Association for Payment Clearing Services, card fraud in the UK cost #292.6m in 2000 - a 55 per cent increase on the previous year. By 2003 the figure stood at #402.4m. The 2003 figures represented a fall in certain...

Identity theft: the rise of bin-raiding.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Fraudsters gather information about consumers in a number of ways, some of which are extremely simple. The practice of bin-raiding is thought to be growing across the UK. Thieves rifle through domestic bins for credit and debit card...

SPECIAL REPORT: The acrylic advantage.
January 12, 2005... Acrylic's qualities have sewn up the display unit market but new substrates are starting to snap at its heels, writes Will Cooper The display stand from which you bought your morning newspaper may well have been made from the...

A full diary of POPAI events.(Point Of Purchase Advertising Institute)
January 12, 2005... 2005 looks like POPAI's busiest year ever. While the full programme will be announced at the members' meeting and AGM in London on 10 February, it is worth picking out a few of the highlights. Traditional P-O-P will be at the forefront,...

Screens with a view have high definition.(plasma screens)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... NEC has unveiled its latest range of high-definition XGA and VGA plasma screens for the retail market. The 42in, 50in and 61in screens have a 160-degree viewing angle, allowing customers to see displays from almost anywhere in the store....

High-speed inkjet printer has a penchant for P-O-P.(Hewlett Packard Designjet 4000 printer)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... ArtSystems has launched the Hewlett Packard Designjet 4000 printer, which includes graphic applications for P-O-P. Available from February, the high-speed, wide-format inkjet unit is designed primarily for the high productivity market....

Marketing communications.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Nicholas Brealey Publishing has launched Does Your Marketing Sell? the secret of effective marketing communications by Ian Moore. Aimed at anyone working in marketing communications, the book is a distillation of the author's 25 years of...

Cash device that can do the maths.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Volumatic has launched the Omal MultiCount automated cash counter. Used as either a standalone or linked product, it can count loose or packed coins, notes, coupons and tokens, and perform instantaneous till counts. The lightweight...

Ticket unit is a Lottery winner.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2005... Star Micronics has introduced the TSP1000 thermal printer for ticketing applications, queue management and the Lottery sector. The high-speed device can produce high-quality tickets and receipts at 180mm per second, and can hold till...

EYE ON DESIGN.(uxurious delicatessens review)
January 12, 2005... Gerry Postlethwaite, strategy director of Cato Dangoor Associates, reviews a diverse selection of delicatessens Elizabeth King In pure retail design terms there is not a lot to say about this store; it was converted from an old...