In-Store articles from March 2005

In-Store archives from March 2005

Kellogg's meets demand for front-of-pack labels.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Kellogg's has launched cereal packs with levels of sugar, salt and fat prominently displayed on the front, in response to health campaigners' concerns. Information based on Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA) is displayed on a barchart. It...

FSA praises food dye action.(Food Standards Agency)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has commended retailers and catering suppliers for withdrawing items affected by the recent Sudan 1 food dye scare quickly and efficiently. Most companies met the 24 February deadline to remove products...

American Golf Discount rebrands.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... American Golf Discount, the largest golf retailer in Europe, has appointed design consultants Four IV to reposition its identity, which includes rebranding as American Golf. The group plans to expand its UK operations in the next year; it...

Pampers roadshow.(Pampers UK)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Pampers has launched a roadshow as part of its above- and below-the- line 'World of Babies' marketing campaign, with LoewyBe handling experiential marketing in supermarkets until the end of April. The campaign is based on research carried out...

Colorama touches a new customer base.(Colorama Pharmaceuticals Ltd.)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Colorama Pharmaceuticals has launched its Dawn touch-screen shopping concept, with marketing by Toast. The project, designed to appeal to consumers who cannot shop easily at big out-of-town or high street retailers, has rolled out to 150...

Time Out Guides embarks on free flights promotion.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Time Out Guides has launched a 'two for the price of one' promotion on flights to the US with the purchase of a Time Out travel guide. The offer, operated through travel promotions specialist Landround, is available through a number of...

Sainsbury's adds Devon butcher to roster of regional producers.(rolls out to 15 supermarkets)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... As part of a Sainsbury's initiative where local butchers and fishmongers run counters in-store, Devon butcher Steve Turton has rolled out to 15 supermarkets in south-west England with design created by Logo Design. "We developed brand...

Seventh store for BBC.(BBC Shop)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... The BBC Shop has opened a seventh store in Kingston Upon Thames with retail design by West One Studio. Stocking BBC books, videos, DVDs, audiobooks, magazines and other merchandise, the shop uses video monitors, plasma screens and audio...

Children's ready-meals.(Oriental Express Frozen Food Co. launches new Scooby-Doo children's ready-meals line)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Oriental Express Frozen Food (OEFF) has expanded its Scooby-Doo children's ready-meals with its Sporty Recipes range. The meals, on- shelf from April, are aimed at children aged between four and nine. Packaging by Springettes depicts the...

Baugur shows continued interest in Somerfield.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Icelandic retail investment group Baugur was poised to make an improved bid for supermarket chain Somerfield as In-Store went to press. The group, which already owns five per cent of Somerfield's stock, had a #1bn offer rejected at the...

Store location heads grocery shopping list.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Research by retail analyst Mintel suggests consumers are more influenced by location than by price or availability when deciding where to do their grocery shopping. Half of those questioned said they were more likely to visit the store...

AOL updates broadband image for retail partners.(AOL (UK) Ltd.)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... AOL UK has rolled out a new brand identity, designed by Coutts Creative, within retail outlets. The campaign includes all AOL retail partners but will concentrate on the Dixons Group. "As the broadband market matures, leading retail...

Pharmacies compete to offer STI testing on the high street.(sexually transmitted infection)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... The Department of Health has initiated plans to introduce free screening for chlamydia, a sexually transmitted infection (STI), in high street pharmacies. Independent healthcare providers have been invited to bid to be part of the trials...

Billington's Fairtrade products.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Unrefined cane sugar brand Billington's has launched two Fairtrade products to coincide with Fairtrade Fortnight, which runs in stores from 1-13 March. Fairtrade Golden Granulated sugar and Fairtrade Demerara sugar are in 500g packs designed...

Bridget Jones: the edge of P-O-P.(Universal Studios Networks campaign)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Film distributor Universal UK has launched a P-O-P campaign across major high street retailers in the UK, Romania, Iceland, Bulgaria and Greece to promote the release of Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason on DVD. Packs designed by Coutts include...

Toast takes a bite of Harrogate.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... High-end retail, mail-order and web business Toast has opened its first standalone store in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. Toast has concessions in Harvey Nichols and Selfridges as well as its catalogue and web site. The company was founded in...

Threshers exits from fresh food.(Thresher Group)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Off-licence chain Threshers has abandoned its fresh food element after less than a year. It has been pulled from 75 specially launched Threshers+Food shops in the London area. "Threshers+Food has not achieved the sales volume needed to support...

Goldsmiths takes off at Heathrow.(Goldsmiths Group PLC opens new store)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Jewellery brand Goldsmiths will open a store in Heathrow Terminal 1 in May, designed by Foley Cooke. The retail design aims to communicate quality, value, service and elegance, with a wide entrance that marks a departure from conventional high...

Card fraudsters change tack.(Cardholder-not-present fraud decreased)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Cardholder-not-present fraud has leapt by almost 30 per cent since the introduction of Chip and PIN technology, says research from anti-fraud consultancy Retail Decisions. "It was inevitable that fraudsters would move towards...

Palmers brings its smalls to the UK.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Austrian lingerie group Palmers will launch in the UK this year, with a flagship store opening planned for July. The 91-year-old brand offers male and female products in the functional and luxury markets. Copyright: Centaur Communications...

Ikea launches flatplack homes.(IKEA UK Ltd.)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Ikea is to begin selling flatpack homes in the UK. Housing companies Hyde Group and Paramount have signed a licence with Ikea subsidiary BoKlok to bring in flexible, well-designed housing for consumers earning between #15,000 and #30,000. ...

Kurt Geiger restyles stores.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Shoe brand Kurt Geiger has opened new stores in Nottingham and on London's King's Road. A Newcastle branch will open in April. Design by Four IV aims for a boutique effect to house the Kurt Geiger range, plus sub-brands Carvela and KG. ...

On-pack cartoon characters draw consumer group wrath.(Which?--consumer association)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Which? has criticised the use of cartoon characters on the packaging of foods with high levels of fat, salt and sugar. In a report by the consumer association, 77 per cent of respondents said parents are often put in situations where they...

Reckitt Benckiser launches in-store activity.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Household cleaning products group Reckitt Benckiser has launched in- store activity on key brands including Harpic, Mr Sheen and Windolene. Demonstrations and sales promotion activity across 1,950 stores, including Tesco, Sainsbury's and...

Acdoco lathers up for promotions.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Washing specialist Acdoco is running two promotions on its Glo Care Travel Wash and Glo Bright Stain Remover products this year. The campaign, operated by promotional marketing specialist MKM, is featured on 200,000 packs. A #100 holiday...

Wall's cooks up first on-pack campaign.(Wall's UK)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Wall's will run its first on-pack promotion across 6.5 million packs of its bacon and sausage products from August. The promotion, from marketing agency SMP, will run throughout the summer to coincide with the barbecue season. "By engaging...

Jo Malone is scent to Birmingham.(scent booth and a tasting bar opened)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Perfumier Jo Malone has opened a concession in Selfridge's Birmingham featuring a scent booth and a 'tasting bar', where customers can enjoy complementary hand and arm massages while sampling fragrances. The company has a number of new...

Shopfitting association raises standard.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... The National Association of Shopfitters (NAS) has announced plans to introduce a publicly available specification on shopfitting standards. The standard, which is expected to take about nine months to develop, is designed to assist members...

Doorstep deliveries affect high street.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... A home shopping boom, driven by increased use of the internet and home shopping channels, is challenging the high street, says research by market analyst Verdict. #1 in every #7 spent in the retail sector in 2004 was on items delivered to the...

Coors has a handle on Grolsch packages.(Coors Brewers Ltd.)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Coors Brewers has kicked off a number of packaging innovations for its Grolsch brand in the UK with the launch of a four-pack of the iconic swingtop bottles, imported from Holland. The packs feature an easy- carry handle and are designed to...

The code of contention.(supermarkets and suppliers)
March 14, 2005... The Office of Fair Trading is about to publish the results of an investigation into supermarkets' alleged price pressures on suppliers. Will Cooper examines both sides of the relationship The relationship between supermarkets and suppliers...

Letter: Keep an eye on stocks.(Letter to the Editor)
March 14, 2005... Last month's Leader (In-Store, February 2005) highlighted the problems retailers face in ensuring stock availability in the face of delivery delays and distracted store staff. Recent research found 12 per cent of products were out of...

Letter: The battle for budgets.(Letter to the Editor)
March 14, 2005... We agree the digital revolution will bring benefits to the retail experience and the promotion of lifestyle products (In-Store Digital Media Supplement, February 2005). What doesn't seem so clear is the benefit in terms of sales uplifts. ...

Letter: Nothing to shout about.(Letter to the Editor)
March 14, 2005... I was interested to read Martin Kingdon's comments entitled 'Tradition gets a bad press' (In-Store, February 2005). My sympathies lie with the letter that generated his response. Media attention is drawn to any new fad and I don't think...

Screen talk: travelling technology.(in-store advertising, travel agents)
March 14, 2005... Doug Glenwright, head of customer experience, Thomson, finds the visual advantage of in-store screen developments invaluable in regaining market share from online travel sales Travel agents are not renowned for innovation. But in this...

Whirlpool suffers drain on its profits.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... US white goods manufacturer Whirlpool has seen net income decrease to $97m (#51m) in the fourth quarter. The Michigan-based company, the second-largest home appliance maker in the world, saw full-year earnings peak at $406m (#212m), down 2 per...

Levi Strauss is boosted in loss period.(Levi Strauss & Co.)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Levi Strauss has announced further losses of $19m (#9.96m) in the fourth quarter, lower than the figure of $245m (#128m) posted a year previously. A weakened dollar and increased sales over the holiday period helped boost the San Francisco...

L'Oreal picks new chief executive.(Jean-Paul Argon )(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... French cosmetics house l'Oreal has appointed Jean-Paul Argon to replace its outgoing chief executive Lindsay Owen-Jones. Argon previously headed the group's US operations. The company has also announced pre- tax profits of 10.3 per cent to...

Home Depot sees sales improvement.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... US home improvements giant Home Depot has posted a 9.5 per cent profit increase in the fourth quarter, aided by an in-store sales increase of 4.6 per cent. Quarterly income was $1.04bn (#0.54bn), with total sales up 11 per cent to $16.81bn...

Gap rise surpasses expectations.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... US fashion giant Gap saw net income rise by 3.9 per cent to $370m (#194m) in the fourth quarter, beating expectations. Gap president Paul Pressler said the figures could have been even higher had the company not missed opportunities across its...

Carrefour appoints new chairman.(Luc Vandevelde)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Luc Vandevelde has been appointed as chairman of French hypermarket retailer Carrefour. Vandevelde, former head of Marks & Spencer, replaces Daniel Bernard. Carrefour, the world's second-largest retailer, has seen sales decline over the past 18...

Abercrombie & Fitch enters Europe.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... US clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch is planning a major expansion into Europe next year, which could increase the competitive pressure on UK fashion groups including Marks & Spencer and Arcadia. The group set up a European subsidiary...

DISPLAY OF THE MONTH: Boots manoeuvre.(merchandising)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... The simplicity of Boots' special-offer FSDUs has won over Gamestation's Jeremy Gerken What does stand out for Gerken is Boots' 'three for two' and 'buy one get one free' displays. "They are simple and straightforward," he says. "This is...

CITY TALK: Green sings the blues.(career of Terry Green at Allders PLC)
March 14, 2005... Allders ex-chief Terry Green should be praised for his successes rather than maligned for his misfortunes, says Lauren Mills, small business editor at the Sunday Express Terry Green, former Allders chief, must be ruing the day he quit as...

TK Maxx expands store portfolio.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Cut-price designer fashion retailer TK Maxx plans to open at least 20 stores in 2005. Last month's openings in Stafford and Beckton will be followed by Nuneaton, Leeds and Hemel Hempstead. TK Maxx now has 170 stores and more than 325,000 sq...

Somerfield pumps up forecourt business.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Somerfield has announced plans to buy about 140 petrol stations from Texaco. It will refit, brand and operate the convenience stores, and operate the forecourts. Texaco will continue to supply fuel to the forecourts, which will retain the...

B&Q fall takes Kingfisher by surprise.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Kingfisher has reported a surprise fall in fourth-quarter sales at its core B&Q chain, the first in almost three years. A 1.2 per cent fall in same-store UK sales was blamed on weakened consumer spending and a more aggressive trading...

Ann Summers enjoys #60m sales rise.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Ann Summers has announced results for the 12 months to June 2004. Year- on-year sales were up #60m to #129.9m. The retailer is in the early stages of talks about opening stores in Russia and China. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd....

RBS checks in with pre-tax increase.(Royal Bank of Scotland PLC)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Royal Bank of Scotland has announced a 15 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to #8.10bn for the year ending 31 December 2004, up from #7.07bn a year earlier. It was the third-best performer of the UK's 10 listed banks in that period. ...

MFI suffers slump in retail sales.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Furniture retailer MFI saw a 9.4 per cent fall in retail sales to #825m across the year to 25 December, but says its revamped supply chain systems operated 'adequately' during the peak-order period of the winter sale. Turnover grew by 2.2...

Alliance UniChem reports healthy year.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Healthcare group Alliance UniChem has reported strong results for the year ending December 2004. Operating profit grew 10.6 per cent to #291.4m, with pre-tax profits up 20.1 per cent to #252m. In the UK, retail turnover increased by 10.6 per...

Moss Bros refit boosts annual sales.(Moss Brothers Group PLC)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Clothing retailer Moss Bros has announced a 9 per cent rise in sales for the year to 9 January, which took its share price to a four-and-a- half-year high last month. Chief executive Philip Mountford said like- for-like sales were boosted by...

PROFILE - MARK PALMER, GREEN & BLACK'S: Called to the bar.(marketing campaign for dark chocolate)
March 14, 2005... Green & Black's repositioning as a luxury brand, coinciding with a rise in consumer demand for ethical and organic products, has given the chocolate company its current taste of success, as marketing director Mark Palmer tells Maeve Hosea...

MARKET REPORT: Frequency modulation.(anti Radio Frequency Identification campaigns in retail industry)
March 14, 2005... The growing anti-RFID lobby is calling on retailers to rethink their use of the technology, voicing fears about its potential to intrude on consumer privacy. Will Cooper reports Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has already become one...

RETAIL FOCUS: Web and flow.(online sales)
March 14, 2005... Internet retailers are starting to make serious dents in the fortunes of their high street counterparts, but canny players in each camp are learning to enjoy the best of both worlds, writes Glynn Davis The internet is stealing from the...

SPECIAL REPORT: How to get ahead in marketing.
March 14, 2005... Marketing recruitment can be a tricky affair for brands and job-seekers alike. Jacky Hyams asks retailers and recruitment specialists what it takes to crack this demanding sector As retailers increasingly acknowledge marketing as a key...

SPECIAL REPORT: Whose job is it anyway?(installing point of sale advertising)
March 14, 2005... As the P-O-P compliance debate persists, Maeve Hosea asks whether store staff are adequately trained to assemble temporary units, or whether it is worth investing in experienced third-party installers In a highly competitive market where...

POPAI: Show extends global reach.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Two things stand out about Euroshop - the sheer scale of it and the increasing number of international exhibitors and visitors. The POPAI village, organised by POPAI Germany, provided stands for members, plus refreshment and meeting areas. The...

Projector is inching towards the future.(NEC Corp. launched WT610 )(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... NEC has rolled out the WT610 short-throw projector, which can produce a 60in picture from a distance of just 10in, allowing retailers to display images without having to remove objects blocking their path. Wireless LAN technology allows...

Chip and PIN can fly solo.(Dione's Unattended Payment Initiative)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Smartcard payment systems supplier Dione has launched the Unattended Payment Initiative. The system allows retailers to use Chip and PIN in a range of new applications, including parking and travel tickets, pay-at-the-pump fuel,...

Attracting the grey market.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Age Concern has published a book called Older, Richer, Fitter, to help marketers and businesses devise new approaches to segmenting and attracting the grey market. The guide includes detailed case studies of successful businesses whose efforts...

Holograms show their true colours.(ColourHolographic )(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... ColourHolographic has launched XYZ holograms technology, which can produce sharp, 3D, true-colour, high-contrast images. Previously used in topographic mapping, the system can use video footage, computer- generated imagery and high-resolution...

Book is a feast for the senses.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Kogan Page has published Brand Sense by Martin Lindstrom, which aims to bring new life to brands through exploiting the five senses. Based on a study by market research agency Millward Brown, the book describes how to evaluate a brand on the...

EYE ON DESIGN: Natural History Museum.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... With refurbishment completed in December last year, this is a shop worthy of Alfred Waterhouse's marvellous 1881 building. The design is well thought out and spectacular, and able to cope with heavy customer traffic, whether school parties or...

EYE ON DESIGN: Royal Academy.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... This open, glass-shelved store operates on a plot measuring just 93 sq m (1,000 sq ft). Clean, well-lit and appealing, it carries the atmosphere of the Royal Academy with its emphasis on creative arts. The store was designed in 2001 by Royal...

EYE ON DESIGN: The National Gallery.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Dominating the north side of Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery receives more than five million visitors annually and its stores are laid out to accept high traffic flows. Each wing has its own shop, with the new Sir Paul Getty entrance...

EYE ON DESIGN: National Portrait Gallery.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... The smallest of the museum shops, this is split across two sites. Upstairs, the product range is serious, with a thoughtful layout that will appeal to visitors. The postcards, posters and books faithfully follow the product category of the...