In-Store articles from September 2007

In-Store archives from September 2007

PC World first among latest T5 DSGi formats.
September 6, 2007... DSG International is to unveil new store formats at Heathrow's Terminal 5, including the first PC World branch at an airport. Design group Fitch has developed a selection of "stimulating and contemporary" formats for four prime sites at...

Rough Trade revamps net store.(Rough Trade Records)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Rough Trade is relaunching its Album Club to appeal to a wider customer base. The service is due to go live in next month and membership will start at around #12. Customers who subscribe will receive an album or albums recommended by...

CRC deals with pain for Glaxo.
September 6, 2007... GlaxoSmithKline has appointed retail communications agency CRC to produce in-store promotional material for two of its over-the-counter pain-relief brands.CRC won the contract after a five-way pitch. P-O-P is being designed for Solpadeine...

Tesco and Asda under further probe pressure.
September 6, 2007... Two supermarket chains will have to hand over millions of emails and letters as part of a Competition Commission investigation. A spokesman for the watchdog confirmed it has issued Section 109 legal notices to both Asda and Tesco, which...

Interactive wall mural.(Virgin Megastores advertises Adobe Systems Europe Ltd. computer software)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Pedestrians in London's Piccadilly Circus can do more than just look at a new window display, courtesy of Virgin Megastore. The interactive wall mural being used to advertise Adobe computer software is motion- activated, meaning graphics...

Minister urges schools to scrap uniform deals.
September 6, 2007... Schools should scrap exclusive school uniform deals with specific retailers, says Minister for Children, Schools and Families Kevin Brennan. "Expensive uniforms can put low-income families off applying to certain schools," says Brennan....

E Coli outbreak hits Morrisons.
September 6, 2007... A branch of supermarket Morrisons is under investigation after a women died and several others fell ill after contracting the E coli 0157 infection. All nine cases are being linked to cold cooked sliced meat sold at the deli counter...

Teleflorist marketing plans.(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Teleflorist has appointed two companies from the Bezier group to help with its future trading and marketing plans. The flower relay network, which has 2,500 member stores in the UK and Ireland, will work with Bluetouch to refresh the...

Focus on lookout for eco-friendly locals.
September 6, 2007... DIY chain Focus is scouring the country in a campaign to find the country's greenest Community Hero. Promotions in-store and online highlight the home improvement store's search. It is offering customers in each region the chance to win...

Co-op's cucumber strip goes down well.(Co-operative Group (CWS) Ltd.)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... High-street retailer Co-Operative is to remove packaging from its cucumbers, in a bid to reduce its use of plastic by eight tonnes per year. The group claims that by returning to the traditional way of selling the fruit, still used by...

HMV unveils brand rethink.
September 6, 2007... HMV has introduced a refreshed version of its brand identity with a new advertising campaign urging music fans to "get closer". Chief executive Simon Fox announced in March that the brand would be reviewed. The outcome of that is a more...

Dairy farmers should milk their story.
September 6, 2007... The market for dairy products is ripe with opportunity for brands that can show the provenance of their products, according to new research commissioned by the Milk Development Council. "Not only does our research indicate that one in...

Heinz bid to revitalize portfolio.(Heinz Corp.)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Heinz is spending #6m on the launch of new variants of popular products in a bid to revitalise its portfolio. This will see the launch of multipack Heinz Snap Pots, which can be snapped into single 200g portions of beans or pasta before...

IN BRIEF: Anchor plans chilling seasonal surprise.(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... A spooky limited edition Anchor Real Dairy Cream will be on the shelves for Halloween, promoted with seasonal P-O-P and packaging. Themed recipes will be included in promotional booklets and on a dedicated Anchor squirty cream website....

IN BRIEF: Bags more choice from Arniston Bay.(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Wine brand Arniston Bay has introduced its wares in resealable pouches, of 250ml and 1.5 litre, as an alternative to traditional bottles. "We found that modern wine drinkers primarily want convenience that fits their lifestyles," says...

IN BRIEF: Tesco increases shoppers' memory.(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Tesco has launched own-brand Secure Digital (SD) memory cards for the first time, following a deal with card supplier Catalus. The cards will be sold in more than 1,300 Tesco Express stores. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

IN BRIEF: Healthy food market is getting healthier.(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... The demand for a healthy diet is growing the market for "superfoods" such as exotic fruits and berries. Research group Datamonitor predicts the US market for functional food and drink products will have doubled between 2001 and 2011, but...

IN BRIEF: Bosses aren't up to it, say workers.(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... More than a third of retail employees think their bosses are poor decision makers, according to research by YouGov on behalf of Investors in People. Incompetence and lack of confidence on behalf of the managers were mentioned as causes. ...

IN BRIEF: Rowse offers more recipes for honey.(Rowse Honey Ltd.)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Rowse Honey has been educating customers on how to make the most of the product via a Fix-A-Form leaflet from Denny Bros. "The aim of the promotion was to get information directly to the consumer without them having to make any effort to...

IN BRIEF: Fairtrade goes from strength to strength.(Bargain Booze Ltd. signs an agreement with PayPal Inc.)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Bargain Booze has signed an agreement with Paypal, enabling customers to pay a range of bills and top up their mobile phones in-store. PayPoint will be installed in 600 franchised stores across the UK. "We want to add a valuable...

ANALYSIS: Post modern.
September 6, 2007... After years of underperformance, is the new joint-venture between the Post Office and WH Smith just the thing to put the stamp of success on the flagging fortunes of two high-street stalwarts, asks Matthew Valentine It may be a...

GLOBAL TALK: Moving pictures.(Universal Studios Inc. global campaign)
September 6, 2007... Any global campaign demands coordination and careful planning, but when the product is a major international movie with environmental issues at its heart, the task gets even more complicated Co-ordinating a worldwide P-O-P film...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: US drinks giants guzzle Ukraine juice co.
September 6, 2007... Bottler PepsiAmericas and drinks maker PepsiCo have completed the joint acquisition of 80 per cent of Sandora, a juice company in Ukraine. It is expected that the remaining 20 per cent will be acquired by the joint venture in November...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Top Nestle form prompts share buyback.
September 6, 2007... Nestle, the world's largest food and drink company, has reported an 18.4 per cent rise in first-half net profit, to Sfr 4.9bn (#2bn). A three-year Sfr 25bn (#10bn) share buyback programme has also been announced by Peter Brabeck-Letmathe,...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Wal-Mart takes on downloads market.
September 6, 2007... Supermarket giant Wal-Mart is to launch a music download service in the US, to sell songs without digital rights management copy protection. This means there are no restrictions on the type of device on which the songs can be played,...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Pinguin snaps up frozen veg.
September 6, 2007... Belgian group Pinguin has acquired UK frozen vegetable processor Christian Salvesen, for #17.2m. Christian Salvesen is refocusing on its core logistics business. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: More toys recalled in lead paint scare.
September 6, 2007... Two US companies have recalled Chinese-made toys because of excessive levels of lead in the paint. The products include address books and diaries, Thomas the Tank Engine spinning tops and various toy buckets. Recalls were issued through...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Switzerland excursion over for Carrefour.
September 6, 2007... French retail giant Carrefour has quit the Swiss market by selling its 50 per cent stake in local group Distributis, to the Swiss Co-op, for Sfr 470m (#2m). Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: India now second biggest phone market.
September 6, 2007... Mobile communications company Nokia says that India has become its second largest market in terms of sales, just behind China. India overtook the United States in the quarter ended June 2007. Nokia Siemens Networks has announced plans to...

DISPLAY OF THE MONTH: Hot property.
September 6, 2007... Barni Evans of Paddy Power has been sold on Foxtons well-presented high- street portfolio Estate agents are conventionally drab affairs - places to visit out of necessity rather than pleasure. But Barni Evans, marketing director at...

CITY TALK: Cash for questions.
September 6, 2007... Financial journalist Glynn Davis suggests that those ready to point the finger of blame at private equity over Debenhams' fortunes would do well to look at the bigger picture For a brief period, Debenhams was held up as the ultimate...

CITY NEWS: Tesco pips Hunter to control Dobbies.
September 6, 2007... Tesco has won majority control of garden centre chain Dobbies, after a fierce battle to win over shareholders. Rival bidder Sir Tom Hunter still maintains more than a quarter of the stock, however. Tesco's bid was supported by the Dobbies...

CITY NEWS: Lawns uncut as shoppers stay indoors.
September 6, 2007... Poor weather meant that during the traditional sales season for barbecues and lawn mowers this year, many customers in fact purchased electric fires, according to research from Gfk. "All domestic appliances were on the increase during June,...

CITY NEWS: BRC wants more say on minimum wage.
September 6, 2007... The process for setting the annual increase in the National Minimum Wage should be more open and predictable, says the British Retail Consortium. The business group says the Minimum Wage has increased by 46 per cent since 1999, far above...

CITY NEWS: Choices UK faces tough decision.(ChoicesUK Group PLC)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Entertainment retailer Choices UK has called in administrators after failing to secure a refinancing plan. The retailer had reported a #2.6m loss for the six months to February, and had later warned that the DVD market was tough. Some 250...

CITY NEWS: Shoppers still buying, but slower.(SPSL reports on retail traffic index)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... The latest Retail Traffic Index from research group SPSL shows a small year-on-year decline, the first drop since February, with the number of shoppers entering stores during July down by 1 per cent compared to July 2006. The traffic still...

CITY NEWS: Games boom consoles electricals sector.
September 6, 2007... Computer games consoles have provided a catalyst for sales growth in the electricals sector this year, reports Verdict Research. The group says more than 82 per cent of growth in the #24.3bn sector in 2007 will be from this sector. The...

PROFILE - STEPHEN GODFROY: The vinyl word.
September 6, 2007... Stephen Godfroy, director of Rough Trade, goes on the record to Jo Roberts about giving the discerning music lover a retail experience that's the flip side of the mainstream megastore Just off London's "curry heaven" on Brick Lane sits a...

MARKET REPORT: Balancing the books.
September 6, 2007... Once upon a time, there was a nice little bookshop on a nice little high street. And then one day, along came a big, bad greedy supermarket and gobbled it up. Fact or fiction, wonders Jo Roberts Boy wizard Harry Potter cast a spell on the...

SPECIAL REPORT: Return to splendour.
September 6, 2007... Forget less-is-more in visual merchandising, says Matthew Valentine, too-much-is-never-enough is right back in fashion The British love affair with minimalism looks to be well and truly over, and the style is being replaced by a look...

SPECIAL REPORT: Training day.
September 6, 2007... Getting retail staff involved in P-O-P installation and compliance might seem like a win-win situation for both brands and retailers, but as Jo Roberts discovers, many hands don't always make light work A little help can go a long way,...

DIGITAL MEDIA UPDATE: Second sight.
September 6, 2007... Glynn Davis reports that after a false start and premature obituaries, in-store screens are making a comeback Although the renaming of Tesco TV as Tesco Screens might be seen as of minor significance, it could represent a major advance...

POPAI: The changing pace of retail.(Popai uses technology to reinvent the retail experience)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... The demands placed on today's retailers and brands to constantly reinvent the retail experience and produce environments that engage and inspire is huge. The word "innovation" has been much overused, but it remains an essential driver...

PRODUCT NEWS: Joalpe make wheel addition to baskets.(Joalpe International UK Ltd.)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Joalpe International has launched a three-strong range of recycled plastic products designed to help retailers to increase sales. The Gen range includes the Genslide, a wheeled, stackable shopping basket, which is washable and includes...

PRODUCT NEWS: Positive signs from Signal.
September 6, 2007... Israeli sign manufactuer Signal has appointed Applelec Sign Components as the sole UK distributor of its Signal Sign System range. This consists of sign units and frames, either curved or flat-faced, with wall-mounted, projecting and totem...

PRODUCT NEWS: Eurostand offers mini-counters.(Eurostand Display Limited)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Eurostand Display has introduced a new counter display, the Mini Pop-Up unit. It is designed to be easily assembled, and features a snap-in- place magnetic tape system to make changing graphics a simple process. The stand, made of...

PRODUCT NEWS: Safety screen reacts at speed.(Safetell Ltd.)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... An anti-attack security screen that can close in just one second has been launched by Safetell, to protect staff in contact with the public from attack or intimidation. The open screen of the Countershield system allows easy interaction...

PRODUCT NEWS: Gripping stuff from Alplas.(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... The Silver Gripper from Alplas is a low-cost PVC alternative to the company's Aluminium Extrusion Gripper, designed to hold posters. The product can be cut to its required length, can hold paper or card, and can also be supplied with...

PRODUCT NEWS: Block displays from UK PoS.(UK Point Of Sale Group)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... A range of minimalist acrylic block displays has been launched by UK Point of Sale, to provide a stylish display device for small products. Available in sizes from 50mm x 25mm up to 100mm x 50mm, the blocks are available with a clear or...

Eye on design: September 2007.(Designcorp)
September 6, 2007... Rupert Matthews, creative director at Designcorp, falls under the spell of three central London magic emporia International Magic If we are discussing what constitutes a magic shop, this Clerkenwell shop has it in spades, clubs,...