Posted on October 20, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

AmRest opens Starbucks Fashion Arena in Prague; its 100th Starbucks location

Wrocław, Poland, 2015-10-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — AmRest (WSE: EAT), the largest publicly listed restaurant operator in Central Europe, announces the opening of its 100th Starbucks location.

Opening of Starbucks Fashion Arena in Prague on 16th October, 2015 marked an important milestone of reaching 100 Starbucks coffee shops in AmRest portfolio. Company continues the strategy of dynamic development of this brand in Central Europe, bringing the best coffee experience to its Customers. History of Starbucks presence in this region reaches back to 2008, when the first Starbucks coffee shop was introduced to the Czech market, in Lesser Town Square, Prague under a joint venture agreement with Starbucks Coffee International. With the recent opening, AmRest now operates 24 Starbucks locations in the Czech Republic.

At the same time, opening of new Starbucks in Prague’s Fashion Arena increased total number of AmRest stores in the Czech Republic to 100, strengthening the leadership position of the Company in Central Europe. In addition to Starbucks, AmRest’s portfolio in Czech Republic consists of two other world class brands: KFC (69 locations) and Burger King (7 locations).

Adam Mularuk, Starbucks President for Central Europe at AmRest, comments: “We are happy to be a part of the growing economy of the Czech Republic. Our brands have many loyal fans here. Today, when we have reached a milestone number of 100 locations in the country, we want to thank our customers for their trust and engagement. We also want to express gratitude to our Partners in the Czech Republic. It is due to their effort and commitment, showed every day through AmRest “Anything is possible” culture, that we have been able to build such a strong foundation for our business in this country”.

AmRest is a fast growing global restaurant operator present in 12 countries, with a diversified portfolio of both franchised brands (KFC, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, Burger King) and unique proprietary chains such as La Tagliatella, Blue Frog and Kabb. The lion’s share of its business is concentrated in Central Europe and Spain.

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AmRest opens Starbucks Fashion Arena in Prague; its 100th Starbucks location

Posted on October 20, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

Migros: „Happy bread“, das erste langhaltbare Frischbrot ohne Konservierungsstoffe

Zürich, SWITZERLAND, 2015-10-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Happy bread ist das erste klassische Brot im Schweizer Markt, das bis zu fünf Tage haltbar bleibt und das ohne jegliche Konservierungsstoffe. Für die Entwicklung dieser Brotneuheit hat die Jowa AG zwei Millionen Franken in die Herstellungstechnologie investiert. Das neue Brot im Spezialbeutel deckt vor allem die Bedürfnisse von Personen in Kleinhaushalten ab. Happy bread ist ab morgen in allen Migros-Filialen erhältlich.

„Happy bread“, das erste langhaltbare Frischbrot ohne Konservierungsstoffe

Happy bread ist ein Frischbrot bestehend aus den Hauptzutaten TerraSuisse-Mehl, Hefe, Wasser und Salz. Im Vergleich zum konventionellen Brot bleibt Happy bread jedoch fünf Tage ab Verkaufsdatum frisch, sofern es im speziell dafür entwickelten Beutel verpackt bleibt. Das Brot enthält keine Konservierungsmittel und schmeckt wie klassisches Schweizer Brot. Es ist bereits in Scheiben geschnitten und eignet sich somit perfekt für die Bedürfnisse von Personen, die alleine oder in Kleinhaushalten leben.

In den Nachbarländern längst ein Trend
Diese Art von Brot kommt in den Nachbarländern der Schweiz schon seit mehreren Jahren auf den Tisch und ist sehr beliebt. „Die Konsumentenbedürfnisse sind in einem stetigen Wandel“, so Daniel Hiestand, Marketingleiter bei der Jowa AG. „Mit Happy bread haben wir diesen Trend aufgegriffen und auf den Schweizer Geschmack angepasst. Wir reagieren so auf die Bedürfnisse nach einem natürlichen Brot ohne Konservierungsstoffe, das länger als normales Brot haltbar ist.“

Damit das Brot mindestens fünf Tage lang frisch bleibt, hat die Jowa eine spezielle Rezeptur entwickelt. Ausserdem wird das Brot in einem speziellen Raum unter absolut hygienischen Bedingungen geschnitten und in speziell beschichtete Beutel verpackt. Für diese Technologie und für die dafür nötigen baulichen Massnahmen hat die Jowa zwei Millionen Franken investiert.

Das neue Brot heisst Happy bread, weil es auch am vierten und fünften Tag noch schmeckt wie frisches Brot und weil es bequem in der Handhabung ist. Happy Bread gibt es aktuell in zwei verschiedenen Sorten: Hell, 350g, CHF 2.40 und Dunkel, 350g, CHF 2.40. Erhältlich ist die Brotneuheit schweizweit in allen Filialen der Migros. Zum Launch des Brotes erhalten alle Kundinnen und Kunden bei dessen Degustation und Kauf einen Happy bread Mehrweg-Clip als Geschenk zum Verschliessen des Brotbeutels – solange der Vorrat reicht.

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Für weitere Informationen

Verantwortliche Kommunikation und PR JOWA AG
Heike Zimmermann

Tel. 044 947 97 16
Fax 078 819 41 28
heike.zimmermann@jowa.ch

Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund
Mediensprecherin
Monika Weibel

Tel. 044 277 20 63
Fax 044 277 23 33
monika.weibel@mgb.ch

Kontakt für Kunden
M-Infoline

Montag bis Freitag 08.00 – 18.00 Uhr
Samstag: 08.30 – 16.30 Uhr
Limmatstrasse 152
CH-8031 Zürich
Tel. 0800 84 08 48
Zum Kontaktformular

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Migros: „Happy bread“, das erste langhaltbare Frischbrot ohne Konservierungsstoffe

Posted on October 20, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

Tesco: people across UK can apply for grants or nominate projects to benefit from bag charge cash

CHESHUNT, England, 2015-10-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — The money raised from the government’s 5p bag charge in England will be used by Tesco to pay for a large number of local environmental improvement projects and from today, people right across the UK will be able to apply for grants or nominate online the local projects they want to see benefit from the funding.

The types of projects that are expected to get the green light include new pocket parks, sports facilities, woodland walks and community gardens.

Nominated projects will be whittled down to a shortlist of three for each region, and in early 2016 Tesco customers will be able to vote both instore and online for which of the shortlisted projects they most want to see get the go-ahead, with the winning projects announced shortly afterwards.

The size of the grants available range from £8,000 to £12,000, and Tesco is working with environmental charity Groundwork to administer the scheme.

Rebecca Shelley, Group Communications Director for Tesco said:

“It’s incredibly important we do our bit to reduce our impact on the environment and we’re really proud of the work we’ve done in this area, particularly in reducing waste.

“We’re going to work together with our customers in to make sure the millions of pounds that will be raised from the bag charge goes towards making a real difference for our local communities.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for local environmental projects to get off the ground, and I’d like to encourage as many people as possible to get involved and nominate the projects that really matter to them.”

Tesco sees protecting the environment as an essential part of being a responsible business. The retailer has set an ambitious target to be a zero carbon business by 2050, and has led the industry in its work to reduce food waste.

Six projects will receive funding in each of 428 regions annually, which means that around 2,500 different projects will receive funding from the bag charge after just one year.

Graham Duxbury, Groundwork CEO said:

“There are so many benefits to be gained from making sure our communities have well designed, well managed green space near to where they live. People are healthier because they can exercise in the fresh air, grow their own food or just get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Communities are stronger because people get to know their neighbours and families have more places to have fun together.

“We’re delighted to be working alongside Tesco stores and customers to bring these benefits to thousands of communities across the UK.”

Notes to editors

• Local projects and charities can be nominated here: www.tesco.com/carrier-bags

For more information please contact the Tesco Press Office on 01992 644645

We are a team of over 500,000 people in 12 markets dedicated to providing the most compelling offer to our customers.

Posted on October 20, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

Carrefour / COP21: Avi Coop. S.c.a (Amadori), won the “Major challenge for Suppliers regarding Climate” in Italy

MILAN, ITALY, 2015-10-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Avi Coop. S.C.A (Amadori), whose waste recycling and energy consumption reduction initiatives helped it secure first place in a competition involving a total of 651 participating suppliers

Within the framework of Carrefour’s official involvement in the COP21 international conference on climate, Avi Coop. S.c.a (Amadori), winner of the “Major challenge for Suppliers regarding Climate” in Italy, will be represented in Paris on 19 and 20 November to take part in the final event which will feature winners from the Group’s 10 integrated countries.

In Milan, 14 October 2015, the companies taking part in the “Major challenge for Suppliers regarding Climate” have all been recognised for the effective policies they have adopted to help tackle climate change.

This initiative was an opportunity for the suppliers to unveil their solutions.

The utility and benefits of the projects were assessed by an expert panel which included representatives from the Italian Ministry for the Environment, WWF Italy, the Polytechnic University of Milan and non-profit organisation Plant Life Economy Foundation.

The AMADORI SpA, Avi.Coop factory, based in San Vittore di Cesena, employs 2100 people. It produces turkeys and traditional chickens under the Carrefour and Amadori brands. At its San Vittore di Cesena factory, Amadori has set up an anaerobic digestion (or methanisation) and cogeneration facility for converting organic matter left over from the manufacturing processes into biogas. The biogas produced from methanisation is then transformed into electricity and heat by the cogeneration system. And the digestive residue is used as fertiliser for farming. Amadori has also reduced its biomass waste by 95%, and has reduced its odour emissions and the number of lorries it uses to transport waste.

SOURCE: CARREFOUR

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Carrefour / COP21: Avi Coop. S.c.a (Amadori), won the “Major challenge for Suppliers regarding Climate” in Italy

Posted on October 20, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

Amazon to create 100,000 seasonal positions across its U.S. network of fulfillment and sortation centers this holiday season

The company recently hired 25,000 regular, full-time employees in advance of the holiday season

SEATTLE, 2015-10-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced it is creating 100,000 seasonal positions across its U.S. network of fulfillment and sortation centers this holiday season in order to meet the increase in customer demand. In the months leading up to this holiday season, Amazon has also hired tens of thousands of regular, full-time employees.

“We’ve hired more than 25,000 full-time associates across the U.S. in recent months and we’re looking forward to adding 100,000 seasonal employees for the upcoming holiday season,” said Mike Roth, Amazon’s vice president of North America operations. “Following last year’s holiday season, tens of thousands of seasonal employees found regular, full-time roles with Amazon. We’re excited to grow our team by finding great talent through our seasonal hiring efforts in addition to creating new full-time jobs that offer comprehensive benefits starting on day one.”

Amazon has more than 90,000 full-time employees across its more than 50 fulfillment centers and 20 sortation centers in the U.S. To meet customer demand and prepare for the 2015 holiday season, Amazon has hired over 25,000 full-time employees since August. For its regular, full-time positions, Amazon offers competitive wages and comprehensive benefits, including healthcare, 401(k) with 50 percent match, stock and bonuses. Throughout the year on average, nearly 90 percent of associates across the company’s U.S. fulfillment network are regular, full-time employees.

Amazon also offers regular, full-time employees innovative programs like Career Choice, where it will pre-pay 95 percent of tuition for courses related to in-demand fields, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon. The company recently announced the expansion of the program with the creation of dedicated, onsite classrooms at eight of its fulfillment centers across the U.S. The classrooms feature high-end technology and allow employees to take college classes, industry certification courses, college readiness programs and business seminars onsite.

Candidates interested in seasonal positions can learn more and apply online at www.workatamazonfulfillment.com.

About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

Amazon.com, Inc.
Media Hotline, 206-266-7180
Amazon-pr@amazon.com
www.amazon.com/pr

Posted on October 20, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

The tallest building in The City of London “The Leadenhall Building” opens; joint development by British Land and Oxford Properties

LONDON, 2015-10-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry were guests of honour today as The Leadenhall Building, the tallest building in The City of London, officially opened for business.

The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry admired the views from the building’s 42nd floor, 200 metres above street level, and met senior executives from joint developers British Land and Oxford Properties and members of the construction team, including four apprentices that worked on the project.

They were also presented with a bespoke Lego model of the building, created in tribute to the pioneering techniques employed in its construction whereby 80% of the building, including the 18,000 tonne steel structure, was pre-fabricated before being assembled on site.

The Leadenhall Building, also known as ‘The Cheesegrater’ on account of its distinctive sloping shape which is designed to protect views of St Paul’s Cathedral, is now close to fully occupied. Aon, the world’s largest insurance broker, has relocated its global headquarters from Chicago and recently welcomed 2,000 staff to the building. The company is joined by specialty insurer Amlin and twelve other companies from a range of industry sectors including the building’s architects, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners.

The building comprises 610,000 sq ft (56,670 sq m) of office and retail space over 45 floors and is 90 per cent let, attracting the highest rents ever paid in The City of London. It was recently voted The City of London Building of the Year.

Chris Grigg, Chief Executive at British Land said: “This is a significant milestone for us and our partners Oxford Properties and I would like to thank The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry for helping us mark it.

“The decision to develop The Leadenhall Building in 2010 was a bold one; the full impact of the global financial crisis was still unravelling, and The City of London’s position as the world’s leading financial centre was under threat. However, we had confidence that The City would rebound, and resolved to deliver an exceptional building that would attract leading companies from all over the world. I am very proud to say we have achieved that.”

Paul Brundage, Executive Vice President and Senior Managing Director, Oxford Properties Europe, said: “We are honoured to be joined today by The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry to mark the final milestone in this incredible project.

“In 2010 Oxford Properties was seeking a development opportunity that would not only demonstrate our commitment to London, but underline our aspiration to become a leading global investor in real estate. The Leadenhall Building was the perfect answer. This is not only a London landmark, it is a building that resonates on the world stage and we are tremendously grateful to all those who have helped deliver it.”

Enquiries:

For additional information on The Leadenhall Building please visit www.theleadenhallbuilding.com

For additional information and high-res images of the building, please contact:
Andrew Scorgie, FTI Consulting:	andrew.scorgie@fticonsulting.com 020 3727 1458
Katharina Marquart, FTI Consulting:	katharina.marquart@fticonsulting.com 020 3727 1835

NOTES TO EDITORS

About British Land
We are one of Europe’s largest publicly listed real estate companies. We own, manage, develop and finance a portfolio of high quality commercial property, focused on retail locations around the UK and London offices. We have total assets in the UK, owned or managed of £18.9 billion (of which British Land share is £13.6 billion), as valued at 31 March 2015. Our properties are home to over 1,200 different organisations ranging from international brands to local start-ups. Our objective is to deliver long-term and sustainable total returns to our shareholders and we do this by focusing on Places People Prefer. People have a choice where they work, shop and live and we aim to create outstanding places which make a positive difference to people’s everyday lives. Our customer orientation enables us to develop a deep understanding of the people who use our places. We employ a lean team of experts, who have the skills to translate this understanding into creating the right places, and we have an efficient capital structure which is able to effectively finance these places.

UK Retail assets account for 55% of our portfolio. As the UK’s largest listed owner and manager of retail space, our portfolio is well matched to the different ways people shop today. We are focused on being the destination of choice for retailers and their customers by being the best provider of spaces and services. Comprising around 22 million sq ft of retail space across shopping parks, superstores, shopping centres, department stores and leisure assets, the retail portfolio is modern, flexible and adaptable to a wide range of formats.

Our Office and Residential portfolio, which accounts for 45% of our portfolio is focused on London. We have an attractive mix of high quality buildings in well managed environments and a pipeline of development projects which will add significantly to our portfolio. Increasingly, our Offices are in mixed-use environments which include retail and residential elements. Our 6.7 million sq ft of high quality office space includes Regent’s Place and Paddington Central in the West End and Broadgate, the premier city office campus (50% share).

Our size and substance demands a responsible approach to business. We believe leadership on issues such as sustainability helps drive our performance and is core to the delivery of our overall objective of driving shareholder value and creating Places People Prefer.

Further details can be found on the British Land website at www.britishland.com

About Oxford Properties Group
Oxford Properties Group is a global platform for real estate investment, development and management, with over 2,000 employees and C$34 billion of real assets that it manages for itself and on behalf of its co-owners and investment partners. Established in 1960, Oxford was acquired in 2001 by OMERS, one of Canada’s largest pension funds with over C$72 billion in assets. Oxford has regional offices in Toronto, London and New York, each with investment, development and management professionals who have deep real estate expertise and local market insight. Oxford now has approximately C$7 billion of AUM in Europe, with a focus on core office and high street retail assets in Central London and Paris.

For more information about Oxford visit: www.oxfordproperties.com.

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The tallest building in The City of London “The Leadenhall Building” opens; joint development by British Land and Oxford Properties

Posted on October 20, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

NRF’s Holiday Consumer Spending Survey: consumers to spend $805.65 on average; the highest amount in the survey’s 14-year history

TOP FINDINGS OF CONSUMERS SURVEYED:

Average spending per person reaches $805.65, comparable with spending in 2014 holiday season ($802.45).
Spending on gifts for family members will total $462.95, up from $458.75 last year, and a survey high.
Almost half of holiday shopping, consisting of browsing and buying, will be done online: average consumers say 46 percent of their shopping (both browsing and buying) this holiday season will be conducted online, up from 44 percent last year.
21.4 percent of smartphone owners will use their device to purchase holiday merchandise this year, the highest seen since NRF first asked in 2011.
Nearly half (46.7%) said free shipping/shipping promotions are important factors in their decision on where to shop
55.8 percent of holiday shoppers will splurge on themselves and/or others for non-gift items, and will spend an average of $131.59, up from $126.37 last year.

WASHINGTON, 2015-10-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — It’s the most wonderful time of the year for millions of Americans and this year, holiday shoppers have already added their family members to the ‘nice list.’” According to the National Retail Federation’s Holiday Consumer Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights and Analytics, consumers celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah and/or Kwanzaa will spend an average of $805.65 on food items, decorations, gifts and more over the holiday season, the highest amount in the survey’s 14-year history and in line with last year’s $802.45. Spending on gifts for family members will total $462.95, up from $458.75 last year and also a survey high.

“Despite the challenges that still exist in our economy, it looks as if consumers are eager to celebrate the holidays with friends and family this year,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “We expect consumers will tackle their holiday shopping lists with a healthy dose of optimism, tempered by a hint of caution as they look for ways to find the perfect, practical gift.”

“We continue to see positive momentum in retail sales growth, giving us reason to believe consumers will show up this holiday season as they look to take advantage of all of retailers’ promotional offerings,” continued Shay. “In an effort to attract all shoppers – from the extremely price sensitive to the online millennial, retailers will be offering exclusive incentives, low prices, price-matching, top toys and everyone’s favorite – free shipping and buy online pick up in store offers.”

Those celebrating the holidays will also spend on gifts for friends ($77.85), co-workers ($25.95) and others, such as pets and babysitters ($28.05). Average spending on decorations will reach $53.02, and $28.67 on greeting cards and postage; shoppers will also spend an average of $107.80 on food.

Buy online pick up in store, free shipping high on busy shoppers’ lists

Savvy holiday shoppers will shop around to find the perfect gift this year with most saying they will shop at discount (55.9%) and department stores (55.6%), and online (52.9%). Two in five (44.1%) will shop at grocery stores and one-third (33.4%) will shop at clothing or accessory stores.

Of those who plan to shop online, 46.5 percent say they will take advantage of retailers’ buy online pick up in store or ship-to-store options. Free shipping seems to be the most anticipated promotion however: 93.1 percent of online shoppers say they will use a free shipping offer when shopping for holiday merchandise.

Millennial online shoppers are most likely to take advantage of the instant gratification option when it comes to shipping and fulfillment: According to the survey, 16.7 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds and 15.9 percent of 25- to 34-year-olds will use a same-day delivery option when buying gifts, décor and other holiday items, compared to just 7.8 percent of the rest of the population.

“The surprise factor isn’t the numbers surrounding Millennials and their planned use of retailers’ innovative digital offerings, it’s the power that this cohort of adults has when it comes to influencing retailers to speak their language,” said Prosper’s Principal Analyst Pam Goodfellow. “Young adults and Millennials are incredibly savvy when it comes to finding the right gift at the right price at the right place.”

Almost half of holiday shopping – buying and browsing – will be done online

More of shoppers’ time this holiday season will be spent browsing and buying online compared to last year — and the 10 years NRF has been tracking this. The survey found nearly half (46.1%) of holiday shopping will be conducted online, up from 44.4 percent last year and the highest recorded since NRF first asked in 2006.

High level of mobile engagement among holiday shoppers is expected

There’s no question that consumers have adopted mobile technologies into their way of life. And when it comes to the holiday season, many smartphone and tablet owners already have big plans for their handheld devices. The survey found that 21.4 percent of smartphone owners will use their device to purchase holiday merchandise this year, the highest seen since NRF first asked in 2011. Additionally, more will use their smartphone to research products (37.9% vs. 35.8% last year) and to look for a way to connect with a retail store by looking up retailer information like store hours and directions (28.4% vs. 26.9% last year). One in five (20.3%) will specifically use their smartphone to look up product availability in a store.

Tablet owners plan to be just as mobile-active. Nearly half (47.5%) will use their device to research products and 34.5 percent will use their tablet to make a holiday purchase of some kind, similar to last year (33%); nearly one-quarter (23.5%) will check for in-store availability from their tablet.

One for you, two for me: “self-gifting” spending up

In addition to shopping for gifts for their loved ones, holiday shoppers will take advantage of discounts to treat themselves and/or their family members to a non-gift item. The survey found 55.8 percent will splurge on themselves and/or others for non-gift items, and will spend an average of $131.59, up from $126.37 last year.

Proof holiday early birds exist

For the 14th year in a row, NRF’s holiday spending survey found that approximately 40 percent of holiday shoppers say they begin their holiday shopping before Halloween. Another 41.5 percent say they begin their holiday shopping in November, and 18.7 will begin sometime in December.

When asked why they begin shopping early, most of those that responded that they shop before or in September or October say it’s to spread out their budget (61.4%). Another 48 percent say they want to avoid the November and December crowds and 46 percent do so to avoid the stress of last-minute shopping.

Sales and discounts, quality of merchandise tops for holiday shoppers

When asked which factors are the most important in their decision on where to shop during the holiday season, nearly three-quarters (73.1%) said sales or price discounts are a factor, and six in 10 (60.7%) said quality of merchandise. Additionally, 58.6 percent said selection of merchandise and two in five (45.3%) said a convenient location helped them decide.

And when it comes to online shopping, 46.7 percent said free shipping/shipping promotions are important factors in their decision on where to shop, and nearly three in 10 (28.3%) responded that easy-to-use websites or mobile sites were important to them.

Additionally, 38 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds say that helpful, knowledgeable customer service is an important factor when it comes to deciding where to shop, compared to 28.4 percent of other adults. And one in 10 (10.3%) 18- to 24-year-olds say layaway services are important in their destination decision.

Gift cards maintain their spot at top of wish lists

Those struggling with finding the perfect gift this year should look no further than a retailer’s gift card section. According to the survey, nearly six in 10 (58.8%) consumers celebrating the holidays say they would like to receive gift cards as a gift, making this the ninth year in a row that gift cards have topped the list of most requested gift items. Close behind is clothing or clothing accessories (52.2%) and books, CDs, DVDs and video games (40.5%) — though the latter is the lowest percentage seen since NRF started asking.

About the Survey
The NRF 2015 Holiday Consumer Spending Survey was designed to gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends related to the winter holidays. The survey polled 7,276 consumers and was conducted for NRF by Prosper Insights & Analytics, October 5-13, 2015. The consumer poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.2 percentage points.

Prosper Insights and Analytics delivers executives timely, consumer-centric insights from multiple sources. As a comprehensive resource of information, Prosper represents the voice of the consumer and provides knowledge to marketers regarding consumer views on the economy, personal finance, retail, lifestyle, media and domestic and world issues. www.ProsperDiscovery.com

NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs — 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy. NRF’s This is Retail campaign highlights the industry’s opportunities for life-long careers, how retailers strengthen communities, and the critical role that retail plays in driving innovation. nrf.com

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Kathy Grannis Allen
(202) 783-7971
press@nrf.com
(855) NRF-Press

Posted on October 20, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

EUR 120M Les Saisons de Meaux shopping center in France opens – Immochan

Croix, France, 2015-10-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Immochan inaugurates its latest creation, the shopping center Les Saisons de Meaux in France.

Shopping for pleasure, major international and independent local stores, restaurants with flavors from around the world: welcome to the world of Seasons of Meaux.

120M€ of investment
100 shops including 12 key tenants on 30 000m² of shopping mall GLA on 2 levels
a hypermarcket Auchan of 12 000m²
Un pôle restauration
Un pôle loisirs

The opening of Les Saisons de Meaux illustrates the will of Groupe Auchan to pursue its development in France under the sign of innovation and ambition. We are proud to contribute with this great entrepreneurial success, to economic activity and employment in a dynamic and attractive urban area. Vianney Mulliez, president of the Groupe Auchan

SOURCE: Immochan International

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EUR 120M Les Saisons de Meaux shopping center in France opens – Immochan

Posted on October 20, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

Immochan plans to open 50 new centres or extensions by 2017

IMMOCHAN AT THE MAPIC 2015

Croix, France, 2015-10-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — By 2017 Immochan plans the opening of 50 new centres or extensions for a record amount of investment.

This significant development plan, in France, Eastern Europe and Asia includes an important number of large scale projects, with 10 sites of more than 50,000m2 of total surface area. The company will invest more than 1.5 billion Euros gross in the development and improvement of its park by 2017.

Plan your meetings with our international leasing teams by now

Posted on October 20, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

Associated Food: Farr West distribution center awarded Highly Protected Risk Award from FM Global

Farr West Facility Awarded HPR Award from FM Global

Salt Lake City, UT, 2015-10-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Associated Food Stores has consistently been recognized as an industry leader in many initiatives, including safety. The grocery wholesaler’s Farr West distribution center was recently awarded a Highly Protected Risk Award from FM Global, the largest commercial property insurer. The award recognizes AFS’ dedication and efforts to protect the distribution center from fire, natural hazards and other property risks while meeting the highest standards for loss prevention. AFS was also presented a special award, honoring its 30 year partnership with FM Global.

“Organizations that earn an HPR award are to be applauded for taking steps to safeguard their property, instilling a high-quality risk management culture and enhancing their overall resilience,” said Tom Lawson, president of FM Global.

Each year the Farr West distribution center undergoes a comprehensive audit. FM Global compares the facility to similar structures and examines policies and procedures against safety and risk management best practices to determine an insurance ranking. Each FM Global audit usually includes recommendations for improvements. The Farr West distribution center’s audit was returned with zero recommendations for improvement for the second year in a row, marking their leadership status in the industry.

“Our success is due to the initial engineering of the facility, the support from our Executive Staff and Board of Directors, the excellent team at FM Global, our maintenance technicians and Safety team in Farr West,” said Carl Jensen, Director of Facilities Maintenance at the distribution center. “We couldn’t do it without everyone’s help.”

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About Associated Food Stores
Associated Food Stores was established in 1940 when 34 independent retailers joined together to battle high supplier costs and competition from large chain stores. That fighting spirit has continued to help the grocery wholesaler grow over the last 75 years. With a focus on the little guy, AFS has changed the way independent retailers operate and allowed them to prosper and currently serves more than 500 retailers across the intermountain West. For more information about Associated Food Stores visit afstores.com

About FM Global
Established in 183, FM Global is a mutual insurance company whose capital, scientific research capability and engineering expertise are solely dedicated to property risk management. Its client-owners, who share the belief that the majority of property loss is preventable, represent many of the world’s largest organizations, including one of every three FORTUNE 1000 companies. They work with FM Global to better understand the key property hazards that can impact their business continuity to make cost-effective risk management decisions combining property loss prevention with insurance protection. FM Global is rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best and AA (Very Strong) by Fitch.

Media Contact:
Rachael Wabel
rmwabel@afstores.com
801-978-8913

Posted on October 20, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

Price Chopper marks 14 years of partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

SCHENECTADY, NY, 2015-10-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Price Chopper is selling plush primates, including chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans, and fundraising through a month-long pin-up campaign, marking the 14th year the regional supermarket chain has partnered with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“We are so proud to partner with St. Jude. For more than a decade, Price Chopper teammates and customers have generously shown their support for St. Jude and its mission to provide quality care to all who need it. These plush animals are an additional, and cuddly, way to show our love for St. Jude,” said Mona Golub, vice president of public relations and consumer services and the company spokesperson.

For every plush primate sold, a $3 donation goes directly to St. Jude. This is the sixth year the campaign has sold jungle-themed plush animals. In the past, stuffed lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, and hippos were sold as part of the campaign. Though the pin-up campaign will run through the month of October, shoppers will be able to purchase the plush animals through December.

Overall, Price Chopper has raised more than $1 million for St. Jude; last year, more than $170,000 was raised by this campaign.

-30 –

About The Golub Corporation: Based in Schenectady, NY, the Golub Corporation owns and operates 135 Price Chopper and Market 32 grocery stores in New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The American owned, family-managed company prides itself on longstanding traditions of innovative food merchandising, leadership in community service, and cooperative employee relations. Golub’s 22,000 teammates collectively own more than 47% of the company’s privately held stock, making it one of the nation’s largest privately held corporations that is predominantly employee-owned. For additional information, visit www.pricechopper.com

Contact:
Mona Golub
Price Chopper
518.379.1480

Jon Pierce, APR
Pierce Communications
518.221.1186
jon@albanypr.com

Posted on October 20, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

Best Buy joins other leading U.S. companies in signing the American Business Act Pledge on Climate Change

Richfield, MN, 2015-10-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Today (October 19, 2015) we are proud that Best Buy is joining other leading U.S. companies in signing the American Business Act Pledge on Climate Change.

This is an historic moment for Best Buy. In our pledge, we committed to further advancing our efforts toward addressing this global challenge. Here’s what we said:

We will reduce our own carbon emissions by 45 percent by 2020 from operational reductions and renewable sourcing. This science-based goal builds on our 2014 achievement of a 26 percent reduction in carbon emissions within our operations.
We will provide energy-efficient products and solutions to help customers minimize their own carbon footprints. In 2014, we helped our customers prevent 900 million pounds of carbon emissions through the ENERGY STAR® certified products they purchased from Best Buy.
We will work with industry partners to promote sustainable electronics through manufacture, transport, use and end-of-life solutions.

While certainly an issue worldwide, the impact of climate change is felt close to home for all of us at Best Buy. It’s experienced in the communities where we live and work in the form of more droughts, storms and wildfires, and rising temperatures that affect human health. These climate changes, coupled with the fact that carbon reduction makes good business sense, are what brought us to the White House today.

We have made great progress toward achieving our sustainability goals, and we know we have more work ahead.

For more information about the Best Buy sustainability program visit https://corporate.bestbuy.com/sustainability/

SOURCE: Best Buy

Posted on October 20, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

Halloween: Co-operative Food to find which is the best British apple for bobbing

MANCHESTER, England, 2015-10-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — With Halloween fast approaching, the Co-operative Food today, Tuesday, 20, October, reveals the results of research to find which is the best British apple for bobbing.

Commissioned by the community retailer, the study made a splash with students at the Co-operative Academy of Leeds who concluded that the Spartan apple pipped the Royal Gala (2nd) and Cox’s Orange Pippin (3rd) to be awarded the “best for bobbing” title.

Led by the Academy’s Head of Science, Christina McGhie, approaching 200 Year 8, 9, and 10 students got their teeth into a series of experiments designed to put popular British seasonal varieties to the test.

Students compared attributes considered core to bobbing performance by pressure testing the softness of the flesh and considering the size, shape, buoyancy, density and, stability of the fruit in the water.

The overall winner, Spartan – which was introduced into the UK in the mid-1930’s and whose sweet flavour makes it a popular choice as a cooking or dessert apple – will be displayed as “best for bobbing” in selected Co-operative food store’s across the UK.

Christina McGhie, Subject Leader for Science at the Co-operative Academy of Leeds, who supervised the research, said:

“The Academy was delighted to involve so many students in the study, they were intrigued by the science behind the research, the different techniques being employed and, that there are so many different types and flavour of British apple.

“There are pupils from around 80 different cultures and countries at the school, some who had never experienced the traditional game of apple bobbing, however all of them were enthralled by the study, taking into account all of the variables and declaring the Spartan to be best for bobbing.

“The day ended with pupils taking on the teachers in a game of apple bobbing and, in a reversal of the age-old tradition of pupils giving an apple to the teacher, The Co-op supplied enough fruit for the teachers to give all of our students an apple.”

Sarah Eldridge, the Co-op’s apple buyer, said:

“The meticulous way in which students at the Co-operative Academy of Leeds went about the research was fantastic. Bringing an Apple to school perhaps conjures up thoughts of technology among many pupils these days and, in an interesting twist, the Spartan is derived from the McIntosh apple.

“The Co-op works with growers and suppliers to ensure great tasting fresh produce in our stores and, with so many people enjoying apple bobbing at Hallowe’en, we were all keen to establish the best home-grown variety for this quintessentially British game.

“Various techniques were displayed, making waves in the bowl and pushing the apple to edge of the water however, it was found that the key to apple bobbing success lies with the choice of apple and with its soft flesh, medium size and buoyancy, the Spartan dessert apple enjoyed the sweet taste of victory.”

Adrian Barlow, Chief Executive of English Apples & Pears Ltd – which represents apple growers throughout the UK commented:

“This is a great initiative from The Co-op, the more we can engage and encourage young people, and consumers generally, to connect with healthy, fresh produce, the better. While there are many superb British varieties available at this time of the year – some old, some new – the Spartan has long been popular for bobbing. The findings reaffirm that the Spartan apple really is at its best around Hallowe’en with the combination of its sweet, clean and crisp taste and, just the right amount of juice, making it a popular choice.”

The Co-op has announced a £125M investment in quality, freshness and, lowering the price of everyday essentials – a move which has included pruning the price of over 100 lines of fresh fruit and vegetables and, the introduction of revolving offers on popular produce, called “fresh three”.

Further Information:

Andrew Torr
The Co-operative Press Office
Tel: 07702 505 551
Email: andrew.torr@co-operative.coop

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Halloween: Co-operative Food to find which is the best British apple for bobbing

Posted on October 20, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

REWE und Starbucks werden Partner

Erste Starbucks Stores eröffnen in REWE Märkten im nächsten Jahr

Köln, Germany, 2015-10-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — REWE, einer der führenden Lebensmitteleinzelhändler Deutschlands, und die Starbucks Coffee Company haben heute eine neue Partnerschaft bekanntgegeben. Im Rahmen der Partnerschaft werden im Laufe des Jahres 2016 Starbucks Stores in REWE-Märkten in Großstadtlagen mit dem gewohnten Starbucks-Angebot an hochwertigen Kaffeesorten, Getränken und Speisen für den direkten Verzehr vor Ort oder für unterwegs (on the go).

Kris Engskov, President der Starbucks Coffee Company EMEA, erläutert: „Deutschland ist ein Land mit einer großen Kaffeekultur. Daher zählt das Land zu denjenigen mit dem höchsten Kaffeekonsum pro Kopf. Zudem blicken beide Unternehmen auf eine lange Tradition im Handel zurück und teilen ein Werteverständnis, das sie im Sinne der Gemeinschaft und der Kunden handeln lässt. Dank der neuen Partnerschaft mit REWE können wir neue Kunden gewinnen, beste Qualität bieten und für ein noch höheres Genusserlebnis für den Kaffee zwischendurch sorgen.“

Lionel Souque, im Vorstand der REWE Group: „Wir freuen uns über die einzigartige Kooperation dieser beiden starken Marken. REWE bietet den Kunden hochwertige Starbucks-Produkte in Starbuck Stores, die erstmalig in Deutschland direkt in Supermärkten eröffnet werden. Mit diesem innovativen Konzept stärkt REWE seine Convenience-Kompetenz und der Einkauf bei REWE wird noch attraktiver.“

Mit über 3.000 REWE Märkten in Deutschland ist REWE einer der führenden Lebensmittelhändler in Deutschland. Starbucks betreibt derzeit über 159 Stores in Deutschland und weit mehr als 2.200 in 35 Ländern in Europa, Nahost und Afrika. Mit dieser Partnerschaft unterstreicht Starbucks den Ausbau seiner Präsenz an vielen Supermarkt-Standorten in ganz Europa. Kunden wird mehr Zeit für Genuss geboten, denn das Lieblingsgetränk gibt es stets in der gemütlichen Atmosphäre eines Cafés – nah an Zuhause, am Arbeitsplatz oder einfach für unterwegs.

Über REWE

Mit einem Umsatz von 16,9 Mrd. Euro (2014), mehr als 90.000 Mitarbeitern und weit über 3.000 REWE Märkten gehört die REWE Markt GmbH zu den führenden Unternehmen im deutschen Lebensmitteleinzelhandel. Die REWE Märkte werden als Filialen oder durch selbstständige REWE-Kaufleute betrieben.

REWE gehört zur genossenschaftlichen REWE Group, einer der führenden Handels- und Touristikkonzerne in Deutschland und Europa. Im Jahr 2014 erzielte das Unternehmen einen Gesamtaußenumsatz von über 51 Milliarden Euro. Die 1927 gegründete REWE Group ist mit ihren 330.000 Beschäftigten und 15.000 Märkten in 12 europäischen Ländern präsent. In Deutschland erwirtschafteten im Jahr 2014 rund 228.000 Mitarbeiter in rund 10.000 Märkten einen Umsatz von 37 Milliarden Euro.

Über die Starbucks Corporation

Seit den Anfängen im Jahr 1971 hat sich die Starbucks Coffee Company dem nachhaltigen Kaffeeanbau verschrieben und verwendet ausschließlich Arabica-Bohnen bester Qualität. Heute ist das Unternehmen mit seinen Coffee Houses an Standorten auf der ganzen Welt der führende Röster und Händler von Kaffeespezialitäten. In Deutschland ist Starbucks seit 2002 vertreten. Inzwischen bieten sich in 159 Coffee Houses in mehr als 40 Städten den Gästen 87.000 Möglichkeiten für die individuelle Kreation ihres persönlichen Lieblingsgetränks.

Das typische Starbucks Erlebnis besteht aus Premiumkaffee, engagierten Partnern (Mitarbeitern), dem Third Place zwischen Zuhause und Arbeitsplatz sowie gesellschaftlicher Verantwortung. Das Programm Starbucks Shared Planet umfasst das Engagement für nachhaltigen Kaffeeanbau und gerechten Handel, Schutz der Umwelt und aktive Einbindung in die Gemeinden. 13 messbare Ziele sollen in diesem Rahmen bis 2015 erreicht werden. So sollen unter anderem 100 Prozent des Starbucks Kaffees nachhaltig angebaut und gerecht gehandelt werden.

Mehr zum Starbucks Erlebnis erfahren Sie in einem unserer Coffee Houses oder unterwww.starbucks.de.

Weitere Informationen auch unter www.facebook.com/StarbucksDeutschland und https://twitter.com/starbucksde

Presseanfragen richten Sie bitte an:
EMEAcommunications@starbucks.com

REWE

presse@rewe.de

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REWE und Starbucks werden Partner

Posted on October 20, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

NCR Small Business and Creditcall to demonstrate NCR Silver EMV solution at Money20/20

At event, NCR Small Business President will also speak about omnichannel experience

DULUTH, Ga., 2015-10-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Chris Poelma, president and general manager of NCR Small Business, will speak about the omnichannel experience on a panel of mobile payments experts at Money20/20, an event that brings together key industry leaders in financial services and payments.

In addition, NCR Small Business is teaming up with Creditcall, an EMV-ready payment gateway and EMV Kernel provider, to give Money20/20 attendees demonstrations of the NCR Silver EMV solution. It’s powered by Creditcall’s ChipDNA, an EMV SDK for iOS, Android, Windows and Linux. Creditcall will host a demo of NCR Silver® at its mPOS demo zone, booth 2439, during the show, which will be held in Las Vegas on Oct. 25-28.

“NCR represents a significant partnership for Creditcall as it further validates the importance of comprehensive payment security in the marketplace,” said Jeremy Gumbley, CTO, Creditcall. “As merchants become more receptive to newer POS platforms and favor more open platforms like Silver, we are seeing greater demand for solutions that are device agnostic and can provide EMV and P2PE as fast and easily as possible.”

Poelma’s session, Omnichannel POS Solutions for SMBs, will cover how small businesses can use POS solutions to better manage back-end operations. The panel will focus on pain points that omnichannel POS systems address, challenges to adoption and more. Poelma’s session will be at 5:10 p.m. on Oct. 26 at The Venetian.

“In today’s environment, small businesses require a great deal of functionality from POS systems,” said Poelma. “However, entrepreneurs lack the time or the money to manage complex solutions. I look forward to sharing my thoughts on how small businesses can optimize technology to drive efficiency while allowing them to focus on customer-facing activities.”

The NCR Silver tablet POS solution offers features such as inventory management and email marketing while providing users with an intuitive front end. To ensure small businesses can operate with as much security as possible, NCR Silver will offer EMV chip card compatibility in November.

To learn more about NCR Silver’s features, visit www.ncrsilver.com, or call 1-877-630-9711. NCR Small Business provides live, 24/7 U.S.-based customer support for NCR Silver users. NCR Silver runs in the cloud, uses consumer-friendly technology, works on Apple® devices running the latest iOS, and offers a POS solution catered to franchises as well.

About NCR Corporation
NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is the global leader in consumer transaction technologies, turning everyday interactions with businesses into exceptional experiences. With its software, hardware, and portfolio of services, NCR enables more than 550 million transactions daily across retail, financial, travel, hospitality, telecom and technology, and small business. NCR solutions run the everyday transactions that make your life easier.

NCR is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia with over 30,000 employees and does business in 180 countries. NCR is a trademark of NCR Corporation in the United States and other countries. The company encourages investors to visit its web site which is updated regularly with financial and other important information about NCR.

Website: www.ncr.com; www.ncrsilver.com
Twitter: @NCRCorporation; @NCRSilver
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ncrcorp
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ncr-corporation
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/ncrcorporation

EMV is a trademark or registered trademark of EMVCo, LLC in the U.S. and other countries.

Apple, Apple Pay, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
iOS is a trademark or registered trademark of Cisco in the U.S. and other countries and is used under license.

About Creditcall
Creditcall makes card acceptance simple from any device, anywhere. No matter if in retail, hospitality, parking or transportation, our award-winning EMV-ready payment gateway and EMV Kernels are at the very heart of our clients’ business. Whether in-store, online or mobile, we ensure payments flow securely, all day, every day.

To learn more about Creditcall’s EMV SDKs for Android, iOS, Linux and Windows visit www.creditcall.com or engage with us on Twitter@Creditcall #EMVSDK.

News Media Contacts

Jackie Parker
Arketi Group
404.929.0091, ext. 220
jparker@arketi.com

Tim Henschel
NCR Corporation
770.299.5100
tim.henschel@ncr.com

Ingrid Anusic
Creditcall
+44 117 930 4455
ingrid.anusic@creditcall.com