Posted on November 15, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

Walgreens Boots Alliance Global CFO George Fairweather to participate at the Morgan Stanley Global Consumer & Retail Conference

DEERFIELD, Ill., 2015-11-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA) Executive Vice President and Global Chief Financial Officer George Fairweather will participate at the Morgan Stanley Global Consumer & Retail Conference. Fairweather is scheduled to appear at 2:20 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, 17 November. The conference is taking place at the Crowne Plaza Times Square in New York City.

The audio portion of Fairweather’s appearance will be webcast live and can be accessed through the Walgreens Boots Alliance investor relations website at http://investor.walgreensbootsalliance.com.

Notes to Editors:

About Walgreens Boots Alliance
Walgreens Boots Alliance (Nasdaq: WBA) is the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise.

The company was created through the combination of Walgreens and Alliance Boots in December 2014, bringing together two leading companies with iconic brands, complementary geographic footprints, shared values and a heritage of trusted health care services through pharmaceutical wholesaling and community pharmacy care, dating back more than 100 years.

The company employs more than 370,000* people and has a presence in more than 25* countries; it is the largest retail pharmacy, health and daily living destination in the USA and Europe. Including its equity method investments, Walgreens Boots Alliance is a global leader in pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing retail with over 13,100* stores in 11* countries. The company includes one of the largest global pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution networks with over 350* distribution centers delivering to more than 200,000** pharmacies, doctors, health centers and hospitals each year in 19* countries. In addition, Walgreens Boots Alliance is one of the world’s largest purchasers of prescription drugs and many other health and wellbeing products.

Its portfolio of retail and business brands includes Walgreens, Duane Reade, Boots and Alliance Healthcare, as well as increasingly global health and beauty product brands, such as No7, Botanics, Liz Earle and Soap & Glory. More company information is available at www.walgreensbootsalliance.com.

* As at 31 August 2015 including equity method investments

** For 12 months ended 31 August 2015 including equity method investments

Contact(s)

Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.
Media Relations
USA / Michael Polzin, +1 847 315 2935
International / Laura Vergani, +44 (0)207 980 8585
or
Investor Relations
Gerald Gradwell and Ashish Kohli, +1 847 315 2922

Posted on November 15, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

Sainsbury’s unveils heartwarming new ad campaign featuring Judith Kerr’s Mog

LONDON, 2015-11-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — Sainsbury’s has unveiled a heartwarming new advertising campaign featuring one of the nation’s best loved children’s book characters, Judith Kerr’s Mog, to highlight the importance of sharing at Christmas.

Developed in partnership with Judith’s publishers HarperCollins Children’s Books, and titled ‘Mog’s Christmas Calamity’, the full length 3’30”TV advert will air for the first time on Thursday 12^th November across multiple channels including ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky simultaneously at 7.15pm. The campaign will help raise vital funds for Save the Children to improve child literacy across the UK, because every year, 1 in 5 children in England are leaving primary school behind in reading which can have huge consequences for their futures.

Sainsbury’s approached Judith Kerr and her publisher HarperCollins Children’s Books, developing the concept for the story together, with Judith writing and illustrating a new Mog book, to be exclusively sold in Sainsbury’s to complement the story told in the campaign. The campaign is designed to entertain children and families across the UK, as well as raising funds to improve children’s literacy, with the book on sale in Sainsbury’s stores for £3, alongside a specially created Mog soft toy for £10. Judith Kerr, HarperCollins Children’s Books and Sainsbury’s will donate all profits from the book and toy to Save the Children to support their literacy work, making a positive and lasting difference to children in the UK.

Directed by James Rouse, and co-produced by Sainsbury’s and HarperCollins Children’s Books, the campaign has been created in collaboration with Judith Kerr herself, who also makes a cameo appearance in the film. The new advert is a charming tale of a sequence of highly improbable and entertaining events that befall the iconic and calamity-prone Mog in the early hours of Christmas morning, before the family are awake.

In the midst of the chaos, however, Mog succeeds in contacting the fire station which kick-starts the rescue mission to save Christmas Day. In the aftermath of the smoke filled calamity and following a visit from the fire chief and his brigade, the Thomas family turn to see all their neighbours standing in the doorway, armed with mops and brooms for the clean-up, as well as delicious festive food, drinks and decorations. Everyone comes together to celebrate the Christmas festivities – after all, Christmas is for sharing.

Mark Given, Director of Planning and Propositions, Sainsbury’s, commented: “More than any other time of year, the Christmas season is when people come together with family and friends to share simple moments and kindnesses. For many families the sharing of stories is an important part of their Christmas celebrations and is often a tradition that is passed down through generations. This year, we’re proud to be working with renowned children’s author Judith Kerr to create a magical new Mog story to be enjoyed by parents and children and to support the important cause of helping Save the Children to improve child literacy in the UK.”

Tanya Steele, Executive Director of Marketing, Fundraising and Communications at Save the Children said; “We are delighted to be a part of this year’s Christmas campaign for Sainsbury’s and so grateful for the spotlight that it places on the issue of child literacy in the UK. We want reading, which is the key to a child’s future, to become a national mission. We are calling for everyone from parents to grandparents, communities and schools to business and government to get all children reading well by the age of eleven. Thanks to the support of everyone involved in this campaign, we will be able to give more UK children – particularly those children from the poorest families – the essential early language skills they need to succeed in life.”

Ann-Janine Murtagh, Executive Publisher, HarperCollins Children’s Books and founding member of the Read On. Get On. Campaign added: “It’s been a pleasure to collaborate with Sainsbury’s on this campaign and what better way to celebrate the festive season than with the gift of storytelling by putting a book at the heart of Christmas. HarperCollins Children’s Books have been Judith Kerr’s publishers for over 50 years, and her Mog stories have enchanted generations of children. The book is joyful and has some of her finest illustrations to enjoy. It’s been a wonderfully creative collaboration and most importantly it will leave a lasting legacy to help Children in Britain to share in the pleasures of reading in future years.”

How will this campaign support the work of Save the Children?

With the support of Sainsbury’s and HarperCollins Children’s Books this campaign will help Save the Children in three key ways:

Raising vital funds for Save the Children’s work to improve child literacy in the UK, funding direct programmes with children and supporting their work as part of the Read On. Get On. coalition
Helping children’s literacy by encouraging families across the UK to read with their children and share stories, not just at Christmas, but throughout the year
Providing a platform for Save the Children to talk about the importance of reading to a child’s future and the need for everyone to get behind the campaign and support children’s literacy

Notes to Editors

For more information please contact: SainsburysChristmas@golin.com or 020 7067 0433.

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Sainsbury’s unveils heartwarming new ad campaign featuring Judith Kerr’s Mog

Posted on November 15, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

Sainsbury’s awarded a position on the FTSE 350 Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI)

LONDON, 2015-11-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — Sainsbury’s has been identified as a UK leader for the quality and transparency of climate change related information it has disclosed to investors and the global marketplace through CDP, the international not-for-profit that drives sustainable economies.

Sainsbury’s is one of only 37 companies awarded a position on the FTSE 350 Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI), released today in the United Kingdom edition of CDP’s annual global climate change report. Sainsbury’s is also the only UK retailer on the CDLI to achieve a coveted Band A rating. The news comes three weeks ahead of COP21, the UN climate change conference, when national leaders meet to agree a global deal to reduce carbon emissions and limit temperature warming.

The only retailer on the CDLI FTSE 350 to achieve a Band A rating
One of only eight UK companies on the Climate A list, and the only UK retailer*

Sainsbury’s scored the top grade of 100%** on the index by disclosing high quality carbon emissions and energy data through CDP’s climate change program.

Paul Crewe, Head of Sustainability, Energy and Engineering at Sainsbury’s said:“Sainsbury’s takes energy and carbon reduction extremely seriously and we have set ourselves stretching targets beyond 2020 through our Sustainability Plan. We are all delighted and proud that Sainsbury’s has been recognised by CDP for the efforts we have made in carbon reduction by being awarded the highest possible global score and gaining a place on the Climate A List.”

Paul Dickinson, executive chairman and co-founder of CDP says: “As the world looks beyond the Paris climate change negotiations and prepares for a low carbon future, reliable information about how companies are responding to the transition will be ever more valuable. For this reason we congratulate those businesses that have achieved a position on CDP’s Climate Disclosure Leadership Index.”

Notes to Editors:

*The Climate A list denotes those companies around the world that have been identified as leading in their efforts and actions to combat climate change in the past CDP reporting year. Of the companies that participated in CDP’s climate change program this year, those on the A list are among only 5% that were awarded an A grade for their performance.

**The reported data has been independently assessed against CDP’s scoring methodology and marked out of 100. Those organizations graded within the top 10% constitute the CDLI.

At the request of 822 investors who represent US$95 trillion in assets, thousands of companies submit e disclosures to CDP. Top scores indicate a high level of transparency in the disclosure of climate change-related information, providing investors with a level of comfort to assess corporate accountability and preparedness for changing market demands and emissions regulation.

SOURCE: J Sainsbury plc

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Sainsbury’s awarded a position on the FTSE 350 Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI)

Posted on November 15, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

CVS Health: First MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics have come to Springfield, Missouri

Woonsocket, R.I., 2015-11-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — The first MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics have come to Springfield, Missouri. Two clinics have opened inside CVS/pharmacy stores on the edge of the Missouri State University campus on Elm Street and in Southern Hills. Missouri State Senator Jay Wasson and Representative Eric Burlison will participate in a ribbon-cutting today at the clinic near the university campus.

A third MinuteClinic in Springfield will begin seeing patients Nov. 18 and a fourth location will open in December. The clinics join 21 other MinuteClinic locations in Missouri found inside select CVS/pharmacy stores in the Kansas City and St. Louis metropolitan areas. Nationwide, MinuteClinic, the largest provider of walk-in medical clinics in the United States, has more than 1,000 locations in 33 states and the District of Columbia.

MinuteClinic is open seven days a week with no appointment necessary. Most major health insurance is accepted, including several Medicaid plans in Missouri. For patients paying cash or credit, treatment prices are posted at each clinic and on www.minuteclinic.com. The cost for most services starts at $79 – $99.

“Targeted expansion into markets like Springfield brings high-quality, convenient and affordable health care services to community members,” said Andrew Sussman, M.D., president, MinuteClinic and executive vice president/associate chief medical officer, CVS Health. “We face a significant shortage in primary care providers, an aging Baby Boomer population and the addition of millions of newly insured patients through the Affordable Care Act. By increasing access to care, MinuteClinic can help support the primary care medical home in Missouri.”

MinuteClinic nurse practitioners specialize in family health care and can diagnose, treat and write prescriptions for common family illnesses such as strep throat and ear, eye, sinus, bladder and bronchial infections. Minor wounds, abrasions, skin conditions and joint sprains are treated, and common vaccinations such as influenza, tetanus, pneumonia and Hepatitis A & B are available at most locations.

In addition, MinuteClinic administers a series of wellness services designed to help patients identify lifestyle changes needed to improve their current and future health. These include smoking cessation and weight loss management services and screening and monitoring for diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

At the conclusion of each visit, patients receive educational material, a prescription (when clinically appropriate) and a visit summary. A copy of the diagnostic record can be sent electronically, or by fax or mail to a primary care provider with patient permission.

Sussman says MinuteClinic can play a complementary role in working with primary care providers.

“About 50 percent of MinuteClinic visits occur on evenings, weekends and holidays when patients may not be able to get an appointment with their primary care provider,” he said, “and about half of the patients seen at MinuteClinic are ‘medically homeless’ and do not have a personal physician.”

Patients who visit MinuteClinic without a primary care provider are provided a list of physicians in the area who are accepting new patients, said Sussman.

The MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics in Springfield operate from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

Locations inside Springfield, Missouri CVS/pharmacy stores:

1153 E. Elm St. on the edge of the Missouri State University campus
2715 E. Battlefield St.
3045 W. Republic St. (opening November 18)
1220 E. Republic St. (opening in December)

About MinuteClinic

CVS/minuteclinic is the retail medical clinic of CVS Health (NYSE: CVS), the largest pharmacy health care provider in the United States. MinuteClinic launched the first retail medical clinics in the United States in 2000 and is the largest provider of retail clinics with more than 1,000 locations in 33 states and the District of Columbia. By creating a health care delivery model that responds to patient demand, MinuteClinic makes access to high-quality medical treatment easier for more Americans. Nationally, the company has provided care through more than 26 million patient visits, with a 95% customer satisfaction rating. MinuteClinic is the only retail health care provider to receive three consecutive accreditations from The Joint Commission, the national evaluation and certifying agency for nearly 20,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. For more information, visit www.minuteclinic.com.

Media Contacts:

Carolyn Castel
(401) 770-5717
CVS Health
carolyn.castel@cvshealth.com

Brent Burkhardt
(410) 986-1303
TBC (for MinuteClinic)
bburkhardt@tbc.us

SOURCE: CVS Health

Posted on November 15, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

Bertram L. Scott appointed at Lowe’s Companies, Inc. board of directors

MOORESVILLE, N.C., 2015-11-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — At its meeting today, the board of directors of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) appointed Bertram L. Scott, 65, to the board, effective immediately. Today’s announcement brings Lowe’s board of directors to 12 members, 11 of whom are independent.

Scott brings to the board a wealth of senior leadership experience, having served as senior vice president of Population Health and Value Based Care at Novant Health since 2015 and as president, CEO and director of the Affinity Health Plan from 2012 to 2014. Scott was president, U.S. Commercial of CIGNA Corporation and served as executive vice president of TIAA-CREF for ten years and as president and CEO of TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company from 2000 to 2007. He presently serves on the boards of Becton, Dickinson and Company and AXA Financial, Inc.

“With his leadership, strategy and integration experience, Bertram will provide valuable perspective as Lowe’s continues to transition from a home improvement retailer to an omni-channel home improvement company,” said Robert A. Niblock, Lowe’s chairman, president and CEO.

Scott will serve on the Audit and Governance committees. He will stand for election at Lowe’s 2016 annual meeting of shareholders.

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving approximately 16 million customers a week in the United States, Canada andMexico through its stores and online at Lowes.com, Lowes.ca and Lowes.com.mx. With fiscal year 2014 sales of $56.2 billion, Lowe’s has more than 1,845 home improvement and hardware stores and 265,000 employees. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe’s supports the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. For more information, visit Lowes.com.

SOURCE Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

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Bertram L. Scott appointed at Lowe’s Companies, Inc. board of directors

Posted on November 15, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

British Land secured 11 new lettings at Meadowhall, one of UK’s leading regional shopping centres

LONDON, 2015-11-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — British Land is pleased to announce that it has secured an impressive 11 new lettings totalling nearly 28,000 sq ft at Meadowhall, one of the UK’s leading regional shopping centres and Yorkshire’s premier shopping destination. The lettings follow Meadowhall’s recent 25th birthday celebrations and the launch of a £50 million internal refurbishment of the centre which began in late September.

The new lettings range from fashion, jewellery, restaurants and international cosmetic and beauty offerings, further strengthening the centre’s appeal to premium consumers:

Jack Wills (3,550 sq ft)
Diesel (3,595 sq ft)
Michael Kors (2,195 sq ft)
Kiko Milano (1,200 sq ft)
Joules (2,860 sq ft,)
Lush (1,780 sq ft), the brand’s second best performing store in the UK
L’Occitane (1,595 sq ft), relocating from the High Street to Park Lane
Build-a-Bear (2,680 sq ft), the first of their new style shop fit in the UK
Goldsmiths (3,240 sq ft), extending further onto Park Lane, after taking a new Goldsmiths Boutique store
Rolex is to open a concession within the centre’s planned new Goldsmiths store

Recent restaurant lettings include:

Tapas Revolution (2,000 sq ft)
Five Guys (3,160 sq ft)

The deals are testament to the quality of Meadowhall as a retail destination with the highest retail conversion rate of any of super regional in the country (97%). A number of the lettings are located within the Park Lane area of the centre which received a £3 million refresh last year. This was part of the continuous investment and active asset management that has led to consistent year-on-year outperformance of Meadowhall.

British Land is currently in discussions with other premium retailers and it is anticipated that more brands will sign up over the coming months. The White Company, Cadenza, White Stuff and Jigsaw have opened at Meadowhall this year.

Richard Crowther, Asset Manager, British Land said: “This impressive list of new lettings is further evidence of how investing in our assets yields results, and is testament to our strong relationships with retailers. The success of the Park Lane refurbishment gives us confidence that the centre wide works will further position Meadowhall as a leading shopping destination and will ensure we meet the evolving needs of our occupiers and shoppers.”

The internal refurbishment is due for completion by the end of 2017. It is expected to significantly enhance the centre and ensure Meadowhall remains a modern shopping environment for both retailers and consumers.

Enquiries:
Investor Relations Sally Jones, British Land	020 7467 2942
Media Pip Wood, British Land	020 7467 2838
Charlotte Whitley, British Land	020 7467 2933
Naomi Galt, FTI Consulting	020 3727 1182
Gordon Simpson, Finsbury Group	020 7251 3801

Notes to Editors

About Meadowhall Shopping Centre
Meadowhall is one of only six super-regional shopping centres in the UK. Located on junction 34 of the M1, the centre has 1.4 million sq ft of prime retail and leisure space developed on the site of a former steelworks and attracts over 23.5 million shoppers a year. The centre, opened in 1990, is built on levels within a crescent-shaped mall and comprises 310 shops let to a broad range of popular international, national and local retail brands. The leisure offer now boasts 50 restaurants and cafes and an 11-screen cinema. The centre also benefits from 12,000 free car parking spaces, as well as the centre’s own public transport interchange for local and regional bus, train and Supertram services that run throughout the day.

Meadowhall is jointly owned by British Land and Norges Bank Investment Management.

Further details can be found on the Meadowhall website at www.meadowhall.co.uk.

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 & Residential. We have total assets in the UK, owned or managed of £19.0 billion (British Land share of which is £12.8 billion), as valued at 30 September 2014. Our properties are home to over 1,000 different organisations and receive over 340 million visits each year. 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 54% 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, from major regional shopping centres to single occupier locations. 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 25 million sq ft of retail space across retail 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 46% 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 7.9 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.

SOURCE: British Land

Posted on November 15, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

H&M Head of Sustainability Gedda: Partnership with Ellen MacArthur Foundation great opportunity to strengthen our work towards a more circular business model

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, 2015-11-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — H&M has become the Ellen MacArthur Foundation latest Global Partner accelerating the transition to the circular economy. The announcement was made by Dame Ellen MacArthur, speaking at the BSR 2015 conference in San Francisco.

“We see the partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation as a great opportunity to strengthen our work towards a more circular business model” says Anna Gedda, Head of Sustainability at H&M. She continues, ”together we will for example be able to further explore solutions to create a closed loop for textiles where unwanted clothes can be recycled into new ones. This is the future for a sustainable fashion industry and we are very excited to be part of driving this development together with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation”.

The partnership builds on H&M’s commitment to demonstrating circular innovation within a key economic sector. H&M joins the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s six existing Global Partners: Cisco, Google, Kingfisher, Philips, Renault and Unilever, in driving forward market-leading circular economy initiatives, at scale.

H&M is already an existing member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Economy 100, a pre-competitive innovation programme established to enable organisations to develop new opportunities and achieve their circular economy ambitions faster. As a Global Partner, H&M will intensify its collaboration with the Foundation over the coming years, to explore further opportunities to apply circular economy principles across the organisation.

For more information about The Ellen MacArthur Foundation: http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/

GLOBAL MEDIA ENQUIRIES

Only press enquiries

Phone: +46 8 796 53 00
Email: mediarelations@hm.com

All other enquiries

H&M switchboard +46 8 796 55 00
Email info@hm.com

Head of Communications
Kristina Stenvinkel
+46 8 796 39 08

Head of Media Relations
Camilla Emilsson Falk
+46 8 796 39 95

Posted on November 15, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

Inditex to allocate EUR 2.3 million to four humanitarian initiatives by Doctors Without Borders in 2015

Arteixo, Spain, 2015-11-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — Inditex’s contribution is allocated to four projects: aid for Syrian refugees from the Turkish province of Kilis, aid for the Emergency Unit of the NGO and collaboration with two initiatives for medical and nutritional cooperation in India.

Inditex will allocate 2.3 million euro to four humanitarian initiatives by Doctors Without Borders in 2015. The company’s president, Pablo Isla, and the general director of Doctors Without Borders (DWB) in Spain, Joan Tubau, have today renewed three collaboration projects with a value of 2 million euro in the headquarters of the NGO in Barcelona. This agreement forms part of the convention established between both entities in 2008, through which Inditex has contributed over 17 million euro. This year, Inditex will also contribute 300,000 euro for the Emergency Unit of the NGO, which it has been financing since 2011.

Within this agreement, Inditex will allocate one million euro to assist with access to healthcare for over 100,000 Syrian refugees that are gathered in the Turkish province of Kilis. Specifically, it will be allocated to a centre for primary medical consultations and psychological care, to which Inditex already allocated a million euro between 2013 and 2014, and where a specialised team of over 40 professionals are working.

This year, Inditex also continues with its support to the Emergency Unit of Doctors Without Borders, to which Inditex contributes 300,000 euro annually. This support makes it possible to coordinate the MSF medical teams that are specifically dealing with the humanitarian aid of the Syrian refugees who are located in the European border countries.

Fight against malnutrition and Kala-Azar disease in India

The two organisations have also signed a renewal of another two conventions, with a value of one million euro, in order to fight malnutrition in children and Kala-Azar disease in the state of Bihar, one of the poorest states in India and the state with the third highest number of children at risk of malnutrition. The program to fight severe malnutrition in children began in 2009 and, up to now, over 17,000 children have received treatment. In the same region, DWB also has a plan to fight against visceral leishmaniasis, or Kala-Azar, a disease transmitted by sand flies which is fatal if not treated on time. Since the beginning of this project, in 2007, DWB has treated over 12,000 people.

Doctors Without Borders and Inditex

Doctors Without Borders is a medical-based international humanitarian organisation which is present in over 70 countries and has approximately 500 projects underway. Its main task is to assist populations that are in a precarious situation and victims of catastrophes and armed conflict.

The collaboration of Inditex with DWB forms part of the social investment of the Group, which includes social programs in collaboration with non-profit entities with experience in the geographical area in which they are carried out. In this sense, in 2014, Inditex’s investment in social initiatives was 25.8 million euro, allocated to 460 projects in 351 entities.

Because of the situation of the refugee in Europe, during 2015 Inditex has also cooperated with Syrian refugees through an exceptional contribution of more than 100,000 units of clothing, valued at approximately 3 million euro and organised in collaboration with various NGO’s. In January and April of 2015, two contributions in kind were sent through the US non-profit organisation LIFE for Relief and Development, that were delivered to Iraq and Lebanon. In September 2015, a new clothing donation was sent to the Red Cross, which was distributed in Austria. In October 2015, over 7,000 refugees in Greece received a donation of garments organised through UNHCR.

Currently, Inditex is coordinating with Red Cross the delivery of other 19,000 garments that will be delivered in the following days.

SOURCE: INDITEX

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Inditex to allocate EUR 2.3 million to four humanitarian initiatives by Doctors Without Borders in 2015

Posted on November 15, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

Old Navy kicks off holiday season with five full days of incredible in-store and online savings

Starting on Thanksgiving, and Extending through Giving Tuesday, Old Navy will Offer Five Days of Incredible Deals and an Opportunity to Give Back

SAN FRANCISCO, 2015-11-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — Old Navy is kicking off the holiday season with five full days of incredible in-store and online savings, extended shopping hours, an opportunity to give back and the return of the brand’s popular “Overnight Millionaire” giveaway.

“Old Navy is the ultimate Black Friday destination with on-trend fashion essentials for the whole family, all at incredible prices,” said Steve Stickel, Head of Global Stores for Old Navy. “We can’t wait to greet shoppers with some of the best deals of the season, including special in-store only savings, all in a fun and energizing shopping environment.”

Best Odds Yet for Becoming an Overnight Millionaire

For the third year in a row, when Old Navy opens its doors for Black Friday shopping, those in line will be given the chance to win a $1 million jackpot* making the holiday season extra bright for one lucky shopper. With the best odds of winning to date, the first 50 people to line up at each Old Navy store in North America will receive a game card giving them a chance to win. The Overnight Millionaire winner will be randomly selected on November 27, 2015 at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.

“We’ve had the opportunity to change the lives of two special customers with our Overnight Millionaire giveaway in recent years, and we’re thrilled to offer this jackpot again this holiday season,” continued Stickel.

Last year, Overnight Millionaire winner Karen Crider’s life was forever changed after a last-minute, Black Friday shopping trip to Old Navy. Since winning last year, the mother from Salem, Oregon has moved into a larger home and bought a new car to accommodate her growing family with her partner and their combined six kids, as well as take two much anticipated family vacations to Disneyland and Legoland.

“Winning Overnight Millionaire has been a dream come true,” said Crider. “Before we were a household of eight living in three bedrooms, but now everyone has their own space and we can travel together as a family in one car. It has been an amazing, life-changing event for my family. ”

Overnight Millionaire Scott Rowe has continued to feel the impact since winning in 2013. An 11-year military veteran, Rowe was able to quit his overseas job to pursue his dream of becoming a police officer in Central Texas, build a college fund for his daughters, and invest in real estate. In the last year, Rowe has pursued his passions further by opening Patriot Coney Island, a local family-style restaurant and bar in Belton, Texas.

“I am so thankful for this blessing,” said Rowe. “The prize money gave me the opportunity to change my family’s life. Now I’m enjoying things I hadn’t been able to in years, like spend more time with my kids and pursue business ventures that had previously only been a dream.”

Special Deals and Extended Shopping Hours for Black Friday

With extended shopping hours and some of the biggest savings of the year, Old Navy is a must-visit Black Friday destination for the entire family. More than 800 Old Navy stores across the U.S. will open at 4 p.m. local time on Thursday, November 26 and remain open until midnight on Black Friday, November 27 (store hours may vary, check local stores for details).

During these special shopping hours – from 4 p.m. local time on Thanksgiving until stores close on Black Friday – customers will enjoy in-store only savings of 50 percent off their entire purchase. The deals don’t end on Friday, with 40 percent off the entire store on Saturday and 30 percent off the entire store on Sunday and Monday.

The deals don’t stop in store; starting at 9 p.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, November 25 through 9 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday, November 27, oldnavy.com will offer doorbuster items at 50 and 60 percent off, and 40 percent off everything else. On Saturday, November 28, all outerwear will be half off, with 30 percent off everything else online. This year’s Cyber Sunday and Monday deals will be the brand’s best to date, with deals and exclusive items customers won’t want to miss.

This year oldnavy.com offers the ultimate Holiday Gift Guide, featuring a Santa’s Helper tool that allows shoppers to answer questions about those on their list in order to select perfect, personal gifts. The guide also highlights the top “it” items making it easy to select the key holiday gifts for all on your list.

Giving Tuesday

In celebration of Giving Tuesday, Old Navy is offering customers two ways to give back. From December 1 through December 7, customers are invited to snap a selfie or a photo of friends and family doing good deeds, then share on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #UNSelfie and tagging @oldnavy. Each photo will trigger a $1 donation from Old Navy that will benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, up to a $25,000 donation.

Additionally, when customers shop with their Old Navy (or other Gap Inc. brand) credit card at Old Navy stores on GivingTuesday, the brand will donate 1 percent of customers’ total spend to benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of America, up to a $75,000 donation.

“Old Navy is a brand that believes in giving back and we are thrilled to participate in the #GivingTuesday movement, as well as celebrate all the good our customers are doing to help others this holiday. The fact that all of these good deeds will also benefit the Boys & Girls Club is a wonderful bonus,” Stickel concluded.

About Old Navy

Old Navy is a global apparel and accessories brand that makes current American essentials accessible to every family. Originated in 1994, the brand has now grown to be the #1 apparel brand in the U.S.** A division of San Francisco-based Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS), Old Navy brings a fun, energizing shopping environment to its customers in more than 1,000 stores around the world. For more information, please visit www.oldnavy.com.

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES (D.C. + Puerto Rico) AND CANADA 18 AND OLDER. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Sweepstakes ends 11/27/15 at 7:00 p.m. ET. For Rules, and complete details, visit https://oldnavy.promo.eprize.com/millionaire2015. If Canadian resident, mathematical skill-testing question must be correctly answered to win. 1 Grand Prize (approximate retail value $1,000,000 USD) available to be won. Message and data rates may apply. Text STOP to 30364 to opt out and to discontinue further participation in the Sweepstakes. Text HELP for information. If you receive the URL via text-messaging, you will receive 1 text message in response from an automated system. Consent is not required to buy goods and services. To view the Sponsor’s Mobile Privacy Policy, visit http://www.oldnavy.com/customerService/info.do?cid=3318. To view the Mobile Terms and Conditions, visit http://www.helloworld.com/terms. Sponsor: Old Navy LLC.

**Source: 2013 NPD Group research

Posted on November 15, 2015 by EPR Retail News Editors

X5 Retail Group’s EGM: All of the resolutions proposed to the EGM approved by the shareholders

Amsterdam, 2015-11-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — X5 Retail Group N.V. (“X5” or the “Company”), a leading Russian food retailer (LSE ticker: “FIVE”), announces the results of the Company’s Extraordinary General Meeting of shareholders (“EGM”) held on 12 November 2015 at Parkstraat 20, 2514 JK, The Hague, The Netherlands.

All of the resolutions proposed to the EGM were approved by the shareholders and holders of global depository receipts.

The items resolved at the EGM are: – the appointment of Mr. Stephan DuCharme and Mr. Michael Kuchment as members of the Supervisory Board, – the appointment of Mr. Igor Shekhterman as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Management Board, and – the appointment of EY as the new external auditor of the Company starting 1 January 2016.

The minutes of the meeting can be found in the Corporate Governance section of the Company’s website at http://www.x5.ru/en/corporate/general/

Brief biographies of the Supervisory Board’s new members:

Stephan DuCharme (born 20 April 1964), a U.S./German citizen, served as CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of X5 from July 2012, after having previously served on X5’s Supervisory Board from 2008. Prior to X5 he held senior management positions with SUN Group and Alfa Group, preceded by senior banking positions with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Salomon Brothers Inc. Stephan has served on the Boards of Directors of CSA Czech Airlines, Alfa Bank, SUN-Interbrew Ltd. and JSC SUEK. He graduated with distinction from the University of California at Berkeley and received an MBA from INSEAD.

Michael Kuchment (born 28 August 1973), a Russian citizen, is the co-founder and vicepresident of Hoff, one of the leading home furnishing retailers in Russia. Currently Michael is also Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Sovcombank, one of the leading Russian consumer banks. From 2008 until 2015 Michael was a board member of M.Video, the largest consumer electronics chain in Russia and the country’s first public non-food retailer. Previously, from 2002 until 2008, Michael worked as the commercial director at M.Video. Michael graduated from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology with a qualification as a physics researcher, and holds an Executive MBA from the Skolkovo Moscow School of Management.

Brief biography of the new CEO:
Igor Shekhterman (9 November 1970), a Russian citizen, served on X5’s Supervisory Board since 2013. He has been Managing Partner and CEO in RosExpert, which he co-founded in 1996 and has subsequently successfully developed into the Russian alliance partner of Korn/Ferry International. Igor started his career as finance manager at the Russian branch of Beoluna, the Japanese jewelry producer. Igor holds a degree in economics from the Kaliningrad Technical Institute (1992), and degrees in business administration from the Institute d’Administration des Enterprises (France, 1994) and the Danish Management School (1995).

Note to Editors:
X5 Retail Group N.V. (LSE: FIVE, Fitch – ‘BB’, Moody’s – ‘Ba3’, S&P – ‘BB-’) is a leading Russian food retailer. The Company operates several retail formats: the chain of proximity stores under the Pyaterochka brand, the supermarket chain under the Perekrestok brand, the hypermarket chain under the Karusel brand and Express convenience stores under various brands.

As of 30 September 2015, X5 had 6,512 Company-operated stores. It has the leading market position in both Moscow and St. Petersburg and a significant presence in the European part of Russia. Its store base includes 5,795 Pyaterochka proximity stores, 451 Perekrestok supermarkets, 84 Karusel hypermarkets and 182 convenience stores. The Company operates 34 DCs and 1,393 Company-owned trucks across the Russian Federation.

For the full year 2014, revenue totaled RUB 633,873 mln (USD 16,498 mln), EBITDA reached RUB 45,860 mln (USD 1,194 mln), and profit for the period amounted to RUB 12,691 mln (USD 330 mln). In 9M 2015, revenue totaled RUB 578,701 mln (USD 9,763 mln), EBITDA reached RUB 41,780 mln (USD 705 mln), and net income amounted to RUB 12,084 mln (USD 204 mln).

X5’s Shareholder structure is as follows: Alfa Group – 47.86%, founders of Pyaterochka – 14.43%, X5 Directors – 0.05%, treasury shares – 0.02%, free float – 37.64%.

Forward looking statements:

This announcement includes statements that are, or may be deemed to be, “forward-looking statements”. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not only relate to historical or current events. Forward-looking statements often use words such as “anticipate”, “target”, “expect”, “estimate”, “intend”, “expected”, “plan”, “goal”, “believe”, or other words of similar meaning.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances, a number of which are beyond X5 Retail Group N.V.’s control. As a result, actual future results may differ materially from the plans, goals and expectations set out in these forward-looking statements.

Any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of X5 Retail Group N.V. speak only as at the date of this announcement. Save as required by any applicable laws or regulations, X5 Retail Group N.V. undertakes no obligation publicly to release the results of any revisions to any forward-looking statements in this document that may occur due to any change in its expectations or to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this document.

For further details please contact
Maxim Novikov
Head of Investor Relations
Tel.: +7 (495) 502-9783
e-mail: Maxim.Novikov@x5.ru