Daily Archives: December 10, 2015

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Dunkin’ Donuts becomes the official coffee and quick service restaurant of National Women’s Hockey League

Dunkin’ Donuts is now the official coffee of the NWHL

CANTON, Mass., 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — Dunkin’ Donuts is skating in as the first official corporate sponsor of the new National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL). As part of a new multi-year agreement announced today, Dunkin’ Donuts is now the official coffee and quick service restaurant of the NWHL.

Through Dunkin’ Donuts’ partnership, the brand will coordinate youth hockey clinics with team representatives in each market throughout the league’s inaugural season. Along with league sponsorship, Dunkin’ Donuts has also entered into a personal services agreement with NWHL team Buffalo Beauts’ star and US Women’s Team Captain, Meghan Duggan. Duggan has been a member of the US Women’s

National Team since 2006 winning five IIHF Women’s World Championships and two Olympic Silver medals. Additional highlights of the partnership include the Dunkin’ Donuts logo featured on all team jerseys, signage on league goal posts and behind each bench, and advertising on www.nwhl.co and each team website.

“The popularity of women’s hockey is rapidly growing and our sponsorship of the National Women’s Hockey League is a perfect way for Dunkin’ Donuts to support this exciting new league,” said Tom Manchester, Vice President, Field Marketing, Dunkin’ Brands. “Additionally, the founding four franchises are located in key Dunkin’ Donuts markets in the Northeast, and we believe our guests will be excited to learn more about the NWHL and help them make this inaugural season a wonderful success.”

The National Women’s Hockey League launched on October 11, 2015 with four founding franchises in Boston, Buffalo, Connecticut and New York. The 88 NWHL athletes, including 10 Olympians, have committed to an 18 game schedule, with multiple practices per week, an All-Star weekend (January 23-24, 2016 in Buffalo) and playoffs. The inaugural season will conclude in March 2016 when the first NWHL champion team raises the Isobel Cup, the championship trophy named after Lord Stanley’s daughter.

“Dunkin’ Donuts is recognized across the country as the brand that keeps people running, or in our case skating. We are thrilled to have them as an important part of promoting the National Women’s Hockey League, its teams and some of the best female athletes in the world,” says Dani Rylan, Commissioner of the NWHL. “The image of players, coaches and fans walking into an ice-rink with a cup of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee in-hand has been a part of the hockey culture for generations. Through this partnership, the Dunkin’ brand won’t just grow the game, but will inspire the nearly 70,000 women who play the sport across the United States.”

Dunkin’ Donuts has a long and proud history of partnerships within the sporting industry, including the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, New York Mets, New York Giants, New York Jets, New England Patriots, and Philadelphia Eagles.

To learn more about Dunkin’ Donuts, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com or follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DunkinDonuts), Instagram (www.instagram.com/DunkinDonuts) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/DunkinDonuts).

To learn more about the National Women’s Hockey League visit www.nwhl.co or follow on Facebook (www.facebook.com/NWHL), Twitter (www.twitter.com/NWHL) or Instagram (www.instagram.com/nwhl.co).

Meghan can be followed on her Facebook Fan Page (www.facebook.com/Meghan-Duggan), Twitter (www.twitter.com/MDuggan10) or Instagram (www.instagram.com/MDuggan10).

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About Dunkin’ Donuts
Founded in 1950, Dunkin’ Donuts is America’s favorite all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods. Dunkin’ Donuts is a market leader in the hot regular/decaf/flavored coffee, iced coffee, donut, bagel and muffin categories. Dunkin’ Donuts has earned the No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee category by Brand Keys for eight years running. The company has more than 11,500 restaurants in 40 countries worldwide. Based in Canton, Mass., Dunkin’ Donuts is part of the Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN) family of companies. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.

About National Women’s Hockey League
The National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) is the first professional women’s hockey league in North America to pay its players for their on-ice play. The inaugural season began on October 11, 2015 with four teams (Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale and New York Riveters) and playoffs will conclude in March 2016 when the first NWHL championship team raises the Isobel Cup.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Name: Lindsay Cronin
Phone: 781-737-5200
Email: lindsay.cronin@dunkinbrands.com

SOURCE: Dunkin’ Donuts

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Dunkin’ Donuts becomes the official coffee and quick service restaurant of National Women’s Hockey League

Dunkin’ Donuts becomes the official coffee and quick service restaurant of National Women’s Hockey League

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Dunkin’ Donuts announces results of its recent Brand Advisory Council election

CANTON, Mass., 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — Dunkin’ Donuts has announced the results of its most recent Brand Advisory Council (BAC) election which selects franchisees from across the country to provide advice and counsel on topics ranging from marketing strategies and menu innovation to technology and training needs for the company’s more than 8,300 U.S. franchise locations.

The elected members, representing five geographic regions, serve a two-year term and are selected by their peers to represent the franchise community. The Brand Advisory Council attends regular meetings with the Dunkin’ Brands senior leadership team at the company’s corporate headquarters in Canton, Massachusetts.

The 2016-2017 BAC voted franchisee Perry Shah of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to the position of BAC Co-Chair. Paul Twohig, President, Dunkin’ Donuts U.S. and Canada, serves as the other BAC Co-Chair. The following representatives were elected by their fellow franchisees from a slate of candidates from their respective regions:

Northeast

Danny Costa (Acton, MA)

Neal Faulkner (Boston, MA)

Jim Allen (Lexington, MA)

Rob Branca (Worcester, MA)

John Motta (Nashua, NH)

Konse Scrivanos (Westborough, MA)

Clayton Turnbull (Boston, MA)

Dinart Serpa (Beverly, MA)

Midwest/West

Ken Blum (Hinckley, OH)

Parag Patel (Yorba Linda, CA)

Amish Patel (Chicago, IL)

Syam Thotakura (Schaumburg, IL)

New York

Jim Cain (Norwalk, CT)

Rod Valencia (Jamaica, NY)

Alex Smigelski (Mt. Vernon, NY)

Shub Hegde (Lakewood, NJ)

Sid Mody (Brunswick, NJ)

Philadephia/Baltimore/Washington, D.C.

Luis Garcia (Manasquan, NJ)

Ram Javia (Westminster, MD)

Perry Shah (Philadelphia, PA)

South Central

Charles Cutler (Cooper City, FL)

Sam Charania (Atlanta, GA)

Pete Turner (Chapel Hill, NC)

Tom Daly (Tampa, FL)

Marketing Steering Committee

Danny Bouzianis (Biddeford, ME), Co-Chair

National DCP, LLC (NDCP), Franchisee Owned Procurement and Distribution Entity

Dipak Patel (Morristown, NJ), Chairman

“We’re excited to welcome the newly elected members of the Brand Advisory, which includes four new representatives and with the balance of the representative franchisees having been re-elected to serve another term,” said Paul Twohig, President, Dunkin’ Donuts U.S. and Canada. “These leadership franchisees bring valuable expertise and knowledge to their positions and play an important role in helping us grow and strengthen the Dunkin’ Donuts brand across the country. As franchisees, they are independent businesspeople who are busy running their own operations, yet they volunteer their time for the common good, and we truly honor their commitment.”

The Dunkin’ Donuts Franchise Advisory Council system has been in place for more than three decades and represents more than 1,000 U.S. based Dunkin’ Donuts franchisees. In addition to their responsibilities on the BAC, the elected franchisees also serve on subcommittees that include Restaurant Excellence, Marketing, Manufacturing, Government Affairs and Consumer Product Goods.

“I value and appreciate the collaborative work between franchisees and senior management at Dunkin’ Donuts which is why I’m honored to lead the Brand Advisory Council for 2016,” said Perry Shah, Dunkin’ Donuts BAC Co-Chair and franchisee who owns 16 restaurants in the Philadelphia area. “During my tenure I will work with my fellow franchisees to counsel senior management, to continue to strengthen the Dunkin’ Donuts brand and to help us all better meet the needs of our guests.”

To learn more about Dunkin’ Donuts, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com or follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DunkinDonuts), Instagram (www.instagram.com/DunkinDonuts) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/DunkinDonuts).

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About Dunkin’ Donuts
Founded in 1950, Dunkin’ Donuts is America’s favorite all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods. Dunkin’ Donuts is a market leader in the hot regular/decaf/flavored coffee, iced coffee, donut, bagel and muffin categories. Dunkin’ Donuts has earned the No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee category by Brand Keys for nine years running. The company has more than 11,500 restaurants in 40 countries worldwide. Based in Canton, Mass., Dunkin’ Donuts is part of the Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN) family of companies. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Name: Michelle King
Phone: 781-737-5200
Email: press@dunkinbrands.com

SOURCE: Dunkin’ Donuts

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Deseret First Credit Union launches Interactive Teller machine (ITM) in Provo, Utah developed by NCR Corporation

DULUTH, Ga., 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — Deseret First Credit Union has a new high-tech branch in Provo, Utah. The Provo Campus branch at 695 E. 800 North serves local residents and especially students, staff, and faculty at nearby Brigham Young University. The branch is one of the first of its kind in Utah with innovative technology known as Interactive Teller machines, or ITMs, which replace the traditional teller windows.

Developed by NCR Corporation from its facility in Sandy, Utah, ITMs perform the functions of the more common ATMs and also provide two-way audio-video communication between credit union members and staff at Deseret First’s operations center to help members conduct a variety of other transactions usually done in person.

ITMs also dispense coins, something ATMs can’t do, and provide cash withdrawals in odd amounts and various denominations. ATM withdrawals are often limited to multiples of $10 or $20.

“The live teller on the ITM can also ask you how your day is going,” said Jared Dance, AVP of Marketing, Deseret First Credit Union. “ATMs aren’t quite that friendly.”

First-time ITM users do not need to be intimidated. The Provo Campus branch has staff on hand to help them use the ITM, but because of the ITM’s functionality, staff members are now free to spend much of their time helping Deseret First members and prospective members with other financial services that require a human presence.

Deseret First Credit Union serves members and employees of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From its beginning as the LDS Church Employees Credit Union in 1955, it has grown to eleven branches in Utah from Logan to St. George, serving 53,000 members in Utah and across the United States.

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.

Web sites: www.ncr.com
Twitter: @NCRCorporation
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ncrcorp
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ncr-corporation
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/ncrcorporation

News Media Contacts

Jeff Dudash
NCR Public Relations
770.212.5091
jeff.dudash@ncr.com

SOURCE: NCR

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The Children’s Place announces financial results for the thirteen weeks ended October 31, 2015

  • Reports Q3 Adjusted Earnings per Diluted Share of $1.93
  • Reaffirms Fiscal 2015 Adjusted EPS Guidance in the Range of $3.35 to $3.45
  • Board Authorizes New $250 Million Stock Repurchase Program and Declares Quarterly Dividend

SECAUCUS, N.J., 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Children’s Place, Inc.(Nasdaq:PLCE), the largest pure-play children’s specialty apparel retailer in North America, today announced financial results for the thirteen weeks ended October 31, 2015.

Jane Elfers, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We delivered adjusted earnings per diluted share of $1.93 in the third quarter compared to $1.82 in the third quarter of 2014. Comparable retail sales were negative (3.0%), primarily driven by unseasonably warm weather across most of the United States. Despite this challenge, we leveraged adjusted gross margin by 60 basis points, adjusted SG&A by 60 basis points and adjusted operating margin by 80 basis points compared to last year. Importantly, our inventories are well controlled, down 4.4% at quarter-end compared to last year.”

Elfers stated, “Comparable retail sales are running positive 4.5% quarter to date, representing approximately 50% of our planned sales volume for the fourth quarter. Our quarter to date results are being driven by increases in key retail selling metrics despite continued weakness in traffic.”

Elfers continued, “The systems investments we have made in state of the art assortment planning, inventory allocation and replenishment tools are delivering results. Our digital initiatives continue to gain traction; we implemented a new distributed order management system in the third quarter which is a key component of our omni-channel strategy. Our fleet rationalization initiative is on track and we expect to close 200 stores through 2017. Our wholesale and international businesses continue to expand; we recently announced a new partnership with El Palacio de Hierro to open free-standing stores and shop in shops in Mexico, with the first successful opening occurring last month. And today, our Board authorized a new$250 million share repurchase and declared a quarterly dividend. This new authorization and dividend reflect our Company’s commitment to return excess capital to our shareholders.”

Elfers concluded, “In summary, we believe the benefits we are realizing from our multi-pronged transformation strategy are enabling us to navigate through a difficult retail environment.”

Third Quarter 2015 Results

Net sales declined (6.4%) to $455.9 million in the third quarter of 2015. The quarter included the negative impact of approximately $9.9 million from currency exchange rate fluctuations. On a constant currency basis, net sales were $465.8 million, a (4.4%) decrease, compared to net sales of $487.3 million in the third quarter of 2014. Comparable retail sales decreased (3.0%) in the third quarter of 2015.

Net income was $38.5 million, or $1.88 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2015, compared to net income of $36.9 million, or $1.70 per diluted share, the previous year. Adjusted net income was $39.6 million, or $1.93 per diluted share, an increase of 6.0%, inclusive of a negative ($0.08) impact due to foreign exchange, compared to $39.5 million, or $1.82 per diluted share, in the third quarter last year. On a constant currency basis, adjusted earnings per diluted share were $2.01, a 10.4% increase, compared to the third quarter of 2014.

Gross profit was $180.5 million in the third quarter, compared to $190.1 million in the third quarter of 2014. Adjusted gross profit was $180.6 million in the third quarter, compared to$190.3 million last year, and leveraged 60 basis points to 39.6% of sales primarily as a result of merchandise margin leverage and a higher AUR. This was partially offset by the fixed cost deleverage resulting from negative comparable retail sales.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $105.8 million compared to $116.1 million in the third quarter of 2014. Adjusted SG&A was $105.0 million compared to $115.0 million in the third quarter last year and leveraged 60 basis points as a percentage of sales primarily as a result of decreased store expenses and incentive compensation expenses.

Operating income was $57.6 million, compared to $55.8 million in the third quarter of 2014. Adjusted operating income in the third quarter of 2015 was $59.5 million compared to an adjusted operating income of $60.1 million in the third quarter last year, and leveraged 80 basis points to 13.1% of sales.

During the third quarter, the Company recorded charges of $1.9 million for unusual items, which primarily consisted of certain non-recurring items, including expenses related to asset impairment and restructuring costs.

Adjusted net income, adjusted gross profit, adjusted SG&A, and adjusted operating income are non-GAAP measures, and are not intended to replace GAAP financial information. The Company believes the excluded items are not indicative of the performance of its core business and that providing this supplemental disclosure to investors will facilitate comparisons of its past and present performance. A reconciliation to GAAP financial information is provided at the end of this release.

Store Openings and Closures

Consistent with our store fleet rationalization initiative, the Company opened 1 store and closed 2 during the third quarter of 2015. Year to date, Company opened 4 stores and closed 16. The Company ended the third quarter with 1,085 stores and square footage of 5.064 million, a decrease of 2.9% compared to the prior year. The Company’s international franchise partners opened 5 stores in the third quarter, and the Company ended the quarter with 90 international franchise stores open and operated by its franchise partners in 12 countries.

Fiscal Year-to-Date

Net sales declined (4.3%) to $1.23 billion, including the negative impact of approximately $21.1 million from currency exchange rate fluctuations. On a constant currency basis, net sales were$1.25 billion, a (2.6%) decrease compared to net sales of $1.28 billion in the prior year. Comparable retail sales declined (2.0%) in the first nine months of 2015.

Net income was $40.4 million, or $1.94 per diluted share, in the first nine months of 2015, compared to net income of $39.9 million, or $1.81 per diluted share, the previous year. Adjusted net income was $50.5 million, or $2.42 per diluted share, inclusive of a negative($0.11) impact due to foreign exchange, compared to $46.7 million, or $2.12 per diluted share, an increase of 14.2%, the previous year. On a constant currency basis, adjusted earnings per diluted share were $2.53, a 19.3% increase compared to last year.

Gross profit was $447.6 million in the first nine months of 2015, compared to $457.5 million last year. Adjusted gross profit was $448.0 million, or 36.5% of net sales, leveraging 80 basis points compared to last year.

Selling, general and administrative expenses in the first nine months were $338.7 million, compared to $347.0 million last year. Adjusted SG&A was $324.9 million, compared to $342.5 million last year, leveraging 20 basis points.

Operating income was $60.7 million, compared to operating income of $59.4 million in the first nine months of 2014. Adjusted operating income was $77.4 million, or 6.3% of net sales, compared to $70.3 million, or 5.5% of net sales last year.

Capital Return Program

During the third quarter of 2015, the Company returned approximately $22 million to shareholders through the repurchase of 330,248 shares and its quarterly dividend payment. Year to date, the Company returned approximately $90 million to shareholders through the repurchase of 1,302,048 shares and its quarterly dividend payments. Since 2009, the Company has returned over $582 million to its investors through share repurchases and dividends. At the end of the third quarter of 2015, approximately $59 million remained available for future share repurchases under the Company’s existing repurchase program. Additionally, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a new $250 million share repurchase and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, payable on January 7, 2016 to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 17, 2015.

Outlook

The Company is reaffirming its adjusted net income per diluted share guidance for fiscal 2015 in the range of $3.35 to $3.45, inclusive of a ($0.14) negative impact from foreign exchange. This compares to adjusted net income per diluted share of $3.05 in fiscal 2014. This guidance assumes that comparable retail sales for the year will be slightly negative compared to fiscal 2014.

For the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company expects adjusted net income per diluted share between $0.93 and $1.03, inclusive of an estimated ($0.03) negative impact from foreign exchange. This compares to adjusted net income per diluted share of $0.94 in the fourth quarter of 2014. This guidance assumes that comparable retail sales for the fourth quarter will increase low single digits.

Conference Call Information

The Children’s Place will host a conference call to discuss its third quarter 2015 results today at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The call will be broadcast live at http://investor.childrensplace.com. An audio archive will be available on the Company’s website approximately one hour after the conclusion of the call.

About The Children’s Place, Inc.
The Children’s Place is the largest pure-play children’s specialty apparel retailer in North America.  The Company designs, contracts to manufacture, sells at retail and wholesale, and licenses to sell fashionable, high-quality merchandise at value prices, primarily under the proprietary “The Children’s Place,” “Place” and “Baby Place” brand names.  As of October 31, 2015, the Company operated 1,085 stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, an online store at www.childrensplace.com, and had 90 international stores open and operated by its franchise partners in 12 countries.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release (and the above referenced call) may contain certain forward-looking statements regarding future circumstances, including statements relating to the Company’s strategic initiatives and adjusted net income per diluted share. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Company’s current expectations and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and performance to differ materially. Some of these risks and uncertainties are described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the “Risk Factors” section of its annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2015. Included among the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and performance to differ materially are the risk that the Company will be unsuccessful in gauging fashion trends and changing consumer preferences, the risks resulting from the highly competitive nature of the Company’s business and its dependence on consumer spending patterns, which may be affected by the weakness in the economy that continues to affect the Company’s target customer, the risk that the Company’s strategic initiatives to increase sales and margin are delayed or do not result in anticipated improvements, the risk that the cost of raw materials or energy prices will increase beyond current expectations or that the Company is unable to offset cost increases through value engineering or price increases, and the uncertainty of weather patterns. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. The inclusion of any statement in this release (or on the above referenced call) does not constitute an admission by the Company or any other person that the events or circumstances described in such statement are material.

CONTACT: Robert Vill, Group Vice President, Finance
(201) 453-6693

SOURCE: Children’s Place, Inc.

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The Children’s Place, Inc. approves new $250 million share repurchase program and declares quarterly dividend

  • Increases Authorized Stock Repurchases by $250 Million
  • Declares Quarterly Dividend

SECAUCUS, N.J., 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Children’s Place, Inc.(Nasdaq:PLCE), the largest pure-play children’s specialty apparel retailer in North America, today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a new $250 million share repurchase program and has declared a quarterly dividend.

Jane Elfers, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Since 2009, we have returned over $582 million to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends. The continuation of our quarterly dividend and the new share repurchase authorization reflect our confidence in our ability to execute on our strategic initiatives and our continuing commitment to return excess capital to shareholders.”

The Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.15 per share to be paid January 7, 2016 to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 17, 2015. Future declarations of quarterly dividends and the establishment of future record and payment dates are subject to approval by the Company’s Board of Directors based on a number of factors, including business and market conditions, the Company’s future financial performance and other investment priorities.

The share repurchase authorization announced today permits the Company to repurchase shares in the open market at current market prices at the time of purchase or in privately negotiated transactions. The timing and actual number of shares repurchased under the program will depend on a variety of factors including price, corporate and regulatory requirements, and other market and business conditions, and the Company may suspend or discontinue the program at any time, and may thereafter reinstitute purchases, all without prior announcement.

About The Children’s Place, Inc.
The Children’s Place is the largest pure-play children’s specialty apparel retailer in North America. The Company designs, contracts to manufacture, sells at retail and wholesale, and licenses to sell fashionable, high-quality merchandise at value prices, primarily under the proprietary “The Children’s Place,” “Place” and “Baby Place” brand names. As of October 31, 2015, the Company operated 1,085 stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, an online store at www.childrensplace.com, and had 90 international stores open and operated by its franchise partners in 12 countries.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements regarding future circumstances, including statements relating to the Company’s strategic initiatives and adjusted net income per diluted share. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Company’s current expectations and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and performance to differ materially. Some of these risks and uncertainties are described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the “Risk Factors” section of its annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2015. Included among the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and performance to differ materially are the risk that the Company will be unsuccessful in gauging fashion trends and changing consumer preferences, the risks resulting from the highly competitive nature of the Company’s business and its dependence on consumer spending patterns, which may be affected by the weakness in the economy that continues to affect the Company’s target customer, the risk that the Company’s strategic initiatives to increase sales and margin are delayed or do not result in anticipated improvements, the risk that the cost of raw materials or energy prices will increase beyond current expectations or that the Company is unable to offset cost increases through value engineering or price increases, and the uncertainty of weather patterns. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. The inclusion of any statement in this release does not constitute an admission by the Company or any other person that the events or circumstances described in such statement are material.

CONTACT: Robert Vill, Group Vice President, Finance, (201) 453-6693

SOURCE: Children’s Place, Inc.

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Walmart Canada supports Canadian families in need with 1.2 million contribution to Breakfast Club of Canada and Food Banks Canada

Addressing a significant need: One in ten Canadians don’t know where their next meal is coming from

MISSISSAUGA, ON., 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — Walmart Canada today announced a 1.2 million dollar contribution to Breakfast Club of Canada and Food Banks Canada to support Canadian families in need. According to the 2015 Report Card on Child and Family Poverty in Canada, one in ten Canadians and one in five children don’t know where their next meal is coming from. The funds donated today include $600,000 to each organization – funds that will increase access to healthy food for those who need it most.

The company is building upon longstanding relationships with both organizations to address the serious issue of food insecurity in communities across the country. According to the same report, four million Canadians – including 1.34 million children – did not have adequate access to quality, nutritious food in 2015.

The donation includes $600,000 to support the Food Banks Canada food banking network and the National Food Sharing System, helping local food banks increase the amount of nutritious food options available to Canadian families. $600,000 will support Breakfast Club of Canada programs in schools across the country. According to teachers, the healthy meals and socialization provided through these programs result in improved attendance and punctuality, increased concentration, decreased bullying, and a renewed interest in curriculum subjects.

“We believe that all Canadian families deserve access to healthy food,” said Bob Hakeem, chief administrative officer, Walmart Canada. “Breakfast Club of Canada and Food Banks Canada are a vital part of Canadian communities and we are pleased and honoured to support these two commendable organizations so they can continue to help ensure Canadian families have enough food and Canadian children have a healthy start to their day.”

“The funds raised from today’s announcement will directly impact the lives of Canadian children,” said Daniel Germain, president and founder, Breakfast Club of Canada. “A healthy breakfast to start a child’s day is crucial in ensuring they are able to thrive, learn and flourish. Through these programs we are nourishing the potential of children.”

“According to our most recent HungerCount report, each month, Food Banks Canada, through its network of over 530 food banks, assists more than 850,000 people across the country,” said Katharine Schmidt, executive director, Food Banks Canada. “This donation enables us to acquire and share quality nutritious foods so families living with hunger can put food on the table,” she said.

Over the past 15 years, Walmart Canada has raised and donated more than $34 million to Breakfast Club of Canada. Since 2011, Walmart Canada has donated over $2 million to Food Banks Canada and an additional 3 million pounds of food. Today’s announcement expands on these partnerships and supports Walmart Canada’s goal of providing access to healthy food for all Canadians.

About Walmart Canada
Walmart Canada operates a growing chain of 396 stores nationwide serving more than 1.2 million customers each day. Walmart Canada’s flagship online store, walmart.ca is visited by 450,000 customers daily. With more than 90,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada’s largest employers and is ranked one of the country’s top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada’s extensive philanthropy program is focused on supporting Canadian families in need, and since 1994 Walmart has raised and donated more than $230 million to Canadian charities. Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca, facebook.com/walmartcanada and at twitter.com/walmartcanada.

About Breakfast Club of Canada
For 20 years, Breakfast Club of Canada has been nourishing children’s potential by making sure as many of them as possible have access to a healthy morning meal before school, in an environment that allows their self-esteem to grow and flourish. But the Club is much more than a breakfast program: we take a broader approach that promotes the core values of engagement, enrichment and empowerment, and we team up with communities and local partners to develop solutions adapted to their specific needs. Operating from coast to coast, the Breakfast Club of Canada helps feed 167,000 students every day in 1,455 schools.

About Food Banks Canada

Food Banks Canada supports a unique network of over 3,000 food-related organizations in every province and territory that assists more than 850,000 Canadians each month. Together our network shares over 200 million pounds of essential safe quality food annually, provides social programs that help to foster self-sufficiency, and advocates for policy change that will help create a Canada where no one goes hungry. Visit foodbankscanada.ca for more information.

Contacts:

Anika Malik
Walmart Canada
anika.malik@walmart.com
416-562-8193

Lisa Clowery
Breakfast Club of Canada
Lisa.Clowery@breakfastclubcanada.org
1-450-641-3230 ext. 3332 or 1-888-442-1217  

Marzena Gersho
Food Banks Canada
marzena@foodbankscanada.ca
647-242-5919 (mobile) or
416-203-9241 ext. 228 (office)

SOURCE: Walmart Canada Corp.

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The TJX Companies, Inc. declares quarterly common stock dividend of $.21 per share payable March 3, 2016

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX) today announced the declaration of a quarterly dividend on its common stock of $.21 per share payable March 3, 2016, to shareholders of record on February 11, 2016.

About The TJX Companies, Inc.
The TJX Companies, Inc. is the leading off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions in the U.S. and worldwide. As of October 31, 2015, the end of the Company’s third quarter, the Company operated a total of 3,594 stores in nine countries, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Poland, Austria, the Netherlands, and Australia, and three e-commerce sites. These include 1,149 T.J. Maxx, 1,001 Marshalls, 522 HomeGoods and 7 Sierra Trading Post stores, as well as tjmaxx.com and sierratradingpost.com in the United States; 245 Winners, 101 HomeSense, and 41 Marshalls stores in Canada; 454 T.K. Maxx and 39 HomeSense stores, as well as tkmaxx.com, in Europe; and 35 Trade Secret stores in Australia. TJX’s press releases and financial information are also available at tjx.com.

Important Information at Website

The Company routinely posts information that may be important to investors in the Investor Information section at tjx.com. The Company encourages investors to consult that section of its website regularly.

Source: The TJX Companies, Inc.

The TJX Companies, Inc.
Debra McConnell
Global Communications
(508) 390-2323

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BJ’s Restaurants increases its share repurchase program to $250 million

Balanced Capital Allocation Policy Resulted in $187 Million of Common Stock Share Repurchases Since Plan Inception While Continuing Double Digit New Restaurant Growth

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — BJ’s Restaurants, Inc.(NASDAQ:BJRI) today announced that its Board of Directors approved a $50 million increase to the Company’s share repurchase program to $250 million. The Company has repurchased and retired approximately $187 million shares of its common stock since the program was first approved inApril 2014, including approximately $21.2 million repurchased in the 2015 fourth quarter to date. With this increase, the Company has approximately $63 million available under its $250 millionshare repurchase program.

“BJ’s is uniquely positioned in our industry as a growth concept that simultaneously returns capital to shareholders while maintaining a strong balance sheet and financial position,” commented Greg Trojan, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our strong operating results, as reflected by the significant year over year rise in operating income for the first nine months of 2015, combined with our restaurant expansion plan which delivers double digit unit growth, is enabling the Company to opportunistically repurchase shares. The repurchase program expansion announced today represents the third time the Board has expanded our repurchase authorization since the program was first implemented in April 2014.

“Importantly, our significant cash flow growth over the last two years allows us to maintain balance sheet prudence, with just $67.5 million of funded debt at September 30, 2015, while expanding our restaurant base and returning capital to our shareholders. Over the last two years, we have opened 27 total new restaurants and we plan to open 18 or 19 new restaurants in fiscal 2016. We believe we are one of a few restaurant companies that can grow our unit base in low double digits while simultaneously returning capital to our shareholders. With just 171 restaurants open as of today, and estimated domestic capacity for at least 425 BJ’s restaurants, we have many years of restaurant growth opportunities ahead.”

Pursuant to the share repurchase authorization, purchases may be made from time to time through various methods in accordance with applicable securities laws, including open market transactions, block trades, accelerated share repurchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise, certain of which may be effected pursuant to a trading plan adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  The timing and actual amount of shares to be purchased will be subject to management’s evaluation of market conditions, applicable legal requirements, the Company’s ongoing evaluation of its capital position and capital requirements and other factors.  The Company is not obligated to purchase any additional shares under its expanded repurchase program, and repurchases may be suspended or discontinued at any time without prior notice.

BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. currently owns and operates 171 casual dining restaurants under the BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery®, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse®, BJ’s Pizza & Grill® and BJ’s Grill® brand names. BJ’s Restaurants offer an innovative and broad menu featuring award-winning, signature deep-dish pizza complemented with generously portioned salads, appetizers, sandwiches, soups, pastas, entrees and desserts, including the Pizookie® dessert. Quality, flavor, value, moderate prices and sincere service remain distinct attributes of the BJ’s experience. All restaurants feature BJ’s critically acclaimed proprietary craft beers, which are produced at several of the Company’s restaurant and brewery locations and independent third party craft brewers. The Company’s restaurants are located in the 22 states of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California,Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, NewYork, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington. VisitBJ’s Restaurants, Inc. on the Web at http://www.bjsrestaurants.com.

Certain statements in the preceding paragraphs and all other statements that are not purely historical constitute “forward-looking” statements for purposes of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. The “forward-looking” statements contained in this press release are based on current assumptions and expectations and BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. undertakes no obligation to update or alter its “forward-looking” statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Investors are referred to the full discussion of risks and uncertainties associated with forward-looking statements contained in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its recent reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K.

For further information, please contact Greg Levin of BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. at (714) 500-2400 or JCIR at (212) 835-8500 or at bjri@jcir.com.

SOURCE: BJ’s Restaurants, Inc.

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Starbucks and Teavana offer premium gifts ideas this holiday season

SEATTLE, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — Exquisite designs and the finest materials make Starbucks and Teavana premium gifts special this holiday season. Customers can select from limited-edition tumblers, ornaments, Starbucks Cards and tea sets as memorable gifts for family and friends.

Starbucks Brilliant Collection

Here are a few extraordinary pieces that are part of the Starbucks Brilliant Collection, found in select U.S. and Canada stores and online at store.starbucks.com. Merchandise in collection is packaged in an elegant red box, ready for gift giving.

Red Ceramic Ornament Adorned with Swarovski® Crystals: This collectible ceramic cup ornament has a red center dot sparkling with Swarovski® crystals. It is accented with a metallic red lid and makes a sparkling addition to any tree.

Black Double Wall Traveler Adorned with Swarovski® Crystals: Swarovski® crystals give this black ceramic, double-walled coffee mug its holiday sparkle. It holds 12 fluid-ounces and includes a shiny silver lid that helps reduce spills. The mug also features Starbucks® name printed in silver.

Gold Zipper Double Wall Traveler: A zipper painted in real gold adds cool texture and style to this double-walled ceramic travel mug that holds 10 fluid-ounces. It also features a raised center dot on the front and a press-in lid with a silicone seal to help avoid spills.

S’well® Water Bottle in Gold: Starbucks collaborated with S’well to introduce this exclusive 25 fluid-ounce water bottle in a gold metallic color. Insulated to prevent condensation and to keep hands dry, this fashionable and functional water bottle helps keep beverages cold for 24 hours or hot for 12. It is BPA-free, toxin-free and made of the highest grade 18/8 stainless steel. “S’well + Starbucks” is printed on the side of the bottle that includes a gold twist cap with a silicone seal.

Black Stainless Steel Tumbler Adorned with Swarovski® Crystals: Stylish in matte black, this double-walled coffee tumbler helps beverages stay hot while hands stay cool, and its flip-top lid helps prevent spills. It features Starbucks® name on the side and holds 16 fluid-ounces.

Gold Chevron Double Wall Traveler: Gold brushstrokes on this travel mug create a simple yet shining pattern like a forest of golden trees. The welcoming Siren adds deep green color to the gold-on-white design. This double-walled mug holds 12 fluid-ounces and features a press-in lid with a silicone seal.

Gold Swarovski Tumbler: Embellish any gifting occasion with this gold stainless steel tumbler that shimmers with Swarovski® crystals. The tumbler’s insulating double wall helps beverages stay hot and its flip-top lid decreases spills. The tumbler comes gift-ready in a dark wood box with a sliding lid engraved with the Starbucks Siren logo.

White Double Wall Traveler Adorned with Swarovski® Crystals: White Swarovski® crystals form shimmering lines around an etched Siren logo on this ceramic travel mug with a shiny silver lid to help minimize spills. The mug holds 12 fluid-ounces and features Starbucks® name etched on the side.

Deep Blue Starbucks Card Adorned with Swarovski® Crystals: This limited edition, wallet-sized, deep blue Starbucks Card is embellished with Swarovski® Crystals. The card comes loaded with $50 and will be available in limited quantities starting Monday, December 14.

Teavana Premium Merchandise

Teavana® Multicolor “Viv” Teapot Set: Classic colors and real-gold accents give these tea sets a retro feel, proving once again that good taste never goes out of style. This nine-piece set includes one 32-ounce teapot, four 6-ounce tea cups and four saucers and is packaged in a festive gift box.

Teavana® Baroque Gold Mug: This 12-ounce mug is hand-painted in real gold for the ultimate gilded gift. The mug is made of new bone china, clear-glossed and hand-painted in gold.

Additional Teavana gifts are available at Teavana stores in the U.S. and through Teavana.com.

For more information on this news release, contact the Starbucks Newsroom.

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks and Teavana offer premium gifts ideas this holiday season

Starbucks and Teavana offer premium gifts ideas this holiday season

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Amazon launches streaming subscription program for video providers, Streaming Partners Program

  • Amazon Prime members can now add SHOWTIME, STARZ and dozens more video subscriptions to their Prime membership
  • Now, video providers can reach a new set of highly engaged viewers with Amazon responsible for driving subscriber acquisition
  • Prime customers benefit from free trials, self-service cancellation of any subscription and special Prime member pricing—subscriptions forSHOWTIME and STARZ are only $8.99 per month

SEATTLE, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today launched the Streaming Partners Program, an over-the-top streaming subscription program for video providers that enables them to reach tens of millions of Prime members. With the Streaming Partners Program, video providers have access to a highly engaged streaming audience, and viewers have a more convenient way to manage their streaming subscriptions.

The Streaming Partners Program offers many benefits for video providers. Amazon is responsible for:

  • Driving all subscriber acquisition
  • Making subscribing friction-free—credit cards are already on file
  • Handling all customer service
  • Managing all billing
  • Managing credit card expirations
  • Serving your content through high-quality, reliable streaming infrastructure
  • Managing compatibility across hundreds of devices

The Streaming Partners Program offers many benefits for viewers, including:

  • Free trials on all subscriptions
  • Special Prime member pricing
  • Latest episodes available simultaneous with broadcast
  • Convenience of one account
  • One Watchlist across all subscriptions
  • Self-service cancellation of any subscription at anytime
  • IMDb X-Ray integration
  • Unified search and browse across subscriptions
  • Unified voice search and ASAP on Fire TV

“The way people watch TV is changing, and customers need an easier way to subscribe to and enjoy multiple streaming subscriptions,” saidMichael Paull, Vice President of Digital Video at Amazon. “With the Streaming Partners Program, we’re making it easy for video providers to reach highly engaged Prime members, many of whom are already frequent streamers, and we’re making it easier for viewers to watch their favorite shows and channels.”

“We’re excited to work with Amazon to offer our streaming service featuring all of our award-winning original series, plus our exclusive sports, news-making documentaries and blockbuster movies, to millions of Prime users,” said David Nevins, President, Showtime Networks Inc.“By marrying SHOWTIME with the powerhouse retail capabilities of Amazon, we continue to greatly expand our footprint, making sure our service is available to new subscribers whenever and however they want to watch us.”

“STARZ is excited to offer subscriptions to our premium hit shows like ‘Outlander’ and ‘Power,’ as well as our thousands of movies, toAmazon Prime customers,” said Chris Albrecht, CEO of Starz said. “This is a terrific product for customers to conveniently navigate their entertainment options quickly, easily and anywhere.”

Initial launch partners include: SHOWTIME, STARZ, A+E Network (Lifetime Movie Club), AMC (Shudder and SundanceNow Doc Club), Gaia,RLJ Entertainment (Acorn TV, Urban Movie Channel, Acacia TV), DramaFever (DramaFever Instant), Tribeca Shortlist, Cinedigm (Dove Channel, Docurama, CONtv), Smithsonian (Smithsonian Earth), IndieFlix (IndieFlix Shorts), Curiosity Stream, Qello Concerts, FlixFling (Cinefest, Nature Vision, Warriors and Gangsters, Dox, Monsters and Nightmares), BroadbandTV (Hooplakidz Plus), DEFY Media (ScreenJunkies Plus), Gravitas (Film Forum, Daring Docs, Fear Factory), and Ring TV Boxing.

To explore the full set of premium content available to Prime members, visit www.amazon.com/videosubscriptions. To become an Amazonstreaming partner, visit www.amazon.com/streamingpartners.

Today customers will also find a newly designed Amazon Video homepage making it easy for customers to find movies and TV shows available on Prime, available through the Streaming Partners Program, or available to rent or buy.

About Amazon Video

Amazon Video offers customers unlimited access to tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes, including award-winning Amazon Original Series, through Amazon Prime; monthly subscriptions to SHOWTIME, STARZ, and more; and hundreds of thousands of titles including new-release movies and current TV shows for rent or purchase.

The entire range of selection can be instantly accessed through the Amazon Video app on TVs, streaming media players, mobile devices,Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets, or online at Amazon.com/amazonvideo.

Prime Video, included in Amazon Prime, enables Prime members enjoy binge-worthy TV shows including Amazon Original Series airing now such as the multi-Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-nominated series Transparent, the breakout hit The Man in the High Castle, based on Philip K. Dick’s novel, the hour-long drama Bosch, based on Michael Connelly’s best-selling books, the Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman comedy, Mozart in the Jungle, and the comedy created by and starring Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan, Catastrophe, in addition to HBO favorites like The Sopranos, True Blood and Girls, and popular primetime series including 24, Downton Abbey, Extant, Falling Skies, Grimm, Hannibal, Justified, Orphan Black, Teen Wolf, The Americans, and Under the Dome. Prime members also have access to an exclusive collection of kids shows now airing including Amazon Original Series’ Annedroids, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street and the Annecy, Annie and multi-Emmy Award-winning Tumble Leaf, as well as popular shows from Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi, and Blue’s Clues. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime.

In addition to tens of thousands of titles to instantly stream on Prime Video, the Amazon Prime membership (www.amazon.com/prime) includes more than one million songs, more than a thousand playlists and hundreds of stations through Prime Music, unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items, early access to select Lightning Deals, unlimited photo storage with Amazon Photos, and access to borrow from more than 800,000 books for Kindle owners–all for $99 a year.

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. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

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

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Amazon’s brand-new original live-action kids series Just Add Magic scheduled to premiere on January 15 on Prime Video

Based on Cindy Callaghan’s book of the same name, Just Add Magic stars Olivia Sanabia, Abby Donnelly, Aubrey Miller and Judah Bellamy, and is executive produced by Andrew Orenstein

SEATTLE, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today announced its brand-new original live-action kids series aimed at children aged 6 through 11, Just Add Magic, is scheduled to premiere on Friday, January 15 on Prime Video in the US and UK. Based on Cindy Callaghan’s book of the same name, Just Add Magic is a single-camera live-action series executive produced by Andrew Orenstein (Malcolm in the Middle) and Joe Nussbaum (George Lucas in Love, Awkward) and directed by Nussbaum. Starring Olivia Sanabia(Extant), Abby Donnelly (Suburgatory), Aubrey Miller (Austin & Ally), and Judah Bellamy (Home), the series follows Kelly (Sanabia) and her two best friends Darbie (Donnelly) and Hannah (Miller) as they stumble upon a mysterious cookbook in Kelly’s attic and discover the recipes in this book are far from ordinary—they’re magical.

In the premiere episode of Just Add Magic, when it’s revealed that this ancient cookbook may not have shown up by accident, Kelly and her friends attempt to use the recipes to release Kelly’s grandmother from a powerful curse, and soon realize that every recipe they make comes with a hefty price. As they work together to uncover more clues around Grandma’s mystery, they learn that they can’t always cook their way out of every problem. The season finds the trio unraveling the mystery in how to save Kelly’s grandmother, but along the way they serve up magical dishes that are more than just sweet confections: a Lost and Found-ue spell to bring the neighbors’ dog back, a Bitter Truth Truffle that makes Kelly’s mother become excessively honest and Mind Peering Peppermints to learn more about who cursed Grandma.

“We’re thrilled to debut Just Add Magic to our customers next month, and feel the storytelling and sensibility of the show will be a welcome addition to our live-action slate,” said Tara Sorensen, Head of Kids’ Programming at Amazon Studios. “Kids will connect with Kelly, Darbie and Hannah as they embark on a journey to unlock the mystery behind the magic determined to lift Kelly’s grandmother’s curse.”

“It’s exciting to see the novel Just Add Magic adapted to the screen,” said Cindy Callaghan. “Kelly, Hannah and Darbie are really fun girl-next-door types, and I think today’s kids and tweens will enjoy sharing in their adventures.”

Prime members can now watch the first episode of Just Add Magic at http://amzn.to/1NqOozC–and beginning January 15, they can stream all 10 episodes at no additional cost to their Prime membership with the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices, mobile devices, or online. Prime members can also download the series for offline viewing on iOS, Android and Fire devices at no additional cost. In addition to SD and HD, the series is also available in 4K Ultra HD on Amazon Fire TV and compatible smart TVs from Samsung, LG and Sony. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free 30-day trial at amazon.com/prime. Just Add Magic will also be available as part of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, the all-you-can-eat subscription service designed from the ground up for kids. FreeTime Unlimited is available exclusively on Amazon devices including Amazon Fire TV and Fire tablets, and a year-long subscription is included with every Fire Kids Edition.

Just Add Magic also stars Catia Ojeda (Grey’s Anatomy) as Mrs. Quinn, Andrew Burlinson (Parks and Recreation) as Mr. Quinn, with Dee Wallace (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial) as Grandma and Amy Hill (50 First Dates) as Mama P. Guest stars include Brady Reiter (100 Things to Do Before High School) as Charlotte, Matt Knudsen (The League) as Coach Richards, Aidan Lovekamp (Scandal) as Buddy, and Ellen Karsten(Camp Takota) as Ms. Silvers. Pixie Wespiser (Good Luck Charlie) serves as Producer and Frank Merwald (Two and a Half Men) and Kim Tushinsky (Good Luck Charlie) serve as Associate Producers.

About Amazon Video
Amazon Video includes tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes available on Prime Video at no additional charge to Prime members, as well as access to hundreds of thousands of titles to buy or rent. Amazon Video is the only service in the world that brings customers both of these options in one place.

Prime Video, available on Amazon Video, lets Prime members enjoy binge-worthy TV shows including Amazon Original Series airing now such as the multi-Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-winning series Transparent, the critically acclaimed The Man in the High Castle, Red Oaks, Hand of God, Bosch, Catastrophe and Mozart in the Jungle as well as hit series like Sex and the City, Veep, Girls, The Sopranos, Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Wire. Prime Video also offers members blockbuster movies such as Transformers: Age of Extinction, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Star Trek Into Darkness and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, among others. Prime members have access to a collection of kids shows including Amazon Original Series Annedroids, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, the Annecy, Annie and multi-Emmy Award-winning Tumble Leaf, and Wishenpoof, as well as popular shows from Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi, and Blue’s Clues.

Prime members can look forward to new and returning original series premiering this year such as the second season of Transparent onDecember 11, along with Mozart in the Jungle premiering on December 30. Coming in 2016 will be the second seasons of Bosch and romantic comedy Catastrophe, along with the debut season of The New Yorker Presents and Mad Dogs.

Amazon Video can be accessed through the Amazon Video app on TVs, connected devices and mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/amazonvideo. Prime Video titles can also be downloaded for offline enjoyment—the only subscription streaming service to offer this functionality. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at Amazon.com/prime.

Amazon Prime is an annual membership program for $99 a year that offers customers unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on more than 20 million items across all categories, unlimited Free Same-Day Delivery on more than a million items in 16 metro areas, unlimited streaming of tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes, more than one million songs, more than one thousand playlists and hundreds of stations with Prime Music, early access to select Lightning Deals all year long, free secure, unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive with Prime Photos and access to more than 800,000 books to borrow with the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. In addition, Prime members in select cities receive one and two hour delivery through Prime Now on tens of thousands of items through a mobile app. Not a member? Start a free trial of Amazon Prime at amazon.com/prime.

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. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

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

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Amazon announces its best-selling books of 2015: Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train tops the list

  • The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins is the best-selling book of 2015; Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book Ten: Old School by Jeff Kinney tops the list for Kids & Teens books
  • The Most Wished For books are The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah; The Most Gifted book is Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

SEATTLE, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — (NASDAQ:AMZN)—Amazon today announced its best-selling books of 2015, along with the list of best-selling Kids & Teens books, the Most Gifted Books and the Most Wished For books—just in time for holiday gift-giving. The best-selling book of the year is Paula Hawkins’ addictive page-turner, The Girl on the Train followed by Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian by E.L. James. Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book Ten: Old School, by the perennial favorite Jeff Kinney, is the best-selling Kids & Teens book and What Pet Should I Get? by Dr. Seuss is number two. Harper Lee’s hotly anticipated second novel, Go Set a Watchman, was the Most Gifted Book of the year. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, was also the Most Wished For followed by Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale. The best-selling book lists take into account first editions published in 2015 and reflect paid print and Kindle editions. To see the full top 100 lists of Amazon’s best-selling print and Kindle books of 2015, visit www.amazon.com/bestsellingbooks2015.

“What this list suggests is that Amazon customers like to be entertained—and scared! The creepy thriller The Girl on the Train is our best-selling book of the year, hands down, but Silent Scream, 14th Deadly Sin and Luckiest Girl Alive are no slouches in the category, either,” saidSara Nelson, Editorial Director of Books and Kindle at Amazon.com. “It’s great to see The Nightingale perform so well; it suggests that readers continue to come back to novels about WWII, as long as they deliver stories of people and the difficult decisions that war makes them make. In addition to page-turning fiction there’s also engrossing nonfiction from top historians David McCullough and Erik Larson. The best-selling books of 2015 are full of great old fashioned storytelling. Truly, something for everyone.”

The 2015 top 20 best-selling books overall are:

1. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

2. Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian by E.L. James

3. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

4. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

5. Memory Man by David Baldacci

6. Make Me: A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child

7. Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham

8. The Girl in the Spider’s Web: Millennium Series Book 4 by David Lagercrantz

9. Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson

10. Silent Scream by Angela Marsons

11. 14th Deadly Sin (Women’s Murder Club) by James Patterson with Maxine Paetro

12. Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book Ten: Old School by Jeff Kinney

13. Enchanted Forest: An Inky Quest and Coloring Book by Johanna Basford

14. The Wright Brothers by David McCullough

15. Adult Coloring Book: Stress Relieving Patterns by Blue Star Coloring

16. The Liar by Nora Roberts

17. Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

18. The Crossing by Michael Connelly

19. The Stranger by Harlan Coben

20. A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler

Fun facts about Amazon’s best-selling books of 2015:

  • It’s the first time a coloring book has made the list, let alone two!
  • Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll is the top debut
  • The top two authors are British
  • The top four authors are female; There are nine female authors on the list, eleven men
  • The best-selling print book of 2015 was Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee; the best-selling Kindle book was The Girl on the Train byPaula Hawkins

The top 20 best-selling Kids & Teens books overall are:

1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book Ten: Old School by Jeff Kinney

2. What Pet Should I Get? by Dr. Seuss

3. Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Book 1: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

4. The Heir: Book Four of the Selection Series by Kiera Cass

5. The Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel by Melissa de la Cruz

6. Your Baby’s First Word Will be DADA by Jimmy Fallon

7. The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt

8. Diary of a Minecraft Zombie Book 1 by Herobrine Books

9. Rush Revere and the Star-Spangled Banner by Rush Limbaugh

10. Library of Souls: The Third Novel of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

11. Queen of Shadows: A Throne of Glass Novel by Sarah J. Maas

12. The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

13. Firefight: The Reckoners Book Two by Brandon Sanderson

14. Winter: The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

15. The Crown of Ptolemy by Rick Riordan

16. Dork Diaries 9: Tales From a Not-So-Dorky Drama Queen by Rachel Renée Russell

17. The Fate of Ten: Lorien Legacies Book 6 by Pittacus Lore

18. The Ruby Circle: A Bloodlines Novel by Richelle Mead

19. Theodore Boone: The Fugitive by John Grisham

20. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Fun Facts about Amazon’s best-selling Kids & Teen Books of 2015:

  • Three years in a row Jeff Kinney, Rick Riordan and Rush Limbaugh have been in the top 20 best-selling Kids & Teens list
  • Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book Ten: Old School is the top selling print book and The Heir is the top selling Kindle book
  • 17 of the 20 books are part of a series
  • Two authors, Rick Riordan and Sarah J. Maas, each have two books on the list

To learn more about the best-selling books of the year, visit www.amazon.com/bestsellingbooks2015.

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. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

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

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Amazon’s brand-new original dramatic series Mad Dogs scheduled to premiere on Friday, January 22 on Prime Video

Hour-long dramatic dark comedy, based on the hit UK series, stars Steve Zahn, Michael Imperioli, Billy Zane, Romany Malco and Ben Chaplin

SEATTLE, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today announced its brand-new original dramatic series, Mad Dogs, a co-production with Sony Pictures Television, is scheduled to premiere on Friday, January 22 on Prime Video in the US, UK, Germanyand Austria. Executive Produced by Shawn Ryan (The Shield), Cris Cole (The Good Times Are Killing Me), Marney Hochman (Last Resort), Andy Harries (Strikeback), Suzanne Mackie (Kinky Boots), and Charles McDougall (The Good Wife), Cole created the show based on his hit UK series of the same name. Mad Dogs follows the reunion of a group of longtime, forty-something friends—a mixture of single, married and recently divorced, all seemingly at crossroads in their lives. The series stars Steve Zahn (Dallas Buyers Club) as Cobi, Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) as Lex, Billy Zane (Titanic) as Milo, Romany Malco (Weeds) as Gus, and Ben Chaplin (The Thin Red Line) as Joel.

In the first episode, Cobi, Lex, Gus and Joel gather to celebrate the early retirement of an old friend played by Billy Zane (Titanic) at his gorgeous Belizean villa. But, their camaraderie doesn’t last long as old grudges resurface, secrets explode, and their trip to paradise quickly becomes a labyrinthine nightmare of lies, deception and murder. The series is a tale of friendship put to the ultimate test. Completely out of their element, the guys quickly realize that the only way they can survive this adventure will be by having to trust one another, probably the last people in the world they should.

“Mad Dogs explores what happens when four college friends go on an exotic vacation that shockingly descends into a harrowing roller coaster that tests their mettle, their friendships and their very sense of identity,” said Roy Price, Vice President, Amazon Studios. “The show has a fantastic cast and is led by Shawn Ryan. We look forward to customers’ reactions.”

“I loved working on a comedic, albeit dark, story like Mad Dogs and know that the performances by Steve, Michael, Romany and Ben will resonate with all who have had longtime friendships that evolve and change as the years go on,” says Executive Producer Shawn Ryan.

Prime members can now watch the first episode of Mad Dogs at http://amzn.to/1PQVC2n–and beginning January 22, they can stream all 10 episodes at no additional cost to their Prime membership with the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices, mobile devices, or online. Prime members can also download the series for offline viewing on iOS, Android and Fire devices at no additional cost. In addition to SD and HD, the series is also available in 4K Ultra HD on Amazon Fire TV and compatible smart TVs from Samsung, LG and Sony. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free 30-day trial at amazon.com/prime.

Mad Dogs also stars Phil Davis as Lawrence, Maria Botto (Soldiers of Salamia) as Sophia, Adria Tennor (The Artist) as Abby and Allison Tolman (Fargo) as Rochelle. Luillo Ruiz (Welcome to the Jungle) and Ken Topolsky (Dallas) serve as Producer, and Danielle Weinstock(Legends) served as Line Producer for the pilot. Mad Dogs is directed by Uta Briesewitz (Hung), John David Coles (House of Cards), Randall Einhorn (Wilfred), Guy Ferland (Sons of Anarchy), Alex Graves (Proof), Ted Griffin (Terriers), Clark Johnson (Homeland), Charles McDougall(The Office), Mark Piznarski (Gossip Girl), and Craig Zisk (Parks and Recreation).

About Amazon Video
Amazon Video offers customers unlimited access to tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes, including award-winning Amazon Original Series, through Amazon Prime; monthly subscriptions to SHOWTIME, STARZ, and more; and hundreds of thousands of titles including new-release movies and current TV shows for rent or purchase.

The entire range of selection can be instantly accessed through the Amazon Video app on TVs, streaming media players, mobile devices,Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets, or online at Amazon.com/amazonvideo.

Prime Video, included in Amazon Prime, enables Prime members enjoy binge-worthy TV shows including Amazon Original Series airing now such as the multi-Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-nominated series Transparent, the breakout hit The Man in the High Castle, based on Philip K. Dick’s novel, the hour-long drama Bosch, based on Michael Connelly’s best-selling books, the Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman comedy, Mozart in the Jungle, and the comedy created by and starring Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan, Catastrophe, in addition to HBO favorites like The Sopranos, True Blood and Girls, and popular primetime series including 24, Downton Abbey, Extant, Falling Skies, Grimm, Hannibal, Justified, Orphan Black, Teen Wolf, The Americans, and Under the Dome. Prime members also have access to an exclusive collection of kids shows now airing including Amazon Original Series’ Annedroids, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street and the Annecy, Annie and multi-Emmy Award-winning Tumble Leaf, as well as popular shows from Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi, and Blue’s Clues. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/primevideo.

In addition to tens of thousands of titles to instantly stream on Prime Video, the Amazon Prime membership (www.amazon.com/primevideo) includes more than one million songs, more than a thousand playlists and hundreds of stations through Prime Music, unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items, early access to select Lightning Deals, unlimited photo storage with Amazon Photos, and access to borrow from more than one million books for Kindle owners–all for $99 a year.

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. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

About Sony Pictures Television

Sony Pictures Television (http://www.sonypicturestelevision.com), a Sony Pictures Entertainment company, is one of the television industry’s leading content providers, producing and distributing programming worldwide in every genre and for every platform. In addition to one of the industry’s largest libraries of award-winning feature films, television shows and formats, Sony Pictures Television (SPT) boasts a current program slate that includes top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas, comedies and telefilms. In addition to its US production business, SPT has 18 wholly-owned or joint venture production companies in 11 countries and also maintains offices in 31 countries. SPT’s worldwide television networks portfolio includes 150 channel feeds available in 178 countries, reaching more than 1.3 billion cumulative households worldwide. SPT also creates original content for and manages the studio’s premium streaming network, Crackle. Additionally, SPT owns US production company Embassy Row and is a part owner of the cable channel Game Show Network (GSN). SPT advertiser sales is one of the premier national advertising sales companies and handles the commercial inventory in SPT’s syndicated series as well as the Rural Media Group and DoctorOZ.com.

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

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

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Lowe’s redesigned DIY smart home solution Iris offers families the chance to prove Santa paid them a visit

MOORESVILLE, N.C., 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — This holiday season, Lowe’s invites believers and skeptics alike to sign up for its first-ever Santa Tracker, now available in the new Iris by Lowe’s mobile app. The next generation of Iris, the redesigned DIY smart home solution from Lowe’s, offers families the chance to prove not only that Santa paid them a visit, but exactly how he moved throughout their home on Christmas.

Free for existing next generation Iris customers, the new Iris by Lowe’s mobile app prompts a series of questions that, once answered, allow the physical Iris devices in your home to sync with the Santa Tracker. The app also offers new virtual invisible “Santa sensors” and a “Santa camera.” On Christmas morning, the app will reveal when, where and how Santa visited your home. Users may also catch Santa dropping off presents under the tree, sneaking milk and cookies and more.

Not yet an Iris customer? No problem. Lowe’s also created an iOS and Android mobile app for anyone hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa this year. Also available today in the Apple App Store and Google Play, the Iris by Lowe’s Santa Tracker is free to download and use.

How to track Santa with Iris by Lowe’s:

  • Next generation Iris customers: Open the new Iris by Lowe’s mobile app and tap the Santa Tracker button on the home screen to get started.
  • For first generation Iris and non-Iris customers: Download the free Iris by Lowe’s Santa Tracker in the Apple App Store or Google Play and follow setup instructions.
  • Then, users of both apps will be able to:
    • Select where Santa’s team of reindeer are likely to arrive.
    • Select where Santa most likely enters and exits their home (e.g. chimney, front door, garage).
    • Indicate what Santa is expected to do in the home (e.g. stop by the kitchen for cookies, drop presents under the tree, fill stockings, etc.).
    • Snap a photo where Santa is expected to appear.
    • Users can check the app before Christmas to make sure the sensors are working and open the app Christmas morning to confirm when Santa visited the home and how he moved around inside.

“Iris’ Santa Tracker offers a simple, fun way for families to bring the holidays to life,” saidMick Koster, vice president and general manager of Iris Home Systems. “Smart homes shouldn’t just be smart – they should be fun and make life more enjoyable. Within Lowe’s, our Iris team is committed to helping customers create a deeper relationship with their home through smart home technology. By dedicating a little of our after-hours time to integrate Iris’ real and virtual technologies this season, we’re hoping to enhance each family’s holiday experience and play a magical part in creating lasting memories.”

Click here to view the Iris by Lowe’s Santa Tracker video and mobile app screenshots.

Last month, Lowe’s announced the next generation of its Iris smart home solution, which champions a mobile-first philosophy, giving users a simpler, more intuitive, interactive way to communicate with their homes. Iris offers value-priced products, an easy DIY system setup, free service from the day of installation, customizable rules to connect devices and a level of customer support consumers have come to expect from Lowe’s. Iris was developed and designed for the consumer, using nearly 70 years of home improvement experience and input from its 16 million shoppers a week.

For the complete list of products available for Iris, please visit IrisbyLowes.com.

About Lowe’s
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, North Carolina, 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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IKEA U.S. greets its co-workers happy holiday with Roku 2 streaming media player

Conshohocken, PA, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — IKEA co-workers across the U.S.1 received a Roku 2 streaming media player as a ‘thank you’ holiday gift. This was another opportunity for IKEA to show gratitude to its co-workers and say ‘happy holiday’. Just a few days prior, IKEA Group thanked its co-workers with a contribution of $1,182 * into their Tack! Retirement funds.

“IKEA is a great place to work and we’re always looking for ways to make a positive contribution to our co-workers’ lives. With our annual holiday gift, it’s another token of appreciation and gratitude to each and every co-worker. No matter what the level or position, every member of the IKEA team is important and contributes to our success,” commented Lars Petersson, IKEA U.S. President. “This year we are giving co-workers a gift that the entire family can enjoy.”

With thousands of home visits each year, IKEA understands life at home including how new media technology is impacting our home entertainment lifestyles. The Roku 2, a leading web TV device 2, makes it easy to watch a wide range of free channels, subscribe to popular streaming services – like Netflix and Hulu Plus – rent the latest TV episode, or own a major blockbuster. CNN.com’s recent ‘Guide to the Holidays’ listed the Roku 2 on their ‘Great gadget gifts for $100 or less.’

1. Includes all regular and part-time IKEA U.S. co-workers. Does not include hires after November 27th, 2015 or seasonal co-workers. *Plus an additional $140 in ‘re-allocation’ from co-workers who left IKEA before working three full years. Total is $1,322. All full-time co-workers within a country will receive the same amount regardless of unit, position, or salary level. Part-time co-workers will receive a proportional amount in relation to hours worked. Global goals need to be met first for Tack! contributions. The annual funding is divided between all IKEA Group countries, based on each country’s proportion of the total salary and wages. Eligibility for Tack! is based on an IKEA co-worker being actively employed with IKEA for a full fiscal year (September 1-August 31). Money is vested after working three full years and available at retirement age (59 ½.) If a co-worker leaves before working three full fiscal years in a row, the money in their Tack! fund will be removed and re-allocated to other eligible co-workers. 2. Web TV is the genre of original television content produced for broadcast via the World Wide Web, accessible through Wi-Fi.

For further information, please contact: Mona Astra Liss, US Corporate PR Director, Mona.Liss@IKEA.com, 610.834.0180, ext. 5852

About IKEA Group The IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. Our business idea supports this vision by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. There are currently 328 IKEA Group stores in 28 countries. Additionally, there are 40 IKEA stores run by franchises. There are 41 IKEA stores in the U.S. In FY 15, IKEA Group had 771 million visitors to the stores and 1.9 billion visitors to IKEA.com. IKEA incorporates sustainability into day-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more information, please visit www.IKEA.com, facebook.com/IKEAUSA, @IKEAUSANews, @IKEAUSA, http://pinterest.com/IKEAUSA/, www.youtube.com/IKEAUSA, www.theshare-space.com, www.theshare-space.com/en/Blog

SOURCE: IKEA Systems B.V.

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Albertsons awarded Kalyani Namilikonda with brand new 2016 Ford Escape as the winner of its Best Road Trip, Ever! Sweepstakes

Arlington, Texas, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — Christmas came early for the Southern Division’s Best Road Trip, Ever! Winner! Albertsons awarded Kalyani Namilikonda with a brand new 2016 Ford Escape for being selected as the winner of the store’s Best Road Trip, Ever! Sweepstakes. Santa Clause himself was there to deliver the Ford Escape to Kalyani at the store on  South Cooper Street in Arlington.

“We’ve had a blast with the Best Road Trip promotion,” said Clarissa Hebert, Store Director at the local Albertsons. “Customers love to be creative and it’s so much fun to read the entries. We’re excited that Kalyani has won and that our store gets to present her with a new Ford Escape!”

Kalyani shares, “As a homemaker and the wife of a Graduate student who is doing his PhD studies I cannot imagine buying a new car in this situation. We love our current Ford, which is 21 years old and is showing signs of giving up, and this new car cannot come at a better time! This is just unbelievable! I thank Albertsons for The Best Road Trip Ever Sweepstakes and for the opportunity.  This is the best Christmas gift I have ever received. Thank you Albertsons!”

In this month-long contest, customers were invited to create a story by captioning four Instagram-style product images. Each time an entry was submitted, “miles” were added toward the value of the grand prize. As more “miles” were accumulated the value of the car increased, resulting in the prize of a Ford Escape.

A special thanks to our sponsors for helping us make this year’s road trip possible:

 

About Albertsons: www.albertsons.com
The Southern Division of Albertsons Companies currently  operates 106 stores in North Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas under the Albertsons and Tom Thumb banners.  Albertsons is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, with both a strong local presence and national scale. The company operates more than 2,200 stores across 33 states and the District of Columbia under 18 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market and Carrs.

 

About Our Lead Vendor Partners for 2015 Best Road Trip, Ever!

Chevron

Chevron is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies, with subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide. The company is involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. Chevron explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and lubricants; manufactures and sells petrochemical products; generates power and produces geothermal energy; provides energy efficiency solutions; and develops the energy resources of the future, including bio-fuels. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information about Chevron is available at http://www.chevron.com


Frito-Lay North America
Frito-Lay North America is the $13 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, http://www.fritolay.com/, the Snack Chat blog, http://www.snacks.com/ and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/fritolay.

 

PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $66 billion in net revenue in 2014, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker, and Tropicana. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose—our goal to deliver top-tier financial performance while creating sustainable growth and shareholder value. In practice, Performance with Purpose means providing a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; finding innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and reduce our operating costs; providing a safe and inclusive workplace for our employees globally; and respecting, supporting, and investing in the local communities where we operate. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com. 

The Quaker Oats Company
The Quaker Oats Company, headquartered in Chicago, is a unit of PepsiCo, Inc., one of the world’s largest consumer packaged goods companies. For more than 130 years, Quaker’s brands have served as symbols of quality, great taste and nutrition. Holding No. 1 positions in their respective categories, Quaker Oats, Quaker Rice Cakes and Quaker Chewy Granola Bars are consumer favorites. For more information, please visit www.QuakerOats.com. Follow Quaker Oats on Facebook and Twitter.

 

SOURCE: Albertsons, LLC

 

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Albertsons awarded Kalyani Namilikonda with brand new 2016 Ford Escape as the winner of its Best Road Trip, Ever! Sweepstakes

Albertsons awarded Kalyani Namilikonda with brand new 2016 Ford Escape as the winner of its Best Road Trip, Ever! Sweepstakes

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OMEGA & James Bond Exhibition in front of the Hour Passion and OMEGA boutiques at Geneva Airport

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — With the release of SPECTRE, the latest adventure of James Bond 007, OMEGA invites all passengers of Geneva Airport to discover an amazing retrospective of the missions of the most elegant secret agent always accompanied with his Swiss watch.

The exhibition is taking place in Place Centrale of Geneva Airport in front of the Hour Passion and OMEGA boutiques.

HOUR PASSION is a concept store belonging to the Swatch Group, the world’s largest watchmaker.

Since its origin in 2004, it has been specialized in the watches and jewellery multi-brand retail.

SOURCE: Hour Passion SAS

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OMEGA & James Bond Exhibition in front of the Hour Passion and OMEGA boutiques at Geneva Airport

OMEGA & James Bond Exhibition in front of the Hour Passion and OMEGA boutiques at Geneva Airport

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74% of Brits fake positive reactions to disappointing gifts at Christmas – Currys PC World Language of Gift Exchange report

  • Three quarters (74%) of Brits fake positive reactions to disappointing gifts at Christmas – with women (80%) more likely to fake it than men (69%)
  • ‘That’s lovely’, ‘that’s nice’ and even ‘just what I wanted’ can be signs that your gift has disappointed
  • 79% of under-30’s – and 45% of over-60’s – use emojis to say thank-you for a present
  • Currys PC World worked alongside social anthropologist Kate Fox on how to identify when someone does or doesn’t like a present

LONDON, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — With the gifting season upon us, Brits are living up to polite stereotypes with three-quarters of us admitting that we pretend to like disappointing presents.

The Currys PC World Language of Gift Exchange report, compiled by leading social anthropologist Kate Fox and her colleagues at the Oxford-based Social Issues Research Centre, exposes the verbal and non-verbal ways the British public will react to gifts this Christmas. Women are revealed to be the greatest pretenders, with 80% admitting to feigning delight versus 69% of men. Perhaps surprisingly, young people are more polite than their elders: under-30’s are more likely (77%) to feign happiness for a present than the over-60’s (71%).

When it comes to the phrases we use, Brits this year will stick to a range of ‘vanilla’ responses that we feel comfortable won’t give the game away – with a simple ‘thank you,’ or an untruthful but polite ‘that’s nice’ key giveaways that your Christmas present hasn’t gone down well.

Top phrases we use to fake it

  1. Thank you – 52%
  2. That’s nice – 36%
  3. That’s lovely – 31%
  4. Oh…thanks – 23%
  5. That’s just what I wanted – 17%

Although the majority of us admit to faking it, we’re also all convinced we can’t be fooled: almost nine out of ten1of us believe we can identify someone pretending to be happy with a gift – in contrast to the 21% of us who don’t believe they are very convincing at faking it themselves. Leading social anthropologist Kate Fox comments: “People tend to overestimate their abilities as ‘lie detectors,’ and underestimate their ability to lie successfully. We are actually very good at faking delight – such as orgasms – and not so good at spotting fakery.”

When it comes to being truly happy, the report revealed a range of reactions that Brits see as most likely to show the gift-giver has nailed the perfect present. Over a quarter feel that ‘excited repetition’ (such as ‘Thank you! thank you! thank you!’) is the best indicator of genuine delight, with 17% stating that disbelief (such as ‘No way!’) is a sure-fire way to tell that someone is really, truly pleased. A smart minority (14%) know that dilated pupils are the only reaction that is impossible to fake.

Top reactions Brits think reveal genuine delight

  1. Excited repetition (e.g. “I love it!, I love it!”) – 26%
  2. Showing love to the giver (e.g. hugging, kissing) – 23%
  3. Showing love to the gift (clutching, cuddling, can’t put it down) – 19%
  4. Disbelief (e.g. No way! You’re kidding!) – 17%
  5. It’s all in the eyes: dilated pupils – 14%
  6. Gasping, shrieking, yelping – 14%
  7. Stunned silence (too emotional to speak) – 14%

Anthropologist Kate Fox comments: “Although all of these reactions, apart from dilated pupils, can quite easily be faked, recipients of disappointing gifts tend not to perform quite such ecstatic displays, as this could encourage the giver to choose a similarly inappropriate gift next year.”

Those who will be thanking someone via text or social media this Christmas will also present tell-tale signs that they’re truly happy. The Currys PC World survey reveals 65% of us plan to use emojis to express genuine happiness for a present, and one smiley-face is no longer enough: over half of us now feel that multiple repeated emojis or even elaborate, creative emoji ‘sentences’ and ‘stories’  are required to show we’re genuinely delighted. The top emojis used to express genuine delight are:

Anthropologist Kate Fox comments: “The proliferation of emojis in our thank-yous shows that non-verbal signals – smiles, frowns, winks, hugs, tone of voice, etc. – are a vital part of human interaction. When we are deprived of this element, in texts and social media messages, we compensate by using symbolic representations of these signals in an exaggerated manner.”

Gary Booker, Chief Marketing Officer of Dixons Carphone, comments: “We all know that, from time to time, we might get given a pretty awful present from someone who really does care, but who just got it wrong for whatever reason. So we don’t insult them, and because of our British-ness, we feel the need to pretend that we love it – even if we don’t. What’s great about this report is that it helps us Brits to learn how best not to upset the gift-giver this Christmas, and also how to express when we really do love a gift. Most importantly though, it should help people to spot the warning signs that they’ve given a bad present themselves, and encourage them to step up their game next year.”

The Language of Gift Exchange Report comes as the next instalment to the Currys PC World Spare the Actcampaign, which saw Jeff Goldblum teach the nation how to feign delight in the Currys PC World Christmas adverts: https://goo.gl/4rHcUu

189%

– ENDS –

For more information, please contact the Currys PC World press office:

M&C Saatchi PR / dixonscarphone@mcsaatchi.com / 0207 544 3600

Notes to Editors
Currys PC World worked closely alongside Kate Fox/SIRC, hosting dedicated face-to-face focus groups and surveying 2,000 UK adults through Ginger Comms.

About Currys PC World
Currys PC World are part of Dixons Carphone plc, Europe’s leading specialist electrical and telecommunications retailer and services company, employing over 40,000 people in 9 countries.

Focused on helping customers navigate the connected world, Dixons Carphone offers a comprehensive range of electrical and mobile products, connectivity and expert after-sales services from the Geek Squad and KNOWHOW.

Combining Dixons Retail’s successful and sustainable multi-channel approach to electrical retailing, with Carphone Warehouse, one of Europe’s largest independent telecommunications retailers, Dixons Carphone plc began trading as a merged entity on 7 August 2014.

For more information about Currys & PC World, please visit www.currys.co.uk or www.pcworld.co.uk
Follow us on: @curryspcworld

SOURCE:  Dixons Carphone plc.

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Zalando SE to repurchase 50.000 own shares for approximately EUR 1.8 million for employee incentive programs

BERLIN, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — The management board of Zalando SE today announced the decision to repurchase 50.000 own shares over the stock market for a total purchase price of approximately EUR 1.8 million (estimate based on the most recent closing price) for the sole purpose of using the shares for employee incentive programs. The repurchases will occur from 8 December 2015 over the next weeks.

NOTES TO EDITORS

ABOUT ZALANDO
Zalando (https://corporate.zalando.com) is Europe’s leading online fashion platform for women, men and children. We offer our customers a one-stop, convenient shopping experience with an extensive selection of fashion articles including shoes, apparel and accessories, with free delivery and returns. Our assortment of over 1,500 international brands ranges from popular global brands, fast fashion and local brands, and is complemented by our private label products. Our localized offering addresses the distinct preferences of our customers in each of the 15 European markets we serve: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Poland and the United Kingdom. Our logistics network with three centrally located fulfillment centers in Germany allows us to efficiently serve our customers throughout Europe. We believe that our integration of fashion, operations and online technology give us the capability to deliver a compelling value proposition to both our customers and fashion brand partners. Zalando’s shops attract over 131 million visits per month. In the third quarter of 2015, around 59 per cent of traffic came from mobile devices, resulting in close to 17.2 million active customers by the end of the quarter.

CONTACT ZALANDO
René Gribnitz
Vice President Communications
rene.gribnitz@zalando.de
+49 30 20968 2022

SOURCE: ZALANDO

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SPAR International opens its first store in Azerbaijan

AMSTERDAM, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — SPAR International, the world’s largest voluntary retail chain, has announced further expansion of its global footprint with confirmation that the brand has opened its first store in Azerbaijan.

Located in Baku, the country’s capital, the new 1,800m² SPAR store has been established with local partner Araz which already services more than 37,000 daily customers and operates neighbourhood stores, convenience stores and supermarkets. Araz, which became a SPAR partner in April this year, was founded in 2010 and is part of Veyseloglu LLC, a leading retail and wholesale business which was established in 1992 and has over 2,500 employees.

SPAR’s growth in the Caucasus follows confirmation of plans by Khimji Ramdas, the brand’s partner in Oman, to open 21 new stores in the Sultanate by the end of 2017.

Speaking at the official opening of the first SPAR store in Baku General Director SPAR Azerbaijan Vusal Sharifov said, “Food retailing continues to be one of the most dynamic sectors of Azerbaijan’s economy and Araz has strong plans for growth, with the aim of opening more than eight new SPAR stores with a total sales area of 12 000 m2 by the end of 2017. The introduction of the SPAR brand into the local market brings global best practice to retailing in Azerbaijan and delivers a new and unique offering to local consumers based on the SPAR principles of freshness, quality, choice and customer service.”

David Moore,SPAR InternationalBusiness Development Director said “Building strong partnerships, sharing international best practice and adhering to SPAR’s core principles has resulted in continued and growing interest from independent retail partners across the globe – particularly in developing economies.

“Our partners in Azerbaijan and Oman, have ambitious plans for growth in both of their markets and we look forward to working with them to grow their presence further into the future.”

The Azerbaijan opening brings to four the number of new SPAR countries in 2015 following store openings in Cameroon, Malawi and Indonesia.

SOURCE: SPAR International

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SPAR International opens its first store in Azerbaijan

SPAR International opens its first store in Azerbaijan

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Newly refreshed Colruyt Châtelet store reopens its doors after months of renovation work

On Wednesday 9 December the Colruyt Châtelet store will reopen its doors again after a few months of renovation work. The store has been turned into a new-generation Colruyt and is equipped with a brand-new butcher’s department.

Halle, Belgium, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — Store manager Fabio Breda: “Colruyt renovates its stores to make them more efficient and pleasant for its customers. At the entrance of the freshmarket for instance, we replaced the plastic strips with an air curtain. The focus is on simplicity and achieving the lowest costs. That is, after all, what our customers look for and expect from Colruyt.”

A brand-new butcher’s department

During the work, the store has been reorganised and the freshmarket enlarged; consequently, the products are presented more logically. “Shopping will be even easier for our customers”, continues the store manager. “And since we have an extra check-out, we will be able to serve them faster.”

Customers go to the brand-new self-service butcher’s shop for their quality fresh meat. Head butcher Marc Botte explains: “Our customers will have a better overview of our range of meat, cold cuts and salads. Moreover, they can see our butchers at work in an open workshop and ask them questions or place a special order.”

Special open evening

As from Wednesday 9 December, store manager Fabio Breda, head butcher Marc Botte and their xx employees will be on hand to welcome customers at the renovated Colruyt Châtelet store.
Fabio Breda: “The evening before, on Tuesday 8 December, between 17.00 and 20.00, everyone is invited for a preview of
the renovations. During this special open evening, customers will be offered snacks and a drink. Everyone is most welcome!”

For more information, please contact:
– Tiziano Antenucci (regional manager) op 02 360 10 40
– Jan Derom (press officer Colruyt Group) op 0473 92 45 10

Practical information:

Colruyt Châtelet
Place du Marché 11
6200 Châtelet

Openingsuren:

Mon. – Sat.: 8.30 – 20 u.
Fri: 8.30 – 21 u.

 

Opendeuravond:
Tuesday 8 December from 17.00 tot 20.00

 

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Newly refreshed Colruyt Châtelet store reopens its doors after months of renovation work

Newly refreshed Colruyt Châtelet store reopens its doors after months of renovation work

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Tesco gives early Christmas present to its customers with unleaded petrol and diesel price cuts

CHESHUNT, England, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — Britain’s biggest fuel retailer provided customers with an early Christmas present today by cutting the cost of unleaded petrol and diesel by 2p per litre at all of its 500 petrol filling stations.

The change will come into effect from 11am this morning. Tesco’s network of 500 petrol filling stations is the largest of all UK supermarkets and the drop means millions of motorists across the country will benefit ahead of the busy festive season.

Peter Cattell, Fuel Director for Tesco said:

“We want to do all we can to help our customers in the run-up to the busy Christmas period. This reduction of 2p per litre on unleaded petrol and diesel at all our 500 petrol filing stations, will mean millions of customers save money by shopping at Tesco this Christmas.”

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

We are a team of 480,000 in 11 markets dedicated to serving shoppers a little better every day.

Visit our Christmas 2015 news site at www.tescoplc.com/christmasnews

SOURCE: Tesco PLC

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Tesco introduces finest Duck Éclair just in time for Christmas

CHESHUNT, England, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — Move over chilli chocolate, so long salted caramel, say hello to the Tesco finest* Duck Éclair – just in time for Christmas. Taking sweet and savoury food fusion to the next level, this winter, Tesco is offering a new, exciting and innovative twist on a classic sweet chocolate éclair, which is sure to be the talking point of Christmas parties up and down the country.

The Tesco finest* Duck Éclair is stuffed with tender duck and marinated with Chinese 5 spice and star anise for an authentic Asian flavour. Accompanied with finely cut carrots and onion, this is all seasoned with a sweet and soy sauce and encased in a pastry éclair, which is crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The hoisin drizzle on top replaces the traditional chocolate and adds a rich sweet flavour to the éclairs.

Fiona Carter, New Product Development manager at Tesco comments, “We wanted to create an innovative party snack for our customers this Christmas – something that would be both delicious and the talking point of Christmas get-togethers and parties. Our duck éclair will hopefully do just that – plus there’s the added bonus of little prep time, so party hosts will have more time to mingle and enjoy themselves”.

Notes to editors:

*RRP £5.00 for a pack of 8 (280g).

For more information please contact the Tesco team at Splendid Communications on 0207 553 7300  or Tesco@splendidcomms.com 

We are a team of 480,000 in 11 markets dedicated to serving shoppers a little better every day.

Visit our Christmas 2015 news site at www.tescoplc.com/christmasnews

SOURCE: Tesco PLC

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Tesco introduces finest Duck Éclair just in time for Christmas

Tesco introduces finest Duck Éclair just in time for Christmas

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Carrefour opens 4th distribution center in China in Wuqing Economic Development Area, Tianjin municipality

CHINA, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — December 2, 2015, the grand opening ceremony of Carrefour supply chain in China-North-West China distribution center is held in Wuqing Economic Development Area, Tianjin municipality. The foundation of the center is expected to become the overpass of Carrefour China’s supply chain in northern China, which can form the radiation of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integration economic cycle and Shandong, Shanxi and other provinces’ logistics and distribution network, increase the distribution efficiency, support the business of stores, and boost the regional economics.

The northern distribution center of Carrefour launched this time has superior geographical location, which is located in ProLogis modern international distribution park, Wuqing economic development area, Tianjin municipality, covers an area of 39,000 square meters. Carrefour northern distribution center will utilize the Voice Picking System, achieving 99.997% in its picking accuracy rate. The tray utilize 100cm*120 standard operating procedure to reduce packaging and labor costs and improve efficiency; moreover, the center is equipped with professional temperature controlled room which sustain temperatures of 18-22 degrees for the storage of alcohol, chocolate and milk powder.
To reply to the supply chain strategy development needs of Carrefour in China, the establishment of northern China distribution center will cover more than 30 stores in northern China, greatly improve the company’s northern China supply chain system to provide more high-quality, convenient products and services for numbers of consumers.

After the establishment of the distribution center in Eastern, western and northern region, Carrefour is planning to set up 2 new distribution centers in North-East Territory and South Territory of China. It is estimated that by the end of 2016, Carrefour will complete the establishment of 6 modern distribution centers in China, and cover more than 200 hypermarkets in China to fully support the emerging industry such as E-commerce of Carrefour, “easy Carrefour” convenience stores.

SOURCE: Carrefour

 

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Carrefour Romania opens Carrefour hypermarket in Timisoara

Timisoara, ROMANIA, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — On 25 November, Carrefour Romania opened its first Carrefour hypermarket in the city of Timisoara, where it features as part of Timisoara’s most recently-built shopping centre. This new opening takes the total number of Carrefour hypermarket’s in Romania up to 29.

The Timisoara Carrefour hypermarket has a sales area of 7800 m² and includes all the standard butchery, delicatessen, grilled meats/pizza, bakery and confectionery counters.  Customers can choose from a wide range of more than 50,000 items.

Well served by the city’s public transport system, there is also a free car park with spaces for 1800 cars.

Opening the store has created some 300 new jobs.

Carrefour Timisoara is also particularly focused on minimising its impact on the environment: its equipment is designed to keep electricity consumption and carbon emissions to a minimum. Its LED lighting system, for example, reduces electricity consumption by 35%, its refrigeration system reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 900 tonnes per year, while diverting heat generated by the store’s refrigeration systems to the store’s ancillary storage areas eliminates all requirements for other energy sources.

SOURCE: Carrefour

 

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Carrefour Romania opens Carrefour hypermarket in Timisoara

Carrefour Romania opens Carrefour hypermarket in Timisoara

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Sainsbury’s announces price cuts on unleaded petrol and diesel to help customers go further this Christmas

LONDON, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — From tomorrow, 9 December, Sainsbury’s is cutting the price of unleaded petrol and diesel by up to 2 pence per litre across its 301 forecourts to help customers go further this Christmas.

As usual, customers will also be able to collect Nectar points every time they fill up with Sainsbury’s, one point on every litre purchased.

Avishai Moor, Sainsbury’s Head of Fuel, said: “Whether it’s driving home for Christmas or running errands ahead of the big day, fuel can be a big expense at this time of the year. We’re happy to be able to offer good value during the festive period to our customers.” 

SOURCE: J Sainsbury plc

 

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Sainsbury’s announces price cuts on unleaded petrol and diesel to help customers go further this Christmas

Sainsbury’s announces price cuts on unleaded petrol and diesel to help customers go further this Christmas

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K-store to open electric vehicle charging points by the end of 2015

Soon the owners of electric or hybrid cars can charge their vehicles while shopping at a K-store. The first electric vehicle charging points will be opened by the end of this year in Turku, the Greater Helsinki area and Lahti. Charging will be activated using a contactless K-Plussa card and it is offered free to customers.

HELSINKI, Finland, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — The first charging points will be available at the car parks of K-citymarket Tammisto in Vantaa, the Merituuli shopping centre in Espoo, K-citymarket Länsikeskus and K-citymarket Kupittaa in Turku, and the Karisma shopping centre in Lahti, each with four charging bays.

” We want to offer good service and help our customer make choices for the benefit of the environment. The K-Group is engaged in long-term responsibility work, in which one of the key themes is the mitigation of climate change and the reduction of emissions”, says Matti Kalervo, Kesko’s Vice President for Corporate Responsibility.

Kesko’s responsibility work has received also international recognition; in November 2015, Kesko was selected to the globally established Climate A list of CDP, which consists of 113 leading companies considered to be operating in an exemplary manner in the mitigation of climate change.

A distance of 100 kilometres from one hour

It will be possible and safe to charge all types of rechargeable vehicles at the charging points to be made available at the K-store car parks. The charger will have a Type 2 socket, suitable for Mode 3 charging, in which your charging lead is plugged.

“The recharging times of vehicles vary slightly, which is due to their different charging capacities. The chargers’ maximum charging rate is 3 x 32A, which means that at best, a travel distance of nearly 100 kilometres is possible from a one-hour charge”, says Engineering Manager Jari Suuronen.

Kesko is having charging points for rechargeable vehicles built at its most significant store sites. The charging points will have clear signs to make them easily identified in the car park. In addition, a reservation for a charging point is made, or a charging point is built, in all new and rebuilding store site projects.

Kesko’s partner in the charging system implementation is Plugit Finland Oy.

Further information:
Charging point project, Jari Suuronen, Manager, Engineering, tel.+358 105 322 271

The 45,000 exceptionally nice people of the K-Group work daily to make shopping fun for customers in our stores in the Nordic countries, the Baltic countries and Russia. We help our more than 1,500 stores serve their customers in the grocery trade, the home improvement and speciality goods trade, and the car trade. We do our work with big heart while paying attention to society and the environment. We are already the most responsible food retailer in the world and are constantly trying out something new. We are doing this to provide good choices both on the shelves of the local stores and online. www.kesko.fi

SOURCE: KESKO

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Ewan McMahon appointed Retail Operations Director at Homebase

Milton Keynes, UK, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — Ewan McMahon has been appointed to the role of Retail Operations Director at Homebase, reporting to Managing Director Echo Lu as part of the Homebase Leadership Team. He takes up the position on 7 December 2015.

Ewan brings 25 years of retail experience having started on the shop floor as a management trainee at Tesco. Subsequently, Ewan has held a variety of leadership roles at Tesco in the UK, Japan and Turkey.

More recently, Ewan led the Tesco Extra Format in the UK as the Operations Director and since 2011 worked as the Chief Operating Officer of Tesco’s Turkish business where he was responsible for store and central operations, supply chain, online business and distribution.

He joins the business at an exciting time of change as Homebase builds on its productivity plan to position it for long-term investment and growth.

On his appointment, Echo Lu, Managing Director at Homebase said: “Throughout his career Ewan has demonstrated principled leadership, cultural adaptability, and a strong track record of delivering positive change through people in challenging environments. I am confident that he will be a great addition to the Leadership Team and a huge asset for Homebase.”

Ewan added: “I’m excited to be joining Homebase and have been impressed by the enthusiasm and calibre of colleagues I have met so far. I’m looking forward to helping the business shape a new direction for home improvement that is very clearly focused on helping customers to create a home they love.”

 

ENDS

Note to Editors:

For more information, please contact the Homebase Press Office on 0845 120 4365 or email media.relations@homebase.co.uk .

Follow us @Homebase_PR.

 

About Homebase
Homebase is a leading home enhancement retailer with around 58 million transactions a year, selling around 38,000 products for the home and garden. It has 271 large, out-of-town stores throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland and a growing internet offering at www.homebase.co.uk. In the financial year to February 2015, Homebase sales were £1.5 billion and it employed some 17,000 people across the business.

Homebase is part of Home Retail Group, the UK’s leading home and general merchandise retailer.

SOURCE: Home Retail Group

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Ewan McMahon appointed Retail Operations Director at Homebase

Ewan McMahon appointed Retail Operations Director at Homebase

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Guerlain once again joins French publisher Editions du Cherche-Midi to launch the Abeilles de Guerlain literary prize

PARIS, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — Guerlain has again joined French publisher Editions du Cherche-Midi to launch the Abeilles de Guerlain literary prize. Winners of the first edition were published in the Mémoire Olfactive short story collection in May 2015.

The Abeilles de Guerlain literary prize aims to promote creativity by discovering the writing talents of tomorrow. The short story competition is open to unpublished authors. After the 2014 theme of “olfactory memory”, the theme of this year’s prize is “colors”.

Budding writers have until December 15th to submit their short stories (maximum length 12,000 characters) to the jury, chaired by Guerlain CEO Laurent Boillot. Joining him on the jury are prominent writers, journalists, publishers and members of Guerlain staff, who will select the stories to be published in a second collection in May 2016. The prize offers a great springboard for new literary talent.

All proceeds from copyrights will be donated to fund literacy programs run by French charity Les Restos du Coeur.

SOURCE: LVMH

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Guerlain

Guerlain

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Louis Vuitton CEO Michael Burke shares the vision of environmental responsibility at the leather goods House

PARIS, 2015-12-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — In conjunction with the COP21 World Climate Summit, of which LVMH is a partner, we asked five CEOs from our different business sectors to talk about the importance of the environment for their respective Houses. Michael Burke, CEO of Louis Vuitton, shares the vision of environmental responsibility that informs all the activities at the leather goods House.

Why is the environment so important for Louis Vuitton?

The transmission of savoir-faire and heritage is one of the  pillars of Louis Vuitton. Our values quite naturally inspire us to respect nature, a heritage that belongs to all of humanity and lies at the very source of the beauty and excellence of our products. It is abundantly clear to everyone that this respect for nature is fundamental to our enduring success.

Louis Vuitton’s artisans have created pieces designed to be passed on from generation to generation since 1854. At the same time, our Maison is continually innovating today to reduce the impact of our activities on the environment by adopting more responsible practices, spurred by the challenge of achieving ISO 14001 certification for sites.

Since our pioneering carbon audit in 2004 we’ve achieved tangible progress in efficiently managing our consumption of materials and energy, reducing the greenhouse gas emissions generated by transport of our products, as well as in waste management.

Ten years on, this remains a daily priority, led by a central Environment Department that coordinates over 50 correspondents within our different segments and sites. Like travelers engaged with the world, they cascade Louis Vuitton’s environment commitments, ensuring that they mesh with our strategy. There are of course many areas where we can progress further, particularly in terms of eco-design for our products. The issues addressed by the COP21 conference remind us that these efforts are essential. And as a leading luxury house, Louis Vuitton must play an exemplary role, both vis-à-vis the luxury industry and also towards our customers, stakeholders and society as a whole.

Is there one particular initiative Louis Vuitton has taken of which you’re especially proud?

What’s remarkable to start with is seeing the motivation of our teams and employees, who are true eco-citizens when it comes to the environment, proposing an abundance of initiatives that generally spring from simple good sense. This is also a unifying issue that strengthens synergies, because acting responsibly requires coordination across entities to avoid simply transferring emissions to another unit. Plus we should be frank and recognize that ecological practices also save money, particularly if you look at the total cost and long-term benefits.

But to answer your question, I naturally think of a project that both supports our business development and I think illustrates Louis Vuitton’s ambitious commitments to the environment. In November 2013, Louis Vuitton became the first company in the world to earn ISO 14000 environmental management certification for our Leather Goods and Accessories Supply Chain. This proactive initiative ensures that we deploy a supply chain that’s more efficient, that we have the right product at the right place at the right time, all with a reduced environmental impact.

Concretely, the Green Supply Chain project allowed us to set up a range of initiatives that foster a virtuous circle: development of an application for real-time management of the CO2 emissions generated by product transport, reduction of kilometers traveled and volumes shipped and optimized transport packaging. Today, because we’ve made environmental performance an eliminatory criteria in our requests for proposals from transport and logistics providers, we have the means to demand cleaner vehicle fleets and push for deployment of green transportation solutions.

How will the creation of the LVMH Carbon Fund help Louis Vuitton reduce its greenhouse gas emissions?

The results of Louis Vuitton’s first carbon audit made the members of the executive committee aware of the need to take action and make environmental performance a priority for activities that generate the most CO2 emissions, namely transport for our products, the energy consumption of our stores and the design of our products.

Today I view the creation of the Carbon Fund above all as a powerful innovation driver that will help our Maison thrive in the future. Because the fund introduces constraints it creates opportunities for Louis Vuitton to go further with environmental initiatives that have been in place for some time already in order to continue to reduce our carbon footprint. These include expanding electric vehicle deliveries, developing maritime shipping, introducing LED lighting at our sites, etc.

What’s more because creativity is part of Louis Vuitton’s DNA, I’m confident that we’ll invent alternative solutions for products that are more desirable than ever for a more sustainable world.

SOURCE: LVMH

 

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Louis Vuitton CEO Michael Burke shares the vision of environmental responsibility at the leather goods House

Michael Burke © Studio Kippik