Daily Archives: August 27, 2016

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Who knew throwing ice cream at customers would actually make them smile?

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., 2016-Aug-28 — /EPR Retail News/ — Who knew throwing ice cream at customers would actually make them smile? Ice Cream crew members at Cold Stone Creamery® (www.ColdStoneCreamery/international/index.html.com) have been doing just that. Add in a little song and dance and you’ve got the Cold Stone Creamery recipe for happiness.

When customers walk into a Cold Stone Creamery whether it’s in India, Japan, Thailand, Pakistan, or any of the approximately 1,500 locations in nearly 30 countries, they enter a social gathering place that’s full of entertainment, super-premium ice cream and frozen treats, and exceptional service. All attributes combine to make it a uniquely happy place.

“Cold Stone Creamery is known as a luxury brand in the international marketplace because we provide quality products in a fun atmosphere that entertains our guests and makes them feel special,” said Eddy Jimenez, senior vice president of international operations & development at Cold Stone Creamery.

The company has distinguished itself from other brands in a surprisingly unique way. Known as the Experience Factor™, employees at stores around the world don’t just put on an apron and scoop ice cream all day. They put on a show!

Customers are treated to the Ultimate Ice Cream Experience® (https://youtu.be/DS6BA9MA5qQ). The importance of Experience Factor and delivering an Ultimate Ice Cream Experience is emphasized by a yearly crew competition called the Global Creamery Cup. The best of the best gather from around the world to bond and compete for the title of the Ultimate Crew Member of the World. Tyrone Pia, the representing crew member from Qatar, was crowned the 2015 Champion! The competition is three fun filled days of knowledge, speed, customer service and Experience Factor testing.

Working with international Master Franchisees in countries like Brazil, Taiwan, China, and most recently, Cambodia, Cold Stone Creamery has created a unique ice cream culture that transcends borders.

The passion behind the brand is what drives the company to exceed customer expectations on an international scale and they’ve got the awards to prove it!

Examples of prestigious awards that international Master Franchisees have received include:

• Middle East (Apparel FZCO) recognized as a leader in the industry for the past 4 years being awarded the Superbrands® Excellence in Branding Award for 2016
• Egypt (Squadra) Superbrands® Award recipient and rated in Top 10 Ice Cream Brands in Cairo
• Indonesia (PTMap) Frozen Delight Award by Zomato.com™
• Thailand (CRG) 1st runner up Brand of the Year Award
• Nigeria (EatNGo) Rated #1 Ice Cream Shop in Lagos
• Philippines (ArizonaTeam) won 1st place on the popular show Eat Bulaga™ for their Experience Factor™

Cold Stone Creamery® has continued to make strong key moves into the international market in recent years. The international growth of Cold Stone Creamery began in November 2005 when the first international Cold Stone Creamery store opened in Tokyo, Japan. Today, Cold Stone Creamery stores are operating in over 300 international locations and in 27 international markets, including Singapore, Kuwait, El Salvador, Trinidad, Cyprus, Guam and Kenya.

For more information about Cold Stone Creamery’s international operations, please visit www.ColdStoneCreamery.com/international/index.html.

About Cold Stone Creamery®
Cold Stone Creamery® delivers the Ultimate Ice Cream Experience® through a community of franchisees who are passionate about ice cream. The secret recipe for smooth and creamy ice cream is hand-crafted fresh daily in each store, and then customized by combining a variety of mix-ins on a frozen granite stone. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Cold Stone Creamery is a subsidiary of Kahala Brands™, one of the fastest growing franchising companies in the world with a portfolio of 18 quick-service restaurant brands. Cold Stone Creamery operates approximately 1,500 locations in 27 countries.

Contact:
Jessica Benedick
Kahala Brands
480.622.3349
jbenedick@kahalamgmt.com

Source: Cold Stone Creamery

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Staples committed to doing its part to end the gender wage gap

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., 2016-Aug-28 — /EPR Retail News/ — In honor of Women’s Equality Day, commemorating the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote, Staples(NASDAQ: SPLS) is showing its committed to doing its part to end the gender wage gap and advancing women in the workplace by becoming the biggest retailer to join a consortium of companies that will share best practices and promote new ideas called the Employers for Pay Equity.

Earlier this year, Staples became one of the first companies to sign the Equal Pay Pledge initiated by the White House and the Obama Administration and participated in three events aimed at gender pay equity and leveling the playing field for women: a pay equity roundtable, a White House briefing on diversity in the corporate sector, and The United State of Women Summit. Out of these events, the Employers for Pay Equity consortium was born. The group is comprised of companies that understand the importance of diversity and inclusion, including ensuring that all individuals are compensated equitably for equal work and experience and have an equal opportunity to contribute and advance in the workplace.

For a list of companies already participating and for corporations who would like to learn how to join the consortium please visit www.employersforpayequity.com.

Beginning in September, Staples recruiters will eliminate salary inquiries during the interview process. This specific tactic aimed at ending the wage gap will become mandatory in Massachusetts in 2018, after Governor Charlie Baker recently signed into law “An Act to Establish Pay Equity”, to ensure equal pay for comparable work for all Massachusetts workers and equal opportunities to earn competitive salaries in the workplace.

“Staples promotes equality among its associates because we understand the value of an inclusive and diverse workforce, and we’re joining with other companies to not only spread this message, but raise awareness of the gender pay gap that still exists,” said Regis Mulot, executive vice president, human resources, Staples, Inc. “By changing the way we recruit talent to mitigate gender bias two years before it will be necessary by law, we’re showing that we realize change is needed now, and we’re committed to helping make it happen.”

Previously, Staples announced that it signed onto the 100% Talent – The Boston Women’s Compact, an innovative effort to end the gender-based wage gap and advance women in the workforce. The Compact is an initiative of the Boston Women’s Workforce Council, an advisory board to Mayor Marty Walsh and is supported by the School of Management at Simmons College. Signatories agree to take steps to eliminate the gender wage gap and remove the visible and invisible barriers to women’s advancement. Signatories agree to report associate demographic and salary data to the Council anonymously every two years so that progress on closing the gap can be checked.

The company has also signed on to The Corporate Challenge, a groundbreaking effort by Bentley University’s Center for Women and Business to challenge companies to develop and retain their female talent and position women on their boards. Participating companies commit to define their gender-inclusiveness goals, develop strategies to meet those goals and track their progress.

Staples has long been a leader in equality in the workforce, with programs like its “Women Who Lead” Associate Resource Group, whose mission is to build a thriving community of female associates. The group routinely engages its members with developmental, networking and community focused events.

About Staples, Inc.
Staples retail stores and Staples.com help small business customers make more happen by providing a broad assortment of products, expanded business services and easy ways to shop, all backed with a lowest price guarantee. Staples offers businesses the convenience to shop and buy how and when they want – in store, online, via mobile or though social apps. Staples.com customers can either buy online and pick-up in store or ship for free from Staples.com with Staples Rewards minimum purchase. Expanded services also make it easy for businesses to succeed with in-store Business Centers featuring shipping services and products, copying, scanning, faxing and computer work stations, Tech Services, full-service Print & Marketing Services, Staples Merchant Services, small business lending and credit services.

Staples Business Advantage, the business-to-business division of Staples, Inc., helps mid-market, commercial and enterprise-sized customers make more happen by offering a curated assortment of products and services combined with deep expertise, best-in-class customer service, competitive pricing and state-of-the art-e-commerce site. Staples Business Advantage is the one-source solution for all things businesses need to succeed, including office supplies, facilities cleaning and maintenance, breakroom snacks and beverages, technology, furniture, interior design and Print & Marketing Services. Headquartered outside of Boston, Staples, Inc. operates throughout North and South America,Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. More information about Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS) is available at www.staples.com.

Contact:
Mark Cautela
508-253-3832
Mark.Cautela@Staples.com

Source: Staples, Inc.

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Carrefour and Edenred launch Carrefour Ticket Xpress® in Taiwan

Carrefour and Edenred launch Carrefour Ticket Xpress® in Taiwan
Carrefour and Edenred launch Carrefour Ticket Xpress® in Taiwan

 

Taiwan, 2016-Aug-28 — /EPR Retail News/ — Aiming at Taiwan’s blooming mobile commerce, Carrefour and Edenred jointly launched Carrefour Ticket Xpress® in Taiwan, the very first digital voucher service of Carrefour group worldwide. With Carrefour Taiwan’s huge customer base and the wide adoption by local partners including major banks, loyalty and employee benefit programs, this eco-friendly and industry-leading mobile technology is expected to create a significant momentum in both retail and mobile payment market in Taiwan.

Carrefour has been dedicated to provide innovative, swift, and eco-friendly payment technology for the customer in mobile era, and digital vouchers which can distributed, managed, and redeemed easily with mobile phones is one of the most viable solution. That is the reason why Carrefour partnered with Edenred to launch Carrefour Ticket Xpress® to bring the best mobile payment experience for Carrefour’s consumers in Taiwan, and then roll out the success in Taiwan to other countries. By introducing digital voucher technology, Carrefour Taiwan is also looking to bring positive impact to environment by replacing its paper gift voucher, which is produced at a sheer volume of more than 8 million pieces every year.

Starting today (08/26/2016), Carrefour Ticket Xpress® is available at the major banks’ loyalty programs online channels, including E.SUN Bank, CTBC Bank, Taishin Bank, Cathay United Bank, Ta Chong Commercial Bank, Hua Nan Commercial Bank,  JihSun Bank, PayEasy, Tree Mall, MyCard, 113 and Chunghwa Telecom online mall. Consumers can use their reward points to get their Carrefour Ticket Xpress® directly delivered to their mobile devices, and spend it by simply scanning the barcode at any of 87 Carrefour stores in Taiwan.

Along with the newly launched Carrefour Ticket Xpress®, Carrefour Taiwan also updated its mobile App with the new “Reward wallet”, an in-app “Carrefour Ticket Xpress” gift catalog for E.SUN and CTBC bank’s credit card holder. An “E-voucher Clip” feature is also available for consumers to manage the “Carrefour Ticket Xpress” received outside Carrefour App, providing a worry-free shopping experience for Carrefour’s valuable customers.

For all request about the Carrefour Group (sales, financial results, governance, international,…), please contact the Carrefour Group media relations office:

. By phone:

Switchboard: +33 (0)1 41 04 26 00

For journalists: +33 (0)1 41 04 26 17

. By e-mail: presse_groupe@carrefour.com

Source: Carrefour

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Carrefour launches sustainable farming platform in partnership with Agrotools to monitor fresh beef purchases

Carrefour launches sustainable farming platform in partnership with Agrotools to monitor fresh beef purchases
Carrefour launches sustainable farming platform in partnership with Agrotools to monitor fresh beef purchases

 

Boulogne-Billancourt, FRANCE, 2016-Aug-28 — /EPR Retail News/ — The system will monitor all purchases of fresh beef destined for national consumption. It will limit the social and environmental risks in the supply chain.

The announcement was made at an event named “Dialogues on sustainable farming” organised by Carrefour in partnership with the Government of Mato Grosso State – the largest beef producing state in Brazil – and in the presence of Pedro Taques, Governor of Mato Grosso State, Jérôme Bédier, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Carrefour Group, Charles Desmartis, Chief Executive Officer of Carrefour Brazil, NGOs and representatives of entities and businesses from the farming sector.

Developed in partnership with Agrotools – the leader in georeferencing and Big Data in Brazil – the new tool crosses the data provided by beef suppliers with public criteria in order to identify any non-compliance with the five criteria that have been introduced. It will also help to prevent farms from producing meat in regions:
1. in deforested areas
2. under an environmental embargo
3. in protected areas
4. in indigenous lands
5. using illegal labour

Thanks to this tool, thousands of farms that supply Carrefour’s partner producers will be strictly controlled. The progressive deployment of the platform should be completed next year.

Cattle farming is one of Brazil’s main economic activities, and there is enormous export potential. One of the sector’s main challenges is to improve meat quality whilst reconciling production with protecting biodiversity.

As an important link in the beef production chain, Carrefour will play an active role – particularly in the Amazon – by facilitating and stimulating initiatives to improve beef farming / production processes.

In 2010 the Carrefour Group made a commitment within the Consumer Goods Forum to move towards zero deforestation by 2020. Since then, the Group has drawn up a forest policy to implement this ambitious objective in all countries, particularly for soya, palm oil, wood and beef supplies.  Rigorous “sustainable” management of these supply chains is vital in achieving the goals that have been set.

In 2013, the forest became one of the four focus areas in Carrefour’s drive to protect biodiversity.

For all request about the Carrefour Group (sales, financial results, governance, international,…), please contact the Carrefour Group media relations office:

. By phone:

Switchboard: +33 (0)1 41 04 26 00

For journalists: +33 (0)1 41 04 26 17

. By e-mail: presse_groupe@carrefour.com

Source: Carrefour

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RioCan REIT successfully completes issuance of $250 million principal amount of Series X senior unsecured debentures

TORONTO, ONTARIO, 2016-Aug-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust (“RioCan”) (TSX:REI.UN) announced today (Aug. 26, 2016) that it has successfully completed its issuance of $250 million principal amount of Series X senior unsecured debentures (the “Debentures”). The agency syndicate was co-led by RBC Capital Markets, TD Securities and BMO Capital Markets. The Debentures will carry a coupon rate of 2.185% and will mature on August 26, 2020.

The offering was made under RioCan’s base shelf short form prospectus dated August 10, 2016. The terms of the offering are described in a prospectus supplement dated August 23, 2016, which was filed with Canadian securities regulators.

About RioCan:
RioCan is Canada’s largest real estate investment trust with a total enterprise value of approximately $15 billion as at June 30, 2016. RioCan owns and manages Canada’s largest portfolio of shopping centres with ownership interests in a portfolio of 302 Canadian retail and mixed use properties, including 15 properties under development, containing an aggregate net leasable area of 45 million square feet. For further information, please refer to RioCan’s website at www.riocan.com.

Contact Information:
RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust
Cynthia J. Devine
Executive Vice President,
Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary
(647) 253-4973
www.riocan.com

Source: RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust

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Carrefour calls for applications for the Food Waste Challenge

Carrefour calls for applications for the Food Waste Challenge
Carrefour calls for applications for the Food Waste Challenge

 

Boulogne-Billancourt, FRANCE, 2016-Aug-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — Carrefour, a partner in the Hello Tomorrow Global Summit in Paris, is launching a call for applications from innovative businesses and startups that have developed solutions to help combat food waste: the Food Waste Challenge.

The initiatives proposed may be applicable to production, manufacturing, transport, distribution and/or consumption. Businesses and startups are invited to present their innovative solutions for tackling food waste by submitting their entry dossiers before 23 September 2016.

On offer are a first prize of €15,000 and a second of €5,000 to enable them to get their project off the ground, and 10 invitations to participate in the summit. The prizewinners will receive their awards during the Hello Tomorrow Global Summit which will be held in Paris on 13 and 14 October.

Enter the Food Waste Challenge on:  https://hellotomorrow2016.typeform.com/to/qoZxyA
Combating waste, a collective challenge with shared solutions
Food, energy, packaging, transport … combating all types of waste is a priority focus area of Carrefour’s Corporate Social Responsibility policy. Since 2013, Carrefour has been implementing a global plan to tackle waste by mobilising the company’s various business lines together with its partners, in stores and among consumers. Collaborating with startups will generate innovative solutions to meet this collective challenge.

Carrefour has undertaken to reduce its food waste by 50% between now (2016) and 2025. Carrefour is the leading private donor to food banks, distributing unsold, fully consumable products to local organisations on a daily basis. In France, the banner has donated the equivalent of 92 million meals to over 1,000 local food aid organisations.

Carrefour and startups: new expertise for new customer services
Carrefour sees innovation as core to its development and surrounds itself with startups that help it to acquire new expertise, either to offer new services to customers or to support its CSR policy. The banner is therefore increasing its number of partnerships with innovative players such as Optimiam (tackling the waste of products with short shelf lives), Critizr (customer information) and Think & Go (connected trolleys).

For all request about the Carrefour Group (sales, financial results, governance, international,…), please contact the Carrefour Group media relations office:

. By phone:

Switchboard: +33 (0)1 41 04 26 00

For journalists: +33 (0)1 41 04 26 17

. By e-mail: presse_groupe@carrefour.com

Source: Carrefour

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Amazon launches car research destination and automotive community Amazon Vehicles

Amazon launches car research destination and automotive community Amazon Vehicles
Amazon launches car research destination and automotive community Amazon Vehicles

 

SEATTLE, 2016-Aug-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — Amazon today (Aug. 25, 2016) announced Amazon Vehicles, a car research destination and automotive community that makes it easy for customers to get the information they need when shopping for vehicles, parts, and accessories. With Amazon Vehicles, customers can now view specifications, images, videos, and customer reviews for thousands of new and classic car models on Amazon.com, including everything from the 2016 Jeep Wrangler and 2014 Tesla Model S to the 2000 Chevrolet Corvette and 1965 Ford Mustang.

“Our goal is to support customers during one of the most important, research-intensive purchases in their lives by helping them make informed decisions every step of the way,” said Adam Goetsch, Director of Automotive at Amazon.com. “Amazon Vehicles is a great resource for customers who are interested in car information or looking for a broad selection of parts and accessories – all enhanced by the ability to tap into the knowledge, opinions, and experiences of other car owners within the Amazon customer community.”

Amazon Vehicles features:

  • Research Tools: Customers can now view comprehensive detail pages complete with specifications, images, videos, and customer reviews for thousands of new and classic car models. Finding cars on Amazon Vehicles is simple – just search like you would any other product or browse by year, make, model, customer rating, MPG, towing capacity, and more. Customers can begin researching vehicles today at www.amazon.com/vehicles.
  • Community Engagement: Customers can browse tens of thousands of customer reviews on Amazon Vehicles, including uploaded images and videos, as well as submit their own. Customers can also ask other car owners questions about their vehicle – anything from “Can you fit two car seats comfortably?” to “How does this car perform in the snow?”
  • One-Stop Shop: Amazon Vehicles is an extension of the Amazon Automotive store, which enables customers to add information about their current car to the Amazon Garage for shopping parts and accessories designed specifically for that vehicle. To-date, more than 35 million customers have saved their car(s) to the Amazon Garage.

The Amazon Automotive store features millions of products from categories spanning Replacement and Performance Parts; Automotive, Truck, Motorcycle, and Power sports Accessories; Car Care; Tools and Equipment; Tires and Wheels; Car Electronics; and Enthusiast Merchandise, among others. Customers shopping for parts and accessories in the Amazon Automotive store will find the same features they have come to know and love from Amazon, including fast, free shipping options – guaranteed unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping with Amazon Prime and Prime FREE Same-Day Delivery seven days a week in 27 metro areas – helpful customer reviews, personalized product recommendations, and best-sellers.

About Amazon
Amazon 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.

Media Hotline: 206-266-7180
amazon-pr@amazon.com
www.amazon.com/pr

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

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Amazon to open its eighth Texas fulfillment center in Coppell

SEATTLE, 2016-Aug-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today (Aug. 25, 2016) announced plans to open its eighth Texas fulfillment center in Coppell. Amazon currently employs more than 10,000 full-time hourly associates at its five current Texas fulfillment centers and plans to create hundreds more full-time positions at this second Coppell location. Elsewhere in the Lone Star State, Amazon currently fulfills customer orders in Coppell, Haslet, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Schertz, with upcoming facilities in San Marcos and Houston currently under construction.

“Our ability to expand Texas operations within three short years is the result of two things: incredible customers and an outstanding workforce in the state,” said Akash Chauhan, Amazon’s Vice President of North American Operations. “Customers are seeing on a regular basis Amazon’s customer obsession, innovative culture, and operational excellence – all of which are driven by the 10,000-plus Texans who work in Amazon fulfillment centers across the state. And we are excited to continue growing the team.”

Amazon employees at the one-million-square-foot Coppell fulfillment center will pick, pack and ship larger customer items, such as big screen televisions, kayaks, and patio furniture.

Representative Giovanni Capriglione said, “This new Amazon announcement is an expression of confidence in the Texas economy and our strong state and local policies and leadership. I’m gratified that Amazon is providing thousands of returning Texas veterans and hard-working North Texans with good jobs, training and competitive wages and benefits.”

“The city is thrilled that Amazon has decided to build a second fulfillment center in Coppell. Adding hundreds of new, full-time jobs to the more than 1,000 they already provide is a demonstration of their commitment to the city,” said Coppell Mayor Karen Hunt. “Not only has their presence been a significant economic driver for our community, they have been a consistent and reliable community partner. The city and I are looking forward to our continued relationship with Amazon as we continue to grow together.”

“With thousands of employees at its fulfillment centers here in the county, Amazon has become an important part of our community,” said Dallas County Commissioner Mike Cantrell. “Amazon’s commitment to hiring and training our military men and women makes it a role model for other employers. We are very proud that the company has found a home and a reliable workforce here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and applaud its continued investment and growth in Dallas County.”

Full-time employees at Amazon receive competitive hourly wages and a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare, 401(k) and company stock awards, starting on day one. Amazon also offers regular full-time employees maternity and parental leave benefits and access to innovative programs like Career Choice, where it will pre-pay up to 95 percent of tuition for courses related to in-demand fields, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon. Since the program’s launch, employees are pursuing degrees in game design and visual communications, nursing, IT programming, and radiology, to name a few.

To learn more about working at an Amazon fulfillment center, visit www.amazon.com/coppelljobs.

About Amazon
Amazon 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.

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

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

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Macy’s, Inc. declares regular quarterly dividend of 37.75 cents per share on its common stock

CINCINNATI, 2016-Aug-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — The board of directors of Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE:M) today (Aug. 26, 2016) declared a regular quarterly dividend of 37.75 cents per share on Macy’s common stock, payable Oct. 3, 2016, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Sep. 15, 2016.

Macy’s, Inc., with corporate offices in Cincinnati and New York, is one of the nation’s premier retailers, with fiscal 2015 sales of $27.079 billion. The company operates about 880 stores in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico under the names of Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Bloomingdale’s Outlet, Macy’s Backstage and Bluemercury, as well as the macys.com, bloomingdales.com and bluemercury.com websites. Bloomingdale’s in Dubai is operated by Al Tayer Group LLC under a license agreement.

(NOTE: Additional information on Macy’s, Inc., including past news releases, is available at www.macysinc.com/pressroom)

Contact:

Media:
Jim Sluzewski
513-579-7764

Investors:
Matt Stautberg
513-579-7780

Source: Macy’s, Inc.

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The Kroger Co. to host Q2 conference call on Friday, September 9, 2016

CINCINNATI, 2016-Aug-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) will host a conference call with investors on Friday, September 9, 2016 at 10 a.m. (ET) to discuss financial results for the second quarter 2016.

The presentation will be broadcast online at ir.kroger.com. Click on “Quarterly Results” to access the event. An on-demand replay of the webcast will be available at approximately 1 p.m. (ET) on Friday, September 9.

Every day, the Kroger Family of Companies makes a difference in the lives of eight and a half million customers and 431,000 associates who shop or serve in 2,778 retail food stores under a variety of local banner names in 35 states and the District of Columbia. Kroger and its subsidiaries operate an expanding ClickList offering – a personalized, order online, pick up at the store service – in addition to our 2,231 pharmacies, 784 convenience stores, 323 fine jewelry stores, 1,387 supermarket fuel centers and 38 food production plants in the United States. Kroger is recognized as one of America’s most generous companies for its support of more than 100 Feeding America food bank partners, breast cancer research and awareness, the military and their families, and more than 145,000 community organizations including schools. A leader in supplier diversity, Kroger is a proud member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable.

Media Contact:

Keith Dailey
Director, Media Relations/Corporate Communications
Office: 513-762-1304
Cell: 513-257-4955
Email: keith.dailey@kroger.com

SOURCE: The Kroger Co.

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Starbucks rolls out Starbucks® FoodShare program

Starbucks rolls out Starbucks® FoodShare program

 

Seattle, 2016-Aug-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — Starbucks is rolling out Starbucks® FoodShare, a program to donate ready-to-eat meals to food banks from its U.S. company-operated stores, two years ahead of schedule.

When announcing the program in March, the company planned to complete the rollout of the program across its 7,600 company-operated stores by 2021. Now the company is accelerating the program to reach all participating U.S stores in three years instead of five.

“The response to Starbucks FoodShare has been so positive that we have determined we need to move even faster to serve more communities in need. Our store partners are telling us the need is urgent and we can do more,” said John Kelly, senior vice president, Starbucks Global Responsibility, Community and Public Policy. “With Feeding America’s strategic partnership, we’re excited to announce that we are going to now try to achieve a national rollout two years faster than originally planned.”

In just its first few months, Starbucks FoodShare has already contributed more than 300,000 nourishing meals to people in need. In the Midwest, Southern California and Arizona, refrigerated food has been added to an existing pickup from the Food Donation Connection several times a week. In San Diego, Starbucks and Feeding America launched a pilot project to route a designated refrigerated truck to Starbucks stores daily to pick up any unsold food to deliver to agencies a few hours later. More than 2,400 U.S. Starbucks partners (employees) have helped by donating food every night as part of their store closing routine.

“Partners take great pride in being the catalyst for this program, they knew food that couldn’t be sold in our stores the next day, yet was still safe to consume, could serve a higher purpose. They are reminded of their impact every time they work a closing shift and put salads and sandwiches in the refrigerator instead of the trash for people who are hungry,” said Alyssa Edelen, Starbucks district manager in San Diego.

In partnership with Feeding America and Food Donation Connection, Starbucks intends to scale this program over the next three years and rescue 100 percent of its food available for donation from participating company-operated U.S. stores. In the first year alone, Starbucks FoodShare will be able to provide nearly 5 million meals to individuals and families in need of nourishing food. In partnership with Feeding America, Starbucks is set to on board more than 1,800 Starbucks stores sending meals to nine food banks over the next 12 months.

Hunger exists in every county in the U.S., affecting 48 million Americans including 15 million children according to Feeding America.

On September 8, Hunger Action Day, Starbucks will host members of congress in the Capitol Hill Starbucks location who will participate in the FoodShare process and learn more about the program’s origin with Starbucks baristas. A panel discussion with Feeding America, Capital Area Food Bank and Starbucks leaders will follow, to discuss the critical role that food rescue plays in hunger relief.

Just days before Hunger Action Month launches, Starbucks partners in San Diego are gearing up to celebrate the successful rollout of the San Diego market FoodShare program with a fitting team activity – they are gathering to volunteer at a local Feeding America Food Bank.

Media contact:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

Source: Starbucks

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SPAR Russia reports 19% growth in sales last year

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, 2016-Aug-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — SPAR Russia showed remarkable resilience last year, achieving an overall growth in sales of 19% which was above industry average in the market. The continued development has seen the expansion of the brand into new territories as well as the introduction of a wider range of formats as the brand becomes well known to consumers.

The focus of our SPAR Russia Partners on improving the efficiency of the retail business, broadening the overall in store offer and ensuring great customer service has driven this growth.

A total of 12 SPAR Partners operate the brand in Russia, spanning the country from St. Petersburg in the Northwest to Irkutsk in Southeastern Siberia. All together, SPAR Partners in Russia opened 75 new stores last year – adding to the total of 420 SPAR stores with a combined sales area of 294,740 m2.

Furthermore, SPAR Russia has given a lot of attention to the development of its Own Brand ranges – achieving 61% growth in sales of Own Brand products last year. Currently, SPAR Partners in Russia operate a combination of SPAR Express, SPAR, EUROSPAR and INTERSPAR stores, with each region opening formats most suited to their market. SPAR Middle Volga and SPAR Kaliningrad for instance have been developing EUROSPAR alongside their modern SPAR Supermarkets, offering a wider range of fresh foods, restaurant quality Food-to-Go offerings and other innovations.

“We are confident in the continued growth of SPAR in Russia,” says SPAR Russia Managing Director, Sergey Loktev. “SPAR is very attractive to regional retailers – they feel the spirit of cooperation and appreciate the free exchange of knowledge and expertise between the partners – this is SPAR’s greatest advantage and it’s what makes us all grow and move forward.”

Watch this video of Sergey Loktev speaking about SPAR Russia’s 2015 results contained within the overall global reporting about SPAR.

Contact:

Telephone: +31 20 626 6749
Email: info@spar-international.com

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SPAR Russia reports 19% growth in sales last year
SPAR Russia reports 19% growth in sales last year

 

Source: Spar International

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Sainsbury’s to introduce 32 new craft beers to the shelves of its Scottish stores

Sainsbury’s to introduce 32 new craft beers to the shelves of its Scottish stores
Sainsbury’s to introduce 32 new craft beers to the shelves of its Scottish stores

 

LONDON, 2016-Aug-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — Sainsbury’s will be introducing 32 new craft beers to the shelves of its Scottish stores and will be bringing on board three small Scottish breweries – West Brewery, Tempest and Isle of Skye.

The addition of the new lines, 14 of which will be first to market,  will add to the already comprehensive offer, and will mean that Sainsbury’s now works with 21 Scottish breweries, offering more than 100 local beers and ciders, across various formats, to its Scottish customers.

Sainsbury’s has embraced the Scottish craft beer trend for some time and already works closely with 18 local breweries including Harviestoun, William Brothers and Cairngorm Brewery, all of whom will be launching brand new products with Sainsbury’s. These partnerships have seen the craft ale category within Sainsbury’s Scottish stores go from strength to strength, currently in double digit growth.  As this category continues to develop and grow in popularity, this has created opportunities for Sainsbury’s to work collaboratively with existing suppliers to extend the range of local ales, offering a wider choice and the chance to try products produced locally. These new additions will allow customers to choose from a wide array of beer styles, ranging from a chocolate and coffee stout, through to honey ales and grapefruit infused IPAs.

Kenny Webster, Managing Director of Isle of Skye Brewing, said: “The appetite for craft beers amongst consumers is growing rapidly. Customers want a beer with real character and they want to experiment with their purchases so Sainsbury’s commitment to stocking Scottish products is really encouraging and we’re proud to be a part of the announcement. At Isle of Skye Brewing we offer something truly unique, from the smooth taste of Skye Red to the creamy Skye Gold and our fruity Skye Blaven – all of which show strong growth year on year. Following wider trends seen in the food and drink market we know that provenance is really important to customers and craft beer is no exception*.”

The new range will launch in store just in time for Scotland Food & Drink Fortnight, a nationwide celebration of Scotland’s produce and those that make it.

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity Fergus Ewing MSP said; “The Scottish craft beer industry is booming, and the innovation across Scotland is great to see, with new high quality, premium products, coming to market all the time.  As we get ready to shine a spotlight on Scotland’s larder during Scotland Food and Drink Fortnight, it’s fantastic to hear how supermarkets are increasing their range of craft beers, ales and ciders, working with local companies to help them expand their businesses and to provide a wider range of Scottish produce for consumers to enjoy responsibly.”

Scotland Food & Drink Chief Executive James Withers added: “Craft beer is a real star player in Scotland’s food and drink story just now.  We’re about to kick off Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight, so it is a great time to see Sainsbury’s – one of the biggest customers of Scottish produce – embracing the craft beer phenomenon.  It feels like the number of Scottish independent breweries is growing every week.  They’re producing a fantastic variety of beers for consumers increasingly looking for quality and variety.  Scotland’s reputation as a Land of Food & Drink continues to strengthen and I expect our craft beer producers to make a huge contribution to this in the coming years.”

The new additions to the range will launch at the end of August and mean that Sainsbury’s will stock a comprehensive Scottish craft offer across all its 97 stores in Scotland.

Contact:

Switchboard: 020 7695 6000

Source: Sainsbury’s

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eBay.it launches appeal page to help raise funds for earthquake survivors in Central Italy

eBay.it launches appeal page to help raise funds for earthquake survivors in Central Italy
eBay.it launches appeal page to help raise funds for earthquake survivors in Central Italy

 

San Jose, California, 2016-Aug-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — eBay.it has launched an appeal page to help raise funds for the survivors of a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck Central Italy this week.

At least 268 people are now known to have died in the earthquake, which hit in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

A number of medieval-era hilltop towns were devastated, leaving more than 400 people injured, and many more homeless.

International aid agencies have rushed to the assistance of the region, which has been hit by over 500 aftershocks, with one tremor on Friday reaching a magnitude of 4.7. Since Wednesday, 215 survivors have been pulled from the rubble.

eBay.it’s RPP appeal page allows visitors to the page to make a direct donation to one of seven vetted aid agencies and charitable organizations involved in the relief effort. Anyone can donate – you don’t have to be registered on eBay.it.

Contact:

United States: press@ebay.com
Canada: canada.press@ebay.com

Source: eBay

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NCR Corporation announced new next-generation consulting services for the financial services, retail and hospitality industries

DULUTH, Ga., 2016-Aug-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR), a global leader in omni-channel solutions, today (August 25, 2016 ) announced a new set of next-generation consulting services for the financial services, retail and hospitality industries.

The new practices advance NCR’s leadership in consulting services for omni-channel transformation and integration, and complement NCR’s strategic solution offers:

  • Transaction Processing for Digital and Payments Enablement – NCR will establish a global services practice to respond to demand for its intelligent transaction processing and fraud prevention solutions. NCR’s solutions enable customers to efficiently manage the complexity of transaction processing and authorization, achieve unmatched fraud detection and transform their payments services to support their digital channels. NCR’s new practice also will support its enterprise driven re-invention of self-service based on Kalpana, NCR’s industry-leading channel transformation solution for the ATM industry.
  • Advanced Data Analytics for Digital Enablement– NCR’s omni-channel platforms drive 1.2 trillion consumer transactions a year across financial, retail, hospitality and small businesses – data flows of both economic value and actionable insight for enhanced consumer experience for our customers. NCR will expand its leading data modelling and advanced analytics services for fraud prevention to help customers compete in the digital age through advanced analytics applied to their omni-channel transaction data.
  • Integration Services for Omni-Channel Transformation – NCR will offer an expanded portfolio of integration services to lead customers on their omni-channel transformation journey. Integration services will blend NCR’s industry knowledge, solution innovation and expertise in program management, solution architecture, integration testing, implementation and training.

By leveraging its advanced technological solutions and the expertise of its more than 3,000 professional services consultants, NCR is reaffirming its commitment to omni-channel leadership and is helping its customers on their journey of digital enablement and channel transformation. NCR’s Professional Services operates in 57 countries around the world, combining global expertise with local presence, and completes more than 2,500 services projects for its customers on a yearly basis. “NCR’s next-generation digital practices address the anticipated growth in digital transformation needs of our customers,” said Ruth Fornell, senior vice president, NCR Global Professional Services. “These new practices are a natural extension of the expertise of NCR’s professional services consultants deploying best-in-class software and hardware technologies that help our customers innovate and grow.”

About NCR Corporation
NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a leader in omni-channel solutions, 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, Ga., 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. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.

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

Media Contact:
NCR Corporation
John Buchholz
203-948-4550
john.buchholz@ncr.com

Source: NCR Corporation