Daily Archives: October 25, 2016

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NACS: ​Aloha Petroleum, Ricker Oil Company and Core-Mark commits to the Partnership for a Healthier America

ATLANTA, GA., 2016-Oct-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — Today (October 20, 2016), convenience store chains Aloha Petroleum, operators of Aloha Island Marts, and Ricker Oil Company, operators of Ricker’s convenience stores, and Core-Mark, a leading national food and beverage distributor, announced commitments to the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) at the NACS Show in Atlanta.

“We are pleased to welcome three new partners who are making meaningful commitments to make the healthy choice the easy choice,” said PHA President and CEO Lawrence A. Soler. “Half of the U.S. population visits a convenience store every single day, and they’re looking for healthier options more often, which is also more profitable for business. Each of these new partners is stepping up to ensure both consumers and retailers have access to healthier, more accessible options.”

One of the largest independent gasoline marketers and convenience store operators in the state of Hawaii, Aloha Petroleum is committing to build on its healthier food options in Aloha Island Mart stores, and will continue to make those choices more affordable while supporting healthier options through in-store marketing and promotions. Aloha Petroleum has also made significant commitments to PHA’s FNV and Drink Up marketing initiatives to promote fruit and vegetable consumption and water as a healthier choice.

“We’re so pleased to be the first and only retailer in Hawaii to partner with PHA,” said Aloha Petroleum President and CEO Richard Parry. “We made a commitment last year to provide our customers with healthier meal options on the go through the Choose Healthy Now program. Now, our customers can enjoy fresh salads, whole fruit, sandwiches, yogurt and other high-performance foods and drinks, making it that much easier for them to make good choices.”

Ricker Oil Company, which owns and operates Ricker’s convenience stores in Indiana, has committed to move its convenience stores toward delivering more nutritious options to meet the needs of the children, families and communities they serve. Specific commitments include offering healthier food options at an affordable cost, marketing and promoting healthier food choices, and offering employee benefits such a 50 percent discount on all fresh fruit and vegetables purchases.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be a part of this initiative and to be able to provide Hoosiers with fresh and healthy food options of fruits, vegetables and made-to-order meals at our convenience stores. We have been developing these efforts for a long time and are now eager to join the movement for a healthier America,” said Quinn Ricker, CEO of Ricker Oil Company.

Core-Mark, one of the largest distributors and marketers of fresh and consumer packaged goods in North America, is pleased to join PHA in its commitment to enhance, market and promote the healthier offerings it distributes to over 40,000 retail locations. Core-Mark will modify merchandising sets to incorporate healthier options, and will provide FNV and Drink Up marketing materials to its retail customers free of cost. Core-Mark will also enhance employee wellness offerings by providing only employee giveaways that incentivize healthy eating and physical activity, offering gym membership discounts, and implementing a healthier food catering policy for employee meetings and events.

“Core-Mark is excited to join PHA in its ongoing efforts to help address childhood obesity issues and improve the country’s overall general health through improved nutrition.  At Core-Mark, we have worked hard over most of the last decade to bring fresher, healthier solutions to our customers.  Our commitment to PHA is to not only continue, but accelerate that commitment, to our retail customers and also work to bring better nutrition and healthier lifestyles to our internal Core-Mark family as well” said Jon Bratta, Core-Mark’s vice president of marketing.

More than 1,000 convenience stores across the country, and two of the largest distributors to c-stores that reach 130,000 retailers, are now offering expanded healthier choices as part of commitments to PHA.

Today’s announcement took place at the 2016 NACS Show in Atlanta. More than 23,000 attendees from around the world are at the event, which features four days of general sessions, more than 60 educational sessions and over 1,100 exhibiting companies in a 400,000 net-square-foot expo.

About Partnership for a Healthier America
The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is devoted to working with the private sector to ensure the health of our nation’s youth by solving the childhood obesity crisis. In 2010, PHA was created in conjunction with—but independent from—First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! effort. PHA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that is led by some of the nation’s most respected health and childhood obesity experts. PHA brings together public, private and nonprofit leaders to broker meaningful commitments and develop strategies to end childhood obesity. Most important, PHA ensures that commitments made are commitments kept by working with unbiased third parties to monitor and publicly report on the progress our partners are making. For more information about PHA, please visit www.ahealthieramerica.org and follow PHA on Twitter @PHAnews.

Founded in 1961 as the National Association of Convenience Stores, NACS (nacsonline.com) is the international association for convenience and fuel retailing. The U.S. convenience store industry, with more than 154,000 stores across the country, conducts 160 million transactions a day, sells 80% of the fuel purchased in the country and had total sales of $575 billion in 2015. NACS has 2,100 retail and 1,700 supplier member companies, which do business in nearly 50 countries.

Source: NACS

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NACS elects its 2016–17 Executive Committee; Rahim Budhwani named new chairman

ATLANTA, 2016-Oct-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) announced the election of its 2016–17 Executive Committee during its Board of Directors meeting at the NACS Show in Atlanta.

Rahim Budhwani, CEO at Hoover, Alabama-based 6040 LLC, was named the association’s chairman; he also chairs the NACS Executive Committee, which provides strategic direction and financial oversight to the association.

Also named to the NACS Executive Committee were the following NACS retail members:

  • Vice Chairman-Treasurer: Joe Sheetz, President and CEO of Altoona, Pennsylvania-based Sheetz Inc.
  • Vice Chairman, Legislative: Julie Jackowski, Senior Vice President and Corporate General Counsel and Secretary of Ankeny, Iowa-based Casey’s General Stores Inc.
  • Vice Chairman, Convention: Wendy Chronister, CEO of Springfield, Illinois-based Chronister Oil Company (Qik-n-EZ)
  • Vice Chairman, Research: Kevin Smartt, CEO of Austin, Texas-based Kwik Chek Food Stores Inc.
  • Vice Chairman, Member Services: Jared Scheeler, Managing Director of Dickinson, North Dakota-based The Hub Convenience Stores Inc.
  • Vice Chairman, International: Frank Gleeson, Region Managing Director and COO of Dublin, Ireland-based Aramark Ireland
  • Vice Chairman: Ari Haseotes, CEO of Framingham, Massachusetts-based Cumberland Farms Inc.

Also on the NACS Executive Committee are:

  • 2015-16 NACS Chairman Jack Kofdarali, President of Corona, California-based J&T Management Inc.
  • 2014-15 NACS Chairman Steve Loehr, Vice President, Operations Support of La Crosse, Wisconsin-based Kwik Trip Inc.

Here are biographies of the NACS Executive Committee members:

Rahim Budhwani: 2016-17 NACS Chairman
Budhwani is president and CEO of 6040 LLC. He served on the Board of Directors of the Petroleum and Convenience Marketers of Alabama and on the NACS/Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council. He serves on the Board the Alabama Underground Trust Fund and also played a vital role in building the relationship between the National Alliance of Trade Associations and NACS.

Budhwani earned a B.S. in information technology from the University of Pune and a degree in hotel management and food technology. He is currently working on a degree in aviation business administration and was also a lieutenant in the Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. Budhwani and his wife, Kulsum, live in Hoover, Alabama, with their two children.

Joe Sheetz: Vice Chairman, Treasurer

Sheetz is president and CEO of Altoona, Pennsylvania-based Sheetz Inc. Prior to assuming these roles in October 2013, he served as executive vice president of finance for 18 years.

In that capacity he was responsible for finance, accounting, information technology, real estate, risk management and shareholder relations.

Sheetz graduated from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania with a B.S. in economics in 1989. His business concentration at Wharton was entrepreneurial management, preparing him for an eventual return to the family business. After graduation, he worked as an employee benefits consultant for CGI Consulting in the suburban Philadelphia area, specializing in designing benefit and retirement plans for major corporations.

Sheetz currently serves on the Altoona Blair County Development Corporation where he was chairman from 2009–2011. He is also former Chairman and a current trustee of Mount Aloysius College.

Kevin Smartt, Vice Chairman, Research
Smartt is the CEO of Kwik Chek Food Stores Inc. As the vice chairman of research, he oversees the NACS Research Committee, which directs the association’s research and development initiatives and programs to promote the ongoing competitive viability of the channel.

Smartt and his business partner, Doyce Taylor, acquired Kwik Chek from its founder in 2001, and have expanded the business significantly in the years since. In addition to his role as CEO, he owns and operates a wholesale fuel distribution company that sells to Kwik Chek stores and more than 100 conveniences stores in Texas and Oklahoma. He is currently leading his team in a company-wide re-branding program, including developing the Kwik Café, offering fresh and healthy made-to-order food in a restaurant within the store.

Smartt is a current member of the Texas Food & Fuel Association (TFFA) and the Oklahoma Petroleum and Convenience Store Association (OPMCA). He also serves on the Conexxus Board of Directors as its current chairman, and since 2006, has served on the Board of Directors for the First National Bank of Trenton.

Wendy Chronister: Vice Chairman, Convention
Chronister is the CEO of Chronister Oil Company dba Qik-n-EZ. As the NACS vice chairman of convention, Chronister oversees the activities of the Convention Committee, which oversees the development and implementation of NACS events, including the NACS Show.

She has been CEO of Chronister Oil Co. since 2009. Previously, she was a partner at Waud Capital Partners LLC and at Kirkland and Ellis. Chronister is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and Young President’s Organization/Chicago Chapter. She previously served on the boards of Regency Hospital Company, ASG Security LLC, Acadia Healthcare LLC, Maxum Petroleum (f/k/a SPI Holdings LLC) and was chairman of True Partners Consulting LLC. She also serves on the board of the Joffrey Ballet Company of Chicago, the Board of Trustees of the University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation, the Women’s Board of the Field Museum of Chicago, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago. She graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1987, earning an AB in government. In 1992, she graduated magna cum laude from the University of Illinois College of Law in Champaign, Illinois.

Julie Jackowski: Vice Chairman, Legislative

Jackowski joined Casey’s in 1994 as legal counsel. She was promoted to vice president of human resources/legal counsel in 2003, In 2010, she was promoted to senior vice president, corporate general counsel and human resources. In August of 2015, her area of focus changed to her current position of SVP-Corporate General Counsel and Secretary where she concentrates primarily on legal risk and compliance.

Before joining Casey’s, Jackowski was an attorney for Shearer, Templer, Pingel &Kaplan. She has been active in a number of organizations including the Association of Corporate Counsel (Iowa Chapter), Iowa State Bar Association past chair of the Corporate Counsel Section), Drake University Law School Board of Counselors and Delta Theta Phi International Law Fraternity, for which she served four years at its president. She is also on the executive board of the non-profit Wildwood Hills Ranch of Iowa and the president of the Affiliated House Corporation of Gama Phi Beta at Iowa State University.

Jackowski earned a J.D. from Drake University Law School and a BA in political science from Iowa State University.

Vice Chairman, Member Services: Jared Scheeler
Scheeler began his career in the convenience industry in 1998 while attending college. He held multiple roles with the Minneapolis-based Bobby & Steve’s Auto World, most recently as director of convenience store operations for the 8-store chain. In 2014, Scheeler founded The Hub Convenience Stores in southwest North Dakota.

During his industry career, Scheeler has been an active partner with the Minnesota Service Station Association as well as the ND Petroleum Marketers Association on state level industry and political affairs. In 2008, Scheeler was named to the Philip Morris USA Retail Sales Associate Council. In 2013 National Petroleum News named him National Legislative Leader of the Year. Scheeler hosted one of the first NACS In Store events with U.S. Representative Kevin Cramer. He also testified on behalf of NACS before the House Small Business Committee in Washington, D.C., regarding EMV compliance. In 2015, The Hub won the North Dakota Division of Vocational Rehab Regional Employer of the Year under Scheelers leadership.

Scheeler attended the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities where he studied business and psychology. He coaches high school basketball and is an avid volunteer for Dickinson Catholic Schools, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Special Olympics.

Frank Gleeson: Vice Chairman, International
Gleeson is the managing director and COO of Aramark Northern Europe. As the NACS vice chairman of international, Gleeson chairs the International Committee and directs the association’s global engagement.

Aramark Northern Europe has more than 15,000 employees across 2,500 locations. Its world-class experience and expertise in workplace solutions, foodservice, convenience retailing, environmental services and property enables it to provide a fully integrated solution to Irish, UK and EMEA companies.

Gleeson began his career in retail as an operations director for O’Brien’s Fine Wines. He later served as vice president of retail for Statoil Ireland. More recently he was retail director for Topaz Energy Group since 2005, where he led the rebranding of the company in 2008 and was responsible for the retail business of more than 340 sites.

Gleeson is a board member of employers group IBEC and chairman of its energy policy committee, a board member of the Irish National Transport Authority, board member and former chairman of Retail Ireland. He is a member of the Irish Directors Institute, and a member of the Irish government’s Labour market council. He graduated in business management from the Irish Management Institute.

Ari Haseotes: Vice Chairman

Haseotes began his career with Cumberland Farms in the Marketing Department in 2003. In 2005, he was appointed to the position of Vice President of Strategic Planning and Business Development within the company’s finance department. In 2007, he was later promoted to Vice President of Marketing and served in that position until his promotion to President and Chief Operating Officer on October 1, 2008. Effective September 1, 2013, he was promoted to President and Group Chief Operating Officer of the Cumberland Gulf Group of Companies.

On July 1, 2014, Haseotes was named Chief Executive Officer of the Cumberland Gulf Group; he is also a member of the Board of Directors.

Haseotes holds a B.S. in Business Management from Boston College and an MBA from Harvard University. Haseotes and his wife, Ashley, are the founders of One Mission, a childhood cancer foundation dedicated to enhancing the lives of pediatric cancer patients and their families. One Mission is a registered 501(c)(3) foundation that provides help, hope, care, and support to children and their families touched by pediatric cancer. One Mission funds patient and family support services, cutting-edge cancer research, and programs and services that help children and their families.

The NACS Show is the premier event of the year for the convenience and fuel retailing industry. More than 20,000 attendees from 60-plus countries are at the 2016 NACS Show in Atlanta, which features four days of general sessions, more than 60 education sessions and more than 1,200 exhibiting companies in a nearly 410,000 net-square-foot expo. For the most up-to-date news and information on the event, go to nacsshow.com.

Founded in 1961 as the National Association of Convenience Stores, NACS (nacsonline.com) is the international association for convenience and fuel retailing. The U.S. convenience store industry, with more than 154,000 stores across the country, conducts 160 million transactions a day, sells 80% of the fuel purchased in the country and had total sales of $575 billion in 2015. NACS has 2,100 retail and 1,700 supplier member companies, which do business in nearly 50 countries.

SOURCE: NACS

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Charlotte, NC becomes the first city for CarMax Home Delivery

RICHMOND, Va., 2016-Oct-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — CarMax, Inc. (NYSE: KMX), the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, today (Oct. 20, 2016) announced it is launching a test of Home Delivery in Charlotte, North Carolina, bringing the company’s hallmark exceptional customer experience to local customers’ front doors. Charlotte is the first city for CarMax Home Delivery, where customers can select, finance, test drive, and buy a car, as well as trade in their current vehicle, all without ever setting foot in a store. More than 20 years ago, CarMax revolutionized the auto industry by delivering an honest, transparent and high-integrity car buying experience. CarMax is now extending that revolutionary experience from the store to the internet through the development of online customer-focused innovations.

Just like CarMax’s exceptional in-store experience, Home Delivery customers receive personalized customer service throughout the shopping and purchasing process. Expert CarMax specialists help the customer find their ideal car, apply for financing and trade in their current vehicle. Once the customer has chosen from the nearly 50,000 vehicles across almost every make and model, CarMax will deliver the vehicle to the customer’s home or work so the customer can take a no-obligation, stress-free test drive. In addition to test driving in their own neighborhood, customers can see how essentials like strollers or bikes fit in the car, or even how the car fits in their garage. If the car is “the one,” the customer can complete the purchase on the spot.

“We believe in customer empowerment – it’s why we went into business more than 20 years ago,” said Jim Lyski, chief marketing officer at CarMax. “We will continue to lead the industry by delivering the car buying experience customers want, wherever they want it.” CarMax will utilize this test in Charlotte to gather valuable customer insights and learn the best ways to further operationalize this offering for potential future markets.

Home Delivery is just one example of how CarMax is leveraging technology innovations to make the entire car buying process simple and seamless. CarMax recently piloted online financing on carmax.com, which allows customers to get prequalified for financing from the comfort and privacy of their home, and then finish their shopping experience more quickly in store. This new offering rolls out nationwide this fall.

Home Delivery is currently only available in the state of North Carolina within a 60-mile radius of Charlotte. CarMax offers Home Delivery for no additional cost, however, like in-store purchases, a transfer fee may apply for vehicle transfers from stores outside of North Carolina. Each vehicle comes with CarMax’s 5-Day Money-Back Guarantee and a 30-Day Limited Warranty.

About CarMax
CarMax is the nation’s largest retailer of used cars and operates more than 160 stores in 38 states nationwide. CarMax revolutionized the auto industry by delivering the honest, transparent and high-integrity car buying experience customers want and deserve. For more than 20 years, CarMax has made car buying more ethical, fair and stress-free by offering a no-haggle, no-hassle experience and an incredible selection of vehicles. CarMax makes selling your car easy too, by offering no-obligation appraisals good for seven days. At CarMax, we’ll buy your car even if you don’t buy ours®. CarMax has more than 22,000 associates nationwide and for 12 consecutive years has been named as one of the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For®. During the 12 months ending February 29, 2016, the company retailed 619,936 used cars and sold 394,437 wholesale vehicles at its in-store auctions. For more information, access the CarMax website at www.carmax.com.

Media:
pr@carmax.com
(855) 887-2915

Source:  CarMax, Inc.

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John Lewis Retail Report reveals how Britons responded to a year of political, cultural and economic shake-up

The John Lewis Retail Report reveals how Britons responded to twelve months of political, cultural and economic shake-up by making brave statements of self-expression and embracing escapism.

London, 2016-Oct-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — The fourth annual John Lewis Retail Report* launches today (24 October 2016), unveiling how Britain’s homes, wardrobes and lives changed in the last twelve months of twists and turns that included Brexit, a new PM, the passing of two global music icons, Britain’s stratospheric victory at Rio and snow in April.

Twelve months of unpredictable weather

The report’s analysis of 12 months of John Lewis sales reveals that the weather had a huge impact on what customers bought and when:

  • A mild January saw strong sales of lightweight linen.
  • Snow in April meant sales of scarves, faux fur throws and slippers rose 41%, 200% and 300% respectively.
  • An unseasonably cool early summer led to a 13% rise in ladies’ thermal underwear purchases.

Brave, not beige

In this year of unexpected weather and events, Britons also shook things up in their homes and wardrobes, with bold, attention-grabbing purchases:

  • Sales of bold, abstract printed dresses soared in womenswear, increasing 168%.
  • Clashing prints made a statement in the home – with multi-coloured hummingbird wallpaper increasing in sales 94% and patterned china 52%.
  • Eye-catching flamingos emblazoned everything from cups and cushions to wallpaper and fairy lights. Searches for ‘flamingo’ increased 200% on johnlewis.com.
  • Gold pineapples made a quirky style statement. The retailer sold 70 a day at the height of their popularity.

Simple pleasures helped Brits escape the chaos

This year the nation looked for ways to physically and metaphorically escape the confusion and enjoy the more whimsical side of life:

  • Our Kuoni travel agents saw a 40% rise in long haul holidays.
  • Sales of our portable mobile phone chargers soared over 200% in July as people distracted themselves by hunting for Pokemon.
  • The week after Brexit, Sipsmith Gin sales increased 103%, suggesting Brexiteers celebrated while pro-EU voters drank away their sorrows.

The year of the avocado

However unfamiliar the outside world became, the nation did not falter in its quest to live and eat well. 2016 was also the year of the avocado, with searches for avocado-related products 85% higher than last year, while refillable water bottles were everywhere, with our sales increasing 35%.

What was left behind

As usual, the report provides a glimpse of products falling from favour. This year these included big hats (replaced by disc-shaped fascinators), selfie sticks (with searches online dipping 50% compared to last year), CD and DVD storage (as on-demand entertainment services replace CD and DVD collections) and alarm clocks (declining 9% compared to last year).

Home tech gets smarter

This was also the year when home technology raised its game, with an increasing range of connected products making it possible to remotely control more items in the house than ever before.

  • Searches for smart home products on johnlewis.com were up 670%
  • John Lewis saw an 81% increase in sales of smart home products.

*The John Lewis Retail Report is created every year and is based on its shopping data from August 2015 to September 2016.

Download a copy of  The John Lewis Retail Report 2016 – How we Shop, Live & Look (PDF size 5.5MB).

Notes to editors

John Lewis – John Lewis operates 48 John Lewis shops across the UK (34 department stores, 12 John Lewis at home and shops at St Pancras International and Heathrow Terminal 2) as well as johnlewis.com. It is part of the John Lewis Partnership, the UK’s largest example of worker co-ownership and all 30,000 John Lewis staff are Partners in the business. John Lewis  ‘Best In-Store Experience 2016’, ‘Best Clothing Retailer 2016,’ ‘Best Electricals Retailer 2016,’ ‘Best Furniture Retailer 2016,’ ‘Best Homewares Retailer 2016’ and ‘Best Click & Collect Retailer 2016’1, typically stocks more than 350,000 separate lines in its department stores across fashion, home and technology. Johnlewis.com stocks over 280.000 products and is consistently ranked one of the top online shopping destinations in the UK. John Lewis Insurance offers a range of comprehensive insurance products – home, car, wedding and event, travel and pet insurance and life cover – delivering the values of expertise, trust and customer service expected from the John Lewis brand.

1Verdict Consumer Satisfaction Awards 2016

You can follow John Lewis on the following social media channels:
www.johnlewis.com/twitter
www.johnlewis.com/facebook
www.johnlewis.com/youtube.

Contact:

Emma Cole
Communications Officer, John Lewis
Telephone: 020 7798 3829
Email: emma.l.cole@johnlewis.co.uk

Source: John Lewis

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Dior opens new fine jewelry and timepieces boutique at 34 Avenue Montaigne

Dior opens new fine jewelry and timepieces boutique at 34 Avenue Montaigne
Dior opens new fine jewelry and timepieces boutique at 34 Avenue Montaigne

 

Paris, 2016-Oct-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — Dior unveiled its brand new fine jewelry and timepieces boutique during the recent Paris Fashion Week. The striking new showcase is located at 34 Avenue Montaigne, just opposite Dior’s historic Paris address.

In 1947, Maison Dior opened its first boutique at a now mythic address, 30 Avenue Montaigne. The address is currently home to both Dior ateliers and the iconic women’s fashion boutique. Dior recently opened another boutique dedicated entirely to fine jewelry and timepiece situated opposite the Maison’s historic home, on the other side of Rue François Ier. Designed by architect Peter Marino – who oversaw the renovation of the 30 Avenue Montaigne boutique in 2007 – this stunning new jewel case melds modernity and timeless elegance. Dior’s emblematic grey and pink tones compose an intimate atmosphere. In addition to jewelry and timepiece collections, the boutique offers a VIP salon and features furniture by Vincenzo de Cotiis, as well as artworks by Dana Buckley, Damien Hirst and others.

Natural light reflects off the contemporary furnishings, embellishing special edition pieces created exclusively for the opening of the new boutique. Victoire de Castellane, Creative Director of Dior Joaillerie, has revisited star timepieces including La D de Dior and Dior VIII Grand Bal Coquette graced with delicate green lizard and alligator straps.

On the jewelry side, she drew inspiration from the Avenue Montaigne spirit to rethink several pieces in the Archi Dior collection, with each piece named after an iconic line or dress. Five exclusive creations have been added to the collection: the Bar en Corolle ring, along with a necklace, two pairs of earrings and the Milieu du Siècle ring. Precious gems and metals play off one another in these exquisite creations, from white gold and diamonds to emeralds and tsavorite garnets.

Contact:

LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton
22, avenue Montaigne, 75008 Paris – France
Tel: +33 (0)1 44 13 22 22
Fax: +33 (0)1 44 13 22 23

Source: LVMH

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EROSKI ha incrementado un 19% sus compras de bonito del norte descargado en puertos vascos

EROSKI ha incrementado un 19% sus compras de bonito del norte descargado en puertos vascos
EROSKI ha incrementado un 19% sus compras de bonito del norte descargado en puertos vascos

 

ELORRIO,España, 2016-Oct-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — EROSKI ha aumentado un 19% sus compras de bonito del norte descargado en puertos vascos en la campaña 2016 finalizada este mes y a la que se dio inicio en junio, superando las 365 toneladas y con compras por valor superior a los 2,1 millones de euros. Durante la anterior campaña, EROSKI había incrementado ya sus compras en puertos vascos un 28%.

La cooperativa continúa avanzando así en su compromiso con el sector primario vasco, reforzando de este modo su apuesta por los productos frescos locales de calidad y su compromiso de comercializar pescado de los puertos vascos más cercanos en sus tiendas de Euskadi.

“En EROSKI arrancamos la campaña a mediados de junio adquiriendo en subasta en la lonja del puerto de Pasaia el primer bonito descargado en los puertos vascos y el balance es muy positivo, con un producto de calidad capturado por los arrantzales que nuestros clientes han apreciado como producto local fresco de temporada”, ha destacado la directora comercial para productos locales de EROSKI, Asun Bastida.

Esta campaña se enmarca en el compromiso de EROSKI a impulsar en sus tiendas la comercialización de la pesca procedente de las lonjas del País Vasco, en especial de la pesca artesanal, de las campañas de bajura de la anchoa, el verdel y el bonito. En julio la cooperativa incrementó un 24% sus compras de anchoa del Cantábrico descargada en puertos vascos al cierre de la campaña pesquera de 2016, superando las 334 toneladas.

Este compromiso por parte de EROSKI con el desarrollo local se materializa en una relación estable con más de 2.000 proveedores vascos con un volumen de compras superior a los 600 millones de euros anuales.

Datos de contacto con el Departamento de Comunicación:
944 158 642
comunicacion@eroski.es

Source: Eroski

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Kenmore to raise funds to support military home renovations through proceeds from limited edition patriotic laundry pair

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., 2016-Oct-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — In honor of America’s heroes, the Kenmore brand has created a limited edition patriotic laundry pair with an American flag graphic on the back console that was designed, engineered and assembled in the U.S.A. The brand will donate $40 from the sale of each pair, up to a total of $200,000, to Rebuilding Together, a partner of the Sears Heroes at Home program. The money raised will help Rebuilding Together make necessary improvements, modifications and repairs to military family homes nationwide.

“The Kenmore brand is a trusted American legacy brand that is woven into the fabric of the American lifestyle,” Tom Park, president of Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard brands. “We developed this one-of-a-kind laundry pair to raise funds around Veterans Day for those who have served in the military. We hope these funds can help make a positive impact in their lives.”Other ways Sears shoppers can give back this holiday season through Heroes at Home include:

  • Craftsman Hat– The Craftsman brand will donate $1 from the sale of each beanie to Rebuilding Together, with a minimum donation of $4,000.
  • Ornaments– Two collectible moose and bear Christmas ornaments help raise funds for Heroes at Home this holiday, and are the perfect, meaningful addition to any tree. With every qualifying in-store or online purchase through 12/24, Sears will donate $1 to Rebuilding Together to help military families in need, with a minimum donation of $20,000.

Background on the Kenmore Patriotic Laundry Pair:
Kenmore 4.3 cu. ft. Top Load Washer (Model: 02626734)

  • This Kenmore washer delivers a powerful and worry-free clean, allowing you to tackle laundry day with the press of a button. Designed with intuitive controls and easy operation, you can clean big loads with little fuss – up to 19 towels in one load. Kenmore has built its legacy on durability and performance, and this top load washer with stainless steel tub brings serious cleaning power that will last you and your family through the years. A Triple Action Impeller revs up cleaning power, and nine powerful spray jets and three unique wash basket motions work together for deep cleaning using a high-efficiency design.

Kenmore 7.0 cu. ft. White Electric Dryer w/ SmartDry Plus— Hassle-Free Garment Care (Model:02676134)

  • This Kenmore dryer was designed to make laundry day nice and simple. Whether you’ve got a pile of soaking wet towels, a duvet or a delicate blouse that simply needs refreshing, this Kenmore electric dryer has you covered. SmartDry Plus technology keeps an eye on especially damp laundry while Wrinkle Guard prevents set in wrinkles after the dry cycle. Spend less time babysitting your laundry and more time doing what you want with your day.

The Heroes at Home program has raised more than $20 million over the past nine years thanks to donations from Shop Your Way members, customers and associates, and has funded more than 1,600 home rebuilds. For more information or to donate, visit sears.com/heroesathome.

About the Kenmore Brand
The Kenmore Brand is an industry leader in delivering trusted performance in the home with smart and stylish appliance innovations that help consumers do things quicker, easier and better. Recognized as a top appliance brand for over 100 years, the Kenmore brand continues to give consumers more time, efficiency and improved results for better living with industry-leading products across small and large appliance categories. For more information, visit www.kenmore.com, www.cookmore.com/press-kit/ or www.facebook.com/kenmore.

About Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), is a leading integrated retailer providing merchandise and related services and is part of Shop Your Way, a social shopping experience where members have the ability to earn points and receive benefits across a wide variety of physical and digital formats through shopyourway.com. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through Sears-branded and affiliated full-line and specialty retail stores. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, and DieHard — among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the nation’s largest provider of home services, with nearly 12 million service and installation calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.

Media Contacts:
Larry Costello
PR Director
Sears and KCD Brands
847-286-9036
Larry.Costello@searshc.com

Andrew Scutt
Zeno Group
312-245-0688
Andrew.Scutt@zenogroup.com

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Kenmore to raise funds to support military home renovations through proceeds from limited edition patriotic laundry pair
Kenmore to raise funds to support military home renovations through proceeds from limited edition patriotic laundry pair

 

SOURCE: Sears, Roebuck and Co.

 

 

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Hudson’s Bay Company announces the appointment of Ed Burstell to newly created position of Head of Partnerships

TORONTO & NEW YORK, 2016-Oct-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — Hudson’s Bay Company (TSX: HBC) today (October 24, 2016) announced the appointment of Ed Burstell as Head of Partnerships. In this newly created position, Mr. Burstell will develop and lead partnerships to drive innovative and exclusive offerings across all of HBC’s banners globally. The appointment is effective December 5th, and Mr. Burstell will report to HBC’s CEO Jerry Storch as a member of his senior leadership team.

“HBC is focused on innovation, collaboration and developing unique partnerships as part of our strategy to differentiate. Ed’s roster of successful launches and collaborations, matched with his reputation as a true arbiter of fashion, makes him the obvious choice to lead this new division for Hudson’s Bay Company,” said Hudson’s Bay Company CEO Jerry Storch.

“I am thrilled to join Hudson’s Bay Company, especially during this time of global expansion, growth in North America, and industry-leading developments across platforms. I am looking forward to building a partnership platform that delivers exceptional innovation to customers across HBC’s banners, which will contribute to the evolution of one of the most exciting retailers in the world,” stated Mr. Burstell.

Mr. Burstell joins HBC after eight years with Liberty of London. He was instrumental in revitalizing the brand through innovative partnerships, including Liberty of London’s first-ever collaborations and pop-up shops with Hermes and Manolo Blahnik as well as collaborations with Nike and Uniqlo. These initiatives led by Mr. Burstell have contributed to Liberty of London’s double-digit year-over-year growth. Previously, Mr. Burstell was a senior vice president of Accessories, Footwear, Fine Jewelry, Designer Jewelry, Cosmetics and Fragrance at Bergdorf Goodman. Before that, he was general manager of Henri Bendel.

About Hudson’s Bay Company
Hudson’s Bay Company is one of the fastest-growing department store retailers in the world, based on its successful formula of driving the performance of high quality stores and their all-channel offerings, unlocking the value of real estate holdings and growing through acquisitions. Founded in 1670, HBC is the oldest company in North America. HBC’s portfolio today includes ten banners, in formats ranging from luxury to premium department stores to off-price fashion shopping destinations, with more than 470 stores and 66,000 employees around the world.

In North America, HBC’s leading banners include Hudson’s Bay, Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, Gilt, and Saks OFF 5TH, along with Find @ Lord & Taylor and Home Outfitters. In Europe, its banners include GALERIA Kaufhof, the largest department store group in Germany, Belgium’s only department store group Galeria INNO, as well as Sportarena.

HBC has significant investments in real estate joint ventures. It has partnered with Simon Property Group Inc. in the HBS Global Properties Joint Venture, which owns properties in the United States and Germany. In Canada, it has partnered with RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust in the RioCan-HBC Joint Venture.

Media Contacts:
Andrew Blecher
646-802-4030
SVP, Corporate Communications & Public Relations
andrew.blecher@hbc.com

Jen Vargas
646-802-2952
VP, Corporate Communications
jen.vargas@hbc.com

Source: Hudson’s Bay Company

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SPAR China shares best practice knowledge with its training initiatives

Guangdong,China, 2016-Oct-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — SPAR Partners in China are undertaking numerous training initiatives sharing best practice knowledge from the wider SPAR world with teams at retail and distribution level.

Store design seminar in Shanghai

SPAR China held a store design seminar in Shanghai recently with great success. The seminar was chaired by SPAR China Managing Director, Yoep Man and attended by Senior Management and Store Design teams from SPAR Shandong, SPAR Guangdong, SPAR Shanxi, SPAR Beijing, SPAR Sichuan, SPAR Henan and SPAR Hubei.

Representatives from SPAR International, experts from IGD and strategic SPAR Partners such as Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Apple Pay were invited to participate and share their thoughts and insights on store design and the support needed to improve SPAR China’s retail design capabilities.

SPAR Shanxi food safety week

SPAR China Partner, SPAR Shanxi, recently led a Food Safety Week at the SPAR Qingxu Food Production Centre. The week was designed to promote quality food supply and build a strong food safety system. Leaders and officers from Shanxi CIQ (entry-exit inspection and quarantine bureau) and the Shanxi Branch of China Certification & Inspection Group attended the opening ceremony.

SPAR Guangdong Store Operation Summit

SPAR Guangdong organised the fourth Store Operation Summit at Huizhou Ocean Park Hotel, themed: Inherit, Change and Develop. Over the past few years, SPAR Guangdong has successfully organised three Store Manager Summits. This year, SPAR Guangdong re-branded the previous “Store Manager Summit” to “Store Operation Summit”, with SPAR Store Managers, Departmental Managers, and prestigious retail experts and scholars invited to participate. This is a great opportunity for delegates to get insights into future retail trends and store operations.

SPAR Sichuan Store Manager & Fresh Manager Operation meeting

SPAR Sichuan has run a Fresh Operations meeting focused on achieving a higher standard of fresh operations at store level by focusing on three key goals: Better quality, lower price and greater on-shelf availability. SPAR Sichuan’s General Manager, Mr Zhang, attended the meeting and provided valuable guidance. The Fresh Buying and Operations departments discussed work regarding planning, design, implementation and training. The Heads of HR, Food & Non-Food and General Merchandise departments were also present to discuss work plans and reports.

Contact:

SPAR International
Email: info@spar-international.com
Tel: +3120 626 6749

Source: Spar International

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SPAR Switzerland introduces new range of ready-to-eat meals

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, 2016-Oct-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — Fresh and carefully prepared food always tastes great. The SPAR enjoy product line now offers complete meals and extra vegetables. Customers can choose between two menus including a meat option and a vegetarian menu.

The new SPAR enjoy meals are carefully prepared by professionals with fresh natural ingredients, packed in plastic trays and sealed airtight. All meat dishes contain local Swiss meat. The meals are prepared free of artificial additives such as aromas, colouring or preservatives.

The SPAR enjoy meals are not just ultra-fresh; they are also ultra-fast to prepare. The tray with protective foil can simply be reheated in the microwave in 3 to 4 minutes. The packaging is also perfect for heating in a steam cooker.

The meals, Piccata Milanese, Chicken breast & Risotto and Ravioli Limone, are available in all SPAR Express stores and larger SPAR Supermarkets in Switzerland.

Contact:

SPAR International
Email: info@spar-international.com
Tel: +3120 626 6749

Source: Spar International

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NCR’s SelfServ 91 wins two German Design Awards in “Industry” and “Universal Design” categories

Augsburg, Germany, 2016-Oct-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR), a global leader in omni-channel solutions, has been recognized for its innovative product designs in two categories with the prestigious German Design Award 2017. The German Design Council has chosen NCR’s SelfServ 91 in the cantilever deployment as a winner in the categories “Industry” as well as “Universal Design”.

Among the 4,000 entries, a jury of 48 international experts from various disciplines selected NCR’s innovative ATM design for its unique combination of design and its ability provide a barrier-free unique user experience for modern banking.

The German Design Award is the top international prize of the German Design Council that aims to discover, present and honor unique design trends. The competition sets the highest standards when it comes to selecting the prize winners and invites only those products and communication design services to participate in the awards that have demonstrated to stand out in their design quality. Those that are selected as winners among a field of top-class competitors have successfully proven themselves as some of the best in the world of product design.

NCR has been focused on redesigning its products to enable a better user experience. NCR’s growing omni-channel offerings include reliable, secure, easy-to-use, and cost-effective solutions that are industry hardened to create competitive advantages and personalized user experiences consistent across multiple channels. While the features of ATMs have evolved continuously since their invention, their fundamental construction and build hasn’t been questioned. By placing the customer interfaces at a 90° angle from the wall, the SelfServ 91 opens up a variety of interior design options for banks. Furthermore, wheelchair users can sit underneath and use it as easily as all other customers.

“We are grateful and proud to have been selected as a winner in not only one, but two categories for this prestigious award”, says Adam Crighton, vice president and general manager of Financial Services Hardware, NCR Corporation. “This ATM design combines our standard-setting Interactive Teller technology with our finest in product design. At first glance, angling the interfaces may seem like a small change to make. But it has a stunningly new visual effect and gives banks greater flexibility in their branch interior design, while also providing much easier access for wheelchair users than a common wall-sunk ATM would.”

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

Web site: 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:
Ortrud Wenzel
NCR Corporation
+49 821 405 8191
ortrud.wenzel@ncr.com

Source: NCR Corporation

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Alibaba Group’s Tmall hosted successful Global Fashion Show

Alibaba Group's Tmall hosted successful Global Fashion Show
Alibaba Group’s Tmall hosted successful Global Fashion Show

 

Shanghai, 2016-Oct-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — Tmall’s status as the leading trend-defining community was further cemented today (October 23, 2016), having gathered 80 top Chinese and international fashion and lifestyle brands in Shanghai to pull off an interactive, large-scale fashion show. The close to 200 top models and celebrities hitting the catwalk drew attention from around the world as part of the Alibaba Group 2016 11.11 Global Shopping Festival.

The ability to attract a wide range of high-end global brands, the caliber and number of participants and the organizational management put into a marathon eight-hour show has made the Tmall Global Fashion Show a major event in the fashion world. This was the first time that such a show had been staged with a global audience, across multichannels and embracing the ability to “See Now Buy Now.”

“The Tmall Global Fashion Show is a key event that kicks off our 11.11 Global Shopping Festival and one that underscores Tmall’s tremendous growth in the past few years. For big-name fashion brands across the globe, Tmall has become not only a distribution channel, but also a branding powerhouse as well as a global gathering place for lifestyle and fashion trends. We expect the event today to become a lifestyle trendsetter for Chinese consumers and virtually a ‘fashion week at their fingertips,'” said Chris Tung, Chief Marketing Officer of Alibaba Group.

Launched in 2008, Tmall (www.tmall.com) is now China’s biggest online B2C platform for apparel and accessories, capturing close to 80% of the market share, according to the newly released 2016 Global Trend and Lifestyle Spending Report by CBNData. With access to more than 400 million consumers across the Alibaba platforms and housing more than 50,000 apparel brands, Tmall is set to grow alongside China’s online apparel and accessories industry, which is expected to exceed RMB1 trillion in sales in 2017.

At the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center, globally-renowned style guru Nick Wooster, the image consultant of this year’s show, led a dazzling line-up of top models including Sui He and Maye Musk, celebrated photographer Tommy Ton and top performers such as Chris Lee to appear in front of the live and online audience.

The hottest labels in the fashion world debuted products to mark the event. Top brands from Burberry to Trussardi, Paul Smith to La Perla showed their latest offerings for the season on the runway while global brands such as Maserati, Guerlain, Rimowa, Vidal Sassoon and New Balance introduced their newest creations using the Tmall platform. As a highlight of the day, Burberry released a mist of its Mr. Burberry cologne to promote the scent’s debut on Tmall.

Streaming live on Mobile Taobao, Tmall.com and Youku, the show combined entertainment with a demonstration of Alibaba’s latest technological capability, to help brands engage with consumers in a fun, entertaining and intimate fashion. Both the live and online audiences were offered the opportunity to pre-order the items that were in the show, by viewing the products on the Tmall and Taobao apps and tapping the “buy now” button. Orders placed during the eight-hour show and successfully executed on November 11 during the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival were in line to enjoy steep discounts.

In addition, ELLE, Tmall and trend authority WGSN released their collaborative study findings on six lifestyle trends at a press conference prior to the show. Topics including “curated life,” “fun is everything,” “genderless fashion,” “athleisure,” “power dressing” and “the Eastern Character” triggered some intriguing conversations amongst the brand executives invited to the related roundtable discussion on stage, providing insight to help the audience stay stylish in every facet of their lives in the coming year.

The Tmall Global Fashion Show is just one of the exciting elements in Alibaba Group’s annual 11.11 Global Shopping Festival that culminates in a 24-hour online sale on November 11. Popularly known as the Singles Day, the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival has grown in seven years to become a global online shopping phenomenon. Bigger than the U.S.’ “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” combined, the festival attracted over 40,000 merchants and 5,000 global brands from 25 countries last year.

For more highlights about the Tmall Global Fashion Show and interviews with Gap and Guerlain, please visit: http://www.alizila.com/see-now-buy-now-focus-for-tmall-fashion-show/

About Alibaba Group

Alibaba Group’s mission is to make it easy to do business anywhere. The company aims to build the future infrastructure of commerce. It envisions that its customers will meet, work and live at Alibaba, and that it will be a company that lasts at least 102 years.

Media Contact:

Sovanna Fung
Alibaba Group
+852 9682 5581
sovannafung@alibaba-inc.com

Yinan Qian
Alibaba Group
+86 18600040770
yinan.qyn@alibaba-inc.com

Source: Alibaba Group

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Stella McCartney launches new pink Lace Lingerie set and Breast Cancer Awareness campaign featuring Chelsea Handler

London, 2016-Oct-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — At the forefront of Stella McCartney’s new campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness is comedian and talk show host Chelsea Handler. Handler, the host of Chelsea on Netflix, will be supporting the designer’s initiative this October. With the aim to raise awareness around the disease and encourage women to keep healthy and check themselves regularly, Stella McCartney has designed the Stella Lace set as part of her Autumn/Winter 2016 Lingerie Collection.

Stella McCartney explains:

“Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women all over the world and does not discriminate. While most people are aware of this terrible disease, many also do not take the steps to regularly get checked to detect it at its early stages. This set I designed is meant to serve as a reminder to women to consider their health and visit their doctor regularly. It not only looks and fits great, but is also an important healthy reminder.”

The new signature everyday Stella Lace set exemplifies the designer’s effortlessly sexy, effortlessly modern approach to lingerie in a feminine and elegant shade of Sweet Pea pink. The range is comprised of a Bralette and Bikini Brief that combines athletic silhouettes with supportive striped elastic band detailing and feminine lace for an effortlessly modern lingerie staple. Over the previous years in October 2014 and 2015 for Breast Cancer Awareness month, Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne were featured in the campaign.

A percentage of the profits from the range will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in the US, and the Linda McCartney Centre in Liverpool, UK, to support their work in providing the most advanced early detection programmes and treatments for patients with breast cancer. The Stella Lace set in Sweet Pea pink will be available starting October 1st at Stella McCartney stores and online as well as at Le Bon Marche, Saks Fifth Avenue, Harrods and Net-a-porter at prices ranging from 35$ for the bikini brief to 70$ for the Bralette.

About the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (USA)

Recognized as one of the highest rated breast cancer charity in the US, it was founded in 1993 by Evelyn H Lauder and since then has raised more than half a billion dollars and almost 10 million hours of research into this cause. Today, it is one of the largest private funders of breast cancer research in the world.

For additional information: https://www.bcrfcure.org/

About The Linda McCartney Centre (UK)

The Linda McCartney Centre (part of the Royal Liverpool University Hospital), was established in 2000 to provide a comfortable and welcoming environment for Breast Cancer patients and their families. Today, due to the services provided, people travel from all over the North West to receive some of the most advanced and innovative
treatments available in the UK today. Through a team of professional staff the Centre is able to provide the very best treatment, care and support in a practical way allowing what is sometimes a daunting experience to be that little more bearable.

For additional information: www.rlbuht.nhs.uk/Fundraising/Pages/The%20Linda%20McCartney%20Centre.aspx

About Stella McCartney

Stella McCartney is a 50/50 joint venture partnership between Ms. Stella McCartney and Kering established in 2001. A lifelong vegetarian, Stella McCartney does not use any leather or fur in her designs. The brand’s ready-to wear, accessories, lingerie, swimwear, fragrance, kids and adidas by Stella McCartney collections are available through 47 free-standing stores including London, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris and Milan as well around 600 wholesale accounts in key cities worldwide.

For additional information: www.stellamccartney.com

For more information please contact:

Tel (London): 44 207 898 2710
Tel (Paris): 33 1 53 00 9300
Tel (NYC): 212 627 1583

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Stella McCartney launches new pink Lace Lingerie set and Breast Cancer Awareness campaign featuring Chelsea Handler
Stella McCartney launches new pink Lace Lingerie set and Breast Cancer Awareness campaign featuring Chelsea Handler

 

Source: Stella McCartney

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National Windscreens opens new fitting centre at LCP’s Cheston Road Industrial Estate in Birmingham

National Windscreens opens new fitting centre at LCP's Cheston Road Industrial Estate in Birmingham
National Windscreens opens new fitting centre at LCP’s Cheston Road Industrial Estate in Birmingham

 

London, 2016-Oct-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — National Windscreens has a clear vision of the road ahead after opening a new fitting centre in Birmingham, leading property company London & Cambridge Properties (LCP) has announced.

National Windscreens Ltd has agreed a 15-year lease for unit 4, Cheston Road, Aston, a 3,204 sq ft unit that is owned and managed by LCP, as it eyes expansion both in the city and throughout the UK.

This new fitting centre now includes an Advanced Driving Assistance Systems Centre – a one-stop shop for both windscreen replacement and calibration.

Twelve staff have moved to the new site from its previous office in Phoenix Park, Birmingham, and George Douglas, National Windscreens’ regional chairman, said there was sufficient capacity to enable the company, which has 108 fitting centres across the UK, to further expand over the next 12 months.

“We’ve invested a significant amount in getting our new, purpose-built centre ready and as part of a programme of continuous improvement we are delighted that the Birmingham opportunity has come to fruition,” he said.

“By relocating to this larger purpose built unit, we plan to build on our significant growth and create additional positions in the Midlands. It offers a perfect opportunity to enhance our service delivery in the city and at the same time provide more jobs for the region.”

Paula James, industrial lettings manager for LCP, said: “We’re very pleased to welcome to our Cheston Road site a well-regarded national company that is helping to create local jobs in Birmingham.”

Cheston Road Industrial Estate is a popular trade counter location, on the outskirts of the city centre.  The four units have good access to the Aston Express Way (A38), which leads directly to junction 6 of the M6. Existing tenants include ToolFast ECA and Group HES Ltd.

Contact:

Tel: 01384 400123
Fax: 01384 400862
Email: propertyenquiry@lcpproperties.co.uk

Source: London & Cambridge Properties

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#OptOutside: REI to close its doors on Black Friday to encourage people embrace the outdoors and create new holiday tradition

  • Outdoor co-op will shut all 149 of its doors on Black Friday, process no online sales and pay all 12,287 employees to take the day off and head outside instead
  • This year, more than 275 national and local organizations form movement to invite millions of people to participate
  • New outdoor activity finder launched at REI.com/opt-outside to help people reconnect with family and friends this holiday season and declare support

SEATTLE, 2016-Oct-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — REI, the $2.4 billion outdoor co-op, has announced that it will close its doors once more this Black Friday. Stepping up its effort to create a cultural counterweight to Black Friday, REI says that it is giving #OptOutside to the outdoor community to lift up and celebrate the people who dedicate their lives to the outdoors. A vast network of organizations has united already to mobilize millions more to embrace the outdoors and create a new holiday tradition for all Americans.

“This year, REI will shut down on both Thanksgiving and Black Friday because fundamentally we believe that being outside makes us our best selves – healthier and happier, physically and mentally. But as a nation we’re still spending over 90 percent of our lives indoors and it’s a trend we need to tackle,” said REI CEO Jerry Stritzke. “I love that there is a community of people in this country who dedicate their lives to that mission, so together, we are asking America “Will you go out with us?”

REI is putting power in the hands of more than 6 million co-op members and lovers of the outdoors, asking every individual to invite someone else to choose the outdoors over fighting it out in the aisles. REI.com/opt-outside will serve as the hub to get involved, declare support, invite others to join the movement or simply find a place to play outdoors. Visitors can upload photos, share through social media, discover thousands of trails and parks nearby or get connected with non-profits that steward the outdoors.

REI gives 70 percent of its profits back to the outdoor community annually and has united more than 275 non-profit, government and corporate partners to inspire millions of people to hit the trails, parks and waterways on November 25. Details on the partners and stories of their contributions can be read on the Co-op Journal at http://blog.rei.com/news/optoutside-will-you-go-out-with-us/.

Stritzke continued, “The moment we announced our decision last year, people who build their lives around the outdoors really embraced the idea of reclaiming Black Friday. It took on a life of its own and became about much more than REI. #OptOutside should be a platform for the nonprofits and public servants who are on the front lines of the outdoor community. They’re the ones who make the outdoors accessible for everyone. That’s why, from today onward, we’re going to lift them up as the official spokespeople for #OptOutside.”

During #OptOutside, experts from the outdoor community will share perspectives on topics including the power of nature to heal, the value of childhood play outdoors, the value of nurturing and conserving our public lands and the increasing need for diversity in the outdoors. Viewpoints will be published by the co-op on Co-op Journal and promoted by REI through social media in an effort to explore the idea that a life outdoors is a life well lived.

FOR MEDIA: B-Roll and photo assets are available in the REI Newsroom.

Appendix: This year, at launch, more than 275 organizations are already involved. Many more are expected to join by Black Friday.

Nonprofits and government agencies that steward the outdoors are at the heart of this effort. Organizations representing thousands of local chapters across the country have already joined #OptOutside:

  • Diversity In The Outdoors: Six nonprofits focused on increasing diversity in the outdoors will be hosting events all across the country. Our partners in this effort are 52 Hike Challenge, Black Girls Run, Camber Outdoors, Girl Trek, Natural Leaders Network and Outdoor Afro.
  • Local Nonprofit Impact: Local trails and outdoors advocacy groups, including Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Buckeye Trails Association, the Mississippi Park Connection and others will lead events on Black Friday to get people into the outdoors.
  • The National Parks Service is spreading the #OptOutside message to all park employees and The National Park Foundation, with the Parks’ friends groups.
  • More Joining Every Day: Dozens of other major nonprofits have joined with their own unique expression of #OptOutside. For example, the Trust for Public Land will a host pre-Black Friday event at a local San Francisco park the week before Thanksgiving to raise awareness, which several other groups have discussed doing. And The Sierra Club will help amplify #OptOutside by leveraging its social media and digital channels, which reach its 2.4 million members and supporters engaged in 63 chapters across the country.

Companies with a genuine passion for the outdoors have joined us:

  • Subaru of America. Subaru of America will be bringing together two of its drivers’ passions, the outdoors and pets, and inviting pet lovers everywhere to #OptOutside with their four-legged friends on Black Friday. To help those dogs who need to #OptOutside the most, Subaru of America will be providing a fleet of vehicles and drivers in New York City to take shelter dogs out of their cages and into nature for the day. Subaru of America will also be offering pet parents in NYC, and their dogs, a free shuttle ride away from all the concrete and into the great outdoors. Subaru of America retailers will remain open on Black Friday to help power all your outdoor adventures.
  • Big Agnes, Burton, Keen, KÜHL, Outdoor Research, prAna and a host of leading outdoor companies will connect with their hundreds of thousands of collective followers on social media with a unique, inspirational message to get outside on Black Friday.
  • Google and REI are launching a pilot program to support nonprofits in Austin and Seattle, starting with the Washington Trails Association and the Shoal Creek Conservancy. This pilot, in both markets, has two components. The first component is a “skilled service project” that centers on Google’s Creative Skills for Innovation Lab (or CSI:Lab), which helps organizations rethink how they collaborate, instill creativity and tackle critical organizational issues. The second is a more traditional service project, which REI will organize through its Outdoor Programs and Outreach team, with support from Google employees.
  • Meetup is tapping its network of 25,000 organizers who run local outdoor groups to host outdoor activities on Black Friday.
  • Upworthy is a mission-driven media company and will help drive a national conversation about the important mental and physical health benefits of being outside. Upworthy tells stories that open doors to new ideas that make people feel surprised, happy, inspired and motivated. Stories that connect us to each other, change our minds, open our hearts and sometimes even make the world a better place.

About REI
REI is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle. The nation’s largest consumer co-op, REI is a growing community of more than 6 million active members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and outstanding customer service. REI has 148 stores in 36 states. If you can’t visit a store, you can shop at REI.com, REI.com/REI-Garage or the free REI shopping app. REI isn’t just about gear. You can take the trip of a lifetime with REI Adventures, a global leader in active adventure travel that runs 170 custom-designed itineraries on every continent. REI’s Outdoor School is run by professionally-trained, expert-instructors who teach beginner- to advanced-level courses about a wide range of activities. To build on the infrastructure that makes life outside possible, REI invests millions annually in hundreds of local and national nonprofits that create access to–and steward–the outdoor places that inspire us.

Contact:
REI Public Affairs
(253) 395-5958
prrequests@rei.com

Source: REI

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Kering announces the appointment of Cédric Charbit as CEO of Balenciaga

London, 2016-Oct-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — Kering announces the appointment of Cédric Charbit as CEO of the maison Balenciaga, effective 28 November 2016. He will report directly to François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering.

Cédric Charbit has been executive vice-president of product and marketing at Yves Saint Laurent since May 2016, a maison he joined in 2012. He has held various senior positions in the luxury sector over the last sixteen years. As CEO of Balenciaga, he will support the development of the house and further accelerate its international growth.

Cédric Charbit will succeed Isabelle Guichot. During her nine years at the helm of Balenciaga, Isabelle Guichot made a fundamental contribution to its growth and reputation on a global scale. She will be called to take on new responsibilities within the Kering Group, which will be announced later.

About Cédric Charbit
Cédric Charbit started his career as buyer within the luxury department of Printemps in 2001 where he held various positions until his appointment as sales associate director. In 2009, he was appointed associate purchasing director of Pucci in Italy, before joining the maison Yves Saint Laurent in 2012 as product strategy director and then merchandising director. Since May 2016, he has been executive VP product and marketing at Yves Saint Laurent.

A French national, Cédric Charbit, 39, is a graduate of ESC Toulouse business school.

About Kering

A global Luxury group, Kering develops an ensemble of luxury houses in fashion, leather goods, jewellery and watches: Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Brioni, Christopher Kane, McQ, Stella McCartney, Tomas Maier, Boucheron, Dodo, Girard-Perregaux, Pomellato, Qeelin and Ulysse Nardin. Kering is also developing the Sport & Lifestyle brands Puma, Volcom and Cobra. By ‘empowering imagination’, Kering encourages its brands to reach their potential, in the most sustainable manner.

The Group generated revenues of more than €11.5 billion in 2015 and had more than 38,000 employees at year end. The Kering share is listed on Euronext Paris (FR 0000121485, KER.PA, KER.FP).

Press Contacts:
Emilie Gargatte
+33 (0)1 45 64 61 20
emilie.gargatte@kering.com

Floriane Geroudet
+33 (0)1 45 64 66 00
floriane.geroudet@kering.com

Website: www.kering.com

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Avon Foundation for Women partners with Futures Without Violence to help end gender-based violence on school campuses

NEW YORK, 2016-Oct-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — Today (October 24, 2016), the Avon Foundation for Women announced its partnership with Futures Without Violence, a national health and social justice nonprofit, to launch the first National Leadership Institute: Changing the Narrative on Campus Gender-Based Violence with 20 colleges and universities. Through a $200,000 grant from the Avon Foundation, this comprehensive, action-oriented leadership program will enable participating schools to develop and implement action plans to prevent and respond to sexual assault at their respective institutions. Together, they will form a growing learning community committed to ending gender-based violence on school campuses.

“The Avon Foundation has funded campus-based campaigns and bystander intervention initiatives for more than 5 years to help change behaviors around sexual assault. We want to inspire and empower others to be a part of the solution,” said Christine Jaworsky, Avon Foundation Program Director. “We see the National Leadership Institute as an innovative opportunity for students and schools to take the lead in shifting the conversation around gender-based violence in the campus setting, but also in the broader dialogue around sexual and domestic violence in our society.”

The first Institute will be held in Boston from October 25 to 26 with 10 area colleges and universities, followed by a second cohort in Atlanta with 10 area schools from November 30 to December 1. Each school will send a multi-disciplinary team of five to six representatives, including administrators, security and service providers, Title IX personnel, and student leaders. During the program, participants will learn and share best practices on how to respond, using a trauma-informed lens, when an assault occurs. At the end of the two-day institute, each school will have a sexual assault prevention and response action plan, which they will be supported to implement over the course of a year.

“We’re very proud to partner with the Avon Foundation for Women on this National Leadership Institute to train multi-disciplinary school teams to take the lead and work collaboratively to end gender-based violence on their campuses,” said Lonna Davis, program leader for Futures Without Violence. “There were over 70 schools who applied to be part of the program, so we know there is an immediate need and desire to find and implement solutions.”

Futures Without Violence received a grant from the Avon Foundation for Women to research, design and implement a curriculum in collaboration with Harvard Law School’s Gender Violence Program and the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education.

“The Gender Violence Program has been a longtime partner of Futures Without Violence in developing cutting-edge policy innovations to reshape our culture by eliminating gender based violence,” said Diane L. Rosenfeld, the founding Director of the Gender Violence Program at Harvard Law School and a Lecturer on Law. “Through legal advocacy grounded in support for survivors and an ethos of care, we have been on the forefront of the national effort to use Title IX to prevent and address campus sexual assault and we are making an important step forward with the support and leadership of the Avon Foundation.”

The National Leadership Institute curriculum focuses on four major areas: 1) fundamentals of gender-based violence and trauma, 2) campus cultures and climate, 3) prevention and education, and 4) response, policy, and adjudication. Developed in consultation with national experts and institutional representatives from schools across the country, the curriculum provides colleges and universities the opportunity to learn best practices in the prevention, response and resolution of sexual violence, and the tools needed to implement action plans.

The University of Virginia served as one of the founding institutions working with Futures Without Violence and Harvard Law School to host the pilot of the Leadership Institute. “We are grateful to the Jefferson Trust for providing funding for the University of Virginia to serve as a partner on the development and implementation of this program and to the Avon Foundation for the historic creation of the National Leadership Institute to expand our community of higher education institutions working to end gender-based violence,” said Nancy Deutsch, an associate professor in the University of Virginia Curry School of Education.

Below are the participating colleges and universities in Boston on October 25-26, 2016.

  1. Brandeis University
  2. Dean College
  3. Eastern Nazarene College
  4. Emerson College
  5. Lasell College
  6. Lesley University
  7. Providence College
  8. Stonehill College
  9. University of Massachusetts, Lowell
  10. Wheaton College

Below are the participants in Atlanta on November 30-December 1, 2016.

  1. Benedict College
  2. Clemson University
  3. College of Charleston
  4. East Tennessee State University
  5. Georgia Institute of Technology
  6. Georgia State University
  7. Middle Tennessee State University
  8. Morehouse College
  9. Tuskegee University
  10. University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Futures Without Violence        

Futures Without Violence is a national health and social justice nonprofit that leads groundbreaking educational programs, policies, and campaigns to end violence against women and children around the world. Providing leadership from offices in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Boston, FUTURES has trained thousands of professionals and advocates—such as doctors, nurses, judges, athletic coaches, and other community influencers—on improving responses to violence and abuse. The organization was a driving force behind the passage of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act in 1984 and the Violence Against Women Act of 1994—the nation’s first two comprehensive federal responses to interpersonal and family violence.

Avon Speak Out Against Domestic Violence

Avon and the Avon Foundation for Women launched Speak Out Against Domestic Violence in 2004 to support domestic violence awareness, education and prevention programs aimed at reducing domestic and gender violence, and to provide direct services for victims and their families. Through 2015, Avon and the Avon Foundation have contributed nearly $60 million to support this goal. Globally, Avon supports efforts to end violence against women in nearly 50 countries by raising funds through special product sales and educating women around the world through its army of nearly six million Avon Representatives. For more information, visit http://avonfoundation.org/.

About Avon and the Avon Foundation for Women 
Avon is a global corporate leader in philanthropy focused on causes that matter most to women. Through 2015, Avon and the Avon Foundation for Women have contributed over $1 billion in over 50 countries. Avon’s funding is focused on breast cancer research and advancing access to quality care through the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, and efforts to reduce domestic and gender violence through its Speak Out Against Domestic Violence program. The company’s global markets sell special products to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer and domestic violence, conduct hundreds of events for these causes, and educate women around the world through its global network of nearly six million Avon Representatives.

Media Contacts:

Liz Micci
The Glover Park Group
+1 (646) 495-2700
emicci@gpg.com

Kristina Jorge
Avon Corporate Communications
+1 (212) 282-5852
Kristina.Jorge@avonusa.com

Source: Avon

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H&M Foundation and UNICEF create digital, interactive jacket that help stimulate child’s brain development

hm-foundation-and-unicef-create-digital-interactive-jacket-that-help-stimulate-childs-brain-development
H&M Foundation and UNICEF create digital, interactive jacket that help stimulate child’s brain development

 

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, 2016-Oct-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — The digital, interacive jacket, created by  H&M Foundation and UNICEF as part of the UNI_FORM campaign, provides innovative, age-appropriate play ideas that can help stimulate brain development during early childhood. It also shows parents and caregivers the critical importance of nourishing a young child’s brain. On theuniform.org, adults and children can interact with the UNI_FORM and at the same time support the right for every child to get the best start in life.

The jacket reveals different cognitive games that feed the brain, as it evolves with the child´s age. The games are tailored for each age based on UNICEF’s research on Early Childhood Development.

“Early childhood presents a window of opportunity that define a child’s future. By using UNI_FORM as a symbol, we want to raise awareness around the fact that children who are stimulated in their early years learn more effectively at school, and as adults they can have a higher earning power and be of better health than children that don’t have these early opportunities,” said Diana Amini, Global Manager at  H&M Foundation.

“Children who experience love, proper nutrition and protection in a stimulating environment during early childhood become resilient, learn effectively and are able to help build strong, safe communities and economies when they reach adulthood,” said Pia Britto UNICEF Chief of Early Childhood Development.

“We are proud to launch this interactive tool to help give children the enrichment they need in these critical early moments of life.”

Pia Britto UNICEF Chief of Early Childhood Development

Nearly 250 million children in low- and middle-income countries lack the nutrition, stimulation, nurturing and responsive care they need to develop healthy brain functions. Early deprivations rob children of a fair chance to pursue fulfilling futures, which also can trigger a cycle of inequality that can continue for generations.

During the earliest moments of life, children’s experiences have the power to shape the development of their brains as much as their DNA, as neural connections take place at a once-in-a lifetime speed of up to 1,000 per second, forming their cognitive, social and emotional development.

For cognitive games and more information on the UNI_FORM initiative visit: theuniform.org.

UNI_FORM is not part of a collection or for sale.

NOTES TO EDITORS

ABOUT THE UNI_FORM CAMPAIGN

The UNI_FORM features a range of games that highlight the critical milestones in a child’s development and the opportunities to stimulate and foster these skills. All these stages are highlighted through a game which is embedded in the UNI_FORM digital jacket:

  • Age One: Building blocks – focus on strengthening motor skills and eye-to-hand coordination that takes place in this phase of a child’s development.
  • Age Two: Fantasy building – games linked to children’s creative development, like shape, colour and crayons.
  • Age Three: Imitating animals – focus on the urge to create and encourage children to use their imagination and express their feelings.
  • Age Four: Perception of time – playing with a magical clock sparks a conversation and develops the child’s sense of time.
  • Age Five: Identifying emotions – exploration of emotions through different expressions.

ABOUT THE GLOBAL PROGRAM FOR EDUCATION

The UNI_FORM campaign is part of the Global Program for Education – a collaboration between H&M Foundation and UNICEF. In February 2014, the H&M Foundation announced a grant to UNICEF of USD 9.3 million over a three year period. This grant enables UNICEF to reach 73,600 children with Early Childhood Development programs as well as influence governments to place Early Childhood Development on the national agenda and commit budgetary resources to address these issues. Few donors or governments prioritize funding for Early Childhood Development, which is why the H&M Foundation wants to contribute to filling that gap by supporting UNICEF.

ABOUT H&M FOUNDATION

H&M Foundation is a non-profit global foundation, privately funded by the Stefan Persson family, founders and main owners of the fashion company H&M. The mission is to create long lasting positive change and improve living conditions by investing in communities, people and innovative ideas. Through partnerships with prominent organizations around the globe, the Foundation drives change within four focus areas; Education, Clean water, Strengthening women and Protecting the planet. In addition, H&M Foundation can also provide emergency relief. Since 2013, the Stefan Persson family has donated SEK 1.1 billion (USD 154 million/EUR 123 million) to H&M Foundation. For further information, visit hm.com/hmfoundation.

ABOUT UNICEF

UNICEF works in more than 190 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: unicef.org.

Contact:

Diana Amini
Global Manager H&M Foundation
Phone: +46729 804 802

Source: H&M

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