Daily Archives: November 18, 2016

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The Children’s Place, Inc. announces financial results for 3Q FY2016

  • Delivers Q3 Comparable Retail Sales Increase of 4.6%
  • Reports Q3 GAAP Earnings per Diluted Share of $2.36, a 26% Increase vs Q3 2015 and
  • Q3 Adjusted Earnings per Diluted Share of $2.29, a 19% Increase vs Q3 2015
  • Increases Fiscal 2016 Adjusted EPS Guidance to $5.00 to $5.05 vs Previous Guidance of $4.60 to $4.70
  • Returns $123 Million to Shareholders Year to Date, a 37% Increase Compared to LY

SECAUCUS, N.J., 2016-Nov-19 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Children’s Place, Inc.(Nasdaq:PLCE), the largest pure-play children’s specialty apparel retailer in North America, today (Nov. 17, 2016) announced financial results for the thirteen weeks ended October 29, 2016.

Jane Elfers, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We delivered another outstanding quarter, with EPS significantly above the high end of our guidance range. Comparable retail sales increased 4.6%. Comps were positive in all three months and accelerated as the quarter progressed. Inventory decreased 0.6% and is in excellent shape as we enter the fourth quarter. Based on these results, we are raising our adjusted EPS guidance for the full year to $5.00 to $5.05 per share compared to our previous guidance of $4.60 to $4.70 per share.”

Ms. Elfers continued, “Our number one priority is the creation of shareholder value. Our results are indicative of the impressive progress we have made against each of our strategic growth initiatives – superior product, business transformation through technology, global growth through alternate channels of distribution and fleet optimization – all of which are supported by a best-in-class management team. We look forward to continued momentum in our business for the fourth quarter and beyond.”

Financial Results
The Company’s results are reported in this press release on a GAAP and as adjusted, non-GAAP basis. A reconciliation of non-GAAP to GAAP financial information is provided at the end of this press release.

Third Quarter 2016 Results
Net sales increased 3.9% to $473.8 million in the third quarter of 2016. Comparable retail sales increased 4.6% in the third quarter of 2016.

Net income was $44.2 million, or $2.36 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2016, compared to net income of $38.5 million, or $1.88 per diluted share, the previous year.  Adjusted net income was $42.8 million, or $2.29 per diluted share, compared to adjusted net income of $39.6 million, or $1.93 per diluted share, in the third quarter last year. There was no impact on adjusted net income per diluted share in the quarter from currency exchange rate fluctuations.

Gross profit was $194.5 million in the third quarter, compared to $180.5 million in the third quarter of 2015. Adjusted gross profit was $194.4 million in the third quarter, compared to $180.6 million last year, and leveraged 140 basis points to 41.0% of sales primarily as a result of merchandise margin leverage and a higher AUR.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $115.4 million compared to $105.8 million in the third quarter of 2015. Adjusted SG&A was $115.4 million compared to $105.0 million in the third quarter last year and deleveraged 140 basis points as a percentage of sales primarily as a result of increased incentive compensation expenses which were partially offset by decreased store and administrative expenses.

Operating income was $62.1 million, compared to $57.6 million in the third quarter of 2015. Adjusted operating income in the third quarter of 2016 was $62.4 million compared to an adjusted operating income of $59.5 million in the third quarter last year, and leveraged 10 basis points compared to last year.

For the third quarter, the Company’s adjusted results exclude net income of approximately $1.4 million, compared to excluded charges of approximately $1.1 million in the third quarter of 2015, comprising certain items which the Company believes are not reflective of the performance of its core business. These excluded items are primarily related to income due to the release of reserves for prior year uncertain tax positions offset by asset impairment charges in the third quarter of 2016, and asset impairment charges and restructuring costs in the third quarter of 2015.

Fiscal Year to Date
Net sales increased 3.0% to $1,265 million, including the negative impact of approximately $3.7 million from currency exchange rate fluctuations.  On a constant currency basis, net sales were $1,268 million, a 3.3% increase compared to net sales of $1,227 million in the prior year. Comparable retail sales increased 4.1% in the first nine months of fiscal 2016.

Net income was $68.1 million, or $3.56 per diluted share, in the first nine months of fiscal 2016, compared to net income of $40.4 million, or $1.94 per diluted share, the previous year. Adjusted net income was $68.4 million, or $3.57 per diluted share, inclusive of a negative ($0.03) impact due to foreign exchange, compared to $50.5 million, or $2.42 per diluted share, an increase of 48%, compared to the previous year. On a constant currency basis, adjusted net income per diluted share was $3.60, a 49% increase compared to the previous year.

Gross profit was $483.7 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2016, compared to $447.6 million last year.  Adjusted gross profit was $483.6 million, or 38.2% of net sales, leveraging 170 basis points compared to last year.

Selling, general and administrative expenses in the first nine months of fiscal 2016 were $332.6 million, compared to $338.7 million last year. Adjusted SG&A was $332.9 million, compared to $324.9 million last year, leveraging 20 basis points compared to last year.

Operating income was $98.8 million, compared to operating income of $60.7 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2015. Adjusted operating income was $101.7 million, or 8.0% of net sales, compared to $77.4 million, or 6.3% of net sales last year.

For the first nine months, the Company’s adjusted results exclude net charges of approximately $0.2 million, compared to excluded charges of approximately $10.1 million in the first nine months of 2015, comprising certain items which the Company believes are not reflective of the performance of its core business. These excluded charges are primarily related to asset impairment charges offset by income related to the release of reserves for prior year uncertain tax positions in the first nine months of 2016, and proxy and legal settlement costs, asset impairment charges and restructuring costs in the first nine months of 2015.

Store Openings and Closures
The Company closed 5 stores and opened 2 stores during the third quarter of 2016. The Company ended the third quarter with 1,061 stores and square footage of 4.961 million, a decrease of 2.0% compared to the prior year. The Company’s international franchise partners opened 16 points of distribution in the third quarter, and the Company ended the quarter with 139 international points of distribution open and operated by its 6 franchise partners in 17 countries.

Capital Return Program
During the third quarter of 2016, the Company returned approximately $37 million to shareholders through the repurchase of 416,865 shares and its quarterly dividend payment of $0.20 per share. Year to date, the Company returned approximately $123 million to shareholders compared to approximately $90 million last year. Since 2009, the Company has returned over $747 million to its investors through share repurchases and dividends. At the end of the third quarter, approximately $159 million remained available for future share repurchases under the Company’s existing share repurchase program.

Additionally, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a quarterly dividend of $0.20 per share, payable on January 5, 2017 to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 17, 2016.

Outlook
The Company is updating its outlook for fiscal 2016 and now expects adjusted net income per diluted share to be in the range of $5.00 to $5.05, inclusive of a ($0.03) negative impact from foreign exchange. This compares to the Company’s previous guidance for adjusted net income per diluted share of $4.60 to $4.70 and to adjusted net income per diluted share of $3.60 in fiscal 2015. This guidance assumes a positive low single digit increase in comparable retail sales for the year. This guidance for adjusted net income per diluted share excludes year to date net charges of approximately $0.2 million primarily related to asset impairment charges and income related to the release of reserves for prior year uncertain tax positions that the Company believes are not reflective of the performance of its core business.

The Company expects adjusted net income per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2016 to be between $1.43 and $1.48. The Company expects no impact on adjusted net income per diluted share in the quarter from currency exchange rate fluctuations. This compares to adjusted net income per diluted share of $1.19 in the fourth quarter of 2015. This guidance assumes a positive low single digit increase in comparable retail sales for the quarter.

Financial Results
The Company’s results are reported in this press release on a GAAP and as adjusted, non-GAAP basis. Adjusted net income, adjusted net income per diluted share, adjusted gross profit, adjusted SG&A, and adjusted operating income are non-GAAP measures, and are not intended to replace GAAP financial information and may be different from non-GAAP measures reported by other companies. The Company believes the items excluded as non-GAAP adjustments are not reflective of the performance of its core business and that providing this supplemental disclosure to investors will facilitate comparisons of the past and present performance of its core business.  The Company uses non-GAAP measures to evaluate and measure operating performance, including, as previously disclosed, to measure performance for purposes of the Company’s annual bonus and long-term incentive compensation plans. A reconciliation of non-GAAP to GAAP financial information is provided at the end of this press release.

Conference Call Information
The Children’s Place will host a conference call to discuss its third quarter 2016 results today at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The call will be broadcast live at http://investor.childrensplace.com. An audio archive will be available on the Company’s website approximately one hour after the conclusion of the call.

About The Children’s Place, Inc.
The Children’s Place is the largest pure-play children’s specialty apparel retailer in North America.  The Company designs, contracts to manufacture, sells at retail and wholesale, and licenses to sell fashionable, high-quality merchandise at value prices, primarily under the proprietary “The Children’s Place,” “Place” and “Baby Place” brand names.  As of October 29, 2016, the Company operated 1,061 stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, an online store at www.childrensplace.com, and had 139 international points of distribution open and operated by its 6 franchise partners in 17 countries.

Forward Looking Statement

This press release contains, and the above referenced conference call may contain, forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to statements relating to the Company’s strategic initiatives and adjusted net income per diluted share.  Forward-looking statements typically are identified by use of terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “plan,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently.  These forward-looking statements are based upon the Company’s current expectations and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and performance to differ materially. Some of these risks and uncertainties are described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the “Risk Factors” section of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2016. Included among the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and performance to differ materially are the risk that the Company will be unsuccessful in gauging fashion trends and changing consumer preferences, the risks resulting from the highly competitive nature of the Company’s business and its dependence on consumer spending patterns, which may be affected by weakness in the economy that continues to affect the Company’s target customer, the risk that the Company’s strategic initiatives to increase sales and margin are delayed or do not result in anticipated improvements, the risk of delays, interruptions and disruptions in the Company’s global supply chain, including resulting from foreign sources of supply in less developed countries or more politically unstable countries, the risk that the cost of raw materials or energy prices will increase beyond current expectations or that the Company is unable to offset cost increases through value engineering or price increases, and the uncertainty of weather patterns. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Contact: 

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

Source: Children’s Place, Inc./globenewswire

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The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. announces operating results for its third quarter fiscal 2016

YORK, Pa., 2016-Nov-19 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:BONT) today (Nov. 17, 2016) reported operating results for its fiscal third quarter ended October 29, 2016, and updated its guidance for the full year fiscal 2016.

Results for the Third Quarter Ended October 29, 2016

  • Comparable store sales decreased 4.9% as compared with the prior year period.
  • Net loss was $31.6 million, or $1.58 per diluted share, compared with net loss of $34.0 million, or $1.72 per diluted share, in the third quarter of fiscal 2015.
  • Adjusted EBITDA was $10.6 million compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $5.7 million in the third quarter of 2015.  (As used in this release, Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure recognized under GAAP – see the accompanying financial table which reconciles this non-GAAP measure to net loss).  Excluding the financial impact of $2.1 million of consulting expenses and severance costs related to the company’s cost savings initiatives, Adjusted EBITDA was $12.7 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2016.

Kathryn Bufano, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Although our third quarter sales performance was impacted by warm weather in addition to soft traffic trends, we made progress on a number of our strategic initiatives.  We delivered sales gains in several key categories as well as double digit growth in our omnichannel business and accelerated growth on our mobile site.  In addition, we increased our gross margin rate by 170 basis points as a result of improved merchandise margin and reduced delivery costs.  We also continued to execute against our cost savings initiatives and reduced inventory by 4.9%.”

Ms. Bufano continued, “Looking ahead, we expect to drive continued momentum in omnichannel with enhancements to our website and mobile site, in addition to our Buy Online Pick Up In-Store initiative.  We also expect to benefit from our new Love Style Rewards program, continued expansion of new brands and categories, and recently opened furniture departments.”

Third Quarter Review
Comparable store sales in the third quarter of fiscal 2016 decreased 4.9%.  Total sales in the period decreased 5.4% to $589.9 million, compared with $623.4 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2015, primarily as a result of the impact that unseasonably warm weather had on cold weather-related sales.  Sales increases were achieved in furniture, dresses, denim, all active sportswear, contemporary plus, men’s big and tall, and men’s sportswear.

The company achieved accelerated growth in omnichannel, which reflects sales via its website, mobile site, and its Buy Online Pick Up In-Storeinitiative.  The company also launched its Love Style Rewards program, rolled out a new and enhanced mobile site, expanded new brands and categories, and opened furniture departments in additional stores.

Other income in the third quarter of fiscal 2016 was $17.3 million, a decrease of $0.2 million over the comparable prior year period.  Proprietary credit card sales, as a percentage of total sales, increased 250 basis points to 57.0% in the third quarter of fiscal 2016 compared to the previous year.

Gross profit decreased $1.3 million to $207.1 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2016, primarily as a result of lower sales volume, partially offset by improved merchandise margin and favorable delivery costs.  The gross margin rate in the third quarter of fiscal 2016 was 35.1% of net sales as compared to 33.4% in the same quarter last year.

Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expense in the third quarter of fiscal 2016 decreased $6.4 million, or 2.9%, to $213.8 million, compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2015. This was largely due to savings related to non-customer facing expenses, partially offset by higher medical claims, as well as the consulting expenses and severance associated with the company’s cost savings initiatives.  The SG&A expense rate in the third quarter of 2016 was 36.2% of net sales, an increase of 90 basis points over the prior year, primarily as a result of the decreased sales volume in the period.  Excluding the $2.1 million of consulting costs and severance in the third quarter of fiscal 2016, SG&A expense decreased $8.6 million from the comparable prior year period.

As of October 29, 2016, the company had approximately $303 million of borrowing capacity under its revolving credit facility. As previously announced, on November 29, 2016, the company will repay the outstanding principal amount of $57 million of its 10 5/8% Second Lien Senior Secured Notes due in 2017.  The company is still on-track to achieve its previously stated $21 to $24 million net SG&A and cost of goods savings, and expects to decrease debt by approximately $5 million to $10 million by the end of the year.

Guidance  
As a result of unseasonably warm weather in our regions and prevailing soft mall traffic trends, we believe it is prudent to revise our guidance for the year.  We are now forecasting loss per diluted share to be in the range of $2.04 to $2.54 and Adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of $114 million to $124 million.  (As used in this release, Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure recognized under GAAP – see the accompanying financial table which reconciles this non-GAAP measure to net loss.).

Assumptions reflected in the company’s revised full-year guidance include the following:

  • A comparable sales decrease ranging from 2.5% to 3.5%;
  • A gross margin rate ranging from a 80- to 90-basis-point increase over the fiscal 2015 rate of 34.7%;
  • SG&A between $885 million and $888 million, or an expense rate ranging from a 50- to 70-basis-point increase from the fiscal 2015 rate of 33.3%;
  • Capital expenditures not to exceed $40 million, net of external contributions; and
  • An estimated 20 million weighted average shares outstanding.

Call Details
The company’s quarterly conference call to discuss third quarter fiscal 2016 results will be broadcast live today at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time.  Investors and analysts interested in participating in the call are invited to dial (888) 293-8969 at 9:55 a.m. Eastern time.  A taped replay of the conference call will be available within two hours of the conclusion of the call and will remain available through Thursday, November 24, 2016.  The number to call for the taped replay is (877) 870-5176 and the replay PIN is 1572377.  The conference call will also be broadcast on the company’s website at http://investors.bonton.com.  An online archive of the webcast will be available within two hours of the conclusion of the call.

About The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc.
The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., with corporate headquarters in York, Pennsylvania and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, operates 267 stores, which includes nine furniture galleries and five clearance centers, in 26 states in the Northeast, Midwest and upper Great Plains under the Bon-Ton, Bergner’s, Boston Store, Carson’s, Elder-Beerman, Herberger’s and Younkers nameplates.  The stores offer a broad assortment of national and private brand fashion apparel and accessories for women, men and children, as well as cosmetics and home furnishings.  For further information, please visit the investor relations section of the company’s website at http://investors.bonton.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain information included in this press release contains statements that are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements, which may be identified by words such as “may,” “could,” “will,” “plan,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend” or other similar expressions and include the Company’s fiscal 2016 guidance, involve important risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect results in the future and, accordingly, such results may differ from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of the Company.   Factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to: risks related to retail businesses generally; a significant and prolonged deterioration of general economic conditions which could negatively impact the Company in a number of ways, including the potential write-down of the current valuation of intangible assets and deferred taxes; risks related to the Company’s proprietary credit card program; potential increases in pension obligations; consumer spending patterns, debt levels, and the availability and cost of consumer credit; additional competition from existing and new competitors or changes in the competitive environment; inflation; deflation; changes in the costs of fuel and other energy and transportation costs; weather conditions that could negatively impact sales; uncertainties associated with expanding or remodeling existing stores; the ability to attract and retain qualified management; the dependence upon relationships with vendors and their factors; a data security breach or system failure; the ability to reduce or control SG&A expenses, including initiatives to reduce expenses and improve efficiency; operational disruptions; unsuccessful marketing initiatives; the ability to expand our capacity and improve efficiency through our new eCommerce fulfillment center; changes in, or the failure to successfully implement, our key strategies, including initiatives to improve our merchandising, marketing and operations; adverse outcomes in litigation; the incurrence of unplanned capital expenditures; the ability to obtain financing for working capital, capital expenditures and general corporate purposes; the impact of regulatory requirements including the Health Care Reform Act and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; the inability or limitations on the Company’s ability to favorably adjust the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets; and the financial condition of mall operators.  Additional factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ from those contained in these forward-looking statements are discussed in greater detail under Item 1A of the Company’s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

CONTACT:
Investor Relations:

Wendy Wilson
414-347-5153
Wendy.Wilson@bonton.com

Source: The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc./globenewswire

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Ross Stores, Inc. reports 17% earnings per share increase in Q3

DUBLIN, Calif., 2016-Nov-19 — /EPR Retail News/ — Ross Stores, Inc. (Nasdaq: ROST) today (Nov. 17, 2016) reported earnings per share for the third quarter ended October 29, 2016 of $.62, a 17% increase on top of a robust 15% gain in the prior year.  Net earnings grew to $245 million, up from $216 million last year.   Sales for the 2016 third quarter rose 11% to $3.1 billion, with comparable store sales up 7% versus a 3% gain in the prior year.

For the first nine months of fiscal 2016, earnings per share were $2.06, up 11% on top of a 15% increase last year. Net earnings were $817 million, up from $757 million in the prior year.  Sales for the first nine months of 2016 rose 8% to $9.4 billion, with comparable store sales up 4% on top of a 4% gain in 2015.

Barbara Rentler, Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are very pleased with our better-than-expected sales and earnings growth in the third quarter as customers responded favorably to the compelling values we offered throughout our stores.  Operating margin of 12.6% was ahead of plan, increasing 55 basis points mainly from higher merchandise margin.”

Ms. Rentler added, “During the third quarter and first nine months of fiscal 2016, we repurchased 2.8 million and 9.1 million shares of common stock, respectively, for an aggregate price of $179 million in the quarter and $530 million year-to-date.  We remain on track to buy back a total of $700 million in common stock during fiscal 2016 to complete the two-year $1.4 billion authorization approved by our Board of Directors in February 2015.”

Ms. Rentler continued, “As we enter this year’s holiday season, we face our most challenging multi-year sales comparisons.  In addition, the ongoing uncertainty in the macro-economic, political, and retail  environments could, once again, lead to a very promotional fourth quarter.  While we hope to do better, given these potential headwinds, we are maintaining our comparable sales guidance for a 1% to 2% increase on top of 6% and 4% gains in 2014 and 2015, respectively.  Earnings per share for the period are expected to be $.72 to $.75, up from $.66 in last year’s fourth quarter.  Based on our year-to-date results and updated guidance, fiscal 2016 earnings per share are now forecasted to be $2.78 to $2.81, up 11% to 12% on top of a 14% gain last year.”

The Company will host a conference call on Thursday, November 17, 2016 at 4:15 p.m. Eastern time to provide additional details concerning its third quarter results and management’s outlook for the remainder of the year.  A real-time audio webcast of the conference call will be available in the Investors section of the Company’s website, located at www.rossstores.com. An audio playback will be available at 404-537-3406, PIN #8704502 until 8:00 p.m. Eastern time on November 25, 2016, as well as on the Company’s website.

Forward-Looking Statements:  This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding expected sales, earnings levels and other financial results in future periods that are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause our actual results to differ materially from management’s current expectations. The words “plan,” “expect,” “target,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “forecast,” “projected,” “guidance,” “looking ahead” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Risk factors for Ross Dress for Less® (“Ross”) and dd’s DISCOUNTS® include without limitation, competitive pressures in the apparel or home-related merchandise retailing industry; changes in the level of consumer spending on or preferences for apparel or home-related merchandise; market availability, quantity, and quality of attractive brand name merchandise at desirable discounts and our buyers’ ability to purchase merchandise that enables us to offer customers a wide assortment of merchandise at competitive prices; impacts from the macro-economic environment, financial and credit markets, and geopolitical conditions that affect consumer confidence and consumer disposable income; our ability to continually attract, train and retain associates to execute our off-price strategies; unseasonable weather trends; potential data security breaches, including cyber-attacks on our transaction processing and computer information systems, which could result in theft or unauthorized disclosure of customer, credit card, employee, or other private and valuable information that we handle in the ordinary course of our business – such breaches of our data security, or our failure or delay in detecting and mitigating a loss of personal or business information, could result in damage to our reputation, loss of customer confidence, violation (or alleged violation) of applicable laws, and could expose us to civil claims, litigation and regulatory action, and to unanticipated costs and disruption of our operations; potential disruptions in our supply chain or information systems; issues involving the quality, safety, or authenticity of products we sell; our ability to effectively manage our inventories, markdowns, and inventory shortage to achieve planned gross margin; volatility in revenues and earnings; an adverse outcome in various legal, regulatory, or tax matters; natural or man-made disaster in California or in another region where we have a concentration of stores or a distribution center; increase in our labor costs; unexpected issues or costs from expanding in existing markets and entering new geographic markets; obtaining acceptable new store sites with favorable demographics; damage to our corporate reputation or brands; issues from importing merchandise from other countries; and maintaining sufficient liquidity to support our continuing operations, new store and distribution center growth plans, and stock repurchase and dividend programs. Other risk factors are set forth in our SEC filings including without limitation, the Form 10-K for fiscal 2015 and Form 10-Qs and 8-Ks for fiscal 2016.  The factors underlying our forecasts are dynamic and subject to change.  As a result, our forecasts speak only as of the date they are given and do not necessarily reflect our outlook at any other point in time.  We do not undertake to update or revise these forward-looking statements.

Ross Stores, Inc. is an S&P 500, Fortune 500 and Nasdaq 100 (ROST) company headquartered in Dublin, California, with fiscal 2015 revenues of $11.9 billion.  The Company operates Ross Dress for Less® (“Ross”), the largest off-price apparel and home fashion chain in the United States with 1,342 locations in 36 states, the District of Columbia and Guam as of October 29, 2016. Ross offers first-quality, in-season, name brand and designer apparel, accessories, footwear and home fashions for the entire family at savings of 20% to 60% off department and specialty store regular prices every day. The Company also operates 193 dd’s DISCOUNTS® in 15 states as of October 29, 2016 that feature a more moderately-priced assortment of first-quality, in-season, name brand apparel, accessories, footwear and home fashions for the entire family at savings of 20% to 70% off moderate department and discount store regular prices every day. Additional information is available at www.rossstores.com.

Contact:
Michael Hartshorn
Group Senior Vice President,
Chief Financial Officer
(925) 965-4503

Connie Kao
Vice President, Investor Relations
(925) 965-4668
connie.kao@ros.com

SOURCE: Ross Stores, Inc.

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SPAR Group South Africa reports 23.8% turnover increase for the year ending 30 September 2016

South Africa, 2016-Nov-19 — /EPR Retail News/ — The SPAR Group South Africa has delivered a very good overall performance for the year ending 30 September 2016, with turnover totalling R90.7 billion, an increase of 23.8% on last year.

Of the turnover, 32% was generated in foreign currency. This is up from 23.1% the year before. Headline earnings per share also increased 22.1%.

SPAR South Africa’s 80% ownership of BWG Group (owners of SPAR in Ireland) is showing positive results. BWG delivered excellent growth, underpinned by a positive contribution from all brands and store formats. The Irish operations delivered 36.8% turnover growth, bolstered by the acquisition of Londis, which has been fully integrated ahead of plan and is beating expectations.

The acquisition of a majority stake in SPAR Switzerland, effective on 1 April 2016, added a third geographic region to SPAR South Africa’s portfolio. Turnover of SPAR Switzerland, consolidated for the last six months, contributed R5.9 billion.

SPAR’s core Southern African business recorded turnover growth of 9.5%, underpinned by aggressive promotional and marketing activity in a highly competitive market.

SPAR South Africa’s organic growth focus continued to pay off with positive indications of market share gains across all store formats.

Profit after tax improved by 27.7% to R1.8 billion, from R1.4 billion a year before, with SPAR noting the benefit of lower effective tax rates in Ireland and Switzerland.

In a statement issued 16th November, the Group said it would maintain its focus on the growth of its Southern African business, “regardless of the uncertainty of both the economic and political landscape.

“Management and the board believe we will continue to prosper in our chosen markets and deliver value to our shareholders,” the statement concluded.

Contact:

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

Source: Spar International

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uBreakiFix Hits Major Growth Milestone with 500 Stores Sold

ORLANDO, FL, USA, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — uBreakiFix has officially sold more than 500 units across the United States and Canada, confirming its status as one of the largest and fastest-growing tech repair brands on the market. More than half of the 500 stores sold are already in operation, and the brand expects to have 425 in operation by the end of 2017.

“This is a huge milestone for our company, and one we could not have achieved without our committed team of franchisees, dedicated corporate office and loyal customers,” said Justin Wetherill, president and CEO of uBreakiFix. “We believe that everyone should have access to reliable, affordable tech repair, and we’re excited for the opportunity to bring our services to new and underserved markets across the U.S. and Canada.”

uBreakiFix has a competitive advantage in the tech repair industry due to its scale, its uncompromising commitment to customer service, its reputation for high quality repairs and its advanced internal systems and processes. uBreakiFix uses a sophisticated portal training system that allows technicians to train in-store and conveniently review techniques as needed, rather than spending time and money to train at the company’s Orlando headquarters.

“Serving our customers starts with thoroughly equipping our team,” Wetherill said. “Every level of the business operates with the customer experience top of mind. Whether it’s a technician, manager or franchisee, if they need something to better serve a customer, our corporate team is always available as a resource.”

“If I have an issue, there are at least five people at the home office at any given moment waiting to help me,” said franchisee Sedrick Bruno, who joined uBreakiFix in the summer of 2010. “The idea is for every customer to leave as a new spokesperson for uBreakiFix.”

Investing in its franchisees has been a top priority for uBreakiFix since the beginning, and all of its original franchisees have grown alongside the brand, with multiple units across markets.

“Justin and the corporate team understand that the key to the company’s success starts at the store level,” said Carlos Marmo, who joined uBreakiFix back in 2008 when it was just a side gig out of Wetherill’s bedroom. “That being said, they treat everyone like family. They truly move mountains to make our lives at the store level as easy as possible. Our supply chain, customer service and internal systems are unmatched, and the corporate team is constantly working to keep it that way.”

The brand’s seamless expansion throughout the continent reflects its commitment to safeguarding both the customer and franchisee experiences.

“As a growing company, Justin and the corporate team have a lot on their plates, yet they never overlook their franchisees or employees,” said Brenda Johnston, a new franchisee whose first location in Fair Lakes, Va. is slated to open in late November. “They always make sure we’re staying well informed on the latest company and industry developments, and they frequently check in with us to see how we are doing. As a new franchisee, the open-door policy is definitely appreciated.”

With 500 stores sold, the brand is more focused than ever on maintaining high standards for repair and customer service across all locations.

“The incredible amount of growth that UBIF has experienced in such a short amount of time is a testament to the brand’s prestige as a whole,” said franchisee Justin Murphy, who has been with uBreakiFix since 2010. “The systems in place create an enjoyable environment for both customers and employees.”

About uBreakiFix
Founded in 2009, uBreakiFix specializes in the repair of small electronics, ranging from smartphones, game consoles, tablets, computers and everything in between. Cracked screens, water damage, software issues, camera issues, and most any other problem can be repaired by visiting uBreakiFix stores across the U.S. and in Canada. For more information, visit ubreakifix.com.

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Morty Pride Meats recalls pork barbeque products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens

WASHINGTON, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — Morty Pride Meats, Inc., a Fayetteville, N.C. establishment, is recalling approximately 237,891 pounds of pork barbeque products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today (Nov. 17, 2016). The products were produced with Worcestershire sauce that contains soy, a known allergen which was not declared on the finished product label.

The pork barbeque items were produced and packaged from Nov. 15, 2014 through Nov. 11, 2016. The following products are subject to recall:

  • 5-lb. of vacuum sealed bags of “Morty Pride Pork Barbeque, Electronically Cooked.”
  • 12-oz of plastic cups of “Morty Pride Premium Pork Barbeque, Electronically Cooked.”

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 6668” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to institutions and retail locations in North Carolina and South Carolina.

The problem was discovered by FSIS inspection personnel during a random label verification on Nov. 16, 2016.

There have been no confirmed reports of illness, injury, or adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.

Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.

Consumers and media with questions about the recall can contact Mickey Hudson, President, at (910) 483-6004.

Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. The online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/reportproblem.

USDA Recall Classifications
Class I This is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.
Class II This is a health hazard situation where there is a remote probability of adverse health consequences from the use of the product.
Class III This is a situation where the use of the product will not cause adverse health consequences.

Contact:
Congressional and Public Affairs
Veronika Medina
(202) 720-9113
Press@fsis.usda.gov

Source: USDA

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USDA FSIS: La Quercia recalls cured, dried pork loin products due to insufficient dehydration

WASHINGTON, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — La Quercia, a Norwalk, Iowa establishment, is recalling approximately 932 pounds of cured, dried pork loin products due to insufficient dehydration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today (Nov. 17, 2016). Insufficient dehydration could lead to an outgrowth of harmful bacteria.

The whole and sliced pork loin items were produced on various dates between June 3, 2016 and Nov. 2, 2016. The following products are subject to recall:

  • 2.65-lb. vacuum-sealed package containing one piece of “LOMO AMERICANO” with a best by date of 11/08/17 and lot #Z16D04V115516.
  • 2.65-lb. vacuum-sealed package containing one piece of “LOMO AMERICANO” with a best by date of 10/31/17 and lot #Z16D04V116016.
  • 1.5-lb. package containing 20 slices of “SLICED LOMO AMERICANO. 2oz” with a best by date of 02/07/17 and lot #P17B07C128416.
  • 1.5-lb. package containing 20 slices of “SLICED LOMO AMERICANO. 2oz” with a best by date of 02/21/17 and lot #P17B21C129816.
  • 1.5-lb. package containing 20 slices of “SLICED LOMO AMERICANO. 2oz” with a best by date of 02/18/17 and lot #P17B18C129516.
  • 1.5-lb. package containing 20 slices of “SLICED LOMO AMERICANO. 2oz” with a best by date of 03/02/17 and lot # P17C02C130716.
  • 1.5-lb. package containing 20 slices of “SLICED LOMO AMERICANO. 2oz” with a best by date of 02/28/17 and lot #P17B28C130516.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 31797” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to distributors and retail locations in California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Virginia.

The problem was discovered when FSIS inspection personnel found off-odor Lomo Americano product at the La Quercia establishment.

There have been no confirmed reports of illnesses due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.

Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

Consumers with questions about the recall can contact Stephanie Bates, Inside Sales, at (515) 981-1625. Media with questions about the recall can contact Ruth Holbrook, Marketing Director, at (515) 981-1625.

Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. The online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/reportproblem.

USDA Recall Classifications
Class I This is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.
Class II This is a health hazard situation where there is a remote probability of adverse health consequences from the use of the product.
Class III This is a situation where the use of the product will not cause adverse health consequences.

Contact:
Congressional and Public Affairs
Julie Schwartz
(202) 720-9113
Press@fsis.usda.gov

Source: USDA

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Staples, Inc. announces strategic partnership with Managed by Q

Partnership Gives Staples’ Customers Access to Expanded Services Offering through Managed by Q’s Platform

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. & NEW YORK, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS), the world’s largest office solutions provider and one of the biggest internet retailers, today (Nov. 17, 2016) announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Managed by Q, a web-based technology platform that connects business with the services they need to run a workspace and consolidate vendor management, to offer Staples’ business customers a one-stop shop for everything an office manager needs, including new services to Staples.

Staples will now provide customers in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco access to Managed by Q’s suite of office services. The platform lets users hire, communicate with, pay and review providers of over 100 different services, from cleaners and handymen to IT support and even workplace yoga. In the coming months, Staplesand Managed by Q expect to expand the service and create more solutions that make it easy to run the office.

“Partnering with Managed by Q directly supports Staples’ previously announced strategy to focus on providing mid-market customers even more products and services beyond traditional office supplies,” said Neil Ringel, executive vice president, Staples Business Advantage. “Office managers at mid-market companies are constantly looking for ways to streamline their workday and save time, and we’ve now made it easy for them to keep their workplace running by giving them one place to interact with their office management vendors.”

“We’re very excited to accelerate our growth nationally through a relationship with Staples,” said Dan Teran, Co-Founder and CEO of Managed by Q. “Staples has built an amazing business around the needs of office managers, so connecting to our market leading services platform is a natural fit and a real win for office managers everywhere”

With this partnership, Managed by Q will get access to Staples growing customer base of small and medium sized businesses, while Staples customers can now access a significantly expanded suite of office services. Staples is again bringing an innovative offering to market to solve the pain points of the office manager, similar to the recent announcement of a digital “Easy Button“ for ordering and customer service.

“The strength of Managed by Q’s technology and customer service aligns with Staples’ brand promise to help businesses make more happen,” said Faisal Masud, executive vice president, global e-commerce, Staples. “Managed by Q is truly a digital platform for the office that gives Staples’ customers access to whatever help they need, whenever they need it.”

About Staples, Inc.
Staples helps small business customers make more happen by providing a broad assortment of products, expanded business services and easy ways to shop – in stores, online, via mobile or through social apps. Staples Business Advantage, the business-to-business division, caters to mid-market, commercial and enterprise-sized customers by offering a one-source solution for the products and services they need, combined with best-in-class customer service, competitive pricing and a state-of-the-art ecommerce site. 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.

About Managed by Q
Managed by Q makes it easy to run an office. Founded in 2013, the company saves businesses and employees valuable time by providing a range of subscription and on-demand services, from cleaning and maintenance to supply replenishment and wellness. Today, the Managed by Q platform connects thousands of businesses to the services required to seamlessly run their workspaces. The company is committed to spreading a mission of economic empowerment, by creating good jobs for its operators and providing opportunities for small business to flourish. Managed by Q operates in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco. For more information visit Managed by Q.

Contact:
Mark Cautela
508-253-3832
mark.cautela@staples.com

Managed by Q
Tiffany Markofsky
305-710-2960
tmarkofsky@managedbyQ.com

Source: Staples, Inc.

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Staples, Inc. to sell its UK retail business and operations to Hilco Capital Limited

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. & LONDON, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS) and Hilco Capital Limited (Hilco), today (Nov. 17, 2016) announced that they have reached an agreement for Staples to sell its UK retail business and operations to Hilco for nominal proceeds.

In May, Staples announced plans to explore strategic alternatives for its European operations as part of its new strategy.

“Agreeing to sell our UK retail business to Hilco aligns with our go-forward strategy of focusing on our North American and mid-market business, and is a meaningful step in that process,” said Shira Goodman, chief executive officer and president, Staples. “In addition, we continue to make good progress in evaluating strategic alternatives for the remainder of Staples Europe, which will let us streamline our operations, sharpen our focus and more aggressively pursue our mid-market growth strategy.”

The use of the Staples brand will be phased out by the UK retail business over the coming months.

Paul McGowan of Hilco Capital said, “We are pleased to have concluded a transaction with Staples, Inc. and look forward to working with the UK team. While retail in the UK has been challenged recently, a team led by retail veteran Alan Gaynor will work alongside the existing management team to build a plan for success for the business.”

About Staples, Inc.
Staples helps small business customers make more happen by providing a broad assortment of products, expanded business services and easy ways to shop – in stores, online, via mobile or through social apps. Staples Business Advantage, the business-to-business division, caters to mid-market, commercial and enterprise-sized customers by offering a one-source solution for the products and services they need, combined with best-in-class customer service, competitive pricing and a state-of-the-art ecommerce site. 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.

About Hilco Capital
Having completed more than 100 transactions, Hilco Capital is a leading operator in the turnaround and restructuring sector in the UK, Europe, Canada and Australia.

Hilco Capital currently owns, among other retailers, HMV and was responsible for the successful turnaround of the business over the course of the last four years. In addition, earlier this year, Hilco managed the operations and ultimate transition of the 99p Stores business to Poundland following their acquisition of the 250 store retailer.

Contact:
Mark Cautela
508-253-3832
mark.cautela@staples.com

FTI Consulting for Hilco Capital
Jonathon Brill
00 44 7269 7170
Jonathon.Brill@fticonsulting.com

Source: Staples, Inc.

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PVH Corp. to release its third quarter 2016 earnings results on Wednesday, November 30, 2016

NEW YORK, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — PVH Corp. (NYSE: PVH) today (Nov. 17, 2016) announced that it will release its third quarter 2016 earnings results on Wednesday, November 30, 2016 after the market closes. PVH will sponsor a conference call on Thursday, December 1, 2016 beginning at 9:00 A.M. Eastern Time, hosted by Emanuel Chirico, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Michael Shaffer, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating & Financial Officer, to discuss the results.

The call will be broadcast live over the Internet. A link will be available on the Company’s website, www.pvh.com, under the Investors section. For those who are unable to listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available shortly after the call on that website for 12 months. In addition, an audio replay can be listened to for 48 hours, commencing approximately two hours after the call. To listen to the call replay, dial 719-457-0820 or 888-203-1112 (domestic toll free) and enter the pass code number 8980277.

With a history going back over 130 years, PVH Corp. has excelled at growing brands and businesses with rich American heritages, becoming one of the largest apparel companies in the world. We have over 30,000 associates operating in over 40 countries and over $8 billion in annual revenues. We own the iconic Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Van Heusen,IZOD, ARROW, Speedo*, Warner’s and Olga brands and market a variety of goods under these and other nationally and internationally known owned and licensed brands. For more information, please visit www.pvh.com.

*The Speedo brand is licensed for North America and the Caribbean in perpetuity from Speedo International, Ltd.

The webcast and conference call will consist of copyrighted material and may not be recorded, reproduced, retransmitted, rebroadcast, downloaded or otherwise used without PVH’s express written permission.

The information made available on the webcast and conference call will contain certain forward-looking statements that reflect PVH’s view of future events and financial performance as of November 30, 2016. All such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the Company’s SEC filings. Therefore, the Company’s future results of operations could differ materially from historical results or current expectations, as more fully discussed in its SEC filings. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement, including, without limitation, any estimate regarding revenues or earnings.

The information made available also will include certain non-GAAP financial measures, as defined under SEC rules. A reconciliation of these measures will be included in the Company’s earnings release, which will be posted on the Company’s website, www.pvh.com, and included in the Company’s current report on Form 8-K to be furnished to the SEC in advance of the webcast and conference call.

Contact:
Dana Perlman
212-381-3502
Treasurer, Senior Vice President
Business Development and Investor Relations

Source: PVH Corp.

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SPAR Hungary opens newly renovated store in Budapest

Budapest, Hungary, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — The SPAR Supermarket located at Kerepesi út 73. in Budapest has been completely refreshed at an investment of more than 750 million HUF (€2.4 million). The newly renovated store not only boasts fully modernised departments, it also integrates energy saving equipment and solutions.

Speaking at the festive opening on 16 November, which was attended by dignitaries, SPAR Hungary Central Office colleagues and the team working in the renovated store, SPAR International Managing Director, Tobias Wasmuht said: “We congratulate SPAR Hungary on their ongoing development and particularly their innovation in this market.  We continue to be the partner of choice for independent retailers keen to embrace retail best practice and fast-track their development in the face of international competition.”

“This SPAR Supermarket is located in a great area with many consumers desiring high standards of service, quality and breadth of offer. We were convinced of the need to invest in providing a 21st Century look and feel throughout the store,” explained Márk Maczelka, Head of Communications at SPAR Hungary.

The sales area of the 1,760 m2 supermarket was completely renewed and a revised shopper layout was created, improving efficiency and embracing modern branding. Shoppers can enjoy both the new delicatessen counter and exhibition bakery instore. Close to the store entrance is the easy-to-navigate bakery and fruit & vegetable sections, with access to the delicatessen counter. A unique chilled beverage section has also been added, complementing the broad range of SPAR Own Brand products. Health-conscious consumers can enjoy the self-service salad bar, as well as the extended range of salads and sandwiches prepared onsite. A SPAR-to-Go restaurant has been added, where consumers are offered a variety of grilled dishes, freshly made meals and pizzas.

Sustainable features of the supermarket include a curtain wall added to the entire portal surface, providing natural lighting and a good view into the store from the street. Most of the instore equipment has been replaced with energy-efficient solutions. LED lighting has been installed in the retail area, doors added to the refrigeration equipment, and an efficient heat pump heating and cooling system has been implemented.

SPAR Hungary, established 25 years ago, has invested more than €1 billion into the Hungarian retail market. Currently, 345 company owned SPAR Supermarkets, 32 INTERSPAR Hypermarkets and 107 SPAR stores licensed to independent retailers are in operation. There are firm plans in place to continue expanding. In addition to opening new stores, the modernisation of existing stores is a key objective of the company’s development policy. This year, SPAR Hungary will spend more than 23 billion HUF on the modernisation of its retail network. A total of 21 stores have been renovated in 2016, taking into account modern consumer needs.

Contact:

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

Source: Spar International

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SPAR Oman debuts in Madinat Darsait with its 10th SPAR Supermarket

Oman, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — Extending its presence across the Sultanate, SPAR Oman has opened its 10th SPAR Supermarket, which sees the brand entering Madinat Darsait for the first time.

This latest SPAR Supermarket is open 24/7 and features a broad range of fresh service departments including Fruit & Veg, Food-to-Go, Butchery and Fish & Seafood. The 630m2 store meets the needs of a broad shopper group comprising both families and single households, spanning expatriate workers to local citizens.

At the opening of the new store, Sridhar Moosapeta, SPAR Oman CEO said: “Since its launch, SPAR has quickly garnered a reputation for being one of the most trusted names in Oman’s retail sector. We have been setting benchmarks for product quality and efficient customer service based on a tradition that SPAR has perfected for over eight decades, worldwide.”

Consumer reaction to the new store has been incredible, with many shoppers taking advantage of the fantastic special offers that were run during the first week of trading. The extensive advertising campaign ahead of the opening included local newspaper ads, flyers delivered to 15,000 homes in the area and a SMS campaign to over 100,000 consumers. Additional buzz was created with an online campaign crossing a variety of social media channels.

Commenting on the launch of the latest SPAR store, Devendra Kumar, Head of SPAR Oman’s Retail Division said: “SPAR Oman brings customers global offerings along with the best of local produce. Our team is working relentlessly to create the highest value across our entire product range. Freshness, value, choice and excellent service form the bedrock of our retail strategy.”

Other prominent areas in the Sultanate where SPAR has established its presence are: Bausher, Al Khuwair, Madinat Sultan Qaboos, Mumtaz, MBD, Muttrah and ISD. SPAR Express stores have also opened in Al Khoud and Mawellah North, developed in partnership with Al Maha Petroleum.

Contact:

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

Source: Spar International

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Ergon launches DESPAR Sicilia App that features promotional offers

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — Recognising that customers want more rewards and an easy way to find store data, DESPAR Partner in Sicily, Ergon, has launched the DESPAR Sicilia App which not only features useful information about their local SPAR Supermarket but also promotional offers.

Ergon operates DESPAR, INTERSPAR and EUROSPAR stores; they are all included in the App, which can be downloaded from both Google Play and the App Store. The App also enables customers to collect ‘tribe points’ by scanning QR codes featured in the promotion leaflets. Furthermore, the App provides a convenient way to view SPAR leaflets via Android or iOS devices and of finding special offers, based on the customer’s location. Another feature of the App is video games which help users generate more Tribe Points when giving the right answers in the App’s quizzes.

Tribe points earn customers discount vouchers which can be presented at the check-outs in the store which the customer marked as ‘favourite’ while registering for the DESPAR Sicilia App. Discount vouchers are redeemable at one of the INTERSPAR stores in Ragusa, Comiso and Avola, or EUROSPAR stores in Ragusa, Marina di Ragusa and Modica.

Upon collecting 2,000 tribe points, customers can redeem a discount of €2 on a minimum basket spend of €25 euros on grocery shopping. Customers who collect 5,000 points can redeem a €5 discount voucher on a basket spend of €50 or more.

“We are continuously expanding the range of services which we offer to consumers”, explains Concetta Lo Magno, head of marketing at Ergon Group. “Our DESPAR Sicily App enables our customers to save money on their grocery shopping, while making it even more enjoyable and fun”.

For more information, please visit www.desparsiciliaapp.it

Contact:

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

Source: Spar International

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Sheetz names Nick Ruffner as its Public Relations Manager

ALTOONA, Pa., 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — Sheetz, one of America’s fastest-growing family-owned and operated convenience retailers, this week welcomed Nick Ruffner, who will lead the company’s communications efforts as its Public Relations Manager.

Ruffner, who is a native of Indiana County, Pennsylvania, has a background across the communications spectrum, from public relations to television and radio broadcasting.  Most recently, he served as the Communications Director for U.S. Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson of Pennsylvania’s 5th Congressional District.  His career in public relations started with the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, where he was responsible for the communication efforts of a number of state representatives.  Ruffner’s background also includes several years in broadcast journalism, first with Johnstown (Pa.) NBC affiliate, WJAC, as an anchor-reporter and in leading the news efforts of Renda Broadcasting’s radio stations in Indiana and Punxsutawney, as Regional News Director.

“Being on both sides of the communications industry, in public relations and broadcasting, Nick knows how to drive a message,” said Ryan Sheetz, AVP of Brand Strategy for Sheetz.  “We are so happy to have him join Sheetz and to be part of the next chapter of our company’s story.”

“Having grown up in western Pennsylvania, I have witnessed the growth of this company and seen, first-hand, the positive impact it has made in communities across the region,” Ruffner said.  “I am so excited to get to work in communicating the message of Sheetz, our employees and our consumers.”

Before starting his career in communications, Nick Ruffner earned a Master of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.  He also completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

About Sheetz, Inc.

Established in 1952 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Sheetz, Inc. is one of America’s fastest-growing family-owned and operated convenience store chains, with more than $6.9 billion in revenue and more than 17,500 employees. The company operates over 535 store locations throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and North Carolina. Sheetz provides an award-winning menu of MTO® sandwiches and salads, which are ordered through unique touch-screen order point terminals. All Sheetz convenience stores are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For, Top 12 Best Places to Work for Women and Top 35 Best Workplaces for Millennials, Sheetz is committed to offering employees sustainable careers built on an inspiring culture and community engagement. For more information, visit www.sheetz.com or follow us on Twitter (@sheetz), Facebook (www.facebook.com/sheetz) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/sheetz).

For further information:
PRESS RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT:
Nick Ruffner
nruffner@sheetz.com
(814) 941-5183

SOURCE: Sheetz, Inc.

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hhgregg gives its employees the time and the Thanksgiving turkey to enjoy with family and friends

Retailer shows appreciation by providing more than 5,000 turkeys

INDIANAPOLIS, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — hhgregg (NYSE:HGG), a leading appliances, electronics and furniture retailer, announced in October that they would be closed on Thanksgiving Day to give their employees and customers time to enjoy the holiday with family and friends. Yesterday, hhgregg, in partnership with Butterball and Andretti Autosport, also provided a Thanksgiving turkey to each employee to enjoy with family on Thanksgiving.

“Providing our employees and customers the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with their families was a great start, but I thought we could, and should, do more for our employees,” said Bob Riesbeck, President and CEO for hhgregg “In keeping with our family-first culture, we wanted to make an additional contribution to our employees’ holiday dinners to show appreciation for their hard work and dedication each and every day.”

hhgregg is continuing to demonstrate its dedication to family; something recently- appointed board member, Michael Andretti, has taken note of. “When hhgregg brought the idea to us, we were excited to make it happen and reached out to our partners at Butterball to help,” said Andretti. “I’m impressed with the commitment hhgregg has shown in giving back to their employees, it’s something that I am really proud to support.”

Employees are also taking note, with the decision to close on Thanksgiving making this year extra special. Associates from all over the country have been sharing how they’ll spend the holiday. Dexter, who works in Electronic Sales in Noblesville, IN, said he is excited to spend the day with his newborn son. “It’s his first Thanksgiving, so it will be special to have the day off and celebrate with family, food and fun,” he said. Meanwhile, Mike, a store manager at the same store, is planning to attend a huge family reunion and reconnect with family that he only gets to see every couple of years.

“As a company dedicated to family values, we are thrilled with the tremendous response from both employees and the communities in which we operate,” said Chris Sutton, Senior Vice President of Marketing. “We are excited to continue to be a family-friendly company, and to bring that philosophy to work every day for everyone we serve.”

To see photos and video from yesterday’s giveaway, visit hhgregg on Twitter at @hhgregg or Facebook at facebook.com/hhgregg.

ABOUT hhgregg
Founded in 1955, Indianapolis-based hhgregg is a multi-regional retailer with 220 brick-and-mortar stores in 19 states. hhgregg’s product assortment includes market-leading brands in home appliances, consumer electronics and technology, along with high-quality furniture products for the home. The retailer’s locations and online presence (hhgregg.com) give consumers nationwide access to global and local lifestyle and home products. Find hhgregg on Facebook at facebook.com/hhgregg and on Twitter at @hhgregg.

Media Contact:
Sarah Davis
Edelman
(312) 240-3176
Sarah.Davis@edelman.com

###

hhgregg gives its employees the time and the Thanksgiving turkey to enjoy with family and friends
hhgregg gives its employees the time and the Thanksgiving turkey to enjoy with family and friends

 

SOURCE: hhgregg

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Schnucks to move its 4600 Washington Ave. location to Lawndale Commons shopping center, Evansville, Indiana

EVANSVILLE, Ind, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — After nearly 40 years of serving customers, the Schnucks store located at 4600 Washington Ave. will close its doors at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 6. At 7 a.m. the next morning, a new store in the Lawndale Commons shopping center will open to customers at 5000 Washington Ave. – less than a quarter of a mile away. A short ribbon-cutting ceremony will follow at 9 a.m. The new store is a state-of-the-art 59,000-square-foot, full-service supermarket and pharmacy.

Moving from the current location to the new store is Store Manager Chris Wynn. “We’re very excited to offer our customers and the whole Evansville community a brand new location,” Wynn said. “It’s because of their loyalty and patronage that we were able to build this brand new store to serve them even better.”

Joining Wynn at the new store is Co-Manager Kevin Enlow. After opening day, store hours will be 6 a.m. – midnight daily.

Schnucks entered the Evansville market in 1977 by opening the Evansville North and Evansville East stores in a partnership with Walgreens. After buying out that partnership, Schnucks would go on to open the Evansville West store in 1989. In 1992, Schnucks acquired Neville’s IGA in Newburgh and operated that store until 2008 when a replacement store was built. In 2003, Schnucks opened its Green River Road store with the Darmstadt location opening in 2015. With six stores in the area, Schnucks employs nearly 900 teammates.

Founded in St. Louis in 1939, Schnuck Markets, Inc. is a third-generation, family-owned grocery/pharmacy retailer committed to nourishing people’s lives. The company takes pride in its community partnerships and gives more than $13 million dollars annually in food to food pantries and more than $1.8 million to not-for-profit organizations through the company’s My Schnucks Card program. Schnucks currently operates 100 stores in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa. Privately held, Schnucks employs more than 14,000 teammates and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Follow Schnucks on Facebook at www.facebook.com/schnucks.

Media Contact:
Paul Simon
314-994-4603
psimon@schnucks.com

Source: Schnucks

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Sprouts Farmers Market CFO Brad Lukow to present at the Barclays Eat, Sleep, Play – It’s Not All Discretionary Conference

PHOENIX, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (Nasdaq:SFM) today (Nov. 17, 2016 ) announced that Brad Lukow, chief financial officer, will present at the Barclays Eat, Sleep, Play – It’s Not All Discretionary Conference at Barclays in New York City.  The presentation will begin at 4:10 pm ET on December 5, 2016.

A live webcast of the presentation will be available on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website, http://investors.sprouts.com/, under “Events and Presentations.” A replay will be archived and available at the same location.

About Sprouts Farmers Market

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. is a healthy grocery store offering fresh, natural and organic foods at great prices. Sprouts offer a complete shopping experience that includes fresh produce, bulk foods, vitamins and supplements, packaged groceries, meat and seafood, deli, baked goods, dairy products, frozen foods, natural body care and household items catering to consumers’ growing interest in health and wellness. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Sprouts employs more than 24,000 team members and operates more than 250 stores in thirteen states from coast to coast. For more information, visit www.sprouts.com or @sproutsfm on Twitter.

Investor Contact:
Susannah Livingston
(602) 682-1584
susannahlivingston@sprouts.com

Media Contact:
Donna Egan
(602) 682-3152
media@sprouts.com

Source: Sprouts Farmers Market/globenewswire

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Southeastern Grocers held one of the largest single-day grocery grand openings with 73 Harveys Supermarkets

  • Southeastern Grocers is unveiling 73 new Harveys Supermarket stores in one of the largest single-day grocery grand openings across Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida.
  • The new Harveys Supermarket is committed to Great Value and Great Prices – that’s a promise – and our customers will discover over 3,000 items lower in price across the store.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — Today (Nov. 16, 2016), Southeastern Grocers, parent company of BI-LO, Fresco y Más, Harveys and Winn-Dixie stores, unveiled its new Harveys Supermarket store concept in 73 locations throughout the Southeast during a simultaneous ribbon-cutting ceremony at each location, spanning Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida.

By listening to customers throughout their communities, the company has tailored each new Harveys Supermarket store to the needs of the communities it serves, with a focus on great value, stunning quality food and serving with personality.

Each new Harveys Supermarket is focused on delivering many ways to save with “Great Low Price” items and “Low and Staying Low” deals, which together offer more than 3,000 items at reduced prices throughout the store.

Some items include:

• Breyer’s Ice Cream – 48 oz. – Was $5.99 Now $4.50 (25% savings)
• Crisco Vegetable Oil – 48 oz. – was $4.19 – now $3.19 (over 20% savings)
• Nestle Pure Life 24 CT – was $4.99 – now $3.99 (20% savings)
• White Lily Self-Rising Flour – was $3.49 now $2.99 (15% savings)

Ian McLeod, President and CEO of Southeastern Grocers said, “For more than 90 years, Harveys Supermarket has been the local grocer that customers can count on for all their grocery needs. The Harveys banner expansion exemplifies our commitment to our nearcentury heritage and unwavering customer promise of providing great value, great prices and great service.”

“Customers shopping at our new Harveys Supermarket will now find thousands of great low prices and significant savings that make a meaningful difference for families on a budget,” said Ian McLeod.

The new and improved Harveys Supermarket locations offer enhancements throughout the store, including:

• Harveys newest design concept features a new façade, with fresh, contemporary interior signage.
• More than 800 products are now priced, “Low and Staying Low,” and are easily found in store with a distinctive bright yellow thumbs-up sign – price guaranteed for at least 6 months.
• Over 2,200 items across the store are reduced in price – easily identified by the, “Great Low Price” tags – great low prices, whether on-sale or off-sale.
• New $1 Zone within the store, with savings on more than 600 popular items for only $1, including beverages, canned goods, cleaners, meals, greeting cards, baby and health items.
• An expanded meat department with new smoked meats and value meat selections – Big Pack, Big Value!
• “Pick 5” with more than 75 items to choose from, including fresh and frozen meats, for only $19.95; a 25% average discount!
• Refreshed produce department featuring stunningly-fresh quality produce from over 90 local farmers.
• Expanded health and beauty care section with more than 250 new products to save customers a trip to the salon or barbershop.

Harveys Supermarket has more than 90 years of heritage in the Southeast. Due to the overwhelming positive response to recent openings in Charlotte, NC and Jacksonville, FL, Southeastern Grocers is providing the same commitment to great value for 73 more communities in which it operates, kicking-off with one of the largest single-day grocery grand openings in the Southeast, including 11 BI-LO, 55 Harveys and 7 Winn-Dixie stores.

New Rewards Card Launched

And yet another way to save at the new Harveys, customers throughout all Harveys locations will be able to upgrade to a Harveys Rewards + Plenti® card and earn points across multiple brands.

The average Harveys household will have the opportunity to save hundreds of dollars annually with the upgraded Harveys Rewards + Plenti® program, including earning free gas and groceries whenever they purchase gas and groceries. For more information, customers can visit http://www.harveyssupermarkets.com/plenti.

The first new Harveys Supermarket store concept was launched in Jacksonville, FL in May 2016, followed by the Charlotte, NC store in July 2016. Harveys Supermarket now includes 73 locations.

Customers can visit www.harveyssupermarkets.com for individual store locations and hours of operation.

About Southeastern Grocers

Southeastern Grocers, LLC, parent company and home of BI-LO, Fresco y Más, Harveys and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, is the second-largest supermarket in the Southeast based on store count. The company employs nearly 60,000 associates who serve customers in grocery stores, liquor stores and in-store pharmacies throughout the seven southeastern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. BI-LO, Fresco y Más, Harveys and Winn-Dixie are well-known and well-respected regional brands with deep heritages, strong neighborhood ties, proud histories of giving back, talented and loyal associates, and strong commitments to providing the best possible quality and value to customers. For more information, visit www.bi-lo.com, www.frescoymas.com, www.harveyssupermarkets.com and www.winndixie.com.

For SEG interviews, or images contact:

Joe Caldwell
Manager, Corporate Communications
(904) 318-7197 cell
media@segrocers.com

Source: Southeastern Grocers

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The Home Depot® declares third quarter cash dividend of 69 cents per share

ATLANTA, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Home Depot®, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, today (Nov. 17, 2016) announced that its board of directors declared a third quarter cash dividend of 69 cents per share. The dividend is payable on December 15, 2016, to shareholders of record on the close of business on December 1, 2016. This is the 119th consecutive quarter the company has paid a cash dividend.

The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,276 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. In fiscal 2015, The Home Depot had sales of $88.5 billion and earnings of $7.0 billion. The Company employs more than 385,000 associates. The Home Depot’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor’s 500 index.

Contact:

Email: investor_relations@homedepot.com
IR Coordinator: 770-384-2871

SOURCE: The Home Depot

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Colruyt Group joins sustainable transport initiative by shipping citrus fruits from Spain via Cool Rail

Halle, Belgium, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — Colruyt Group will be shipping several containers of citrus fruit each week from Spain via Cool Rail, a new rail link for fresh produce between Valencia and the Port of Cologne. Trucks transport the containers to the distribution centre in Halle and return to Cologne with empty crates. The Cool Rail link is a sustainable alternative to road transport. Each container travels 83% fewer truck kilometres, which results in a 70% reduction in CO2. Colruyt Group sees this initiative as part of its broader pursuit of sustainable transport.

Full containers
Colruyt Group can optimise its return trips thanks to this new link. On the same site as the citrus fruit is unloaded, the containers are loaded with freshly washed EPS (Euro Pool System) folding crates for transport back to Cologne. “So the containers are always fully loaded for every journey,” says import project leader Wim Verghote. “In addition, the combined Valencia-Cologne-Halle journey only takes one more day than doing the entire journey by truck. So the freshness of the produce is guaranteed.”

Eventually, Cool Rail will also be able to transport fresh produce other than citrus fruit, such as broccoli and lettuce, from Valencia to Cologne for Colruyt Group. In November, two trains will run each week, with the aim of increasing this to five per week as more partners join the initiative.

More sustainable freight
For Colruyt Group, Cool Rail matches its pursuit of more sustainable international transport, including switching from road transport to rail and maritime transport. For goods imported from other European countries, more than half the journeys were carried out by train or boat. Last year, this has avoided 3,177,000 truck kilometres. “We are pleased that we can be part of this initiative,” continues Wim Verghote. “And we continue to look for new opportunities to reduce the impact of our freight transport further.”

Cross-border co-operation
Cool Rail is an international initiative with six partners from the retail, logistics and transport sectors in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Wim Verghote explains, “It’s remarkable that so many partners could get together to work on more sustainable transport. Hopefully, this initiative will inspire others to take action.”

Cool Rail was launched by the Dutch fruit and vegetable wholesaler, Bakker Barendrecht and the Euro Pool System logistics company, and is supported by the Port of Rotterdam. They worked with the Mercator Novus consultancy to develop Cool Rail and get it up and running. In addition to Colruyt Group, retailers Albert Heijn and Edeka (Germany) are also involved.

Contact:
Patti Verdoodt
press@colruytgroup.com
Tel: +32 (0)2 363 55 45
Fax: +32 (0)473 92 45 10

###

Colruyt Group joins sustainable transport initiative by shipping citrus fruits from Spain via Cool Rail
Colruyt Group joins sustainable transport initiative by shipping citrus fruits from Spain via Cool Rail

 

Source: Colruyt Group

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BJ’s Restaurants launches new program that enables guests to honor the heroes among us

Nationwide program enables guests to pay tribute to first responders and other heroes in our communities

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — BJ’s Restaurants, Inc.(NASDAQ:BJRI) today (Nov. 17, 2016 ) announced the launch of Buy a Hero a BeerSM, a program for our guests to honor the heroes among us, including first responders.

“This new program is designed to engage the entire nation in recognizing the heroes in our country, in our communities, and in our personal lives,” said Greg Trojan, President and CEO of BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. “At a time when too many stories are focused on the negative, we want to spread positivity by allowing our guests to buy a beer for everyday heroes. These are the noble men and women who may not make headlines but who deserve a toast for their courage and kindness.”

Starting on November 17, guests over the age of 21 may contribute $6 toward a pint of BJ’s craft beer (or BJ’s handcrafted soda) for a hero at a BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse® nationwide. There are three ways to contribute: online at bjsrestaurants.com/hero, on the BJ’s mobile app, or directly on their restaurant bill.

The program will initially focus on first responders: the firefighters, police officers and EMTs who risk themselves for the sake of others, both in our communities and across the country. (Watch how the local community in Cypress Creek, Texas thanks a volunteer firefighter in this video.)

Individuals who fall within the program’s current hero designation can sign up online to reserve a beer. They will then receive a promo code to redeem their BJ’s craft beer or handcrafted soda, which must be claimed within 48 hours.

“The Buy a Hero a Beer initiative aims to raise awareness and, most importantly, enable our guests to thank our community heroes for the difficult job they do every day,” said Kevin Mayer, EVP, Chief Marketing Officer of BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. “Your contribution will make sure that a hero in your community has a cold beer waiting for them at their local BJ’s. It’s a small, but powerful, gesture that shows how much the everyday heroes in our communities are needed and appreciated.”

BJ’s also makes it possible for guests to honor personal heroes by sending them a BJ’s eGift card by visiting bjsrestaurants.com/hero. Whether it’s a friend who helped you move in the rain or the crossing guard who keeps your kids safe, BJ’s recognizes that heroes don’t always wear uniforms.

Visitors of bjsrestaurants.com/hero are also invited to take a pledge to honor the heroic people in our communities who may not get all of the recognition they deserve—those who give their time to help others in big ways and small.

“I’m confident that we can create a culture of gratitude and generosity with something as simple as a cold beer,” said Trojan. “The stories of everyday heroes inspire me to make every moment count, and I hope they will inspire our guests as well. This is a personal priority not just as the President and CEO of BJ’s, not just as a husband and a father, but as an American who believes that our country’s greatness depends on how we honor each other.”

BJ’s is asking all of its guests and other friends to join in this initiative. Help make sure our heroes are recognized and rewarded. Buy a hero a beer and pledge to be part of the movement at bjsrestaurants.com/hero. Don’t forget to share your experience using #BuyAHeroABeer.

You must be 21 or older to contribute, or to reserve or redeem a promo code for a beer. Contributions are not tax deductible. Promo codes expire in 48 hours.  Heroes may reserve one promo code a day and may redeem beers and sodas subject to availability. For the current “Hero” designation and other terms and conditions, visit bjsrestaurants.com/hero.

About BJ’s Restaurants, Inc.
BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. currently owns and operates 186 casual dining restaurants under the BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse®, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery®, BJ’s Pizza & Grill® and BJ’s Grill® brand names.  BJ’s Restaurants offer an innovative and broad menu featuring award-winning, signature deep-dish pizza complemented with generously portioned salads, appetizers, sandwiches, soups, pastas, entrees and desserts, including the Pizookie® dessert.  Quality, flavor, value, moderate prices and sincere service remain distinct attributes of the BJ’s experience.  All restaurants feature BJ’s critically acclaimed proprietary craft beers, which are produced at several of the Company’s Restaurant & Brewery locations, its two brewpubs in Texas and by independent third party craft brewers.

The Company’s restaurants are located in the 24 states of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington. Visit BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. on the Web at http://www.bjsrestaurants.com for locations and additional information.

Media Contact:

Lauren Hendeles
lauren@hendelcontent.com
602-750-5934

Source: BJ’s Restaurants, Inc./globenewswire

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Kroger to host 3Q financial results conference call with investors on Thursday, December 1, 2016

CINCINNATI, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) will host a conference call with investors on Thursday, December 1, 2016 at 10 a.m. (ET) to discuss financial results for the third 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 Thursday, December 1, 2016.

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 2,781 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 2,240 pharmacies, 785 convenience stores, 323 fine jewelry stores, 1,423 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.

SOURCE: The Kroger Co.

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Winners of 2016 Kering Award for Sustainable Fashion announced

London, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — Held at London College of Fashion on Monday 14th November, Kering and Centre for Sustainable Fashion at London College of Fashion, UAL, revealed the winners of the 2016 Kering Award for Sustainable Fashion. The event at LCF gathered over 400 guests including, researchers, journalists, professionals from the fashion industry and students, around the British fashion designer Stella McCartney, guest of honour at the 2016 Kering Talk.

Following an initial brief from Stella McCartney and Brioni, over 400 registrations and ten finalist projects, five students from London College of Fashion were selected as winners of the 2016 Kering Award for Sustainable Fashion: students Irene-Marie Seelig, Iciar Bravo Tomboly, and Ana Pasalic for Stella McCartney; and students Agraj Jain and Elise Comrie for Brioni.

The ten finalist projects together reflected the importance of sustainability and social consciousness to today’s young talent. All students, coming from different academic disciplines and personal backgrounds, showed a deep commitment to fashion and the environment, along with a strong interest to more sustainable practices in business in general. By taking part in the 2016 Kering Award for Sustainable Fashion, they were looking to merge their passions, and illustrate the economic relevance of a more sustainable fashion industry.

The 2016 projects explore sustainability in various ways, including product innovation to reduce fashion’s impact on the planet using new materials (for example mushroom skin, peace or spider silk), alternative assembling methods to increase clothes’ longevity, or the use of new technologies and digital tools to educate the general public and luxury fashion clients to the necessity of a more sustainable development in fashion (conscious consumption, clothes lifecycle, transparency). The majority of contestants designed their projects by rethinking the whole production cycle and value chain in fashion, going from material sourcing to product development and recycling. This echoes Kering’s own commitment to drive luxury fashion toward higher levels of economic, environmental, ethical and social performance.

Grants to support their work and internship opportunities within Stella McCartney and Brioni were offered to winners of the 2016 Kering Award for Sustainable Fashion.

Luxury brands Gucci and Stella McCartney will host next year’s contest.
Credits are included in the files’ names and captions mentioned in the files’ properties

Notes to Editors

Winning projects for Stella McCartney

Winner of the Award for Innovation
Irene-Marie Seelig: Amadou Mushroom Skin Project
“My project further confirms my belief that innovation occurs at the intersection of the arts and sciences where we can collaborate to leave a positive, lasting imprint on society and the environment.”

An MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation student Irene-Marie Seelig is a Californian native with over a decade of international experience within the fashion industries. She believes in taking a holistic approach to sustainability, relating the health of the environment to that of its inhabitants.

Irene begun researching the wellbeing properties of mushrooms when her mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. It was this idea that informed her project for the Kering Award for Sustainable Fashion: mushroom leather. This innovative material, made from the skin of Amadou Mushrooms, is a renewable, biodegradable and vegetarian leather alternative. Irene tested both the aesthetic and the durability of the material to confirm its viability for the luxury fashion industry.

Winner of the Award for Collaboration

Iciar Bravo Tomboly: Social Ecology Project
“I believe we cannot change our environment without renewing humanity. So we should achieve an integral ecology that focuses not only on environmental and financial issues, but also on social issues.”
MA Fashion Design Management student, Iciar considers herself to be a leader, being at the head of several social organisations and an active volunteer in charities involved in fashion, social development, children education and empowering women. She has developed a global awareness of the industry and worked with suppliers from all around the world.

According to Iciar, human well-being is a main concern for the world and for the achievement of global goals. That is why she has developed a tool that measures and increases the social impact of a company by empowering employees and manufacturers. She has chosen to assess seven areas that are related to the UN Global goals and to Kering social targets, using a women’s perspective.

Winner of the Special Project Award

Ana Pasalic: Uncoloured Colours Project
“Reflecting on my own work made me understand that if I want to change the fashion industry I have to do it right at the beginning, on a business level and on a personal level.
Through the knowledge and the experience she gained during her MA Fashion Futures, Ana understood how she, as a designer, could influence and change the fashion industry, starting with materials. Her aim with this project was to make sure that fashion is going in the right direction: a sustainable direction ensuring a better life for every creature and plant on our planet.

Ana’s project, the “Uncoloured Colours” for Stella McCartney, is inspired by the idea to design and manufacture better materials from less. Dye wastewater from textile factories is becoming one of the substantial sources of severe pollution problems in recent times and has been classified as the most polluting of all the industrial sectors. ‘Uncoloured Colours’ could help save a substantial amount of water and avoid human risk involved in synthetic dyeing processes, through dyeing the master batch solution.

Winning projects for Brioni

Winner of the Award for Innovation
Agraj Jain: Peace Silk Project
“My main motivation for taking part in the award was the hope that the Kering group would actually use my idea in the best commercial and practical way.”
Agraj, a BA Fashion Design Technology in Menswear student, was born and brought up in the city of Agra, in India. Since childhood he has followed the religion of Jainism, which is very attached to sustainability and non-violence. Sustainability has always been important to him and his work, and he has spread awareness of sustainability by conducting an arts & crafts class using recycled materials at an orphanage in his hometown.

According to Agraj, you cannot make beauty out of killing. Using conventional silk requires the cruel process of killing a silk worm when it is still in its cocoon. However, with peace silk – which is not a substitute of silk but a high quality product – the little living being completes its cycle and comes out of the cocoon before the cocoon is used to make silk fabric. Therefore, it allows the silk moth to live and die naturally.

Winner of the Award for Collaboration

Elise Comrie: Tailored Tobacco Project
“At the 2010 New Delhi Renewable Energy and Clean Technology conference I saw the consistent failure of sustainable technology to solve problems more cheaply and reliably addressed by diesel, coal or fossil fuels.”
MA Fashion Futures student, Elise built a sustainable low-cost ‘solar oven’, a luxury push chair and trendy urban composter ‘The Thin Bin’ whilst completing her Bachelor’s in Design at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax, Canada, her native country.

Her proposal for the 2016 Kering Award for Sustainable Fashion was to design a Smoking Jacket dyed from the organically sourced tobacco plant. With a turnover of 90 days to harvest, the sustainably sourced tobacco plant is ideal for the textile industry.

More information on the projects on http://sustainable-fashion.com/projects/lcfxkering/

About London College of Fashion – Centre for Sustainable Fashion
Centre for Sustainable Fashion (CSF) is a Research Centre of the University of the Arts London based at London College of Fashion. Its work explores vital elements of “Better Lives” London College of Fashion’s commitment to using fashion to drive change, build a sustainable future and improve the way we live. Established in 2008 by Dilys Williams, and actively supported and enabled by Head of College Professor Frances Corner OBE, CSF’s starting point was human and ecological resilience as a lens for design in fashion’s artistic and business practices. CSF was devised to question and challenge reactionary fashion cultures, which reflect and re-enforce patterns of excessive consumption and disconnection, to expand fashion’s ability to connect, delight and identify individual and collective values. The CSF has grown to be a diverse community of world leading researchers, designers, educators and communicators with an extensive network that crosses disciplines, generations, cultures and locations, enabling them to: create internationally acclaimed research, set agendas in government, business, and public arenas and pioneer world relevant curriculum.

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:
Kering
Emmanuelle Picard-Deyme – emmanuelle.picard-deyme@kering.com
Floriane Geroudet – floriane.geroudet@kering.com
London College of Fashion & Centre for Sustainable Fashion
Melissa Langlands – m.langlands@fashion.arts.ac.uk

Websites
www.kering.com
www.arts.ac.uk/fashion
http://sustainable-fashion.com
www.stellamccartney.com

Social media
Twitter: @KeringGroup, @LCFLondon, @sustfash, @StellaMcCartney
Instagram: @kering_official, @lcflondon_, @stellamccartney
Facebook: Keringgroup, London College of Fashion – Official, Centre for Sustainable Fashion, Stella McCartney
LinkedIn: Kering, London College of Fashion, Stella McCartney

Source: Kering

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New METRO Accelerator for Retail powered by Techstars to drive digital solutions for the retail sector

  • New METRO Accelerator for Retail powered by Techstars: METRO and Real jointly focus on digital services for the retail sector
  • In search of innovations and technologies for independent traders and retailers
  • Three-month program for ten international start-up teams complements existing Accelerator program for the digitisation of the hospitality sector
  • Applications welcome now at www.metroaccelerator.com

Düsseldorf, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — In a tried and tested cooperation with Techstars, the METRO GROUP Wholesale & Food Specialist Company (W&FS Co.) is launching a new start-up program under the umbrella of the METRO Accelerator to drive digital solutions for the retail sector. This will be the first time that METRO and Real, together, assume the role of expert coaches for the start-ups. The “METRO Accelerator for Retail powered by Techstars” complements the Accelerator program for digital solutions in the hotel, restaurant and catering industry which has been running successfully for the past two years. The new program will kick off on 12 June 2017 in Berlin.

The second Accelerator of METRO GROUP W&FS Co. addresses start-ups offering innovative digital applications for independent traders, a key customer group of METRO Cash & Carry and of large hypermarkets which are the business model of Real who participates as a new partner in METRO’s Accelerator program. Over a period of three months, experienced mentors and experts will support ten selected international start-ups in Berlin to further refine their business model and establish themselves in the market. The METRO Accelerator for Retail powered by Techstars is the first accelerator that systematically promotes digital applications for independent traders (B2B2C) and also for Real as one of the leading hypermarket chains (B2C).

We are looking for start-up teams who develop technology-based services and products to accelerate business processes in the retail sector or to intensify customer relationships and bring them into the digital age. Digital applications are to make METRO’s customers even more successful in the future and Real as an important German hypermarket chain is to benefit from further innovative impulses. The range of digital solution users extends from kiosks, local grocery stores, service stations or delivery services all the way to franchise retail chains and hypermarkets.

As from now and throughout 12 March 2017, interested start-ups from the world over can submit their application for the start-up program on the English language website www.metroaccelerator.com. The teams must complete a questionnaire and can optionally also upload a video. The complete application process is in English. In telephone interviews and face-to-face meetings, an experienced jury of investors and mentors will select the ten most promising start-ups.

“The core of our strategy is to help our customers to become even more successful in their businesses. Here, digital solutions play an increasingly important role. After successfully establishing the METRO Accelerator for the hospitality sector together with Techstars the time has come to take the next step. We are convinced that independent traders can strongly benefit from digital solutions – with regard to customer communication, new services and also in terms of their business operations. That is why we are now launching the METRO Accelerator for Retail. Together with Techstars, we want to help innovative companies to develop successfully. In this process, the start-ups will receive extensive support, like for example access to more than 100 mentors”, says Olaf Koch, Chairman of the Management Board of METRO AG.

The METRO Accelerator for Retail powered by Techstars, just like the Accelerator for the hospitality sector, comprises a three-month program in Berlin. Ten selected start-ups from all over the world will be intensively supported by mentors in the process of further developing their innovations. To this effect, METRO Cash & Carry which operates in 25 countries with 21 million customers worldwide and Real will contribute the extensive expertise of its specialists from the fields of Procurement, Sales, Marketing, Strategy, Finance, Legal and Communications. “With the Accelerator program, we can systematically expand our innovation leadership in German food retail developed over many years. With around 300 locations in Germany, an average sales floor of around 8,000 square meters, an assortment of up to 80,000 articles and up to one million customers per day, Real like no other company offers the ideal platform for start-up teams to test their technical innovations in the German retail sector”, says Real’s CEO Patrick MüllerSarmiento.

Techstars contributes its internationally proven process for the Accelerator program and a network of more than 3,000 mentors, investors and experienced members of the start-up community.

While the Hospitality Accelerator is regularly hosted in autumn in Berlin, the METRO Accelerator for Retail powered by Techstars will kick-off on 12 June 2017 in Berlin. After three months of work with more than 100 international mentors, the start-ups will present their company to investors, leading industry representatives and the public on the so-called Demo Day in September 2017. The program offers the following to the participants:

 Ten selected teams will each receive an offer €120,000 worth of investment
 Access to the top management and expert networks of METRO, Real and Techstars
 Mentorship by METRO, Real and Techstars as well as by other leading industry representatives, investors and entrepreneurs
 Use of free co-working spaces in the heart of Berlin for the duration of the program
 Membership in the international Techstars and METRO Accelerator alumni network

“With the second accelerator program we can promote start-ups even more specifically and thereby build on the success of our first program. The Retail Accelerator is strategically important for us and highly relevant for our customers. We are looking for the world’s best B2B and B2C innovations for the retail sector: from augmented reality applications for the shopping experience of the future to digital solutions for retail or hypermarket logistics all the way to tech-based systems for the operation of franchise chains”, explains Alexander Zumdieck, Managing Director METRO of the METRO Accelerator for Retail.

Alexander Hafner, Managing Director Techstars of the METRO Accelerator for Retail, adds: “With METRO and Real, the start-ups have the opportunity to interact with leading and well-networked retail partners over a three-month period. The retail sector is one of the markets with the strongest digital growth rates and therefore the exchange between start-ups and industry experts in the framework of the Accelerator represents the key for developing important competitive advantages. That way, innovative business models are created that benefit METRO’s specialist trade partners and the end users.”

Companies and start-up teams from all over the world who are interested in participating in the METRO Accelerator for Retail powered by Techstars can now submit their application online until 12 March 2017. The Retail Accelerator will be organised alternately with the Hospitality Accelerator which has been running successfully for two years already.

More information available at: www.metroaccelerator.com

Under the umbrella of the METRO Accelerator powered by Techstars, METRO and Techstars, in two programs, help international start-up teams in the development of digital solutions. One of the programs focuses on solutions for the hotel, restaurant and catering sector while the second program is aimed at the retail industry. In the framework of the three-month programs organised in Berlin, experienced mentors and experts will in each case help ten selected startups to successfully develop their own business further with regard to customers and investors. The METRO Accelerator powered by Techstars was launched in 2015 with a regularly hosted hospitality program that is the unique in the world. More information available at www.metroaccelerator.com

The METRO GROUP Wholesale & Food Specialist Company (W&FS Co.) is an internationally leading specialist in wholesale and food retail. With its sales lines METRO Cash & Carry and Real as well as its other associated companies, METRO GROUP W&FS Co. operates in 35 countries and employs more than 112,000 people around the world. In 2014/15, METRO GROUP W&FS Co. achieved sales of around €37 billion. The company provides custom solutions to meet the regional and international needs of its wholesale and retail customers. More information available at www.metrogroup.de

Techstars is a global ecosystem that empowers entrepreneurs to bring new technologies to market wherever they choose to live. With dozens of mentorship-driven accelerator programs and thousands of start-up programs worldwide, Techstars exists to support the world’s most promising entrepreneurs throughout their lifelong journey, from inspiration to IPO. Techstars provides access to tens of thousands of community leaders, founders, mentors, investors and corporate partners, allowing entrepreneurs to accelerate the pace of innovation and Do More Faster™. Techstars supports every stage of the entrepreneurial journey – from the idea to venture capital investments to M&A and IPO. For more information visit www.techstars.com.

Contact:

METRO GROUP Wholesale & Food Specialist Company
Corporate Communications and Public Policy
Telephone +49 (0) 211 68 86-42 52
presse@metro.de

Source: METRO GROUP

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Baptist Health and Walgreens to improve healthcare of northeast Florida community

DEERFIELD, Ill. and JACKSONVILLE, Fla., 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — Baptist Health and Walgreens today (Nov. 16, 2016 ) announced a collaboration focused on improving and coordinating healthcare to create greater convenience and value for residents of northeast Florida.

As part of the agreement, in early January 2017, Baptist’s retail pharmacy operations will open under Walgreens ownership at Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville, while the pharmacies at the health system’s six other locations are planned to close, with continuity provided through access to any of the approximately 50 Walgreens pharmacies across the Jacksonville area. Baptist Health’s inpatient pharmacies and infusion therapy pharmacy will remain owned and operated by Baptist.

“This is a strategic relationship between the most comprehensive health care system in the region and a long-standing, trusted provider of pharmacy services throughout the community,” said Hugh Greene, Baptist Health president and CEO. “Together with Walgreens, we are eager to provide value while improving the overall health of the communities of northeast Florida.”

In addition, Baptist Health will own the clinical practice and operations management of retail health clinics within three Walgreens stores in Jacksonville and northeast Florida.  These existing Walgreens Healthcare Clinics are expected to transition to Baptist in May 2017, at which time the clinics will become an extension of Baptist Health. Once opened under Baptist operation, the clinics will operate under the name of Baptist Health Clinic at Walgreens.  Walgreens will continue to manage the existing Healthcare Clinics at these locations until that time.

The retail clinics will complement Baptist’s extensive primary care network and urgent care partnership with CareSpot. Baptist Health Clinic at Walgreens will give consumers improved access to the compassionate, affordable, high-quality care provided by Baptist with extended walk-in hours, convenient online scheduling and the option to access a variety of health care services without an appointment.

Greene added, “Our clinical agreement with Walgreens is part of our overall drive to meet rising consumer expectations with easy access to high quality, convenient care.”

Baptist Health and Walgreens also plan to use digital tools and incentives to help people manage their health. The Walgreens mobile app, for example, offers a variety of tools and programs including Balance® Rewards, a customer loyalty program that allows customers to earn points for health-related activities such as walking or running, logging weight, checking blood pressure and receiving vaccinations.

In addition, as the two organizations share a commitment to the greater Jacksonville community, Walgreens and Baptist will be planning several community initiatives in the near future.

“Collaboration is key in today’s healthcare environment, to help meet the changing needs of consumers, providers and the communities we serve,” said Amy Bixler, Walgreens regional healthcare director. “We’re pleased to work with Baptist Health to enhance care coordination across both pharmacy and retail clinic services, and look forward to bringing Walgreens pharmacists even closer to Baptist patients to further improve care delivery and outcomes.”

About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com), one of the nation’s largest drugstore chains, is included in the Retail Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ: WBA), the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise. More than 10 million customers interact with Walgreens each day in communities across America, using the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice. Walgreens operates 8,175 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Walgreens omnichannel business includes Walgreens.com and VisionDirect.com. Approximately 400 Walgreens stores offer Healthcare Clinic or other provider retail clinic services.

About Baptist Health
Baptist Health is a faith-based, mission-driven system in Northeast Florida comprised of Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville; Baptist Medical Center Beaches; Baptist Medical Center Nassau; Baptist Medical Center South; Baptist Clay Medical Campus and Wolfson Children’s Hospital – the region’s only children’s hospital.  All Baptist Health hospitals, along with Baptist Home Health Care, have achieved Magnet™ status for excellence in patient care. Baptist Health is part of Coastal Community Health, a regional affiliation between Baptist Health, Flagler Hospital and Southeast Georgia Health System forming a highly integrated hospital network focused on significant initiatives designed to enhance the quality and value of care provided to our contiguous communities. Baptist Health has the area’s only dedicated heart hospital; orthopedic institute; women’s services; neurological institute, including comprehensive neurosurgical services, a comprehensive stroke center and two primary stroke centers; a Bariatric Center of Excellence; a full range of psychology and psychiatry services; urgent care services; and primary and specialty care physicians’ offices throughout Northeast Florida. The Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center is a regional destination for multidisciplinary cancer care which is clinically integrated with the MD Anderson Cancer Center, the internationally renowned cancer treatment and research institution in Houston. For more details, visit baptistjax.com

Contacts:

Walgreens
Scott Goldberg
847-315-7649
scott.goldberg@walgreens.com
http://news.walgreens.com
@WalgreensNews
facebook.com/Walgreens

Baptist Health:
Cindy Hamilton
904-202-4907
Cindy.Hamilton@bmcjax.com

Source: Walgreens

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Starbucks Corporation to host its 2016 Investor Day on Wednesday, December 7th

Starbucks Corporation to host its 2016 Investor Day on Wednesday, December 7th
Starbucks Corporation to host its 2016 Investor Day on Wednesday, December 7th

 

SEATTLE, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) will host its 2016 Investor Day on Wednesday, December 7th. The event will feature presentations and a Q&A session with Howard Schultz, chairman and chief executive officer; Kevin Johnson, president and chief operating officer; Scott Maw, executive vice president and chief financial officer; and other members of the company’s senior leadership team.

Due to limited capacity, attendance is by invitation only. The event will be webcast live and all interested parties are invited to access the webcast from the company’s website: http://investor.starbucks.com. The event is scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. ET and will continue until approximately 12 noon ET. Following a break for lunch, the webcast of the live event will resume at approximately 1:30 p.m. ET and is expected to conclude at approximately 3:00 p.m. ET.

The presentation slides shown at the event and on the live webcast will be available for download on the company’s website by the end of the day on December 7, 2016. A replay of the webcast will remain accessible through January 6, 2017.

About Starbucks

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with more than 24,000 stores around the globe, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit our stores or online at news.starbucks.com and Starbucks.com.

Media contact:

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

Source: Starbucks

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Tesco’s biggest ever Black Friday event: 11 days of amazing deals

Tesco’s biggest ever Black Friday event: 11 days of amazing deals
Tesco’s biggest ever Black Friday event: 11 days of amazing deals

 

CHESHUNT, England, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — Customers are set to benefit from Tesco’s biggest ever Black Friday event this year, with the retailer offering 11 days of amazing deals and savings up from four days last year.

  • 11 days of deals running from Monday 21 November to Thursday 1 December 2016
  • More stores taking part than ever before with over 700 stores offering Black Friday deals
  • Broader range of products on offer including electrical, toys and home with up to 50% off on selected items. This year 650 items will be on promotion during the Black Friday event up from 200 items last year
  • Tesco already offering market leading prices on the most loved toys this Christmas

The event will run on the Tesco Direct website from Monday 21st November to Thursday 1st December, while over 300 Tesco stores will be opening their doors to customers at 5am on Black Friday itself.

Last year’s event saw Tesco Direct receive seven orders per second with a total of 220,000 orders in the day. The bestselling ranges were TVs, tablets, gaming consoles and small domestic appliances. This year Tesco will be offering discounts on 650 products with up to 50% off on selected items.

Matt Davies, Tesco UK and ROI CEO said:

“We’re doing all we can to take the hard work out of Christmas and help our customers get everything they need in one place. We’re already offering customers market leading prices on the most loved toys this Christmas, and now we’re launching our best ever Black Friday event, providing customers with more time than ever before to take advantage of some great deals.

He adds:

“Christmas is an extremely busy time for customers, but with more products now on sale for a longer period, we’re hoping to take the stress out of Christmas shopping for our customers.”

This year’s event will start at 9 am on Monday 21 November on the Tesco Direct website and at 5 am on Friday 25 November in the majority of Tesco Extra stores. 24 hour Extra stores will close from midnight on Thursday 24 November until 5am on Friday 25 November to prepare for the event.

Notes to editors

Specific Black Friday deals will be announced on Monday 21st November and Friday 25th November.

For more information please contact the Tesco Press Office on 01707 918 701

Source: Tesco

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Amazon: sellers to benefit from new and enhanced tools designed to help meet demand this holiday season

 

  • 50 percent of units sold on Amazon are from sellers, small businesses and entrepreneurs
  • Seller Fulfilled Prime program has added more than 6 million new items for Prime members with free two-day or next-day shipping in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany and Japan
  • Automated pricing, deals scheduling and seller mobile app make this holiday season easier for businesses selling on Amazon

SEATTLE, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) predicts record-setting sales this year from businesses selling on Amazon as they prepare for a busy holiday season. To help keep up with demand, sellers will benefit from the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) service and growing Seller Fulfilled Prime program to reach tens of millions of Amazon Prime members worldwide. The Seller Fulfilled Prime program has already made more than 6 million new items available to Prime members across the U.S., U.K., France, Germany and Japan.

“We’re dedicated to making the fulfillment technology that Amazon develops available to sellers,” said Peter Faricy, VP for Amazon Marketplace. “The FBA service and Seller Fulfilled Prime program are the greatest opportunities in e-commerce for sellers to easily reach loyal Prime members and expand their business. We are proud that we are empowering so many retailers to grow their business, many of them small businesses and entrepreneurs. In fact, 50 percent of the total units sold on Amazon are from sellers.”

FBA enables sellers to attract Prime members by having Amazon store and ship their products directly to customers while offering Prime benefits, including FREE two-day or next-day shipping and simple exporting around the world. With Seller Fulfilled Prime, sellers who are able to meet a high bar for shipping speed and customer service can have their items badged as Prime eligible, and ship their own orders at Prime speed directly to customers.

This holiday season sellers will also be taking advantage of new and enhanced tools designed to help meet the demand:

  • Easy deal scheduling: The Recommended Deals tool allows sellers worldwide to submit Lightning Deals in just two-clicks. Sellers have used the tool to increase the number of deals offered to customers by more than 500 percent this year.
  • Automated pricing: Through the Automated Pricing tool, sellers can manage and automatically adjust prices on items based on seller-specified rules. Sellers can peg their prices to the Buy Box price or the lowest price, and Amazon will automatically adjust pricing. Sellers have reported the tool can reduce the amount of time spent managing pricing by up to 80 percent per week.
  • Expanded features on the Amazon seller mobile app: The Amazon seller mobile app includes Selling Coach recommendations that help sellers quickly make pricing changes, visual search capability to help source and list items and Photo Studio to capture and retouch product photos from a mobile device. Sellers using the app have experienced an average lift in gross sales by more than 20 percent.

“Fulfillment by Amazon and Seller Fulfilled Prime have been a big advantage for our business. The programs have helped us increase sales this year by more than 30 percent month-over-month,” said Jeff McDonald, CEO and founder of Raw Paws Pet Food. “Seller Fulfilled Prime in particular has enabled us to expand product options for customers to offer different varieties and pack sizes of our all-natural dog and cat chews and treats.”

“In 2016, Fulfillment by Amazon has helped us reach more Prime members, increasing our sales by more than 100 percent,” said Jennifer McMillan, Founder of First State Trade. “Our business specializes in toys and keeping inventory in-stock is critical during the holiday season. The combination of FBA and Selling Coach helps us carefully manage inventory so customers can always get the items they want with two-day or next-day shipping.”

Last year on Cyber Monday, sellers on Amazon received orders for more than 23 million items, a more than 40 percent increase year-over-year. In 2015, FBA delivered more than 1 billion items to customers worldwide.

Businesses interested in selling on Amazon and Fulfillment by Amazon can visit us for more details at http://services.amazon.com.

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.

This press release contains forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, in addition to the factors discussed above, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments, the mix of products and services sold to customers, the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services, the extent to which we owe income taxes, competition, management of growth, potential fluctuations in operating results, international growth and expansion, the outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment, sortation, delivery, and data center optimization, risks of inventory management, seasonality, the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains, and develops commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, payments risks, and risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risks related to new products, services, and technologies, system interruptions, government regulation and taxation, and fraud. In addition, the current global economic climate amplifies many of these risks. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com’s financial results is included in Amazon.com’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

Media Hotline:

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

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

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Amazon Web Services: customers can now subscribe to SaaS applications directly through AWS Marketplace

Customers can now subscribe to SaaS applications and APIs from a growing list of more than 20 ISVs directly through their AWS account

SEATTLE, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — Amazon Web Services Inc. (AWS), an Amazon.com company (NASDAQ: AMZN), today (Nov. 16, 2016) announced that customers can now subscribe to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications directly through AWS Marketplace. With SaaS Subscriptions on AWS Marketplace, customers can start using third-party SaaS and Application Programming Interface (API) products with just a few clicks, and pay through their existing AWS bill. Customers can now subscribe to SaaS products and APIs from Alert Logic, Aspera, Avalara, Bitium, Cloudinary, Cloudyn, Datadog, Datapath, Dome9 Security, Druva, Dynatrace, HERE, NetApp, New Relic, Pitney Bowes, Qubole, Signiant, Solano Labs, Solodev, Sumo Logic, and Trend Micro, with new independent software vendors (ISVs) to be added regularly. To get started with SaaS Subscriptions for AWS Marketplace, visit: https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/saas.

AWS Marketplace features more than 3,500 software listings from popular software vendors across 35 product categories, and over 100,000 active customers around the globe rely on it to find, buy, and immediately start using software that runs on AWS. AWS Marketplace already offers more than 800 SaaS and API listings. Now, ISVs can let AWS handle the metering and billing when customers purchase these products. With a flexible range of metering dimensions, ISVs can give customers options to pay in ways that best suit their needs. Deploying applications is simple, so customers can get SaaS applications up and running more quickly and get the security and scalability benefits of software built on AWS without having to manage the infrastructure it runs on.

With SaaS Subscriptions on AWS Marketplace, customers who use dozens of SaaS products across their organizations can manage all of the procurement, subscriptions, and payments in a single place, avoiding the hassle of dealing with separate bills from multiple ISVs. Customers get a single monthly bill that includes their SaaS usage charges along with charges for the other AWS Marketplace products and AWS services they use. Wider and easier access to SaaS products helps customers focus squarely on what differentiates their business, with less time and effort spent managing applications, infrastructure, procurement, and billing.

“Customers rely on AWS Marketplace to take the heavy lifting out of procuring and deploying the software and services they need to run their business. As SaaS becomes a strong preference for certain types of applications, customers have asked us whether we can make it as easy to find, subscribe to, and manage their favorite SaaS solutions as it is to buy traditional software on AWS Marketplace,” said Dave McCann, Vice President, AWS Marketplace and Catalog Services, Amazon Web Services. “No other cloud infrastructure marketplace has a combination of broad SaaS selection and a production API and SDK that enables software vendors to deliver unified metering and billing for their SaaS products with such a wide range of metering options. We’ve focused on making this as simple and flexible as possible for ISVs, which will result in deep and broad choice for our customers. With SaaS Subscriptions on AWS Marketplace, we’re making it easier than ever for customers to get the applications they want in one place, with one bill.”

Previously, ISVs that wanted to deliver a SaaS application to AWS customers needed to build their own metering and billing system, or purchase and integrate a third-party billing product. With SaaS Subscriptions on AWS Marketplace, ISVs can integrate their usage charges with a customer’s existing AWS bill through a new API, removing the need to build and maintain their own billing platform. This allows ISVs to focus on their products without diverting resources for billing, and can drive faster sales cycles with a streamlined purchasing experience.

“The design of the API and SDK that AWS Marketplace has delivered is powerful in its simplicity, scalability and flexibility,” said Adam Boyle, Head of Product Management, Deep Security, Trend Micro. “Our customers only want to pay for what they use, and this allows us to address that by providing a level of flexibility around a single consumption-based pricing model for both software and SaaS metering that we haven’t found in combination, anywhere else. It also reduces the work for us as a SaaS vendor—it only took a couple of developers a few weeks of engineering work to integrate and launch. We haven’t seen this kind of easy yet flexible approach for both software and SaaS from any other cloud provider.”

“We want to reengineer and simplify our software procurement and deployment experience for our engineering teams and our business users,” said Adam P. Japhet, Head of Technology Services Architecture and Design, Scholastic. “Like many enterprises, we have a portfolio of hundreds of different software subscriptions and entitlements that we have to manage internally. We asked the AWS Marketplace team to enable SaaS subscriptions so that we may subscribe to and consume software products more rapidly, using pay-by-usage metering and our existing AWS invoice terms. This new capability will provide increased transparency and accountability on software subscription and entitlement usage as they become part of our AWS invoice. We look forward to our current supplier portfolio embracing this new feature, and to discovering new offerings on AWS Marketplace we were previously unaware of.”

“New Relic’s recently launched Infrastructure product is designed to provide better visibility into cloud and hybrid architectures with a specific focus on expanded monitoring capabilities for AWS products, so it was important for us to deliver a frictionless buying experience for AWS customers,” said Hilarie Koplow-McAdams, President, New Relic. “We were able to quickly support SaaS Subscriptions on AWS Marketplace, which allows our mutual customers to get up and running immediately with flexible cloud pricing on a single bill.”

About Amazon Web Services

For 10 years, Amazon Web Services has been the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. AWS offers over 70 fully featured services for compute, storage, databases, analytics, mobile, Internet of Things (IoT) and enterprise applications from 38 Availability Zones (AZs) across 14 geographic regions in the U.S., Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and India. AWS services are trusted by more than a million active customers around the world — including the fastest growing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agencies — to power their infrastructure, make them more agile, and lower costs. To learn more about AWS, visit http://aws.amazon.com.

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 Web Services Inc.

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Amazon Prime available for just $79 on Friday, November 18

  • The Grand Tour episode one, featuring hosts Clarkson, Hammond and May, will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video Friday, November 18
  • Starting Friday, November 18 at 12:00 am ET and concluding at 11:59 pm PT, Amazon Prime will be available for just $79

SEATTLE, 2016-Nov-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — In anticipation of the launch of the Amazon Original Series The Grand Tour, Amazonis offering a limited time promotion—new members can sign up for Amazon Prime for just $79, a 20% savings on the first year’s annual membership fee. The first episode of The Grand Tour will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, November 18, and the one-day discount will be available starting Friday at 12:00 am ET and ending at 11:59 pm PT. New members can sign up for this limited-time Prime offer at www.amazon.com/thegrandtourprime. New episodes of The Grand Tour will be released weekly for 12 weeks.

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have been filming the first season of the highly anticipated Amazon Original Series, The Grand Tour,in far-flung locations across the globe. The studio portion of the show takes place in a traveling tent, in locations ranging from Johannesburg to California, Whitby, England to Rotterdam, and Lapland to Nashville.

Amazon is also announcing the launch of The Grand Tour skill for Alexa-enabled devices including the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot. In The Grand Tourskill, featuring the voices of hosts Clarkson, Hammond and May, customers will receive a new clue every Thursday about what to watch for in the upcoming episode of the series, and new trivia will be released each Saturday. Fans who are truly “on the tour” and answer all three questions right will unlock exclusive video content. US customers who enable and use the skill between November 19 and December 22 will be entered in a weekly random drawing for a chance to receive a $25 gift card from Amazon.com. In addition, customers also can engage with The Grand Tour presenters via specially-recorded alarms and additional content. Here’s a hint—ask Alexa if she was invited on the Grand Tour.

The Grand Tour, which has been shot in 4K Ultra High Definition, will launch Friday, November 18 exclusively for Prime members, with new episodes releasing weekly for 12 weeks. Prime members can watch The Grand Tour via the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices including Amazon Fire TV, mobile devices and online at Amazon.com/thegrandtour. For a list of all Amazon Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.

“Amazon is committed to bringing Prime members programming that is unique and exciting,” said Conrad Riggs, Head of Unscripted, Amazon Originals. “We are thrilled to bring back together the world’s beloved hosting team of Clarkson, Hammond and May for extraordinary adventures that can only be seen on Amazon Prime Video.”

To get the latest news, fans can follow The Grand Tour on Facebook (www.facebook.com/thegrandtour), Twitter (www.twitter.com/thegrandtour) and at www.amazon.com/thegrandtour.

The Grand Tour joins Prime Video’s lineup of award-winning and critically-acclaimed TV shows and movies, which includes series like Mr. Robot, Downton Abbey, The Americans, Orphan Black, and Amazon Original Series and Movies from Amazon Studios like Transparent, The Man in the High Castle and Love & Friendship, and kid series Tumble Leaf. Prime members can choose to stream or download from Prime Video, to make keeping up with their new favorite shows effortless, whether on the move or at home. Please visit amazon.com/originals.

About Amazon Video

Amazon Video is a premium on-demand entertainment service that offers customers the greatest choice in what to watch, and how to watch it. Amazon Video is the only service that provides all of the following:

  • Prime Video: Thousands of movies and TV shows, including popular licensed content plus critically-acclaimed and award-winning Amazon Original Series and Movies from Amazon Studios like Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, Love & Friendship and kids series Tumble Leaf, available for unlimited streaming as part of an Amazon Prime membership
  • Add-on Subscriptions: Dozens of subscriptions to networks like SHOWTIME, STARZ and more, available to Amazon Prime members as add-ons to their membership
  • Rent or Own: Hundreds of thousands of titles, including new-release movies and current TV shows available for on-demand rental or purchase for all Amazon customers
  • Instant Access: Instantly watch anytime, anywhere through the Amazon Video app on TVs, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets, or online. For a list of all compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream
  • Premium Features: Top features like 4K Ultra HD, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and mobile downloads for offline viewing

In addition to Prime Video, the Prime membership includes unlimited fast free shipping options across all categories available on Amazon, more than two million songs and thousands of playlists and stations with Prime Music, secure photo storage with Prime Photos, unlimited reading with Prime Reading, unlimited access to a digital audiobook catalogue with Audible Channels for Prime, early access to select Lightning Deals, and more. To sign-up for Prime or to find out more, visit: www.amazon.com/prime.

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
www.amazon.com/pr

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.