Daily Archives: February 21, 2017

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Ireland: Topaz announces new Motorway Service Areas in Carlow and Fermoy both will feature McDonald’s restaurants; will create 230 new jobs

DUBLIN, IRELAND, 2017-Feb-22 — /EPR Retail News/ — Topaz, Ireland’s largest fuel and convenience retailer, has today (20 Feb 2017) announced it will be creating a total of 230 jobs in conjunction with McDonald’s, across two Motorway Service Areas strategically located on the M8 Cork/Dublin Road in Fermoy and the M9 Dublin/Waterford Road at Rathcrogue, Co. Carlow.  Additionally, during the construction phase of both developments a total of 100 jobs will be created across both sites. The Fermoy development will be in direct conjunction with local developer JR Oronco and is due to open in Autumn 2017. Topaz Junction 5, M9, Co. Carlow is due to open in March 2017.

The overall investment in the construction of both of the new state-of-the-art Service Stations will be €14 million which will both feature McDonald’s restaurants, representing a €2 million investment by the restaurant chain and bringing the total investment to €16 million.

The service area will be in well-positioned Motorway locations on the Dublin to Cork and Dublin to Waterford routes, to best serve motorists making the long journey between cities.

The state-of-the-art service areas will feature a robust and varied retail and food court offering, to include Topaz’s renowned healthy ‘food on the go’ offer – Re.Store, its latest Mexican offering Cantina, a McDonald’s restaurant, and extensive self-service customer refreshment facilities. There will be a large indoor seating area, as well as external picnic and seating areas for the summer months.

Once opened, the service areas will be in operation 24 hours a day, providing a full range of services to all road users day and night. There will be in excess of 140 parking spaces at each station, to include generous truck parking, coach parking, and additional facilities such as secure ADR parking.

Niall Anderton MD of Topaz commented: “The Dublin to Cork and Dublin to Waterford routes are two of the busiest routes in Ireland, and we are excited to announce this development of two new full-service stations to serve Irish motorists. The development represents a very significant investment by Topaz, and we are also delighted to be able to bring a large number of jobs to both Cork and Carlow. Featuring our game-changing Re.Store shop and Deli concept along with our Mexican taqueria Cantina, we are continuing to bring an unparalleled customer experience to Irish motorists. Today’s announcement is a key milestone in the continued expansion of our retail network and we have no doubt it will be a tremendous benefit and service to commuters, tourists, locals, and passers-by.”

Nigel McGuire, Director of Property and Supply Chain, McDonald’s: “At McDonald’s we are delighted to be bringing our world-class food offering to drivers along Ireland’s busy motorway network. Our focus is on retail expansion, to meet customer demand in new locations. We are committed to delivering a great experience in every McDonald’s;  our new restaurants will demonstrate our continued innovation to meet changing customer needs and desires, through our menu, dining facilities and our people. ”

This latest investment announcement by Topaz follows a €1.2 million investment in a major site redevelopment at Dublin Port in partnership with Dublin Port Company late last year. In the past 24 months, Topaz has invested €36.1 million in its retail network with investment going towards the development of its Re.Store brand, the upgrade and rebrand of the recently acquired Esso network, and the development of major Topaz sites at City Avenue in Dublin and Ballysimon in Limerick.

Contact:

Topaz Head Office Tel: +353 (0)1 202 8888
Topaz Home Heat: Tel: 1850 250 650
Topaz Fax: +353 (0) 1 282 8320

Source: Topaz

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Tesco: organic food sales increased by 15 per cent in 2016

Tesco: organic food sales increased by 15 per cent in 2016

 

Organic foods in Britain are experiencing the strongest growth in customer demand for over a decade.

CHESHUNT, England, 2017-Feb-22 — /EPR Retail News/ — While fruit and vegetables continue to be the most popular choice for shoppers, over the last 12 months the retailer has seen increasing numbers of customers looking to buy organic fish, dairy produce and general grocery items.

The increase in demand is a direct result of the supermarket’s commitment to offering customers a wider range of quality organic foods in more of its stores and lower more stable pricing – making it a more accessible option for shoppers across the country.

Areas that have seen the strongest growth include:

  • Fruit and vegetables including apples, bananas, carrots, salads and root vegetables – up by nearly 17 per cent
  • Grocery items such as olive oil, pasta and cooking sauces – up by nearly 16 per cent
  • Fresh meat including chicken, lamb chops, steak and eggs – up by 13 per cent
  • Chilled foods such as milk, houmous and cooked meats – up by nearly 13 per cent

Tesco organic food spokesman Tina Moore said:

“Due to our long-term partnerships with suppliers and producers across the UK, we’ve been able to improve the quality, range, availability and price of our organic products for customers.

“We are seeing that shoppers are increasingly looking to buy organic food but it needs to be affordable and consistently high quality all year round for it to be considered a viable option.

“The popularity of organic food began with fruit and vegetables but we are now seeing customers exploring areas such as grocery, fish and dairy, so you can now use organic produce for the whole meal.”

Last Autumn Tesco teamed up with the Organic Trade Board on an initiative which helped customers discover the breadth of the range on offer in its stores.

They provided boxes containing organic goodies so that shoppers could create their own organic meal at home.

The Organic Unboxed initiative saw 7.5m Tesco online customers receive a free ingredients box with a recipe card and information on how to cook a tasty organic meal specially designed by a food blogger.

Adrian Blackshaw, chair of the Organic Trade Board said: 

“Traditionally the two main challenges for customers buying organic, is the price and the availability.

“Over the last decade we have seen this improve across the industry and now the organic market is in a clear growth phase in the UK.

“But there is much more we can do – there’s a huge opportunity for Tesco to attract new organic consumers and in doing so, add value to their business.”

The Organic Trade Board recently won a share of £9m EU funding to help promote organic food in Britain and Denmark and will be working with Tesco to try to further increase the organic market.

They will be working with Tesco on making organic food more visible in stores and helping to communicate the reasons for choosing organic through a number of campaigns.

Adam Wakeley, managing director of one of the UK’s leading organic food suppliers, Organic Farm Foods said:

“The organic food revival is gathering pace thanks to retailers like Tesco offering a wider range of quality foods at more affordable prices.

“They continue to support the organic sector and the result is continued growth, outstripping non organic foods by some margin.”

Since 2008, Adam Wakeley has partnered with Tesco by supplying the retailer with apples from a dedicated organic orchard.

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

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

Source: Tesco

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EROSKI aumenta un 20% las horas de formación de sus trabajadores en 2016

EROSKI aumenta un 20% las horas de formación de sus trabajadores en 2016

 

  • La capacitación de las personas para mejorar la atención al cliente es uno de los pilares del modelo comercial “contigo” de EROSKI
  • Impulsar el desarrollo profesional de las personas y el empoderamiento de los equipos de trabajo en autogestión son ejes prioritarios del nuevo Plan Estratégico a 2020

ELORRIO,España, 2017-Feb-22 — /EPR Retail News/ — EROSKI ha superado las 210.000 horas de formación de trabajadores en el ejercicio 2016. La cifra supone un aumento de casi un 20% respecto a 2015. El impulso a la formación interna para mejorar la atención al cliente y la especialización de los profesionales de EROSKI en las secciones de frescos constituyen las bases sobre las que se desarrolla el modelo comercial ‘contigo’ que la cooperativa está implantando en sus supermercados e hipermercados.

“Potenciar el desarrollo profesional y personal de quienes formamos EROSKI es la base de la transformación en marcha hacia un modelo ‘contigo’ que busca situar a la Socia y Socio Cliente en el centro de toda nuestra actividad. Nuestros clientes nos reconocen el camino andado hacia una mejor atención en nuestras tiendas y la formación de las personas seguirá siendo una de las claves para seguir avanzando con éxito hacia nuevos retos. Por ello, situamos la capacitación de las personas como uno de los ejes estratégicos a 2020”, señala el director de Desarrollo de Personas y Talento de EROSKI, Igor Rodríguez.

Nuevos uniformes de trabajo en las tiendas EROSKI

La cooperativa cambia a partir de hoy  y de manera progresiva los uniformes de trabajo en todas sus tiendas comenzando por los establecimientos de Bizkaia y Gipuzkoa. Un cambio en la vestimenta en todos los puestos de trabajo, desde pescadería o carnicería hasta caja  o profesional de parafarmacia. Un cambio más profundo que el meramente estético o funcional y que busca seguir avanzando en una mejor y más personalizada atención al cliente.

“Supone un gran hito para nosotros porque hay mucho esfuerzo por detrás para mejorar la atención al cliente en nuestras tiendas”, en palabras del director de Desarrollo de Personas y Talento de EROSKI. “Los nuevos uniformes reflejan esta filosofía ‘contigo’ de tendero volcado en el cliente, construyendo relaciones cotidianas de persona a persona”.

Este cambio en todos los uniformes de trabajo de EROSKI ha exigido constituir un equipo formado por personas que lo fueran a utilizar en sus jornadas laborables, abordando el nuevo diseño desde los trabajadores que mejor conocen las exigencias del día a día en las tiendas. Este equipo de 22 personas, que habitualmente trabajan en distintos puestos de supermercados e hipermercados EROSKI, ha gestionado el diseño de los nuevos uniformes priorizando aspectos como el confort, la ergonomía y la seguridad, sin perder de vista los valores de la nueva atención al cliente que impulsa el modelo comercial ‘contigo’ con el que EROSKI está remodelando su red comercial.

Siendo los trabajadores de EROSKI un colectivo mayoritariamente femenino, el 80% de la plantilla son mujeres, se ha prestado una especial atención a la adecuación de los patronajes a la antropometría femenina y masculina y al adecuado tallaje de las prendas. “Ofrecemos una imagen más actual y profesional, más acorde a la transformación realizada en nuestras tiendas de nueva generación”, concluye Igor Rodríguez.

Escuelas de Frescos de Carnicería, Pescadería y Panadería

El modelo comercial ‘contigo’ refuerza la oferta de alimentos frescos y de aquellos producidos en los entornos más cercanos a cada una de las tiendas. Por ello, las secciones de frescos ganan presencia en los establecimientos de nueva generación e incorporan en muchos casos mostradores en los que la carne o el pescado son preparados al momento al gusto del consumidor o se hornea el pan y la bollería en los hornos de las propias tiendas, por ejemplo.

Para formar a los trabajadores de estas secciones, EROSKI cuenta con sus propias “Escuelas de Frescos” en Carnicería, Pescadería y Panadería. Cerca de 500 trabajadores han pasado este año por la escuela, recibiendo 67.000 horas de formación.

“2016 ha supuesto un salto cuantitativo y cualitativo en la especialización de los profesionales de EROSKI en frescos. Hemos consolidado las escuelas de Carnicería y Pescadería, lanzado la de Panadería y diseñado las de Charcutería y Frutería”, señala el responsable de Desarrollo de Personas y Talento de EROSKI.

Colaboración con Mondragon Unibertsitatea para el desarrollo directivo

Destaca dentro de esta formación el programa “summa” de desarrollo directivo. Se trata de un programa de EROSKI, dentro de su Plan de Transferencia de Talento Universidad – Empresa, y desarrollado junto a MONDRAGON UNIBERTSITATEA con el objetivo de desarrollar habilidades directivas y de gestión organizacional. “Es una apuesta renovada por la formación como motor para la transformación y la construcción de ventajas competitivas sostenibles en el tiempo. La primera promoción, compuesta por una veintena de Socias y Socios Trabajadores, concluirá su ciclo formativo en 2017”, detalla el director de Desarrollo de Personas y Talento de EROSKI.

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

Source: Eroski

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Chipotle Mexican Grill rolls out “Smarter Pickup Times” technology for better digital ordering

“Smarter Pickup Times” Rolled Out Across the U.S.; Reduces Wait Times and Allows for Greater Digital Order Volume

DENVER, 2017-Feb-22 — /EPR Retail News/ — Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) has completed the rollout of its “Smarter Pickup Times” technology to all its restaurants that offer digital ordering. The advanced technology allows customers who order digitally to benefit from shorter and more accurate pickup times and the ability to reserve a future pickup time. The technology enhances all forms of digital ordering including web ordering (order.chipotle.com) as well as the company’s ordering apps for iOS and Android. “Smarter Pickup Times” also improves the company’s ability to process more digital orders without disrupting service or throughput in its restaurants.

Chipotle has extensively tested the “Smarter Pickup Times” system in restaurants around the country. In tests, the company saw a reduction of wait times for digital orders by as much as 50%, and an increase in the total number of digital orders to record levels.

“Most people don’t know that nearly every Chipotle has an extra make-line in the back of the restaurant where orders can be prepared without disrupting service on the main line,” said Mark Crumpacker, chief marketing and development officer at Chipotle. “Smarter Pickup Times enhances this capability by dynamically scheduling orders and generating accurate wait times based on the current volume of orders. This allows us to prepare more digital orders while simultaneously improving the customer experience.”

Chipotle’s “Smarter Pickup Times” technology dynamically monitors digital order capacity to ensure that each restaurant can effectively manage the digital orders flowing into the second make-line. The company is also in the process of rolling out an enhanced version of this second make-line that will greatly improve ergonomics for the teams staffing the line, and allow for even greater order volume and accuracy.

“We have been evaluating all of our digital offerings with an eye toward removing friction,” explained Curt Garner, chief information officer at Chipotle. “That started with a redesign of our website to make it responsive to whatever device a customer is using – a computer, tablet or smart phone – followed by online catering and additional out of store payment options, and continues with the completion of our ‘Smarter Pickup Times’ initiative. With this change, we have reduced the wait time for digital orders and are able to keep our restaurants from being overwhelmed with digital orders, particularly at peak times.”

Chipotle is currently running a marketing campaign to drive digital orders that includes in-store promotions, social media advertising, search optimization, and digital advertising. Moving forward, nearly all of the company’s digital advertising will link customers directly to digital ordering.

ABOUT CHIPOTLE

Steve Ells, Founder, Chairman and CEO, started Chipotle with the idea that food served fast did not have to be a typical fast food experience. Today, Chipotle continues to offer a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls, and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared using classic cooking methods and served in an interactive style allowing people to get exactly what they want. Chipotle seeks out extraordinary ingredients that are not only fresh, but that are raised responsibly, with respect for the animals, land, and people who produce them. Chipotle prepares its food using whole, unprocessed ingredients and without the use of added colors, flavors or other additives typically found in fast food. Chipotle opened with a single restaurant in Denver in 1993 and now operates more than 2,200 restaurants. For more information, visit Chipotle.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release, including statements about digital initiatives and related marketing programs, are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We use words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “should,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” and similar terms and phrases, including references to assumptions, to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to us as of the date any such statements are made and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: the uncertainty of our ability to achieve expected levels of comparable restaurant sales due to factors such as changes in consumers’ perceptions of our brand, including as a result of food-borne illness incidents beginning in late 2015, the impact of competition, including from sources outside the restaurant industry, decreased overall consumer spending, or our possible inability to increase menu prices or realize the benefits of menu price increases; the risk of food-borne illnesses and other health concerns about our food or dining out generally; factors that could affect our ability to achieve and manage our planned expansion, such as the availability of a sufficient number of suitable new restaurant sites and the availability of qualified employees; the performance of new restaurants and their impact on existing restaurant sales; increases in the cost of food ingredients and other key supplies or higher food costs due to new supply chain protocols; the potential for increased labor costs or difficulty retaining qualified employees, including as a result of market pressures, enhanced food safety procedures in our restaurants, or new regulatory requirements; risks related to our marketing and advertising strategies, which may not be successful and may expose us to liabilities; risks relating to our expansion into new markets; the impact of federal, state or local government regulations relating to our employees, our restaurant design, or the sale of food or alcoholic beverages; risks associated with our Food With Integrity philosophy, including supply shortages and potential liabilities from advertising claims and other marketing activities related to Food With Integrity; security risks associated with the acceptance of electronic payment cards or electronic storage and processing of confidential customer or employee information; risks relating to litigation, including possible governmental actions related to food-borne illness incidents, as well as class action litigation regarding employment laws, advertising claims or other matters; risks relating to our insurance coverage and self-insurance; our dependence on key personnel and uncertainties arising from recent changes in our management team; risks regarding our ability to protect our brand and reputation; risks associated with our ability to effectively manage our growth; and other risk factors described from time to time in our SEC reports, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, all of which are available on the investor relations page of our website at ir.Chipotle.com.

Contact:
Chris Arnold
303-222-5912
carnold@chipotle.com

Source: Chipotle Mexican Grill