U.S. Craft Beer Sales Dominate the South American Market


Sao Paulo, Brasil, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Mexico has its tequila, Cuba has rum, Brazilians drink caipirinhas and now America has craft beer.  Though the U.K. holds the most breweries per capita, the U.S. remains the largest producer of craft beer with 5,000+ breweries.  In fact, the craft beer revolution has become so strong and established in Europe and North America that the trend has begun trickling southwards and is dominating sales in places like Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru.

“Sales of craft beer in Latin America are growing at between 20% and 40% a year, depending on which country you’re in,” said Daniel Trivelli in a 2016 BBC News article.  President of Copa Cervezas de America, one of the region’s biggest craft beer contests, Trivelli said craft beer sales in Chile grew nearly 25% from the previous year, which represented only 2% of the overall beer market in 2016.

Craft beer is a trend the world over, and South America is jumping on the bandwagon as its culinary scene continues to progress at an astounding rate, its craft brewing scene is getting global recognition through its introduction of America’s most popular and beloved flavors.  Here are a few of the popular craft beers from America you can find on your next visit to Central and South America:

Chub Scotch Ale • Oskar Blues Oskar Blues Brewery • Colorado

Oskar Blues Chub Scotch Ale, which was rated amongst the top 50 beers on Ratebeer comes from a funky little brew pub in Longmont, Colorado.  The dark brown color features a beautiful Beige cream reveals notes of cocoa, coffee, dried and smoked dark fruit.  Its potent alcoholic strength of 8% balances well between its sweet and slightly bitter taste.  From the brewery that began the craft-beer-in-a-can craze, the scotch ale tastes strong with big and deliciously complex flavors.

Even More Jesus • Evil Twin Brewing • New York

A black color and a persistent foam contain an aroma espresso, chocolate, and caramel.  This complex beer produced in limited quantities features an intense flavor of chocolate, coffee, and brown sugar.  Its sweet flavor, high body, and dry coffee aftertaste are recognizable throughout all 12% of its alcohol volume making it worthy of the vote of one of the best breweries in the world.

Independence Pass Ale • Aspen Brewing Company • Aspen, Colorado

Ideal for the adventurous home cook, the Independence Pass Ale is for the friend in the group who doesn’t like IPAs but wants to look like they like IPAs.  This hoppy yet balanced, high altitude rendition of the classic India Pale Ale style won Gold Medals two years in a row at the World Beer Cup, the most prestigious beer competition in the world.  A major catalyst for Aspen Brewing Company, this high-altitude rendition of the classic IPA boasts an all-around fuller flavor and smells of strong caramelized malts when you pour the off-white, hazy and “chunky” amber body into the pint.

Funk-n-Delicious, Belgian-Style Blueberry Sour Ale • Oceanside Ale Works San Diego  

Tastes as sour as blueberry jack hammer to the tongue with a hazy amber color and a thin, white, frothy head. Dedicated to using only the freshest hops and finest barleys, Oceanside Ale Works gifts to the world a series of Belgian style blonde ales spontaneously fermented with wild airborne yeast Blueberry, Peach, and Strawberry.  The Lambic/Belgian sours, aged in Johannesburg Riesling barrels with organic blueberries, gives off a mild sweet aroma and flavor of Belgian sugar, champagne, and grains.  One of the few remaining manual brew houses in the country, this 20-barrel brewery produces a hand-crafted beer with a 6% ABV you are sure to remember.  Whether you’re relaxing in luxury in Peru’s upscale Miraflores district, soaking up the arts in Sao Paulo, or experimenting with flavors in Argentina the craft beer revolution can be found nearby.

About Velour Imports
Velour Imports Limited Liability Company is an export management company which distributes alcoholic beverages through the solicitation of sales of wine, beer, and ciders to a rising number of luxury resorts and hotels around the world. The staff secures purchase orders from approved distributors, importers and agents, in addition to developing brand recognition to help increase those sales. The organization holds federal and state export licenses in compliance with the laws and regulations that the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. The company secures compliance, sales authority, and arranges logistics of product directly from manufacturers.

Announcing easy access to American craft beer, Velour Imports sponsored the BeerFluence #localgoesglobal, social media campaign. Running until November 4th, each week features product reviews from a different blogger, homebrewer, or journalist from Brazil, Panama, the Cayman Islands, or the U.S. For full campaign details, or a list of to participating partners, visit velourimports.online.

Wegmans Food Markets’ newest store in Medford donates 17,523 pounds of food to The Greater Boston Food Bank

BOSTON, MA, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Wegmans Food Markets’ newest location in Medford will deliver a tractor-trailer filled with 17,523 pounds of non-perishable food to The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) on Thursday, October 12 at 10 a.m. The Greater Boston Food Bank will, in turn, distribute the items to food pantries, including those that serve the Medford area (The Community Cupboard Food Pantry of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford, the Saint Raphael Food Pantry, and the Friends of Francis Food Pantry), where Wegmans will open on Sunday, November 5.

A group of Wegmans employees and Medford-area food pantry representatives will be at GBFB when the donation arrives to help unload the truck, which includes nearly nine tons of items such as canned fruits, vegetables, soups, juices, cereals and other products.

“This donation demonstrates our commitment to reducing hunger and giving back to the communities where our customers and employees live and work. It’s our privilege to begin making a difference even before the store opens,” said Kevin Russell, Wegmans Medford store manager.

In 2016, Wegmans donated 14.5 million pounds of food to local food banks, food pantries, and meal programs across all of its market areas. The company also makes it easy for shoppers to support local hunger relief efforts by participating in annual food bank scanning programs at checkout. Since 1993, Wegmans has raised more than $33 million through these programs with 100% of the funds going directly to local agencies.

“Eleven percent of Medford residents struggle with food insecurity, and we thank Wegmans for partnering with The Greater Boston Food Bank to directly help those in need in area,” said Catherine D’Amato, president and CEO of The Greater Boston Food Bank. “Wegmans’ generous donation will provide the equivalent of 14,603 meals and reflects its exemplary commitment to hunger relief.”

For more information on Wegmans in Medford, visit www.wegmans.com/medford.

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a 94-store supermarket chain with stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts. The family-owned company, recognized as an industry leader and innovator, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016. Wegmans has been named one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ by FORTUNE magazine for 20 consecutive years, ranking #2 in 2017.

Press Contact:

Valerie Fox
Wegmans Media Relations Coordinator
585-720-5713
Valerie.Fox@Wegmans.com

Source:  Wegmans Food Markets, Inc.

Kroger offers $25 or less for medically necessary services at The Little Clinic locations for its associates

Many services now offered at $25 or less

CINCINNATI, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) is now offering associates and their immediate families pricing of $25 or less for medically necessary services at The Little Clinic (TLC) locations.*

“We are committed to helping our associates and customers live healthier lives,” said Colleen Lindholz, president of the Kroger Pharmacy and The Little Clinic. “Our mission is to simplify healthcare by creating affordable solutions that combine health, wellness and nutrition.”

The pricing is available to any associate and family member whose primary benefit coverage is provided by Kroger.

TLC provides high quality, affordable healthcare located in convenient retail settings. TLC diagnoses and treats minor illnesses for patients 12 months and older (age requirements vary by state) with care provided by board-certified nurse practitioners and/or physician assistants. TLC operates 221 clinics in 10 states, including Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia. TLC clinics operate seven days and no appointment is needed.

Other services provided by TLC include dietitian programs at select locations (Nashville, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky and Dayton). Nutrition services vary from nutrition counseling, medical nutrition therapy, grocery store tours, cooking classes to store events. Kroger associates can receive nutrition counseling for $20.TLC also offers associate transformation programs that include diabetes management and diabetes prevention. The 16-week course focuses on healthy eating behaviors, label reading and sound nutrition education.

“We continue to focus on offering our associates services and programs that help with their overall well-being,” said Theresa Monti, Kroger’s vice president of total rewards and HR systems.

Last month, Kroger was named one of the “Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America” by Healthiest Employers, LLC, an organization dedicated to evaluating employers’ efforts in corporate health. It is the second time in three years Kroger has been honored on the list for its commitment to employee health and its exceptional corporate wellness programming.

*Excludes injectable medications, vaccines, sports physicals, PPDs and lab tests sent to a 3rd party facility.

The Little Clinic is a pioneer in customer-focused healthcare with a mission to help people live healthier lives. A wholly-owned subsidiary of The Kroger Co., The Little Clinic healthcare clinics are currently located inside select Kroger stores in Indiana, Mississippi, Virginia, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio; King Soopers in Colorado, Fry’s Food Stores in Arizona, Dillons stores in Kansas and JayC stores in Indiana. The Little Clinic was awarded The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval® in 2009 and has maintained consecutive accreditation in 2012 and 2015. Visit The Little Clinic online at www.thelittleclinic.comwww.facebook.com/thelittleclinic and www.thelittleclinic.blogspot.com.

At The Kroger Co., we are dedicated to our purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit™. We are 450,000 associates who serve nearly nine million customers daily in 2,793 retail food stores under a variety of local banner names in 35 states and the District of Columbia. Our Family of Companies operates an expanding ClickList offering – a personalized order online service – in addition to 2,258 pharmacies, 783 convenience stores, 307 fine jewelry stores, 222 retail health clinics, 1,472 supermarket fuel centers and 38 food production plants in the United States. Our Company has been recognized as one of America’s most generous companies for our 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. As a leader in supplier diversity, we are a proud member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable.

SOURCE: The Kroger Co.

Rakuten becomes exclusive distribution partner in Japan for all live NBA games and global marketing partner of NBA

Rakuten to Market to NBA Fans Around the World Through Rakuten Ichiba, Ebates and Rakuten Viber

TOKYO, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Rakuten, Inc. today (OCTOBER 10, 2017) announced a multiyear partnership making Rakuten the league’s exclusive distribution partner in Japan for all live NBA games and a global marketing partner of the NBA.  This marks the NBA’s most comprehensive media partnership in Japan and Rakuten’s first with a North American sports league.

This season, Rakuten will offer NBA LEAGUE PASS, the league’s premium live game subscription service, exclusively to Rakuten members in Japan through NBA.com, the NBA App and for purchase through Rakuten’s video-on-demand service, Rakuten TV.  NBA LEAGUE PASS will allow fans to watch all NBA games including preseason, regular-season and playoffs games, NBA All-Star, NBA Conference Finals and The Finals, in addition to other exclusive programming.

Rakuten will also offer a subscription package on Rakuten TV, providing fans with access to nine games a week, one game per weekday and two games each on Saturdays and Sundays.

“We are very excited to partner with the NBA to bring all the action of the world’s top basketball league to fans in Japan,” said Hiroshi “Mickey” Mikitani, founder and CEO of Rakuten, Inc.  “As we have recently announced that we are proud partners of the Golden State Warriors, the NBA’s reigning champions, it is an honor to expand our contributions to the global growth and development of basketball with this NBA partnership.”

“Rakuten is one of the world’s most innovative companies and an ideal partner for the NBA,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.  “Our new relationship with Rakuten speaks to the appetite that our passionate fans in Japan have for live NBA games and content, and we look forward to working with Rakuten to provide the most comprehensive NBA coverage to date.”

The global marketing partnership also allows Rakuten to create NBA and team zones, and sell select NBA and team merchandise on its e-commerce channels globally, including Rakuten Ichiba in Japan and Ebates, a leading membership-based online cash-back site in the U.S.

Rakuten Viber, Rakuten’s instant messaging platform, will also become an official platform for the NBA and its teams, providing their more than 900 million users with access to league content.

The NBA’s presence in Japan dates back almost 30 years.  NBA games and programming have been on-the-air since the 1988-89 season, and officially licensed NBA merchandise is widely available at more than 180 Xebio stores across Japan.  The league has conducted a number of events in Japan, including 12 regular-season games in three cities, interactive fan events, NBA Cares community outreach initiatives, and in 2012, Basketball without Borders, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program.

Founded in 1997 in Tokyo as the world’s first successful merchant-focused e-commerce marketplace, Rakuten now encompasses over 70 businesses spanning e-commerce, digital content, communications and fintech that reach more than one billion members around the globe.  Rakuten’s professional sport portfolio includes ownership of Japan’s Vissel Kobe soccer club and Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles baseball team, the team that won the national Japan Series Championship in 2013.  In July 2017, the company also became the Main Global Partner and Official Innovation and Entertainment Partner for iconic soccer club FC Barcelona.

For more information on the NBA, fans in Japan can visit www.nba.co.jp or follow the NBA on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest news and updates.  Fans interested in viewing NBA games on Rakuten TV in Japan can visit tv.rakuten.co.jp.

About the NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around three professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association and the NBA G League.  The league has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 49 languages, and NBA merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on 6 continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2016-17 season featured a record 113 international players from 41 countries and territories.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA App and NBA LEAGUE PASS.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than 1.3 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.

About Rakuten

Rakuten, Inc. (TSE: 4755) is a global leader in internet services that empower individuals, communities, businesses and society.  Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as an online marketplace, Rakuten has expanded to offer services in e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications to more than 1 billion members around the world.  Since 2012, Rakuten has ranked in the top 30 of Forbes Magazine’s annual “World’s Most Innovative Companies” list.  The Rakuten Group has over 14,000 employees, and operations in 29 countries and regions.  For more information visit https://global.rakuten.com/corp/.

Source: Rakuten, Inc.

Bank Audi Lebanon’s leading financial institution to introduce NCR SelfServ™ 80 Series of ATM solutions

Breakthrough ATM solution from NCR will help Bank Audi to transform retail banking and deliver omni-channel experiences

BEIRUT, Lebanon, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ —  NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR), a global leader in omni-channel solutions, today (October 10, 2017) announced that Bank Audi – Lebanon’s leading financial institution, will be the first bank in the Middle East and Africa region to introduce the innovative NCR SelfServ™ 80 Series, a new family of ATM solutions that transforms the banking experience and changes the way consumers interact with the ATMs.

As part of this agreement, Bank Audi will add new ATMs to its fleet, comprising of the NCR SelfServ 82 and NCR SelfServ 84.  The SelfServ 80 Series offers a unique combination of innovation across software, hardware, and services; it leads to a future-proof solution that is ready to converge the physical and digital channels in a mobile-first world. The built-in interactive video banking feature enables financial institutions (FIs) to offer high-touch, personalized service, where customers can be helped by a live teller right at the ATM. This capability streamlines the way branch staff serve customers with auto loans, mortgages, credit cards or deposits across the network.

“The NCR SelfServ 80 Series delivers the next generation of omni-channel self-service experiences at the ATM that will help us grow revenue, reduce cost, manage risk and enhance customer experience,” said Omar el Zein, Head of Innovation, Bank Audi. “Bringing world leading banking experience to our customers remains a key strategy for Bank Audi and the introduction of NCR’s innovative ATM fleet that offers seamless omni-channel experience across a full range of interactive and assisted service transactions, reiterates our commitment.”

The new multifunctional ATMs represent a breakthrough in the history of ATMs. A large, 19-inch multi-touch display drives tablet-like interactions, where consumers can swipe, pinch and zoom their way quickly through transactions. The large display is an improvement for elderly users compared to today’s small monitors. Apart from the ease-of-use, NCR’s new ATM family focuses on security; the recessed keyboard provides a natural PIN protection while a picture-in-picture camera shows what’s happening behind the user to prevent shoulder surfing.

“Financial institutions need to be ready to offer the experience digital natives expect and demand as they come of age and require unrestricted access to financial services with a seamless experience across any device of their choice,” said Jose Resendiz, Vice President & General Manager, NCR Financial Services. “The addition of the NCR SelfServ 80 Series will help Bank Audi execute on their innovation and customer experience strategy by transforming the banking experience they deliver to perfectly align with how their customers want to bank.”

The modern design of NCR SelfServ 80 family comes with fully customizable, color-coded media entry and exit indicators. Additionally, a unique 10-cassette cash dispense capability lowers cash replenishment costs. Paired with NCR’s CxBanking software suite, the SelfServ 80 series unlocks amazing customer experiences across physical and digital banking channels.

The SelfServ 80 Series has security “designed in” to respond to the latest threats. The flush, infinity glass enhances security against skimming attacks. Enabling contactless, via cards or smart phones can eliminate the threat of card skimming entirely. These features when combined with NCR Security software will help Bank Audi to ensure securing its customers and the bank from all potential points of compromise.

For additional materials including high-resolution product images, whitepapers, FAQs, please click here. To download the SelfServ 80 Series application on iOS, click here.

About Bank Audi
Bank Audi is a regional group with a universal banking profile. The Bank offers universal financial products and services including Corporate, Commercial, Individual and Retail, and Private Banking services, in addition to Investment Banking. As at end-June 2017, Bank Audi’s consolidated assets reached USD 44 billion, principally driven by private customers’ deposits of USD 36.3 billion, with shareholders’ equity reaching USD 3.8 billion. Bank Audi’s group staff headcount exceeds 7,000 employees and its shareholders’ base encompasses more than 1,500 holders of common shares and/or holders of Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) representing common shares.

Bank Audi ranks first among Lebanese banking groups and is positioned in the inner circle of top regional banking groups. Its shares are listed on the Beirut Stock Exchange. Its GDRs are listed on both the Beirut Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange.

Stay connected:
bankaudigroup.com
facebook.com/BankAudiLebanon
youtube.com/BankAudiGroup

About NCR Corporation
NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a leader in omni-channel solutions, turning everyday interactions with businesses into exceptional experiences. With its software, hardware, and portfolio of services, NCR enables nearly 700 million transactions daily across retail, financial, travel, hospitality, telecom and technology, and small business. NCR solutions run the everyday transactions that make your life easier. NCR is headquartered in Duluth, Ga., with over 30,000 employees and does business in 180 countries. NCR is a trademark of NCR Corporation in the United States and other countries. NCR encourages investors to visit its web site which is updated regularly with financial and other important information about NCR.

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

News Media Contacts:

Carole Aoun
Head of Brand & Corporate Communication
+961 1 977 358
carole.aoun@banqueaudi.com

Rakesh Aulaya
NCR Public Relations
+91 22 619 45 83
rakesh.aulaya@ncr.com

Source: NCR Corporation

Costa Coffee signs the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment to accelerate recycling of paper cups in UK

London, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Organisations from across the paper cup supply chain have signed an agreement with the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE UK) to accelerate UK recycling of PE lined paper cups. The cross-industry collaboration will work towards delivering a long-term, nationwide paper cup recycling solution which complements and builds on the recycling activities achieved so far by the paper cup industry.

The companies signed up to the agreement are: Benders Paper Cups, Bunzl Catering Supplies, Caffe Nero, Costa Coffee, Dart Products Europe, Greggs, Huhtamaki, International Paper, McDonald’s UK, Nestlé, Pret A Manger, Seda Group, Starbucks, and Stora Enso.

Using ACE UK’s extensive recycling expertise, gained running the beverage carton industry’s recycling programme, the fourteen companies will fund an activity programme which will give many more people access to recycling for paper cups. The programme includes:

From 1st January 2018 all ACE UK bring banks will accept paper cups for recycling, delivering an additional 382 recycling points located in 97 local authorities across the UK. With a further 33 recycling points across an additional eight local authorities scheduled during the next phase.

Cups from these recycling points will be processed at ACE UK’s recycling facility in Halifax.

Drawing on its experience and existing relationships with local authorities, waste management organisations and recycling bodies, ACE UK will work to include cups in local authority kerbside collections. Currently 66% of local authorities collect beverage cartons at kerbside, in addition to those which collect through bring banks, and it is hoped to achieve similar levels of coverage for cups.

ACE UK has been successfully running the beverage carton industry’s recycling programme for the last ten years driving significant increases in carton recycling as part of its role as the UK beverage carton industry trade body. During this time it has worked closely with local authorities and waste management companies so that today 92% of local authorities collect beverage cartons for recycling through either bring banks or kerbside collection.

Commenting on the agreement Richard Hands, CEO of ACE UK said: “The paper cup industry is facing very similar recycling challenges to the ones the beverage carton industry faced when we started our programme ten years ago. Whilst our primary focus will remain on increasing beverage carton recycling, we believe our expertise, experience and existing relationships can help the paper cup industry create a step change in cup recycling. Whilst it is early days, we have a clear measured plan agreed and expect to see significant progress in cup recycling over the next two years and beyond.”

The agreement builds on activities implemented and supported during the last year by the companies involved, such as in-store cup recycling, single site and pilot recycling projects including ‘One More Shot’ and the ‘Square Mile Challenge’.

Neil Whittall Global Category Director of Speciality Coffee at Huhtamaki UK, and chair of the Paper Cup Recycling and Recovery Group (PCRRG) said: “Whilst paper cups are fully recyclable, the industry recognises that many are not being recycled because of a lack of collection facilities. Companies across the industry have been working to address this barrier and increase cup recycling.

“This agreement with ACE UK represents a significant advance in UK recycling infrastructure for paper cups. It will also help us accelerate progress towards the PCRRG’s objective of ensuring the majority of the UK population have access to information, schemes and facilities to allow them to recycle their paper cup, as set out in our Paper Cup Manifesto.”

“Furthermore by generating greater volumes of cups for recycling this will create a market for the material, making cups more attractive to waste management companies and creating the potential for more schemes to be introduced to collect cups from a much wider range of locations such as offices and high street locations.”

Mike Turner MD, International Paper Foodservice Europe and chair of European packaging trade body Pack2Go added: “This collaborative agreement, funded entirely by the signatories, is a clear demonstration of the commitment of these organisations, from across the paper cup supply chain, to address the barriers to recycling and deliver practical solutions to maximise recycling of paper cups.”

Dominic Paul, MD of Costa Coffee, said:

Costa is proud to be a part of today’s ACE UK announcement, which will give our customers more access to recycling points for their takeaway cups.

Using ACE UK’s extensive recycling expertise, which currently allows 92% of local authorities to recover beverage cartons for recycling, the partnership will launch in January 2018.

This ground-breaking agreement will help to further accelerate takeaway cup recycling and compliment the nationwide, in-store recycling scheme we already operate across over 2,200 Costa stores. Since the launch of our in-store recycling in February we have already recovered and are in the process of recycling over 9 million takeaway cups, which includes any competitor cups. We also continue to drive the use of reusable cups and have launched two new multi-purpose cups, offering a 25p discount for customers using any branded reusable cup in store.

About ACE UK

The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE UK) provides a platform for the industry to profile and benchmark cartons as a renewable, recyclable and low-carbon packaging choice, and to drive its environmental initiatives. This includes running the industry’s carton recycling programme.

ACE UK represents Tetra Pak, Elopak, SIG Combibloc, the leading manufacturers of beverage cartons for the UK market. It is also supported by BillerudKorsnäs and Stora Enso, which produce about 98% of the paperboard used by ACE UK members to manufacture beverage cartons in Europe.

About Costa

Founded in London by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa in 1971, Costa is now part of Whitbread PLC, which this year celebrates its 275th Anniversary as a great British business.

With over 2,200 coffee shops in the UK and more than 1,200 in 29 international markets we are the fastest growing coffee shop business in the UK and are proud to be the UK’s favourite coffee shop, having been awarded “Best Branded Coffee Shop Chain in the UK and Ireland” by Allegra Strategies for seven years running (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015 and 2016).

Looking after coffee growers is extremely important to us, which is why we established The Costa Foundation, a registered charity with the aim to relieve poverty, advance education and the health and environment of coffee-growing communities around the world. So far, The Costa Foundation has funded the building of 72 schools and improved the social and economic welfare of coffee-growing communities.

Media enquiries:

Floyd Jebson or Debbie Daly, at Instinctif Partners
Tel: +44 (0)1869 353 800
Email: floyd.jebson@instinctif.com or debbie.daly@instinctif.com

Source: Costa Coffee

UNIQLO and the International Tennis Federation launch UNIQLO Spirit Award to honor players in wheelchair tennis

Japan, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — UNIQLO and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) today ( 2017.10.11) announced the launch of the new UNIQLO Spirit Award, presented annually to a current wheelchair tennis player who best embodies the principles and core values of UNIQLO and its parent company, the Fast Retailing Group.

The UNIQLO Spirit Award was created to honor those players seeking to change the world around them by challenging themselves and by striving for the highest standards imaginable, pursuing their goals with an innovative spirit and a shared desire to see wheelchair tennis continually moving forward to ever greater heights. Nominations based on these criteria will consider wheelchair tennis players from the grassroots to elite levels of the game.

Speaking on the occasion of the award launch, Koji Yanai, Co-Chief Marketing Officer, UNIQLO, said, “We are extremely excited to introduce the UNIQLO Spirit Award this year to acknowledge a wheelchair tennis player who, in the opinion of the judging panel, best personifies UNIQLO and Fast Retailing Group’s core principles and values.”

“We recognize that players competing throughout the whole spectrum of UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour events continually challenge themselves to be the best that they can be and we look forward to hearing the stories of outstanding individuals from around the world who seek to not only challenge themselves, but also the world around them, with an indomitable spirit in their pursuit of excellence in wheelchair tennis,” Yanai added.

ITF President David Haggerty said, “The ITF is grateful for UNIQLO’S immense and ongoing support of wheelchair tennis and we are delighted to join UNIQLO in launching the inaugural UNIQLO Spirit Award. Wheelchair tennis celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 2016 and since the sport’s inception in 1976 wheelchair players from all corners of the world have continually pushed personal boundaries and challenged the perceptions of those around them. We look forward to a diverse selection of nominations for the very first UNIQLO Spirit Award.”

A judging panel, comprised by ITF Wheelchair Tennis Committee members and ITF Head of Wheelchair Tennis Alistair Williams, will create a shortlist from which UNIQLO will be invited to choose a winner and runner-up. The Winner shall receive US$ 5,000 and the Runner-up a UNIQLO clothing kit. 2017 award winners will be announced in November.

The closing date for nominations for the UNIQLO Spirit Award is Friday 20 October 2017. Anyone who has suggestions for candidates to be nominated should contact their National Association with details of their suggested nomination.

UNIQLO became title sponsor of the Wheelchair Tennis Tour and the Wheelchair Doubles Masters event, and an international sponsor of the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters in 2014. In 2017, the company also became an official partner of the BNP Paribas World Team Cup and title sponsor of the Wheelchair Tennis Rankings.

Source: UNIQLO

ABOUT YOU digital fashion shop launches in the Netherlands

Hamburg, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Around 60% of the Dutch population purchases clothing online, and starting on the 10th of October 2017, it will be even more fun and convenient for them to shop online, with the launch of the digital fashion shop ABOUT YOU in the Netherlands.

ABOUT YOU offers more than 50,000 items by more than 500 brands, including Scotch & Soda, Zoe Karssen, Nike, Diesel, Pepe, Levi’s, Kings of Indigo, Selected Femme and Dr. Martens. Popular Dutch influencers such as Gregory van der Wiel and Claartje Rose also provide inspiration on how to combine the items together. The app technology provides users with a complete shop experience, with a priority on personalization. For example, when the user logs in, their name is added to the logo on the homepage as a personal greeting, and he or she receives custom-tailored suggestions for fashion items based on his or her previous purchases. The app also customizes the newsletter and feed to suit the client’s individual preferences. The related Instagram account with brandtags makes it even easier to shop directly.

ABOUT YOU was created by Otto Group strategist Hannes Wiese (36) and digital entrepreneurs Sebastian Betz (27) and Tarek Mueller (28) in May 2014. Their vision: online shopping should be fun and inspiring, and more than just clicking an item into a shopping cart. ABOUT YOU is the first fashion app that knows exactly what the customer wants and transfers the inspirational window-shopping experience to the ecommerce. The user-friendly shopping app with the pay-off “We love how you express yourself” offers a complete online shop experience for the 20-40 demographic, of which 70 percent are users of mobile devices.

In just three years’ time, the company has grown to become Germany’s second largest online clothing retailer, and it has since released versions for Austria, Switzerland and Belgium, in addition to the Netherlands. A further expansion to Eastern Europe is planned for 2018 as well. With a projected revenue of € 275 million in 2017 and a growth rate of over 100 per cent, the company is one of the fastest- growing ecommerce startups in Europe.

“The Netherlands is an exciting step for ABOUT YOU, because the Dutch have a great sense of style, but the market doesn’t have a shop like this yet. A platform where you can not only shop, but that also offers an experience based on your personal preferences. We look forward to working together with Dutch influencers and the continuing growth of ABOUT YOU”, says Tarek Mueller, co-founder and Managing Director.

About ABOUT YOU

ABOUT YOU GmbH is a subsidiary of Collins GmbH & Co. KG, a part of the Otto Group of companies. In 2014, Exciting Commerce named the firm its Startup of the Year. ABOUT YOU has also received the Internet World Business ‘Best Online-Pure Player’ award in 2015 and 2017, the ‘Shop Usability Award 2015’ and the prestigious Deutscher Handelspreis 2015 in the category ‘innovation’. With an expected revenue of € 275 million in 2017 and a growth rate of over 100 per cent, ABOUT YOU is one of Europe’s fastest-growing e-commerce startups.

Media Contact:

ABOUT YOU GmbH
Muschda Sherzada-Rohs
Domstraße 10
20095 Hamburg
Phone: +49 40 638 569 212
Mail: muschda.sherzada@aboutyou.de

Press Contact Holland
ICONIC STUDIOS Passeerdersgracht 17A
1016 XG Amsterdam
Phone: +31 20 354 71 15
Mail: Omyra@iconicstudios.amsterdam

Source: OTTO Group

Newegg launches new portfolio of PC Build Kits

Newegg Takes the Guesswork Out of PC Builds

Los Angeles, CA, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Newegg, the top tech-focused e-retailer in North America, today (October 10, 2017) took the wraps off its new portfolio of PC Build Kits. Newegg has long been the preferred destination for DIY PC builders, many of whom are exceptionally tech savvy. Newegg’s new PC Build Kits are ideal for people with the itch to build their own PCs, but who need some additional guidance when planning their builds.

Building a PC from scratch can be a very rewarding project, yet a number of variables can complicate the process and hinder performance. For example, compatibility of various components can mean the difference between a fine-tuned machine and one that may underperform. Newegg’s PC Build Kits ensure compatibility, and offer a range of configurations to suit any need and budget.

“Many people toy with the idea of building their own PC, but don’t know where to start or worry it won’t work,” said Merle McIntosh, Newegg SVP of Sales & Marketing. “This is why we came up with PC Build Kits. They’re a great way to elimitate common missteps among novice PC builders and guarantee a frustration-free experience.”

Customers will be presented with a series of questions that will ultimately point them to the PC Build Kit that matches their requirements. First, they choose one of six cases. Once a case is selected, the customer indicates if they want to build an AMD- or Intel-based machine. From there, they simply choose whether they want a good/better/best configuration, taking into consideration their performance requirements and budget range. Once these questions are answered, they are presented with the build kit that most closely matches their needs.

All PC Build Kit customers receive a bonus Swag Box, which includes a variety of items from participating manufacturers. Also included are items from Newegg including a promo gift card, keyboard, mouse and tool kit – everything a customer needs to build and enjoy a new rig.

For more information and to shop Newegg’s new PC Build Kits, visit https://www.newegg.com/pc-build-kits.

About Newegg
Newegg Inc. is the leading electronics-focused e-retailer in the United States. It owns and operates Newegg.com (http://www.newegg.com) which was founded in 2001 and regularly earns industry-leading customer service ratings. It now has a global reach to more than 50 countries in Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East. The award-winning website has more than 32 million registered users and offers customers a comprehensive selection of the latest consumer electronics, entertainment, smart home and gaming products, consistently ranking as one of the best online shopping destinations. Newegg Inc. is headquartered in City of Industry, California. Newegg also operates NeweggBusiness.com and Newegg.ca.

Source: Newegg Inc.

RUSSIA: Lenta announces the opening of its thirty seventh supermarket in Moscow

St. Petersburg, Russia, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Lenta, (LSE, MOEX: LNTA) one of the largest retail chains in Russia, is pleased to announce the opening of its thirty seventh supermarket in Moscow.

The new store is in 6 Partizan street, Tuchkovo. The store has a total area of 1,053 sq.m with 640 sq.m of selling space and is open from 8 am to 11 pm, seven days a week. A broad product assortment of 5,500 SKUs has been selected specifically for residents of Moscow Region and includes Lenta’s private labels and federal product ranges alongside local produce. The store has 6 cash registers. The property is leased by Lenta.

This opening in Tuchkovo is Lenta’s seventeenth supermarket opening in 2017 and brings the total number of Lenta stores to 201 hypermarkets in 79 cities across Russia and 65 supermarkets in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg and the Central region.

About Lenta
Lenta is the largest hypermarket chain in Russia (in terms of selling space) and the country’s fourth largest retail chain (in terms of sales as of 1Q2017). The Company was founded in 1993 in St. Petersburg. Lenta operates 201 hypermarkets in 79 cities across Russia and 65 supermarkets in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg and the Central region with a total of approximately 1,203,497 sq.m of selling space. The average Lenta hypermarket store has selling space of approximately 5,700 sq.m. The average Lenta supermarket store has selling space of approximately 900 sq.m. The Company operates seven owned distribution centres.

The Company’s price-led hypermarket formats are differentiated in terms of their promotion and pricing strategies as well as their local product assortment. The Company employed approximately 45,689 people as of 31 December 20161.

The Company’s management team combines a mix of local knowledge and international expertise coupled with extensive operational experience in Russia. Lenta’s largest shareholders include TPG Capital and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, both of which are committed to maintaining high standards of corporate governance. Lenta is listed on the London Stock Exchange and on the Moscow Exchange and trades under the ticker: ‘LNTA’.

A brief video summary on Lenta’s business and its Big Data initiative can be seen here.

For further information please visit www.lentainvestor.com

Contact:

Lenta 
Тel:+7 (812) 336 39 97
E-mail: pr@lenta.com

FTI Consulting: 
Anton Karpov & Victoria Afonina
Тel:+7 495 795 06 23
E-mail: lenta@FTIconsulting.com

Source: Lenta

Build-A-Bear to mark its 20th Birthday by donating 20,000 teddy bears to children’s hospitals nationwide

Build-A-Bear to mark its 20th Birthday by donating 20,000 teddy bears to children’s hospitals nationwide

 

Cuddly Company Kicks Off Countdown to 20th Birthday on October 27 with 20,000-bear Donation and Announcement of a New Charitable Giving Focus

ST. LOUIS, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — In honor of the company’s 20th Birthday, Build-A-Bear today (Oct. 10, 2017) announced a donation of 20,000 teddy bears that will be distributed among two dozen children’s hospitals across the United States. Volunteer coordination for the nationwide donation is powered by United Way, and UPS is serving as the official logistics and shipping partner. Teddy bear deliveries have already begun to hospitals from coast to coast, including:

The initiative will culminate with a special delivery to patients at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in New York City by Build-A-Bear Workshop President and Chief Executive Officer Sharon Price John on Thursday, October 26, the day before the company’s 20th Birthday.

The donation was funded by Build-A-Bear Foundation to commemorate the past 20 years of giving and to introduce a new charitable focus as it looks toward the future.

“Since 1997, Build-A-Bear has donated nearly $50 million in funds and furry friends to a variety of organizations,” said Sharon John, president and CEO, Build-A-Bear Workshop. “We have always believed in the power of hugs and the simple comfort of having a furry friend by your side. Starting in November, Build-A-Bear Foundation will turn its focus to giving efforts that support the well-being of children through opportunities to make their days a little bit brighter. The delivery of tens of thousands of teddy bears to deserving patients at some of our country’s best hospitals would not have been possible without the generous support of our partners at United Way and UPS.”

Nearly 100 volunteers are helping to make the bear deliveries happen thanks to tireless coordination and support from United Way and HandsOn Network organizations located near the hospitals.

“United Way is excited to celebrate this milestone anniversary with Build-A-Bear, alongside UPS, through this donation,” said Orvin Kimbrough, president and CEO, United Way of Greater St. Louis. “We look forward to continuing our long-time partnership, working together to support child well-being and help people in communities across the country.”

Each teddy bear is accompanied by a personal message hand-written by representatives of Build-A-Bear, United Way and UPS. The finished bears were packaged with care by Build-A-Bear associates at the company’s Bearhouse in Groveport, Ohio. Dedicated teams of UPS drivers will make sure the furry friends journey safely and quickly to every corner of the country.

“A child’s smile can be the most telling sign you’ve made a positive impact in their life,” said David Hopkins, director of marketing and United Way coordinator for UPS. “UPS enjoys making a difference in our communities, including supporting the United Way as one of its largest givers. We’re honored to extend that relationship by helping Build-A-Bear Foundation deliver some happiness to children while they’re receiving treatment in their local hospitals.”

To learn more about the mission of Build-A-Bear Foundation, visit buildabear.com/giving. For more information about Build-A-Bear, visit buildabear.com and follow the brand on FacebookTwitterYouTube and Instagram.

About Build-A-Bear
Celebrating 20 years of business in 2017, Build-A-Bear is a global brand kids love and parents trust that seeks to add a little more heart to life. Build-A-Bear Workshop has approximately 400 stores worldwide where Guests can create customizable furry friends, including company-owned stores in the United States, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom and China, and franchise stores in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Mexico and the Middle East. The company was named to the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® list for the ninth year in a row in 2017. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) posted a total revenue of $364.2 million in fiscal 2016. For more information, visit buildabear.com.

About United Way Worldwide
United Way fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community. Supported by 2.8 million volunteers, 9.8 million donors worldwide, and more than $4.7 billion raised every year, United Wayis the world’s largest privately-funded nonprofit. We’re engaged in nearly 1,800 communities across more than 40 countries and territories worldwide to create sustainable solutions to the challenges facing our communities. United Way partners include global, national and local businesses, nonprofits, government, civic and faith-based organizations, along with educators, labor leaders, health providers, senior citizens, students and more. For more information about United Way, please visit UnitedWay.org.

About UPS
UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including transporting packages and freight; facilitating international trade, and deploying advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. The company can be found on the web at ups.com® or pressroom.ups.com and its corporate blog can be found at longitudes.ups.com. To get UPS news direct, follow @UPS_News on Twitter.

Contact:

Marissa Eifert
314-982-1739
Marissa.eifert@fleishman.com

SOURCE: Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.

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The Wendy’s Company to host Q32017 results conference call on Wednesday, November 8

DUBLIN, Ohio, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ: WEN) will release its third quarter 2017 results before the market opens on Wednesday, November 8. A conference call will follow at 9:00 a.m. ET, with a simultaneous webcast from the Investors section of the Company’s website at www.aboutwendys.com. The live conference call will be available at (877) 572-6014 or, for international callers, at (281) 913-8524. An archived webcast with the accompanying slides will be available on the Company’s website at www.aboutwendys.com.

About The Wendy’s Company
The Wendy’s Company is the world’s third-largest quick-service hamburger company. The Wendy’s® system includes approximately 6,500 franchise and Company-operated restaurants in the United States and 30 countries and U.S. territories worldwide. For more information, visit www.aboutwendys.com.

Investor Contact:

Peter Koumas
Director – Investor Relations
(614) 764-8478
peter.koumas@wendys.com

SOURCE: The Wendy’s Company

Wendy’s® introduces higher quality and better-tasting chicken tenders

Wendy’s® introduces higher quality and better-tasting chicken tenders

 

$5 Meal Deal Available for Limited Time

DUBLIN, Ohio, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Wendy’s® knows consumers deserve better, which is exactly why we’re taking the lead in adding higher quality and better-tasting chicken tenders to our menu. Wendy’s Chicken Tenders & Side of S’Awesome™ sauce serve up juicy, flavorful tenders for fans who crave chicken tenders that taste like chicken, not just battered breading. To top it off, Wendy’s is offering a $5 Meal that will satisfy consumers’ appetites for both quality and value.

“We decided to raise the bar because customers deserve better-tasting and quality chicken,” said Kurt Kane, Wendy’s Chief Concept and Marketing Officer. “After two years of perfecting our new Chicken Tenders and Side of S’Awesome sauce, we knew we had a winner. The only thing left to do was provide these tenders at a price point that customers would love.”

Made with 100% all-white meat chicken breasts and no artificial flavors, Wendy’s Chicken Tenders are lightly breaded and seasoned with simple ingredients that you find in your own pantry. For a tender this great, Wendy’s wasn’t going to offer any old dipping sauce, which is why we trademarked our own Side of S’Awesome sauce, combining tangy, sweet and smoky into one savory flavor. While the taste of our chicken tenders stands on its own, Side of S’Awesome sauce mixes crowd-favorite condiments and will leave fans tempted to take dip after dip.

The Wendy’s Chicken Tender Meal includes three chicken tenders, small fries and a small drink for only $5*. Chicken tenders can also be purchased separately — three tenders, four tenders or in a Wendy’s Kids Meal®.

*Available for a limited time at participating locations.

About The Wendy’s Company
The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ: WEN) is the world’s third largest quick-service hamburger restaurant chain. The Wendy’s system includes more than 6,500 restaurants in 30 countries and U.S. territories. For more information, visit www.aboutwendys.com.

CONTACTS:
Bry Roth
614-764-3138
Bry.Roth@wendys.com

Amy Baker
214-259-3408
Amy.Baker@Ketchum.com

SOURCE: The Wendy’s Company

###

ascena Foundation announces the 2017 winners of the Roslyn S. Jaffe Awards

  • Three Diverse Social Impact Organizations Awarded a Combined $150,000 in Grants to Help Make a Positive Influence on Women and Children in Communities Across the Country
  • Chosen by an esteemed selection committee including Mrs. Roslyn S. Jaffe and Media industry leaders Adam Glassman and Meredith Rollins

MAHWAH, N.J., 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — ascena Foundation is proud to announce the 2017 winners of the Roslyn S. Jaffe Awards. The annual program, now in its fourth year, aims to empower and provide financial support to grassroots organizations who are making a meaningful difference in the lives of women and/or children in communities across the United States, specifically in the areas of health, education, social reform and esteem. This year’s winners include: Appetite for Change, Home Works! and Found in Translation. A luncheon to honor them will take place on October 26th at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. Acclaimed journalist and philanthropist, Soledad O’Brien will emcee the event.

ascena Foundation, a charitable organization established by ascena retail group inc., is built on making a meaningful difference in the lives of others. The Foundation created the awards program to honor the lifelong contributions of Roslyn S. Jaffe. “Reaching, supporting and honoring working women has always been our goal, from the day we started dressbarn over 50 years ago,” states Mrs. Roslyn S. Jaffe, Co-Founder of dressbarn and Secretary & Director Emeritus for Life of ascena retail group inc. She continues, “Through the awards program, we are able to identify and thank the wonderful people who dedicate their lives to helping others through their organizations. I am thrilled to announce this year’s winners, as I feel they each truly embody what it means to be an everyday hero.”

A trailblazing female entrepreneur, Mrs. Jaffe began her career in 1962. As a working mother, she recognized the need for a convenient one-stop-shop that offered value-based and fashion-forward wardrobe solutions for busy women like herself. It was then that Mrs. Jaffe opened the first dressbarn store in Stamford, CT, eventually growing it into ascena retail group inc., a multibillion dollar family of brands, including Ann Taylor, LOFT, Lou & Grey, maurices, dressbarn, Lane Bryant, Catherines and Justice. The Roslyn S. Jaffe Awards honor Mrs. Jaffe’s entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to giving back, while also celebrating the female entrepreneurs who give back to their local communities.

Media industry leaders including Adam Glassman, Creative Director of O, The Oprah Magazine, and Meredith Rollins, Editor in Chief of Redbook Magazine, alongside an esteemed selection committee with expertise in women’s causes, public affairs, health and education selected the three winning organizations based on five criteria: their impact on women and/or children in the U.S., service of lower-to-middle class beneficiaries, use of innovative approaches, scalability, and overall need and use for funding.

In addition to receiving financial grants that can be used to further impact the winners’ causes, these grassroots organizations will join the Roslyn S. Jaffe Alumni Summit where they will become part of a network of winners who benefit from an annual two-day conference that offers collaborations with other peer organizations. This Summit is one example of the ways in which the ascena Foundation continues its relationships with the winners of the Jaffe Awards program year to year in an effort to help them succeed and expand.

The 2017 Roslyn S. Jaffe Awards winners all positively impact women and/or children in low income circumstances, both in their local communities and nationwide. The 2017 winning organizations include:

  • Michelle Horovitz, Tasha Powell and Princess Titus of Appetite for Change ($100,000 Grand Prize Grant Recipient)
    Appetite for Change uses food as a tool to build health, wealth and social change in North Minneapolis. Their programs include community cooking workshops, urban agriculture and organized food policy efforts. They train North Minneapolis youth in urban farming, food preparation and leadership, with a focus on providing direct career pathways to the food service industry.
  • Maria Vertkin of Found in Translation ($25,000 Grant Recipient)
    Found in Translation is a Boston-based organization that helps bilingual women to overcome homelessness and poverty by capitalizing on their language skills and becoming professional medical interpreters. Through Found in Translation’s workforce development program, women earn a Medical Interpreting Certificate, develop job skills and financial literacy, and receive job placement assistance upon completing the training.
  • Karen Kalish of HOME WORKS! ($25,000 Grant Recipient)
    St. Louis-based HOME WORKS! aims to increase academic achievement, attendance, parental engagement, homework completion and attitudes about school, and decrease discipline issues. They train and help pay teachers and other school personnel to make home visits to forge a relationship with the parents/families/guardians and get them engaged in their child’s education. Teachers get to know them, share information about the student, and give them the tools to help children do better in school and succeed academically and socially.

“Winning the Roslyn S. Jaffe Award is the greatest honor we’ve had as a team so far,” says Michelle Horovitz, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Appetite for Change. She continues, “The three of us have been making lemonade since we started, and the award is recognition of our passion and hard work despite the bumps along the way. This funding is extremely meaningful for AFC and will help us grow more food, leaders and communities.”

To celebrate the winning organizations, a luncheon will be held at Cipriani in NYC on October 26th. Soledad O’Brien, emcee of the event says, “This will mark my fourth year being a part of this unbelievable program.  I am always amazed to learn about the wonderful causes and organizations that are further empowering and helping women and children across the country. This year is even more relevant for women and I look forward to honoring the winners.”

For additional information about the Roslyn S. Jaffe Awards and this year’s winners, please visit www.jaffeawards.com.

About Roslyn S. Jaffe
Roslyn S. Jaffe co-founded the first dressbarn store in 1962; currently she is Co-Founder, Secretary & Director Emeritus for Life of ascena retail group inc. She is a graduate of Simmons College, and was awarded an honorary Doctorate degree in management from Simmons College in 2011.

In 1962, Roslyn S. Jaffe was a working mother who, with her husband Elliott, saw a need and had a brilliant business idea – a one-stop-shop that offered the convenience of a value-based, yet fashion forward “work” wardrobe solution for busy women. Roslyn and Elliot seized the opportunity and opened a small store named dressbarn in Stamford, CT and helped transform it into what is now ascena retail group inc., a multibillion dollar family of brands including Ann Taylor, LOFT, Lou & Grey, maurices, dressbarn, Lane Bryant, Catherines and Justice.  A true trailblazer and entrepreneur, Mrs. Jaffe credits her success to strength, determination and a can-do attitude. But, most of all, she credits the company’s success to a strong team of family, friends and associates.

Understanding the needs of her co-workers, many of whom were also “working moms,” Roslyn Jaffe encouraged a close-knit community where associates could rely on each other. In addition, Mrs. Jaffe supported like-minded organizations in the community and was an early advocate for Dress for Success®, an organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. This “take care of your own” camaraderie is what inspired the company years later to establish ascena Foundation, the philanthropic organization.

About ascena Foundation
ascena Foundation, established by ascena retail group inc., is passionate about making a meaningful difference in the lives of others. ascena Foundation supports ascena’s family of purpose-driven brands that focus their charitable giving for the benefit of women and children, and the causes most important to them.

About ascena retail group inc.
ascena retail group inc. (NASDAQ: ASNA) is a leading national specialty retailer offering apparel, shoes, and accessories for women under the Premium Fashion segment (Ann Taylor, LOFT, and Lou & Grey), Value Fashion segment (maurices and dressbarn), Plus Fashion segment (Lane Bryant and Catherines), and for tween girls under the Kids Fashion segment (Justice).  ascena retail group inc. operates ecommerce websites and approximately 4,800 stores throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

For more information about ascena retail group inc. visit: ascenaretail.com, AnnTaylor.com, LOFT.com, louandgrey.com, maurices.com, dressbarn.com, lanebryant.com, Catherines.com, and shopjustice.com.

PR Contacts:
Kucerak + Co.
Lauren Kucerak/Kelly Cormier
Lauren@kucerakandco.com / Kelly@kucerakandco.com
212.510.8590

SOURCE: ascena retail group, inc.

Poundland to accept old pound coins until end of October

Retailer will accept old coins until end of October to help save Brits time and millions

Willenhall, United Kingdom, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — As the deadline looms for Brits to empty their pockets and homes of the much-loved round £1 coins, Poundland has today (9 OCT 2017) announced that it will be the first retailer in the country to accept the old coins after they are taken out of circulation on 15 October.

With the Royal Mint estimating there is £500m still in circulation, over 850 Poundland stores up and down the country will accept the old pound coins as part of its ‘Legal Tender Extender’ initiative until 31 October 2017 – more than two weeks beyond any other retailer.

Today’s announcement means Poundland shoppers with old coins stashed in piggy banks or down the side of the sofas will be quids in.

In fact, they will be able to conveniently shop and purchase 3,000-plus products at the high street retailer for an extra two-weeks rather than having to join the expected long queues in banks or post offices over coming weeks.

Poundland’s Managing Director, Barry Williams said: “We are the official home of the pound, so it’s a no brainer that we offer all Brits the opportunity to spend their hard earned round pounds for longer.

“Our Legal Tender Extender initiative means our customers have a little extra time to make the most of their money.

“We’re all about making our customers’ money go further, so providing an extra convenience for shoppers to lighten their pockets while doing the weekly shop rather than making a separate trip to the bank or post office will come as good news.”

All Poundland stores in the UK will accept the current round pound coin up until and including Tuesday 31 October 2017.

Contact:

Customer Services Team
Tel: 0333 2341877

Source: Poundland

Greggs Foundation celebrates its 30th anniversary; receives Special Recognition at the North East Charity Awards

Greggs Foundation celebrates its 30th anniversary; receives Special Recognition at the North East Charity Awards

 

Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Greggs Foundation is celebrating after receiving a Special Recognition award at the North East Charity Awards in honour of its 30th anniversary. The award was presented by Bob Cuffe from Trinity Mirror, publishers of the Newcastle Journal and Evening Chronicle.

Greggs Foundation is a well-established trust and has donated £23 million to local causes in its 30-year history. Before the Foundation was established as a grant making trust, Greggs had established a strong reputation in the community, providing a range of social activities such as pie and peas suppers for older people in the Newcastle area.

The Foundation brings together all of Greggs’ charitable giving which has an extremely rich and long history. Based in Newcastle upon Tyne and closely associated with Greggs plc., the Foundation is a grant making charity which improves the quality of life in local communities, distributing around £2.8 million per year to charitable organisations throughout England, Scotland and Wales and supporting Greggs plc to raise over £1 million each year for external charity appeals.

Roger Whiteside, chief executive at Greggs said: “Over the past 30 years, the Foundation has helped to improve the quality of life for so many people in our local communities. Many of our colleagues at Greggs support the Foundation, whether by fundraising, making grants, donating unsold food or volunteering their time. The Foundation touches the hearts of everyone at Greggs and this award is a great endorsement of all it has achieved.

Contact:
For general enquiries:
getintouch@greggs.co.uk

Source: Greggs

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CBRE: Vacant office space in the U.S. declined by 10 basis points (bps) during the third quarter of 2017

Suburbs Continue to Show Strongest Decreases

Los Angeles, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Vacant office space in the U.S. declined by 10 basis points (bps) during the third quarter of 2017 (Q3 2017) dropping to 12.9 percent, according to the latest analysis from CBRE. Continuing a recent pattern, suburban office markets continued to set the pace for declines.

The vacancy rate in suburban markets decreased 20 bps, to 14.1 percent, while downtown vacancy dipped to 10 bps to 10.6 percent. Vacancy continued to fall in a majority of U.S. office markets, and the national office vacancy rate remains near its post-recession low.

”The slow, steady improvement in the office market continued in the third quarter after a second quarter pause. Demand remains positive but modest,” said Jeffrey Havsy, Americas’ chief economist for CBRE.

The largest metro-area declines were recorded in Trenton (220 bps), Las Vegas (140 bps) and Phoenix (110 bps). Tucson, Detroit, Memphis, Stamford and Richmond, each declined by 80 bps or more. In the past four quarters, the vacancy tightening has been found in mid-sized markets located predominately across the Sun Belt, including Tucson, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Louisville, Orlando, Richmond, Detroit, Sacramento, Phoenix, Memphis and Jacksonville.

“September’s job report showed continued growth in office-using jobs and that growth is expected to lead to continued but relatively modest positive absorption. The supply pipeline in certain markets has started to increase and this may lead to a slowing of the vacancy decline in early 2018,” added Mr. Havsy.

About CBRE Group, Inc.
CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2016 revenue). The company has more than 75,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate investors and occupiers through approximately 450 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide. CBRE offers a broad range of integrated services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services and development services. Please visit our website at www.cbre.com.

Media Contacts:

Robert McGrath
Senior Director
+1 212 9848267

Source: CBRE

Wendy’s Chief People Officer Scott Weisberg to leave the Company; Coley O’Brien to succeed

Scott Weisberg Expected to be Succeeded by Coley O’Brien After Effective Transition of Duties

DUBLIN, Ohio, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ: WEN) announced today (Oct. 6, 2017) that Chief People Officer Scott Weisberg intends to leave the Company once he completes an effective transition process over the next several months. After a successful tenure with Wendy’s® that started in 2012, Weisberg is expected to transition his responsibilities in the first quarter of 2018 to Coley O’Brien, currently Vice President of Human Resources. Subject to final Board approval, O’Brien is expected to succeed Weisberg in the Chief People Officer role and join the senior leadership team reporting to President and Chief Executive Officer Todd Penegor. O’Brien joined the Company in 2007 as National Director of Operations Training, and has been successively promoted through Operations and Human Resources leadership roles over the past 10 years.

“Scott Weisberg has been an architect of the growth and success of our organization over the last five years,” said Penegor. “He was one of the first people hired by former CEO Emil Brolick as the Company embarked on the brand transformation that has resulted in multiple years of same restaurant sales growth, a highly relevant consumer-facing brand, and an employee and franchise community that is stronger and more engaged than ever. We are grateful for Scott’s many contributions to that success, particularly the development of more sophisticated people capabilities and processes that have been critical to our growth.”

“At the same time, I am highly confident in our succession plans and will be pleased to welcome Coley O’Brien to my leadership team next year. Coley has played an integral role in key initiatives such as System Optimization with the successful transfer of talent and organizational capability as the Company refranchised the majority of its restaurants. His leadership of our field operations training organization has transformed and modernized our learning systems, delivering customized programs for the 250,000 Wendy’s crew members, managers and multi-unit operators who bring the Wendy’s vision to life every day for customers in more than 6,500 restaurants.”

The Company expects that Weisberg will remain with the Company through March of 2018. Pending final Board approval, the Company expects that O’Brien will assume the Chief People Officer duties in early 2018, ensuring a smooth transition of responsibilities through the year-end 2017 reporting period.

About The Wendy’s Company 
The Wendy’s Company is the world’s third-largest quick-service hamburger company. The Wendy’s system includes approximately 6,500 franchise and Company-operated restaurants in the United States and 30 countries and U.S. territories worldwide. For more information, visit www.aboutwendys.com.

Investor Contact:
Peter Koumas
Director – Investor Relations
(614) 764-8478
peter.koumas@wendys.com

Media Contact:
Heidi Schauer
Director – Corporate Communications
(614) 764-3368
heidi.schauer@wendys.com

SOURCE: The Wendy’s Company

MAPIC 2017 to showcase latest retail real estate projects in 25 countries

Paris, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — More than 2,500 property developers and shopping centre owners will be at MAPIC 2017 to showcase their latest projects, giving international retailers a unique three-day opportunity to find out about new site locations.

Organised by Reed MIDEM, the International Retail Real Estate Market will be held in Cannes from 15 to 17 November 2017.

About Reed MIDEM:
Founded in 1963, Reed MIDEM is an organiser of professional, international markets that are essential business platforms for key players in the sectors concerned. These sectors are MIPTV, MIPDOC, MIPCOM, MIPJUNIOR in Cannes, MIP China in Hangzhou and MIP Cancun in Mexico for the television and digital content industries; MIDEM in Cannes for music professionals; Esports BAR in Cannes and in Miami for the esports business; MIPIM in Cannes, MIPIM UK in London, MIPIM Asia Summit in Hong Kong and MIPIM PropTech Summit in New York for the real estate industry; MAPIC in Cannes, MAPIC Russia in Moscow, MAPIC Italy in Milan, MAPIC China Summit in Shanghai and IRF brought by MAPIC in Mumbai for the retail real estate sector.www.reedmidem.com

About Reed Exhibitions:
Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events organiser, with over 500 events in over 30 countries. In 2016 Reed brought together over seven million event participants from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 38 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of RELX Group, a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. www.reedexpo.com

Contact:

My-Lan CAO – Press Director
Tel: +33 (0) 1 79 71 95 44
mylan.cao@reedmidem.com

Constance GARCIA Y SANTOS – Press Officer
Tel: +33 (0) 1 79 71 95 65
constance.garciaysantos@reedmidem.com

Source: MAPIC

Swedish ICA stores sales increased by 4.4% in September 2017

Solna, Sweden, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Sales in the Swedish ICA stores increased by 4.4% in September 2017 compared with the corresponding month last year. Sales in like-for-like stores increased by 3.6%.

September 2017 January – September 2017
Store sales
excl. VAT
Mkr Change  all stores Change like-for-like       Mkr Change  all stores Change like-for-like
Maxi ICA Stormarknad 2,773 6.0% 5.7% 25,659 2.9% 2.9%
ICA Kvantum 2,219 5.0% 2.5% 20,582 3.8% 1.8%
ICA Supermarket 2,788 3.4% 2.9% 25,904 2.5% 1.9%
ICA Nära 1,364 2.5% 2.4% 12,837 1.8% 1.9%
Total 9,144 4.4% 3.6% 84,981 2.8% 2.2%

In September 2017, sales in the Swedish ICA stores totalled SEK 9,144 million excluding VAT, which is an increase of 4.4% compared with the same month in the previous year. Sales in January-September 2017 amounted to SEK 84,981 million, an increase of 2.8% compared with the previous year.

ICA Gruppen estimates the calendar effect for September to be 0%.

At 30 September 2017, the number of ICA stores in Sweden was 1,287. Store sales for October will be published on 8 November 2017 at 08.45 CET.

To see all publication dates in 2017, please visit ICA Gruppen’s website http://www.icagruppen.se/en/investors/calendar.

For more information: 
ICA Gruppen press service

Telephone number: +46 10 422 52 52

Source: ICA Gruppen

SPAR Italy Partners sponsor Serie A team FC Crotone for the 2017/2018 season

SPAR Italy Partners sponsor Serie A team FC Crotone for the 2017/2018 season

 

Italy, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Two SPAR Italy Partners are sponsoring Serie A football teams this season.

DESPAR Southern and Central Italy Partner, Maiora is sponsoring Serie A (Italy’s top football league) team FC Crotone during the 2017/2018 season. INTERSPAR under DESPAR Northeast Partner, Aspiag Service, is sponsoring the Spal 2013 team from the city of Ferrara in the first three matches of the season.

President and Managing Director of Maiora (DESPAR Partner for Southern and Central Italy) declared: “We are proud to be associating our DESPAR brand with one of the strongest teams in Southern Italy, FC Crotone. This team created a legendary sport experience last year, and we identify with it because we also are persistent and determined.”

The agreement between DESPAR and the Crotone football club offers DESPAR great brand exposure at the Scida stadium and the team’s training field in Crotone. In addition, a number of football players from FC Crotone will promote the brand in various marketing and communication activities that will be shared on traditional media and news channels, including social media platforms.

DESPAR will run numerous initiatives on its “Mydespar” Facebook page. Users who like the page and join the various activities promoted there, will be able to win stadium tickets to watch a match, and many official branded items from FC Crotone. Among the first prizes up for grabs, will be the official team jerseys carrying the names of the lucky competition winners.

Aspiag Service, DESPAR partner in Northeast Italy and Emilia Romagna, is sponsoring Spal 2013, a football team from Ferrara, that made its return to the Serie A this year, after an absence of more than fifty years. The sponsorship agreement sees the INTERSPAR Brand featured on the Spal match jerseys during the first three matches of the 2017/2018 season.

“We are happy to accompany this longstanding team returning to top league football,” declared Fabio Donà, Marketing Director of DESPAR Northeast. Supporting sports is an important expression of our involvement with local communities – which we see as one of our major strengths – but also because this football club has always shown persistence, endurance and an ability to rise again. The qualities of this team are a real example for all, as it made a very quick rise from Pro League to Serie A.”

For DESPAR this sponsorship represents an opportunity to revive its already strong relationship with the city of Ferrara, where it operates two company-owned INTERSPAR stores, one EUROSPAR store, and twenty independently-owned DESPAR and EUROSPAR stores.

Spal 2013 President, Mr Walter Mattioli, highlighted the importance of working together with a company sharing the values that are dear to the Spal club: “Our large sport family embraces, besides the first team, also some 400 players from the youth teams. It is important to choose partners who share the same vision: we managed to get back to Serie A by working together towards one common goal. We will remain in Serie A by continuing to work in this way.”

Contact:

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

Source: Spar International

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MANGO launches new shirt collection to raise fund for Fero Cancer Research Foundation

The fashion chain is to sell five different models in twenty countries worldwide which include messages of support and hope for cancer sufferers

Barcelona, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — To commemorate International Breast Cancer Day on 19 October, MANGO has put on sale five different models of t-shirts, created in collaboration with the Fero Cancer Research Foundation, in over 600 stores in twenty countries worldwide.

These t-shirts, 3 for women and 2 for men, in addition to a tote bag, feature messages of optimism accompanied by the iconic pink ribbon as a symbol of support to all cancer sufferers.

All profits from the sales of the t-shirts and bags, retailing at 15.99 and 12.99 euros, respectively, in the Spanish market, will be donated to the Foundation.

Fero and MANGO have already collaborated successfully in solidarity initiatives in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Contact:

T. +34 938 602 222
Email: press@mango.com

Source: Mango

MANGO opens its first brick-and-mortar store in Delhi

  • The brand plans 25 store openings in the next 5 years: 5 of them before the end of 2017.
  • With this alliance, the firm adopts an omni-channel strategy, improving the shopping experience for its customers in India

New Delhi, India and Barcelona, Spain, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Following the announcement made earlier this year, MANGO has now opened its first brick-and-mortar store with the latest concept in Delhi, in conjunction with its business partner, Myntra. Myntra has partnered with select retail companies to curate MANGO’s offline business in India. This way, MANGO expands its omni-channel strategy in India.

MANGO’s expansion plan consists of 25 store openings in India over the next 5 years. Its first store opens today in Delhi at Select Citywalk Mall (Saket district), with an event hosted by model and actress Ileana D’Cruz. The second store opening will take place in Mumbai, at Phoenix Mall, next month, and will be followed by three more openings before the end of 2017.

The new store is equipped with advanced technology to provide a seamless shopping experience for customers in India. All MANGO stores in the country will feature integrated inventory and the concept of Endless Aisle, enabling customers to browse the MANGO collection on a tablet, check out product details and availability, and have goods from other stores delivered to their doorstep. These tablets are also used to provide personalized recommendations based on purchase history, and inform customers about new products and styles. Customers will also be able to skip queues at billing counters, using the Assisted Checkout feature on tablets.

In 2014, MANGO chose Myntra as a partner to develop its online business in India, given that it is the largest and most reputable online retailer in the country. In less than three years, MANGO has become one of the five top-selling women’s western wear brands on Myntra marketplace, with annual growth rates in excess of 100%.

According to MANGO Executive Vice President, Daniel López: “This is the beginning of an expansion plan in India that will cover the next 5 years. We have an excellent relationship with Myntra and their expertise has allowed us to reach virtually every corner of India and increase our customer base exponentially as a result. Following an omni-channel strategy and having a presence in the country with physical stores will allow us to generate value for consumers by improving their shopping experience”.

Speaking on the occasion, Ananth Narayanan, CEO of Myntra&Jabong, said, “Helping launch the first MANGO store in Delhi is a huge step in the direction of building a robust omni-channel presence for the brand. MANGO has been growing at a 100% YoY rate on the platform and continues to enjoy great fashion appeal amongst shoppers in India. The new technology-packed store is set to redefine the way consumers in India experience brands in the future.”

MANGO was founded in 1984 and is today one of the leading fashion groups in the world.Based in its city of origin, Barcelona, the company has an extensive store network of close to 800,000 m2 in 110 countries.From its “El Hangar” Design Centre in Palau-solità i Plegamans, every year it designs more than 18,000 garments and accessories for its customers to wear the season’s trends.The company closed the 2016 financial year with sales of 2.26 billion euros.More information at www.mango.com

Myntra is India’s leading platform for fashion brands and a pioneer in m-commerce plays. Myntra market place lists over 2,000 leading fashion and lifestyle brands in the country such as Nike, adidas, Puma, Levis, Wrangler, Arrow, Jealous 21, Diesel, CAT, Harley Davidson, Ferrari, Timberland, US Polo, FabIndia, Biba and many more to offer a wide range in latest branded fashion and lifestyle wear. Myntra services over 19,000 pin codes across the country. With the largest in-season product catalogue, 100% authentic products, Cash on Delivery and its 30-day Exchange/Return policy, Myntra is today the preferred shopping destination in India.

Contact:

T. +34 938 602 222
Email: press@mango.com

Source: Mango

ShopRite sponsors the Grand Tasting at the Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival

ShopRite sponsors the Grand Tasting at the Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival

 

Keasbey, NJ, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — ShopRite will celebrate its 10th anniversary as a presenting sponsor of the Grand Tasting at the Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Coca-Cola (NYCWFF) by preparing savory specialties from the Grand Tasting booth located at the heart of New York City’s premier food festival.

ShopRite is a presenting sponsor of the Grand Tasting featuring Samsung® Culinary Demonstrations presented by Mastercard® at the NYCWFF. Hundreds of food and drink purveyors and top restaurants offer thousands of delicious samples during the weekend foodie festival, which takes place at Pier 94 on the Hudson River. ShopRite Kitchen chefs operate at the very center of the culinary campus — inside the Grand Tasting booth — preparing and serving specialties out of a kitchen custom built for the Grand Tasting event on Saturday, Oct. 14 and Sunday, Oct. 15.

The weekend event also includes demonstrations by Food Network and Cooking Channel celebrity chefs and culinary personalities, and ShopRite will serve up recipe favorites like lobster mac and cheese and flatbreads made from scratch. Visitors to the Grand Tasting can also sample new products and recipes from ShopRite grand brands such as Wholesome Pantry, Black Bear and ShopRite Imported lines. ShopRite also partnered this year with Coca-Cola to offer one lucky visitor to the festival a chance to take center stage at the show with Celebrity Food Network Chef Scott Conant. The Grand Tasting takes place from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.

All proceeds from the Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival benefit the hunger-relief organizations Food Bank For New York City and No Kid Hungry®. Those interested in purchasing tickets for the Grand Tasting can visit http://www.shoprite.com/nycwff/ for more information.

About ShopRite
ShopRite is the registered trademark of Wakefern Food Corp., a retailer-owned cooperative based in Keasbey, NJ, and the largest supermarket cooperative in the United States. With more than 270 ShopRite supermarkets located throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland, ShopRite serves more than six million customers each week. Through its ShopRite Partners In Caring program, ShopRite is dedicated to fighting hunger in the communities it serves. Since the program began in 1999, ShopRite Partners In Caring has donated $43 million to food banks that support more than 2,200 worthy charities. As a title sponsor of the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer, ShopRite has donated $30 million to local organizations, hospitals and community groups. For more information, please visit www.shoprite.com.

Contact:
Maureen Gillespie
Phone: 732-906-5295
Manager

Source: ShopRite

###

The Home Depot’s commitment to promoting water efficiency recognized with 2017 WaterSense® Sustained Excellence Award

ATLANTA, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized The Home Depot®, with a 2017 WaterSense® Sustained Excellence Award for its commitment to promoting the value of water efficiency to its customers, encouraging innovation within its vendors and supplier base, and for decreasing water use within its operational footprint.

EPA’s Sustained Excellence Award is the organization’s highest honor for water conservation and this is the third consecutive win for The Home Depot. The company’s goal is to save consumers 250 billion gallons of water by 2020 through the sale and proper use of WaterSense certified products.

  • The Home Depot’s annual sales of WaterSense products saved customers 76 billion gallons of water; equal to $643 million in avoided water utility costs.
  • In stores, all new bathroom vanity faucets, showerheads and toilets are WaterSense labeled.
  • The company has captured more than 72.5 million gallons of rainwater, enough to fill 1.4 million standard bathtubs, from reclamation tanks in its garden centers.

“The Home Depot is committed to water conservation and efficiency in both the products we sell and in our store operations,” said Ron Jarvis, vice president of environmental. “The WaterSense label and partner recognition enables us to educate consumers on the value of water and the positive impacts they can make in their homes on a daily basis.”

“Since 2006, utilities, manufacturers, retailers, builders, communities, states, and other organizations have voluntarily supported WaterSense program’s efforts to protect and preserve our nation’s water supply for future generations,” said WaterSense Program Manager Veronica Blette. “By saving water together, these award winners and all of our partners help consumers and businesses realize the environmental and economic benefits of water efficiency.”

The Home Depot now offers over 7,000 WaterSense labeled fixtures and appliances in its stores and online; an increase of more than 2,000 products year-over-year.

Take a behind the scenes look at WaterSense Partner TOTO, USA’s commitment to water conservation in action, here: https://corporate.homedepot.com/newsroom/watersense-toto-sustainability

For more information about WaterSense, visit www.epa.gov/watersense.

About The Home Depot
The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,282 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. In fiscal 2016, The Home Depot had sales of $94.6 billion and earnings of $8.0 billion. The Company employs more than 400,000 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.

About WaterSense®
WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by EPA, seeks to protect the future of our nation’s water supply by offering consumers and businesses simple ways to use less water with water-efficient products, homes, and services.

For more information, contact:

Aaron Bastian
Corporate Communications Manager
770-384-2892
Aaron_bastian@homedepot.com

Source: Home Depot

Taco Bell announces the return of Naked Chicken to its menus nationwide

New Crispy Chicken Quesadilla headlines the return of Naked Chicken Chips and tests of the Bacon Ranch Naked Chicken Chalupa and Chicken & Biscuits

IRVINE, Calif., 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — The people demanded it, so Naked Chicken is back at Taco Bell and its future is bright. Starting today (October 5, 2017), Naked Chicken makes its mouth-watering return to Taco Bell menus nationwide with the new Crispy Chicken Quesadilla and reprise of Naked Chicken Chips for a limited time. The Naked Chicken innovation doesn’t stop there, Naked Chicken fans in select areas will also get to test the new Bacon Ranch Naked Chicken Chalupa and Chicken & Biscuits.

Two of Taco Bell’s beloved menu items, the quesadilla and the Naked Chicken Chips, form a glorious union in the new Crispy Chicken Quesadilla, available nationwide. Classic quesadilla ingredients including a three-cheese blend and creamy jalapeno sauce are kicked up a notch with the addition of crispy Naked Chicken Chips made of marinated, all-white-meat chicken seasoned with bold Mexican spices. Fans across America can enjoy the Crispy Chicken Quesadilla for $3.49 individually or in a $5 Box with a Doritos Locos Taco, a Crunchy Taco and a medium drink.

Those who crave the Naked Chicken Chips à la carte as a crispy snack or side can buy a six-piece order of Chips served with Nacho Cheese sauce for just $1.99. Whether fans prefer the Chips surrounded by cheesy goodness inside the quesadilla or on their own, Naked Chicken Chips are back in a big way on Taco Bell menus nationwide.

To further up the ante, Taco Bell is adding even more flavor to the infamous Naked Chicken Chalupa with the new Bacon Ranch Naked Chicken Chalupa being tested in Knoxville, Tennessee. Featuring bacon, spicy ranch, lettuce, cheddar cheese and tomatoes, loaded between the crispy chicken shell fans know and love, the Bacon Ranch Naked Chicken Chalupa is available for $3.49 à la carte and in a $5 Box for a limited time.

Last, but definitely not least, Taco Bell is bringing Naked Chicken to the most important meal of the day, breakfast. The new Chicken & Biscuits include fluffy biscuit triangles paired with Naked Chicken Chips and the choice of sweet and spicy Jalapeno Honey or Nacho Cheese dipping sauce. This delectable breakfast duo is available for $1.99 exclusively in Indianapolis, Indiana for a limited time.

Head to the nearest Taco Bell now through mid-November to make the most of the return of Naked Chicken, no matter which form you crave it in.

ABOUT TACO BELL® CORPORATION

Taco Bell Corp., a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM), is the nation’s leading Mexican-inspired quick service restaurant (QSR) brand. From breakfast to late night, Taco Bell serves made-to-order and customizable tacos and burritos, among other craveable choices, and is the first QSR restaurant to offer American Vegetarian Association (AVA)-certified menu items. Taco Bell and its more than 350 franchise organizations proudly serve over 42 million customers each week through 7,000 restaurants across the nation, as well as through its mobile, desktop and delivery ordering services. Overseas, Taco Bell has over 250 restaurants, with plans to add 2,000 more restaurants internationally within the next decade. The brand encourages its fans to “Live Mas” and connects with them through sports, gaming and new music via its Feed The Beat® music program. Taco Bell also provides education opportunities and serves the community through its nonprofit organization, the Taco Bell® Foundation™, and connects fans with their passions through programs such as the Live Mas Scholarshipprogram. In 2016, Taco Bell was named as one of Fast Company’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in the World.

Like: Facebook.com/tacobell
Follow: @TacoBell (Twitter) and tacobell (Instagram)
Subscribe: YouTube.com/tacobell

MEDIA RELATIONS:

Tel: 949-863-3915
e-mail at media@tacobell.com

Source: Taco Bell Corp.

PHILIPPINES: SM Prime Holdings open its newest mall, SM Center Tuguegarao Downtown, on Thursday, October 12

PHILIPPINES: SM Prime Holdings open its newest mall, SM Center Tuguegarao Downtown, on Thursday, October 12

 

Pasay City, Philippines, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime), one of the leading integrated property companies in Southeast Asia, will open its newest mall, SM Center Tuguegarao Downtown, on Thursday, October 12. This first SM mall in the Cagayan Province will serve as the company’s 65th mall in the country and will provide an additional 37,000 square meters (sqm) in gross floor area (GFA) to its portfolio bringing the total GFA to 8.0 million sqm in the Philippines.

Strategically located at the corner of Luna and Mabini Streets, which are main thoroughfares in this major urban city in the north, SM Center Tuguegarao Downtown is set to open with 90% of its space lease-awarded to a number of favored household brands. Among the names that will take up this new mall are SM Hypermarket, ACE Hardware, Surplus, Watsons, Miniso, Simply Shoes and BDO.

“The opening of SM Center Tuguegarao Downtown will provide SM Prime a sturdier foothold in the northeastern part of the Philippines, along with our other mall in the region, SM City Cauayan in Isabela. We are very excited on how this new mall will give a unique shopping experience to this urbanized city in northern Luzon and how it will contribute further to the development of the Cagayan Valley Region ,” SM Prime President Jeffrey C. Lim said.

SM Center Tuguegarao Downtown is set to add a visual feast to the locals’ eyes given its distinct yet familiar SM mall structure and renowned enjoyable and convenient malling experience.

This year, SM Prime has already launched SM City Puerto Princesa in Palawan, SM CDO Downtown Premier in Cagayan de Oro, S Maison at Conrad Manila in Pasay City and SM Cherry Antipolo in Rizal.

SM Prime remains committed to its role as a catalyst for economic growth, delivering innovative and sustainable lifestyle cities, thereby enriching the quality of life of millions of people.

For further information, please contact:
Alexander Pomento
Vice President, Investor Relations
SM Prime Holdings, Inc.
E-mail: alex.pomento@smprime.com
Tel. no.: +632 862 7940

Source: SM Prime Holdings, Inc.

###

PHILIPPINES: SM opens new mall SM City Puerto Princesa in Palawan

PHILIPPINES: SM opens new mall SM City Puerto Princesa in Palawan

 

Pasay City, Philippines, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — With the opening of SM City Puerto Princesa in Palawan on September 15, SM has further expanded its retail footprint nationwide.

Determined to bring its mark of providing an exciting retail experience to as many Filipinos, SM launched its anchor retail brands in Puerto Princesa, one of the country’s main tourist destinations and voted as one of the best islands in the world by travel magazine Travel + Leisure. These included THE SM STORE, SM Supermarket and SM Appliance Center; as well as specialty brands Ace Hardware and Watsons with a combined floor area of over 15,000 square meters.

“SM’s maiden property and retail ventures in Palawan open opportunities for us to cater to an underserved tourist market. Under the government’s expansionary strategy, there is increased focus on regional development. This supports our overall strategy to further expand and cover as many provinces in the country to provide access to the best retail options to consumers,” SM Investments Corp. President Frederic DyBuncio said.

The additional retail brands add to SM Retail’s total of 2,357 as at end-June 2017. This comprises 58 THE SM STORES, 1,709 specialty stores, 50 SM Supermarkets, 44 SM Hypermarkets, 170 Savemore stores, 41 WalterMart stores and 285 Alfamart stores as of the given period.

“SM’s diversified retail business allows greater synergies with SM Prime’s own diverse product offerings and integrated developments. SM Retail is given room to further gain a foothold in the regions and further expand with each property expansion,” Corazon Guidote, SVP for Investor Relations at SM said.

Aside from its anchor and specialty retail brands, other SM-related brands that located in SM City Puerto Princesa are variety store chain Miniso, BDO, SM Cinema and Director’s Club and logistics company, 2GO as well as BDO.

SM Retail continues to expand across the country. For one, the food retail group under SM Markets plus WalterMart pursued its expansion both in urban and rural communities. For the SM STORE, it opened SM CDO Downtown in Cagayan de Oro this year aside from SM City Puerto Princesa. As of the first half, the total gross selling area of all 58 department stores stood at 760,000 square meters.

Revenues from SM Retail’s specialty retail stores grew 8% to PHP31.6 billion in the first half of 2017.  Specialty retail brands include Ace Hardware, SM Appliance Center, Homeworld, Our Home, Toy Kingdom, Watsons, Kultura, Baby Company, Sports Central, Forever 21 and Body Shop which continue to expand nationwide.

About SM Investments Corporation

SM Investments Corporation is a leading Philippine company that is invested in market leading businesses in retail, banking and property. It also invests in ventures that can capture high growth opportunities in the emerging Philippine economy. It looks for market leaders or those with potential to become leaders in their chosen sectors that offer synergies and attractive returns and cashflows.

SM’s retail operations are the country’s largest and most diversified with its food, non-food and specialty retail stores. SM’s property arm, SM Prime Holdings, Inc., is the largest integrated property developer in the Philippines with interests in malls, residences, offices, hotels and convention centers as well as tourism-related property developments. SM’s interests in banking are in BDO Unibank, Inc. (BDO), the country’s largest bank and China Banking Corporation (China Bank), the 7th largest bank.

For more about SM, click here: www.sminvestments.com

For further inquiries, please contact:
Ms. Corazon P. Guidote
Senior Vice President for Investor Relations
SM Investments Corporation
E-mail: cora.guidote@sminvestments.com
Tel. No. (632) 857-0117

Source: SM Investments Corporation

###

NEW ZEALAND: New World unveils new initiatives to reducing the impact of plastic waste in the environment

Auckland, New Zealand, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — New World is committed to reducing the impact of plastic waste in our environment – and the BagVote campaign was just the start.

When we launched the project the discussion was all about introducing a levy, so we wanted to ask our customers what they thought.

The overwhelming majority has voted ‘yes – charge me for bags’, but we missed an important question – no bag at all. Many of our customers told us via email, Facebook, phone and in-store that they wanted this option.

Our customers also asked us to look harder at paper and biodegradable alternatives – both have their issues, but they are constantly being improved.

New World is aiming to be single-use plastic bag free by the end of 2018.  This move depends on being able to find the right bag solution to meet our customers’ needs and those of the environment.

To get there as quickly as possible we are implementing a number of really exciting initiatives to help New Zealanders adjust to life without single-use plastic bags. We’re taking the conversation even further and reviewing our approach to plastic packaging, plastic products and minimising waste overall.

It’s a big task but we are totally committed to change – we always have been.

So here’s what’s next for us:

–         We’re giving away a whopping 2 million long-life reusable bags to our New World customers this summer;

–         On 1 February 2018 we will introduce a 10c voluntary donation per plastic bag at New World, which will go to environmental causes including our amazing friends at Sea Cleaners;

–         We’re continuing the 5c rebate for each reusable bag in our North Island New World stores, which has resulted in a 20 percent reduction in plastic bag use;

–         And, we are committed to promoting and expanding the Soft Plastics Recycling programme. Our customers contribute more than two thirds of the total volume of plastic recycling in the country. The top 10 stores in the country, by volume of plastic recycling, are all Foodstuffs stores.

New Zealanders have always been able to make a personal choice to ban plastic bags from their lives and use reusable bags or boxes for their groceries – they just need to change the habit of a lifetime.

We’re grateful for the support we received from the community for taking a leadership position on this issue.

We’re 100% New Zealand owned and operated – and 100% for New Zealand. The fact that other retailers are now engaged on the plastic bag issue is a win for the environment and we are so pleased this important environmental issue is being addressed.

A New Zealand with less plastic has got to be better. Let’s get there together.

Contact:
Tel: +64 4 472 6435
Fax:+64 4 472 6412

Source: Foodstuffs NZ

Majid Al Futtaim further expands in Kenya with the opening of its third Carrefour hypermarket

Move illustrates Majid Al Futtaim’s plan to grow presence in Kenya and the greater East African region

Nairobi, Kenya, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, today (OCTOBER 05, 2017) announced that it will open its third hypermarket in Kenya, as part of its growth and expansion plans in Kenya.

The new hypermarket, at the popular Thika Road Mall “TRM” covers over 5000 square metres selling area and will cater for the growing population segment residing in Roysambu and Kasarani as well as those travelling along the busy Thika Road, towards Central and parts of Eastern Kenya. It brings the total number of Carrefour stores operated by Majid Al Futtaim, to 210 across 15 markets.

The new hypermarket will cover two floors of the mall whose construction was completed in 2013, with the projection of starting operations at the upper level of the mall next month, and having full operations on both floors by mid-2018.

Franck Moreau, Country Manager, at Majid Al Futtaim – Retail Kenya said, “The opening of our third Carrefour store in less than two years of operations illustrates our ambitious growth and expansion plans in the region. This new hypermarket will offer our customers who use the busy highway access to wide variety of products at the most competitive prices, offered at world-class standards.”

“Additionally, with our expansion we are collaborating with local manufacturers and farmers to sell their produce. We are looking to stock over 30,000 items at the hypermarket, including fresh produce, groceries, a fresh bakery, and a butchery, among other merchandise as we continue to deliver on creating great moments for everyone, every day.” Mr. Moreau added.

Majid Al Futtaim currently works with over 640 suppliers, local manufacturers, producers and farmers, which contributes to the overall economic growth in Kenya both directly and indirectly. Only one of the suppliers is foreign.

The opening of the new branch at TRM will boost the staff employment count at Carrefour in Kenya to 800, with 600 already working at the other two branches located at The Hub in Karen and the Two Rivers Mall.

Mr. Moreau added that Majid Al Futtaim is actively seeking opportunities to open stores in Kenya and the rest of the greater East African region in the coming years. This is in line to attaining the company’s plans to cater for the growing population yearning for a wide range of products, sold at the best prices in the best possible environment.

Contact:

Phone: +9714 2949999

Source: MAJID AL FUTTAIM