Daily Archives: January 29, 2018

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Tesco to introduce new initiative to help reduce food waste

Tesco to introduce new initiative to help reduce food waste

 

Welwyn Garden City, UK, 2018-Jan-29 — /EPR Retail News/ — Tesco is set to introduce ‘Colleague Shops’ in all its UK stores to give colleagues the opportunity to take food approaching its expiry date, as part of its wider work to prevent good food from going to waste.

Dedicated storage areas and fridges will be set up in back-of-store colleague rooms to safely store quality food on its use by or best before date, and has the added benefit of providing Tesco colleagues with a bargain – helping to reduce food waste.

The move is part of Tesco’s ongoing drive to ensure that no food safe for human consumption will go to waste in its UK retail operations by the end of 2017/18. Colleague Shops will form an additional part of Tesco’s established approach to managing stock in store:

  1. Tesco uses sophisticated systems to predict and order the amount of food that customers are expected to buy in stores.
  2. The price of products are ‘reduced-to-clear’ as they approach their expiry date, to minimise surplus.
  3. If food cannot be sold, it’s offered to local charities and community food groups via Tesco’s surplus food redistribution initiative, Community Food Connection.
  4. Charities don’t always need everything offered to them, so any food left over will now be made available to colleagues.

Tesco’s Head of Food Waste Reduction Mark Little said: “We want to do everything we can to make sure perfectly good food doesn’t go to waste. Our Colleague Shops are a win-win, providing an additional step to support our efforts to tackle food waste in our own operations, and offer colleagues an extra little help at the end of their shift.”

Colleague Shops will be introduced to Tesco stores by the end of February. The surplus food will initially be made available for 1p before becoming free of charge in a few months’ time.

We are a team of over 450,000 colleagues dedicated to serving shoppers a little better every day.

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

Source: Tesco

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Wal-Mart and Rakuten to launch online grocery delivery service Japan and new eBooks and audiobooks offering in the U.S.

Companies to launch online grocery delivery service in Japan and new eBooks and audiobooks offering in the U.S.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. and TOKYO, Japan, 2018-Jan-29 — /EPR Retail News/ — Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) president and CEO Doug McMillon and Rakuten, Inc. Chairman, president and CEO Hiroshi “Mickey” Mikitani met in Tokyo today ( Jan. 25, 2018) to announce a new strategic alliance that leverages each company’s unique strengths and assets to expand consumer reach and enhance how customers are served in Japan and the U.S.

The collaboration includes the launch of a new online grocery delivery service in Japan beginning in the third quarter of 2018. In addition, Walmart and Rakuten Kobo Inc. have formed an exclusive retail alliance that will enable Walmart to begin selling eBooks and audiobooks, as well as offer Rakuten Kobo eReaders, in Walmart stores and online at Walmart.com in the United States starting later this year.

“Rakuten is a strong e-commerce business and we’re excited to collaborate with the top online shopping destination in Japan,” McMillon said. “Here in Japan and everywhere we operate, we’re constantly exploring new ways to make every day easier for customers by offering great experiences in stores, online, via mobile—no matter how customers want to shop. We look forward to expanding our grocery footprint in Japan and launching a new offering of eBooks and audiobooks for our customers in the U.S.”

Mikitani said, “As global leaders in e-commerce and offline shopping, Rakuten and Walmart are uniquely positioned to empower our customers around the world with innovative services.” He added, “We are excited to partner with Walmart because of its commitment to creating the best solutions to serve customers with low prices.”

Japan online grocery delivery service
Rakuten and Seiyu GK, a subsidiary of Walmart, have reached a basic agreement to establish a joint venture with the aim of launching a new online grocery delivery service in Japan, to be known as “Rakuten Seiyu Netsuper.” The new service is planned to be launched in the latter half of 2018.

Rakuten and Seiyu will launch a new online grocery delivery service leveraging each of the companies’ strengths to offer a more convenient shopping experience that meets the changing needs of customers in Japan. Rakuten Seiyu Netsuper will aim to increase fulfillment capacity, enrich the merchandise offering and improve convenience for the customer. The service will aim to increase capacity in 2018 with the establishment of a dedicated fulfilment center, in addition to offering deliveries from Seiyu stores.

The new service’s merchandise offering will showcase Seiyu’s twin strengths of “quality” and “low prices.” To serve the needs of customers increasingly short on time for preparation, the service will include not only fresh produce and daily consumables but also a rich lineup of convenient items such as cut vegetables, partially-prepared foods and ready-meal kits, as well as popular local gourmet products from merchants on the Rakuten Ichiba marketplace.

Furthermore, the new service will utilize Rakuten’s deep expertise in e-commerce to offer a site with an optimized user experience, as well as leveraging big data and AI to offer a more personalized merchandise offering.

Customers using the new service will enjoy the benefit of being able to earn and use Rakuten Super Points, also allowing them to use their points on more than 70 services within the Rakuten ecosystem.

Rakuten Kobo U.S. eReading Service
As part of this alliance, Walmart will become Rakuten Kobo’s exclusive mass retail partner for the Kobo brand in the U.S., offering Kobo’s nearly six million titles from thousands of publishers and hundreds of thousands of authors to Walmart.com customers. Walmart.com will offer eBooks and audiobooks for sale later this year. Walmart will also sell digital book cards in stores, enabling more than 4,000 stores to carry a broader selection of books for customers.

All eBook content will be accessible through a Walmart/Kobo co-branded app available on all iOS and Android devices, a desktop app and Kobo e-Readers, which will also be sold at Walmart later this year.

“Walmart is one of the top retailers in the world and one of the largest booksellers in the U.S. Our strategy from day one has been to partner with the world’s best retailers, so that they can easily offer their customers the option of reading digitally. This informs the software and devices we create, the books and authors we promote, and also the partnerships we build,” said Rakuten Kobo CEO Michael Tamblyn. “For us, this is another great opportunity to serve book lovers at Walmart, those people who make reading an important part of their lives.”

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. The company’s legal name will become Walmart Inc., effective on Feb. 1, 2018, to reflect its growing status as an omni-channel retailer. Each week, over 260 million customers and members visit our more than 11,600 stores under nearly 59 banners in 28 countries and eCommerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2017 revenue of $485.9 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

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/.

About Seiyu
Seiyu operates retail chain stores nationwide from Hokkaido to Kyushu, selling fresh food, groceries, apparel, general merchandise and other products. We are striving to deliver our customers “Our Promise”: Offering everyday needs at unbeatable prices at the quality they want through the channel they prefer to shop, such as stores, and online grocery delivery service, which provides them with highly valuable shopping experience of key attributes for differentiation: “Price Leadership”, “Quality and Freshness”, “Product Assortment” and “Convenience”. Fully leveraging the global network and creditworthiness of our parent company, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., we will actively develop attractive sales floors to better suit the preference and needs of Japanese customers.

About Rakuten Kobo Inc.
Owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten and headquartered in Toronto, Rakuten Kobo Inc. is one of the world’s most innovative eReading services offering nearly 6 million eBooks and audiobooks to millions of customers in 190 countries. Believing that consumers should have the freedom to read any book on any device, Kobo provides people with a choice when reading. Kobo offers an eReader for everyone with a wide variety of E Ink eReaders to suit any Reader’s style including Kobo Aura, Kobo Aura H2O, and Kobo Aura ONE; along with the company’s free top-ranking eReading apps for Apple® and Android®. Kobo’s award-wining eReaders can be found in major retail chains around the world. For more information, visit www.kobo.com.

Media Inquiries:
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Media Relations
+1 (479)273-4314
news.walmart.com/reporter

Rakuten, Inc.
Corporate Communications Department
global-pr@mail.rakuten.com
(+81) 50-5817-1104

Seiyu GK
Public Relations
+81-3-3598-7760

Rakuten Kobo Inc.
PR & Communications
kobo-pr@mail.rakuten.com

Source: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Amazon Prime Video announces return of original series Sneaky Pete for its second season on Friday, March 9

Critically acclaimed series stars Emmy nominee Giovanni Ribisi, Marin Ireland, Emmy winner Margo Martindale, Peter Gerety, Libe Barer andShane McRae, with Emmy winners Graham Yost and Bryan Cranston executive producing

SEATTLE, 2018-Jan-29 — /EPR Retail News/ — Amazon Prime Video today (Jan. 25, 2018) announced its original dramatic series Sneaky Pete will return for its second season on Friday, March 9. The critically acclaimed Prime Original, a co-production with Sony Pictures Television Studios, revolves around a con man, Marius (Giovanni Ribisi, Avatar) who left prison only to find himself hunted by the vicious gangster he once robbed. With nowhere else to turn, he took cover from his past by assuming the identity of his cellmate Pete, “reuniting” with Pete’s estranged family. In the new season, Marius is on the verge of starting fresh, when two thugs, believing he is Pete, threaten to kill the family unless he takes them to Pete’s estranged mother Maggie (Jane Adams, Twin Peaks) and the millions she stole from their mysterious employer. Now Marius must tread a dangerous line to find the elusive Maggie, protect the family, and keep up the Pete con, all while finagling a way to ditch the thugs and keep the money for himself.

During its series debut last year, Sneaky Pete was the second most streamed original scripted series on an opening day with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score. Customers can watch the first season online at Amazon.com/SneakyPete before the next season’s ten episodes air on March 9. The series is also available on PrimeVideo.com for Prime Video members in more than 200 countries and territories around the globe.

“After the tremendous critical and customer reception in its first season, we’re excited to debut another season of Sneaky Pete,” said Sharon Tal Yguado, Head of Scripted Series, Amazon Studios. “Graham and his team have crafted a second season that really raises the stakes for Marius and everyone involved.”

Sneaky Pete is created by Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and David Shore (The Good Doctor), with Cranston, Graham Yost (The Americans), James Degus (All The Way), Michael Dinner and Fred Golan (Justified) serving as executive producers. The series also stars Marin Ireland (Side Effects) as Julia Bowman, three-time Emmy winner Margo Martindale (The Americans) as Audrey Bernhardt, Shane McRae (Still Alice) as Taylor Bowman, Libe Barer (Parenthood) as Carly Bowman and Peter Gerety (Prime Suspect) as Otto Bernhardt.

The entire second season of Sneaky Pete will be available on Prime Video to stream and Prime members can also download the series to mobile devices for offline viewing at no additional cost to their membership. The series will be available in more than 200 countries and territories for Prime members to watch via the Prime Video app for popular smart TVs, Fire TV, Fire Tablets and Android and iOS phones and tablets. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free 30-day trial at amazon.com/prime. For a list of all Amazon Prime Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.

About Prime Video

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

  • Prime Video: Thousands of movies and TV shows, including popular licensed and self-published content plus critically-acclaimed and award-winning Prime Originals like The Grand Tour, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The Tick, Amazon Original Movies such as Academy Award-winning Manchester by the Sea, The Big Sick and The Salesman and kids series, Tumble Leaf, available for unlimited streaming as part of an Amazon Prime membership. Prime Video is also now available to customers in more than 200 countries and territories around the globe at www.primevideo.com
  • Live Sports: Sporting events, including AVP volleyball and ATP tennis, are available to watch live on Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories around the globe
  • Amazon Channels: Over 140 channel subscriptions that Prime members can add to their membership, including HBO, SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax, PBS KIDS, Acorn TV and more. To view the full list of channels available, visit www.amazon.com/channels
  • Rent or Own: Hundreds of thousands of titles, including new-release movies and current TV shows available for on-demand rental or purchase for all Amazon customers
  • Instant Access: Instantly watch anytime, anywhere through the Amazon Video app on TVs, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Fire tablets and Apple TV or online. For a list of all compatible devices visit www.amazon.com/howtostream
  • Premium Features: Top features like 4K Ultra HD, High Dynamic Range (HDR), X-Ray and mobile downloads for offline viewing of select content

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

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

Media Hotline:

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

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

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Zara unveils its first pop-up store designed for ordering and collecting of online order

Zara unveils its first pop-up store designed for ordering and collecting of online order

 

  • Temporary store at Westfield Stratford introduces innovative technology  while groundbreaking flagship store is refurbished and extended

Arteixo, Spain, 2018-Jan-29 — /EPR Retail News/ — Tomorrow Zara unveils its first store anywhere in the world designed primarily for ordering and collecting of online orders. The store will be open until May at London’s Westfield  Stratford  shopping centre, while the chain’s flagship store in the centre is refurbished and extended.

The flagship store is being doubled in size to 4,500 square metres. When it reopens in May, it will feature a radical new store concept with technology at its heart designed to transform the customer shopping experience.

The chairman and CEO of Inditex, Pablo Isla, stressed the relevance of both concepts, saying that they mark “another milestone in our strategy of integrating our stores with the online world, which defines our identity as a business”.

The pop-up store spans nearly 200 square metres and offers a select choice of women’s and men’s clothing for online purchase directly in-store, along with the rest of the brand’s extensive fashion range.

Store staff will be on hand with mobile devices to assist customers, who will be given the choice of receiving their orders within the same day, if placed before 2pm, or the next day, if placed in the afternoon. Payments are also made easier thanks to an innovative card terminal system operated via Bluetooth. The store will also facilitate returns and exchanges.

Among other innovations, this pop-up store boasts a product recommendation system based on information screens embedded into mirrors. Once customers scan an item using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, the system can bring up, in the right size, multiple choices for coordinating and combining the item they are trying on with other garments and accessories.

Next week work will begin on expanding and refurbishing the existing Zara store in Westfield Stratford, which is due to re-open in May. The new store will stretch to 4,500 square metres and will be the first Zara store in the world to offer four sections: in addition to the traditional women’s, men’s and kids’ lines, Zara is adding a dedicated area for the collection of online orders, in keeping with the company’s online integration strategy.

This new concept attempts to further enhance the in-store shopping experience by adding new customer services. The store, which will feature a new interior design, will stand out for its two-storey façade without windows in the first floor, providing a transparent view of the store’s architectural features and collections. The glass façade on the second floor will be equipped with a number of sensors which will project images from the current collections onto the glass when shoppers approach it. It is also worth highlighting the back-lit ceiling designed to provide continuous and comfortable light.

The new store will feature an automated online order collection point serviced by two small warehouses which will enable shoppers to pick up purchases made on www.zara.com whenever it suits them. This system is designed around an optical barcode reader which scans the QR code or accepts the PIN codes received by customers when they place orders online. In just a few seconds, it delivers the order to a mailbox from which the customer can collect it. Behind the scenes, a dynamic robot moves through a small warehouse with the capacity to handle 2,400 packages simultaneously.

All this new technology is oriented towards creating a unique shopping experience in which the latest developments make  fashion trends stand out even more. Store customers will be able to pay using their mobile phones, via either the Zara app or the Inditex Group app, InWallet, and there will also be a self-checkout area to complement the regular cashier desks, which will speed up the payment process. This system will automatically identify the garments being purchased so that customers only have to confirm their items on a screen before using their card or mobiles to pay for them. Then they can choose to print out their receipts or store them automatically in their mobile handsets.

In keeping with Inditex’s eco-efficient store programme the Zara store in Stratford will also be equipped with smart systems for reducing emissions and saving energy.

Source: Inditex

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