Daily Archives: February 14, 2018

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CBRE recognized as a 2018 World’s Most Ethical Company® by the Ethisphere Institute

LOS ANGELES, CA, 2018-Feb-14 — /EPR Retail News/ — CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG) has been recognized as a 2018 World’s Most Ethical Company® by the Ethisphere Institute, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices. This is the fifth year in a row CBRE has achieved this recognition.

“Our clients trust CBRE to not only deliver exceptional client outcomes but to act with integrity in all areas of our business, which our people do day-in and day-out,” said Bob Sulentic, president and chief executive officer of CBRE.

Ethisphere honors companies that influence and drive positive change, consider the impact of their actions on their employees, investors, customers and other key stakeholders and use their values and culture to underpin the decisions they make every day. Companies are evaluated in five key categories: ethics and compliance program, corporate citizenship and responsibility, culture of ethics, governance, and leadership, innovation and reputation.

“While the discourse around the world changed profoundly in 2017, a stronger voice emerged. Global corporations operating with a common rule of law are now society’s strongest force to improve the human condition. This year we saw companies increasingly finding their voice. The World’s Most Ethical Companies, in particular continued to show exemplary leadership,” explained Ethisphere’s CEO, Timothy Erblich. “I congratulate everyone at CBRE for being recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies.”

Earlier this year CBRE was included on the 2018 America’s Best Employers For Diversity list by Forbes, the only commercial real estate company to receive this honor. In December 2017, FORTUNE magazine also named CBRE one of the best U.S. workplaces for diversity.

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 2017 revenue). The company has more than 80,000 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.

SOURCE: CBRE

Media Contacts
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Robert McGrath
Corporate Communications, Global

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Co-op to give a £1M makeover to its food store in Olney, Buckinghamshire

Co-op to give a £1M makeover to its food store in Olney, Buckinghamshire

MANCHESTER, UK, 2018-Feb-14 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Co-op is set to serve-up a new-look food store in Olney, Buckinghamshire, with a £1M investment The 7,000 sq. ft. food store, located in Stanley Court, Olney, has embarked on a major makeover and will bring a funding boost locally through its Membership scheme – Members receive a 5% reward on the purchase of own-brand products and services, with the Co-op donating a further 1% to local good causes.

The community retailer – which has returned to its clover-leaf design logo first used in the 1960’s – is supporting the Olney Infant Academy; Olney Pre-School and, Friends of Olney Middle School through its Membership scheme.

During the programme of works, the Co-op has introduced free transport to its nearby store in Newport Pagnell to support members of the community without access to a vehicle – the service runs daily from the store at 11am, returning at 1pm.

The Co-op will then operate a temporary 2,500 sq. ft. convenience store from the Stanley Court site during the works. Around one third of the size of the usual store, it will open between 6am-11pm from Monday – Saturday and 8am-6pm on Sunday until 12 March and offer a full range of products in order to continue to serve the community while the improvements are carried out.

The retailer – which won the title of Convenience Retailer of the Year at the Retail Industry Awards – will have a focus on fresh, healthy foods, meal ideas, award winning wines and, essentials. All of its own brand fresh meat – including bacon and lamb – is British, and it only uses British meat in all of its own-label chilled ready meals, pies and sandwiches.

Last month, the community retailer unveiled a £50M price investment programme to cut the cost of everyday essentials including fruit, vegetables, bread, fresh meat and ready meals, as well as household brand names.

There are to be offers and promotions in and around the store to mark its re-launch on Friday, 23 March.

And, students in Olney holding a NUS extra card also receive a 10% discount off their groceries at the Co-op to support them during their studies.

Paul Bradford, Co-op Store Manager, said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to carry out such a significant investment in Olney – we are really looking forward to welcoming members and customers back into their new-look Co-op. We are proud to be part of the community, and our ambition is to ensure the store is a local hub, a real asset for the community.”

Brian Pooley, Area Manager for the Co-op, said: “The Co-op is moving forward with a clear purpose and momentum. We are investing in our people, stores, products and prices and have the ambition for our stores to be at the heart of local life, bringing communities together and offering our great quality products when and where shoppers need them. We also want customers to know that they can become a co-owner and member of their Co-op. And, that we are also giving back to the community. Our members make a difference locally, simply by swiping their membership card when they shop with us they are raising much needed funding for organisations in the area who contribute to improving local life.”

Further information about the benefits of Co-op membership and, its local Community Fund, is available by visiting: http://www.coop.co.uk/membership/

ends

Further Information
Andrew Torr
Co-op Press Office
M: 07702 505 551
E: Andrew.torr@coop.co.uk

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PETSMART® And PETSMART Charities® to host National Adoption Weekend, Feb. 16 – 18

Add Some Love to Your Home by Adopting a Shelter Pet; Save a Life and Change Your Own

PHOENIX, 2018-Feb-14 — /EPR Retail News/ — PetSmart, PetSmart Charities and thousands of animal welfare partners across the U.S. and Canada will have lots of love in store this February. From February 16 – 18, adorable, adoptable pets will be featured in nearly all PetSmart’s 1,600 plus stores in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico for the first National Adoption Weekend of 2018. PetSmart Charities and its adoption partners hope to find forever homes for more than 25,000 pets during the event.

“Watching a family fall in love with the perfect pet is one of the most heart-warming things you’ll see,” says David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., and president of PetSmart Charities. “And while adopters are most certainly saving and enhancing the lives of shelter pets, the human-animal bond is a mutually beneficial relationship. Recent research shows that pets bring their fair share of benefits to the lives of their new pet parents, too.”

A 2017 survey commissioned by PetSmart Charities and conducted by Wakefield Research found ninety-three percent of pet parents said they had experienced at least one health benefit from their pet. The benefits range from increased physical activity and weight loss to improved mood and decreased stress. The same survey showed when respondents were asked who would be more helpful to them when facing a difficult time in their lives, their pet or a therapist, seventy-nine percent of respondents selected their pet.

The Simatos family in North Michigan would most certainly agree. In January 2018, they adopted a dog named Sophie from the Humane Society of West Michigan, which is one of PetSmart Charities’ adoption partners. Sophie was unique in that she was the first dog the local Humane Society had seen with a cleft lip and palate. While some may have thought her cleft lip and palate would make Sophie harder to adopt, to Alicia Simatos and her young family, it only made her more perfect.

“As soon as we saw Sophie, we instantly fell in love with her. We have a young son, MJ, who was born with a cleft lip and palate…just like Sophie. From Sophie’s gentle disposition and their shared experience, we knew that she and our son would be kindred spirits. We can’t express the amount of comfort and unconditional love she has brought to our lives, and how much confidence she has given our son,” said Simatos. “Sophie reminds us all of what love truly means.”

Sophie’s ability to bring smiles to just about everyone she meets has earned her a new position as the office therapy dog at the Cleft Lip & Palate Foundation of Smiles in Michigan.

Bring Love Home this National Adoption Weekend
Shelter pets of all ages, types and sizes will be looking for love and hoping to find their forever home at PetSmart Charities’ February National Adoption Weekend. From February 16 – 18, more than 3,500 animal welfare organizations will bring adoptable pets into nearly all of PetSmart’s 1,600-plus stores in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico with the goal of finding homes for more than 25,000 pets during the weekend adoption event.

Looking for A Different Way to Show Your Love of Pets?
Every PetSmart store will be collecting pet food donations at the check-out that will be provided to local shelters and PetSmart Charities’ adoption partners following National Adoption Weekend. So even if you’re not ready to adopt a pet, you can still help a pet in need.

National Adoption Weekend Details:
Date: Friday, February 16 – Sunday, February 18, 2018
Time: Friday and Saturday: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sunday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. local time
Location: Nearly every PetSmart store across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.
Visit www.petsmart.com to find a store near you.

A Free Gift for Those Who Adopt:
Regardless of which type of pet you choose to adopt, or where you adopted, PetSmart offers a free Adoption Kit* that provides important content that helps to integrate a new pet into the family. Click here for more information about PetSmart’s Free Adoption Kit. *Adoption papers are required.

About PetSmart®
PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they, together, can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 55,000 associates, operate 1,600 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as more than 200 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products, as well as pet-focused services such as dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart™ Doggie Day Camp™ and pet adoption. PetSmart, together with non-profits PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities® of Canada, invite more than 3,500 animal welfare organizations to bring adoptable pets into stores so they have the best chance possible of finding a forever home. Through this in-store adoption program and other signature events, PetSmart has facilitated more than 7.6 million adoptions – more than any other brick-and-mortar organization. The company’s portfolio of digital resources for pet parents includes PetSmart.com, petMD.com, Pawculture.com, AllPaws, an online pet adoption platform that helps potential pet parents find the perfect pet to adopt based on their home, family and lifestyle, as well as BlogPaws, the world’s first pet blogger and influencer network. Through these digital platforms, PetSmart offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, PetSmart launched its Buy a Bag, Give a Meal™ program in March 2017. For every bag of cat or dog food purchased March 1 – Dec. 31, 2017, PetSmart donated a meal to pets in need and beat its goal of 60 million meals with more than 63 million meals generated through this leading philanthropic program. In May 2017, PetSmart acquired Chewy.com, a leading online retailer of pet food and products in the U.S., which operates as an independent subsidiary.

Find PetSmart on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PetSmart
See PetSmart on Instagram: @PetSmart
Follow PetSmart on Twitter: @PetSmart
See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart
PetSmart homepage: http://www.petsmart.com/

Turn your passion for pets into a career you’ll love! Visit careers.petsmart.comto learn more about corporate, retail store and Distribution Center opportunities.

About PetSmart Charities®
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. In addition to finding homes for almost 500,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities provides funding to non-profits aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar donated and has become the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, donating about $300 million to date. PetSmart Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization, has received the Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator, an independent organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 14 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc

About PetSmart Charities® of Canada:
PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered Canadian charity with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together.  In addition to finding homes for more than 25,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores, PetSmart Charities of Canada provides funding to registered charities aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities of Canada using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores.  In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 89 cents of every dollar donated and has become a leading funder of animal welfare in Canada, donating nearly $12 million to date.  PetSmart Charities of Canada is a member of Imagine Canada and is independent from PetSmart, Inc. To learn more, visit www.petsmartcharities.ca.

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCanada
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc

SOURCE: PetSmart

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Chick-fil-A to open new restaurant in Midtown Manhattan on March 1

Chick-fil-A to open new restaurant in Midtown Manhattan on March 1

NEW YORK, 2018-Feb-14 — /EPR Retail News/ — Next month, the third locally-owned and operated Chick-fil-A restaurant will open in Midtown Manhattan. The restaurant, located across from Grand Central Station at the corner of East 42nd Street and Madison Avenue, will open on Thursday, March 1 and will employ more than 200 team members under the leadership of local franchise owner Ellie Kim. Kim will celebrate the opening by hosting Chick-fil-A’s signature First 100 campout in the Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park.

Locally Owned and Operated
Kim is a first-generation Korean immigrant who moved to the city with her family at age 16. She graduated from New York University and Rutgers Law School, and later practiced as a law clerk in Manhattan for several years before owning a dry-cleaning business in the Theatre District. She spent the past 11 years in Washington, D.C., where she owned a Chick-fil-A franchise, and recently relocated back to NYC with her family to open Chick-fil-A Grand Central.

Quick, Easy and Efficient Service
Kim’s Midtown restaurant is expected to be one of the busiest Chick-fil-A locations in the country given its proximity to Grand Central Station, which serves more than 750,000 commuters each day. To meet demand, Chick-fil-A designed the restaurant to handle extreme volume. Utilizing the company’s proprietary “upstream ordering” technology, team members will take orders on tablets as soon as guests walk through the doors – ensuring a shorter queue time.

In addition to efficiency, the 6,263-square foot restaurant is also designed for comfort. More than 100 guests can dine on the second level with views of Grand Central Station and One Vanderbilt, a 1.7 million-square-foot skyscraper in development that, once completed, will bring thousands more people to the area each day.

This will be the company’s third location in Manhattan and will be followed by the opening of Chick-fil-A Fulton Street, a five-story restaurant with a rooftop terrace located next to Fulton Center Station in the Financial District.

The Chick-fil-A First 100 Celebration
Chick-fil-A Grand Central will officially open for business at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 1 following its signature First 100 campout and celebration, taking place for the first time in the Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park. The First 100 celebration will transform the Winter Village into a 12-hour indoor campout where participants will be awarded a year’s worth of free Chick-fil-A (52 No. 1 meals total). To be eligible, participants must be 18 years or older, U.S. residents with a valid government-issued photo ID, and reside in eligible zip codes. Participants must arrive at Bryant Park to register no earlier than 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 28. If more than 100 people are on-site when the campout officially begins at 6 p.m., a drawing will be held to select the First 100. Those chosen will be required to stay for the duration of the 12-hour campout until the Grand Central restaurant opens at 6:30 a.m. on March 1 in order to receive the prize.

Due to limited space and the indoor nature of the campout, tents are not permitted and personal items should be limited to one item such as a backpack or purse. Chairs and blankets will be provided to all campers.

This event is open to guests residing in specific zip codes surrounding the Grand Central restaurant, inclusive of all zip codes in the five boroughs of NYC. A complete listing of eligible zip codes, Official Rules and other important details can be found at www.chick-fil-a.com/Locations/Openings in the Grand Central section.

200 New Jobs for New Yorkers
Chick-fil-A is known for hiring, developing and retaining top talent, providing a great work environment for people of all ages and backgrounds. Each NYC Chick-fil-A restaurant offers flexible hours, competitive pay and benefits, opportunities for leadership growth, college scholarships, and hands-on training and mentoring by the restaurant owner. Chick-fil-A Grand Central will employ more than 200 team members, with wages starting above New York City’s minimum wage. Whether candidates are seeking their first job or are seasoned industry professionals, all interested are invited to apply at jobs.NYCCFA.com.

Premium Ingredients and Fresh, Handmade Food
Nearly everything on the Chick-fil-A menu is made from scratch daily, including salads made from fresh vegetables and fruit that is hand-chopped throughout the day. The lemonade is fresh-squeezed and is made from three simple ingredients: lemon juice, sugar and water. Like all Chick-fil-A restaurants, the chicken served in this restaurant will be 100 percent whole breast meat, without any fillers, hormones or additives. Each chicken breast is hand-breaded to order and pressure cooked in 100 percent refined peanut oil, which is naturally trans-fat- and cholesterol-free. By the end of 2019, every Chick-fil-A restaurant will serve chicken raised without antibiotics.

Community Citizen
Chick-fil-A is an active contributor to the community and is committed to giving back in New York City. Like the other NYC Chick-fil-A locations, Chick-fil-A Grand Central will partner with New York Common Pantry to provide meals to those in-need. To date, the Chick-fil-A restaurants in New York have donated more than 9,000 pounds of food to the organization, which serves the city’s homeless population. The restaurant will also partner with Feeding Children Everywhere, a social charity that mobilizes groups to assemble healthy meals for children in need. First 100 participants will have the opportunity to help assemble meals to be distributed locally.

Commitment to Customer Service
With a longstanding tradition in the restaurant industry for setting the highest standards in customer service, Chick-fil-A recently earned a top spot in the 2016 Customer Service Hall of Fame for the third year in a row and is the only quick service restaurant to make the top five of the Customer Service Hall of Fame. The company has also earned recognition as one of America’s “Most Inspiring Companies” by Forbes Magazine, one of America’s “Top 20 Most Admired Brands” by The Harris Poll and “Top Fast Food Chicken Chain” by Consumer Reports, among other honors.

Chick-fil-A Grand Central will be located at 50 East 42nd Street and will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday, beginning March 1. For more information about Chick-fil-A and stories about the company’s food, people and customers across the country, visit chick-fil-a.com. For the latest news and updates at Chick-fil-A, visit the Chick-fil-A Grand Central Facebook page.

About Chick-fil-A, Inc. 

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. is a family owned and privately held restaurant company founded in 1967 by S. Truett Cathy. Devoted to serving the local communities in which its franchised restaurants operate, and known for its original chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A serves freshly prepared food in more than 2,200 restaurants in 47 states and Washington, D.C.

Chick-fil-A reported over $9 billion in revenue in 2017, which marks 50 consecutive years of sales growth. A leader in customer service satisfaction, Chick-fil-A earned the Chicken Restaurant Brand of the Year honors for the fourth consecutive year in the 2017 Harris Poll EquiTrend Study. Chick-fil-A also received the top score among fast food brands and one of the top 10 scores overall for customer experience in the 2017 Temkin Experience Ratings survey, and was named one of the top 100 best places to work by Glassdoor. Continuing its founder’s legacy of generosity and service, in 2017 the company’s philanthropic Chick-fil-A Foundation awarded $1.23 million to 23 not-for-profit organizations across 13 states through the True Inspiration Awards and almost $9 million in scholarships to restaurant team members nationwide. More information on Chick-fil-A is available at www.chick-fil-a.com.

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Media Hotline: (800) 404-7196
Email: cfapressroom@chick-fil-a.com
Twitter: @ChickfilANews

SOURCE: Chick-fil-A

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The Screwfix Trade Apprentice 2018 now open for applications

  • Trade apprentices expected to earn an extra £2,000 per year above the national
    average by 2022
  • Plumbers and electricians set to be highest trade earners, with a forecasted wage of over £31,000 per annum
  • Research launched as Screwfix searches for the 2018 top Trade Apprentice, an initiative which aims to identify the rising stars of the trade

Westminster, United Kingdom, 2018-Feb-14 — /EPR Retail News/ — Screwfix is calling for the next generation to consider a career in the trade as new research shows a job in building and construction trades could lead to higher wages than other career choices.

Future plumbers, plasterers, roofers, carpenters, electricians and bricklayers are set to earn at least £2,500 a year more than the national average by 2022, bringing their average salary to over £27,500. In addition, apprentices can enter their chosen career free from the debt of university fees, which now average £50,000*. This comes from new research commissioned by Screwfix which examined ONS salary data from 2010-17 to forecast future earnings of apprentices entering a profession.

Along with the benefits associated with a long-term career in the trade, including flexible working hours, becoming a skilled expert, being your own boss and working with a wide range of people, research has found that pay really cements why a career in the trade is the right choice.

The research predicts the highest earners will be plumbers and electricians with a forecasted wage of over £31,000 per annum. However, carpenters and plasterers are forecast to see the biggest increases between 2018 and 2022.Carpenters are expected to see a rise of eight per cent (over £2,000), while plasterers should see an increase of nine per cent (over £2,100).

The research was commissioned by leading trade retailer Screwfix as part of its Trade Apprentice initiative, which aims to celebrate and champion the best trade apprentices and future stars of construction.

Graham Bell, Screwfix CEO, said: “The research supports our belief at Screwfix that a trade apprenticeship is a strong career choice for young people in this country. Apprenticeships lead to careers in highly skilled jobs, which are in high demand and therefore attract a healthy, competitive salary. For young people starting out they offer a great career choice without the burden of large debts from university fees.”

Meanwhile, in a separate piece of research conducted with tradespeople it was revealed that more than half (57 per cent) struggle to find skilled labour. For those who struggle to recruit skilled employees, more than one third (37 per cent) believe it is because apprenticeships are not given the same level of respect as a university education, while 31 per cent say poor public perception of a career in the trade means school leavers are not interested in pursuing a future in construction.

“We believe the whole industry should play a part in encouraging and inspiring more people to undertake an apprenticeship. There is an ongoing focus on the importance of trade apprenticeships for the UK economy and for construction in particular, which is facing a significant skills gap. That’s why we are continuing to support the industry with The Screwfix Trade Apprentice initiative, which not only supports young people to kick-start their career but also inspires a strong future for the UK’s construction industry,” added Graham Bell.

One winner will walk away with the title of The Screwfix Trade Apprentice 2018, receiving a business and trade bundle worth £10,000, including a laptop with accessories, £5,000 worth of Screwfix products and funds for future training courses to help kick start their career.

Gross Annual Pay (median) £ 2018 2022

forecast
Electricians and electrical fitters 30,478 31,248
Bricklayers and masons 24,108 24,840
Plumbers and heating and ventilating engineers 29,493 31,048
Carpenters and joiners 26,001 28,017
Plasterers 24,757 26,949
ALL UK employees 23,474 25,009

For more information visit https://www.screwfix.com/landingpage/tradeapprentice/

* ONS’ Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). The forecasts were produced by calculating the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for each job code for the period 2010-2017 and applying this to the next 5 years.

For more information about Screwfix please visit our media centre: www.screwfixmedia.co.uk

PRESS information:

Matthew Allen, McCann Public Relations, Tel: 0121 713 3579 / Matthew.thomas-allen@Mccann.com