Category Archives: Transportation & Logistics

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Amazon’s Treasure Truck will bring new offers and incentives at select Whole Foods Market locations

SEATTLE & AUSTIN, Texas, 2018-Jan-31 — /EPR Retail News/ — Amazon and Whole Foods Market today (January 30, 2018) announced that Treasure Truck will pop-up at various Whole Foods Market locations across the country with new offers and incentives. Treasure Truck handpicks new, trending, local, or delicious items, loads them on the truck, and cruises around town spreading joy for everyone with a smartphone and an appetite for fun.

Today Amazon’s Treasure Truck will have an offer customers can’t refuse –  the Best-Selling Instant Pot 3 Qt. 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker – will be available for purchase from the Treasure Truck through the Amazon App. Customers can then pick-up their order from the Treasure Truck at select Whole Foods Market locations. Whether customers want to perfect crowd-pleasing culinary delights for the big game, or meal prep health-focused recipes in the New Year, the Instant Pot is a kitchen MVP with settings ranging from pressure cooker to slow cooker.

Customers who purchase the Instant Pot from Treasure Truck through the Amazon App will be treated to a $10 off $40 purchase coupon at Whole Foods Market. And for some culinary inspiration, customers will receive recipes from Feed Your Resolution influencer, author and creator of Nom Nom Paleo, Michelle Tam. Customers can stop by for some Treasure Truck fun, pick-up their Instant Pot order, coupon, and recipe cards and then head into Whole Foods Market to gather what you need to impress your game-watching guests or keep you on track with healthy eating goals until long after the last touchdown.

Customers can sign-up for offer-day notifications to be among the first to find out #WhatsOnTheTruck in their city. Visit www.amazon.com/treasuretruck to learn more.

Contact:

SOmedia@wholefoods.com

Source: Whole Foods Market

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Lenta improves its supply chain performance with 130 new MAN trucks with refrigerated semitrailers

St. Petersburg, Russia, 2017-Nov-29 — /EPR Retail News/ — Lenta (LSE, MOEX: LNTA), one of the largest retail chains in Russia, announces the purchase of 130 MAN trucks with refrigerated semitrailers. The new vehicles will improve the Company’s supply chain performance.

Lenta has purchased 120 semitrailer trucks configured as MAN TGS trucks with Schmitz Cargobull refrigerated semitrailers, equipped with Carrier Vector refrigerating and heating units for 36 Euro-pallets. In addition, the Company will receive 10 MAN TGM trucks with Schmitz refrigerated bodies for 21 Euro-pallets. The purchase contract includes maintenance and repairs throughout the trucks’ service life.

The new vehicles will be used both on Lenta’s regional routes, to deliver goods from distribution centres to stores, as well as on a number of inter-regional routes operating between points in Central Russia and the South. The new trucks and semitrailers were selected to meet Lenta’s high standards for transportation of food products and other goods.

Joern Arnhold, Lenta’s Supply Chain Director commented: “The expansion of our hypermarket and supermarket network across Russia considerably increases our distribution volumes as well as our delivery points. On many of the new routes, Lenta stands to benefit from operating its own delivery vehicles. Furthermore, rates for transport hire have risen steadily since early 2017, making the use of our own vehicles economically viable on a larger number of routes. The new vehicles will improve the performance of our supply chain with the increase in quality and reliability of the deliveries. With the purchase of these new trucks, we have almost doubled our fleet.”

With this purchase, over 60% of the goods delivered to Lenta’s stores from the company’s distribution centers will be covered by own vehicles.

All Lenta’s new trucks are powered by high fuel efficiency diesel engines that fully comply with the EURO-5 standard. Currently, 90% of the Company’s delivery truck fleet comply with this emissions standard.

About MAN
MAN Truck & Bus RUS LLC is a 100 % subsidiary of MAN Truck & Bus AG and general importer of MAN products in Russia. The enterprise has two branch offices: in Podolsk and Saint Petersburg. MAN Truck & Bus RUS LLC is present all over Russia through its partner network of more than 50 workshops located in the key regions. MAN offers both financing and high-quality professional services. The company’s customers may also purchase MAN original spare parts with 2-year warranty, have their vehicles serviced within the framework of maintenance contracts, take MAN ProfiDrive courses as well as use 24-hour Mobile24 road assistance service.

About Lenta
Lenta is the largest hypermarket chain in Russia and the country’s fourth largest retail chain. The Company was founded in 1993 in St. Petersburg. Lenta operates 217 hypermarkets in 79 cities across Russia and 72 supermarkets in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg and the Central region with a total of approximately 1,295,335 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 40,400 people as of 30 June 20171.

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

E-mail: pr@lenta.com
NW Advisors
Russian Media:
Anton Karpov & Victoria Afonina
Тel:+7 495 795 06 23
E-mail: lenta@nwadvisors.com

FTI Consulting
International Media:
Leonid Fink
Тel: +44 7497 783 705
E-mail: Leonid.Fink@fticonsulting.com

Source: Lenta

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Wine.com triples the number of pickup locations to more than 10,000 sites nationwide

The world’s largest selection of wine now available for convenient pickup at Fedex Office and Walgreens stores nationwide

San Francisco, CA, 2017-Nov-22 — /EPR Retail News/ — Wine.com, the nation’s leading online wine retailer, announced that it has tripled the number of pickup locations to more than 10,000 sites nationwide.  This includes nearly 1,000 in California and over 500 in New York – both states where Wine.com now offers a larger selection of wine than any other store.  With this delivery option, customers don’t have to worry about being home to sign for delivery and can pick up their wine at their convenience.  Local pickup service has expanded beyond FedEx Office locations to include Walgreens, Duane Reade, Safeway, Shaws, Jewel-Osco, Albertsons, Fred Meyer and more.

Since wine requires a signature from someone over 21 years old, being home to wait for a delivery can be inconvenient for those who spend most of their day out of the house. This expansion means more locations and more flexible hours for pick up.  Most pickup locations are open nights and weekends with many offering 24/7 availability.  Your nearest local pickup sites can be found during the Wine.com checkout process.

Wine.com is the only online wine retailer that offers both date-specific delivery as well as local pickup options. “Customers love our massive selection, deep wine content, live chat sommeliers and free shipping membership,” said Rich Bergsund, Wine.com CEO.  “Now we’ll deliver to a location near you, for pickup on your schedule — no more waiting to sign for your wine delivery.  I use Wine.com local pickup for all my wine deliveries.”

Customer adoption to date has been strong with more than half a million bottles delivered via Wine.com’s local pickup service.  With this next phase of growth, customers have more local pickup options in closer proximity than ever before — ensuring most Wine.com customers have a pickup site at least as close as their nearest specialty wine shop. Learn more at www.wine.com/localpickup.

About Wine.com
Wine.com is the nation’s leading online wine retailer, offering selection, guidance and convenience not found in brick and mortar stores.  The company provides its customers access to the world’s largest wine store, with live chat wine experts available 7 days a week on its mobile and full websites. With multiple fulfillment centers and the most sophisticated retail wine distribution network in the United States, Wine.com delivers in 1-2 days to most addresses, offering date-certain delivery and the convenience of shipping for local pickup at 10,000 locations nationwide.  The company’s popular StewardShip program provides unlimited wine delivery and exclusive access to new releases for $49 per year.  Recently launched, the Wine.com iOS app allows users to scan, rate and purchase wines on the go.  Wine.com’s mission, to inspire the wine lifestyle through innovation, is captured in its brand manifesto video, viewable here.  For more information, visit the company’s website at http://www.wine.com.

Press Contact:
Gwendolyn Osborn
Gwendolyn@wine.com
415-248-4402

Source: Wine.com

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Amazon celebrates Ten years of “Frustration-Free Packaging”

  • Certified Frustration-Free Packaging is easy to open, with no annoying clamshells or twist ties, and 100% recyclable
  • Amazon’s Frustration-Free Packaging Programs have grown to include both Frustration-Free Packaging and Ships in Own Container, which produce less waste than traditional packaging – great for customers and the environment
  • Amazon works directly with thousands of manufacturers to redesign their packaging, eliminating waste throughout the supply chain while ensuring products arrive undamaged on customers’ doorsteps

SEATTLE, 2017-Nov-22 — /EPR Retail News/ — Ten years ago this holiday season, Amazon introduced “Frustration-Free Packaging,” an invention designed to reduce waste and delight customers with easy-to-open, 100% recyclable packaging. Frustration-Free Packaging ends customer “wrap rage” by removing plastic bindings, wire ties, and clamshell casings – making boxes simple to open. And it’s great for the environment because products ship in their original packaging, eliminating the need for an additional shipping box.

Since launching in November 2008 with 19 items, Amazon’s packaging programs have grown to include both Frustration-Free Packaging and “Ships in Own Container.” In 2017 alone, Amazon has delivered 120 million shipments with packaging that is certified Frustration-Free or Ships in Own Container. To date, Amazon’s sustainable packaging innovations have eliminated 181,000 tons of packaging material and avoided 307 million shipping boxes – enough boxes to fill more than 550,000 semi-trucks.

“A decade ago we set out to invent packaging that is easy for customers to open, eliminates waste, and ensures products arrive undamaged on our customers’ doorsteps,” said Kim Houchens, Director of Customer Packaging Experience at Amazon. “Our certified packaging programs, including Frustration-Free Packaging, have delighted tens of millions of customers around the globe – and we’re adding new products to these programs every day.”

One of the biggest challenges in e-commerce packaging is designing it to be as compact as possible while ensuring that products arrive fully intact. Amazon works with manufacturers worldwide, helping them re-think and re-build their packaging, reducing waste throughout the supply chain while ensuring products are delivered to the customer undamaged. By thoroughly testing products in the Amazon Packaging Lab located in Seattle and also in fulfillment centers across the globe, Amazon identifies specific steps that manufacturers can take to improve their packaging. Manufacturers can even work alongside packaging engineers in Amazon’s Lab to create new packaging for a specific product and test the packaging the same day. Only products that successfully pass this rigorous testing program are certified as part of Amazon’s Frustration-Free Packaging Program.

Every year, Amazon receives millions of comments from customers delighted with the company’s innovations in packaging. Here are just two examples:

“The old frustration-full packaging took scissors and blood and sweat to open. The new way is perfect! Pull cardboard tab, open envelope, memory card in hand.”

“I am a huge fan of Amazon Frustration Free Packaging … Thank you for offering packaging that allows me to access my purchases without endangering myself.”

“For years, Hasbro has been hard at work to make our toy and game packaging more sustainable,” said Kathrin Belliveau, Senior Vice President, Global Government, Regulatory Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility, Hasbro, Inc. “We love how Frustration-Free Packaging allows us to deepen our commitment to sustainability, enables our consumers to enjoy their toys and games the minute they unwrap the box, and reduces waste – good for the environment, good for consumers, and good for business.”

“Sustainable growth for Colgate Palmolive means a focus on minimizing our environmental impact while continuing to expand our global business. Working with Amazon on packaging innovations has enabled us to do just that,” said Mike Corbo, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Colgate Palmolive. “Packaging waste is costly – for the business and for the planet – so we’re excited to be working with Amazon to drive sustainability improvements.”

For more about Amazon’s commitment to sustainability, visit www.amazon.com/sustainability.

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:
Amazon-pr@amazon.com
www.amazon.com/pr

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

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UPS® services integrated into Shopify platform to easily manage shipping in one place

  • Suite of UPS services embedded within Shopify to easily manage shipping in one place
  • Shopify merchants can save significantly with exclusive UPS domestic and international rates
  • Dedicated phone hotline (1-833-BFCM-WIN) to help businesses with their shipping strategy

ATLANTA and OTTAWA, Ontario, 2017-Nov-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Just in time for the holiday season, UPS (NYSE: UPS) and Shopify Inc. (NYSE: SHOP) (TSX: SHOP), are unveiling a platform integration that make UPS’s premium services available to small businesses. Shopify’s hundreds of thousands of small U.S. businesses will now receive competitive, pre-negotiated domestic and international rates that save on list prices, along with a streamlined shipping and fulfillment solution.

With UPS® services and solutions integrated into the Shopify platform, businesses can now easily manage all aspects of shipping and fulfillment in one place.  Several services including UPS 2nd Day Air® and UPS Ground are available to give merchants the flexibility and speed needed to meet customer needs at a good value. Tracking and billing are also integrated into Shopify, helping reduce the time and effort it takes a business owner to keep up with the status and cost of shipments.

In addition to the new, competitive rates already embedded, future Shopify Shipping enhancements could include savings on pickups, the ability to ship to 8,800 UPS Access Point® locations, UPS My Choice service for customers to personalize delivery times and locations, simplified online solutions for returns, and other elements of UPS’s suite of ecommerce solutions.

“By embedding UPS natively into Shopify’s platform, merchants will get the breadth and reliability of UPS’s services to more than 220 countries and territories, while easily managing all aspects of shipping and fulfillment in one place,” said Jerome Roberts, Vice President of Global Product Innovation, UPS. “Shopify merchants now have access to UPS’s industry-leading tools and can provide the same high quality services as large ecommerce companies.”

Shopify merchants can activate UPS shipping rates and labels with a one-click acceptance of UPS terms and conditions in Shopify Shipping. A dedicated support line is now open for Shopify merchants to receive free consultations and shipping advice, especially with their Black Friday/Cyber Monday preparations. The hotline number is 1-833-BFCM-WIN (1-833-232-6946). This line will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the end of November.

“UPS and Shopify believe entrepreneurship should be accessible to everyone, and we share a unique passion to empower small businesses who form the backbone of the global economy,” said Maia Benson, Head of Global Shipping and Fulfillment, Shopify. “Working with UPS helps level the playing field for small businesses to compete against larger brands with guaranteed delivery times and competitive rates previously unavailable to many small- and medium-sized merchants.”

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.

About Shopify

Shopify is the leading cloud-based, multi-channel commerce platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses. Merchants can use the software to design, set up, and manage their stores across multiple sales channels, including web, mobile, social media, marketplaces, brick-and-mortar locations, and pop-up shops. The platform also provides merchants with a powerful back-office and a single view of their business. The Shopify platform was engineered for reliability and scale, making enterprise-level technology available to businesses of all sizes. Shopify currently powers over 500,000 businesses in approximately 175 countries and is trusted by brands such as Red Bull, Nestle, GE, Kylie Cosmetics, and many more.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding planned platform integrations between Shopify and UPS. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release represent Shopify’s expectations as of the date of this news release, and subsequent events may cause these expectations to change. Shopify undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Source: Shopify

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TechTrans Announces Partnership with Tidel

Tidel’s cash recycling solutions enable high-cash volume businesses to automate the recycling and dispensing of coins and notes​

Program will Manage Logistics for Cash Recycler Units

DALLAS, TX, 2017-Oct-16 — /EPR Retail News/ — TechTrans, a leading provider of nationwide transportation and logistics solutions, is proud to announce a new partnership with Tidel, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of automated cash management systems for the retail industry. TechTrans will be responsible for coordinating the transportation, delivery, and installation of Tidel’s Cash Recycler Units at customer locations nationwide.

Tidel’s cash recycling solutions enable high-cash volume businesses to automate the recycling and dispensing of coins and notes, to help drive more efficiencies and accountability for their cash operations.  TechTrans will offer a single-source solution for all logistics and installation activities required for Tidel’s recycler customer sites across the country.

“We have a strategy in place that will allow Tidel’s products to move more efficiently and effectively through the supply chain, and improve downstream fulfillment of their products post-sale,” said Len Batcha, President of TechTrans. “Our team of specialists — from our warehouse managers to our shippers to our technicians in the field – are uniquely positioned to offer the full scope of services required to operationalize Tidel’s recycling solutions.”

With TechTrans’ extensive background not only in retail, but also the medical, residential, and technology industries, Troy Richard, Executive Vice President of Operations for Tidel, says the logistics partner is well positioned to take on his company’s complex needs.

“The partnership between Tidel and TechTrans combines industry leading cash management solutions with best-in-class logistics execution of delivery and installation services,” said Richard. “We are excited to bring a seamless experience with minimal disruption to our customers and their business operations.”

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About TechTrans
Founded in 1990, Technical Transportation Inc. provides transportation, logistics and tracking for manufacturers of specialized high-value equipment. Based in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metropolitan area, TechTrans has a nationwide network of agents and carriers who are experts at transporting and deploying high-value, heavy-weight shipments for large enterprises. www.techtrans.com.

About Tidel
Headquartered outside of Dallas, TX, Tidel is a leading provider of cash management solutions that empower retail institutions across the globe to better manage their daily cash operations, reduce risk, and increase profits. Since 1978, customers have relied on Tidel to provide the most innovative and reliable solutions that help secure, optimize, and streamline their cash environment. Information about Tidel and its products may be found on the company’s website at www.tidel.com.

Media Contact:

Jennifer Green
jgreen@burns-360.com
214-521-8596

 

The R50 by Tidel is a full note and coin recycler unit, available at retail locations nationwide

 

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Millennium Soft-Tech Creates Impressive Impact at IWS 2017

New Delhi, India, 2017-Aug-03 — /EPR Retail News/ —  Millennium Soft-Tech has made an impressive impact on the visitors in the recently concluded India Warehousing Show (IWS) 2017, which was held at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, India, between July 27-29.

As most of the visitors to the annual show represented logistics and allied sectors, Millennium’s showcasing of advanced POS technology to support warehousing, logistics and supply chain management has evoked a good response among the visitors with some of them even placing spot orders for barcode scanners, barcode printers and data collectors of leading international brands.

To make the most of it, Millennium introduced spot discount offers for various POS products for visitors booking at the stall.

Bhaskar Venkatraman

Bhaskar Venkatraman, CEO and Director of Millennium Soft-Tech India, who attended the opening day of the event said: “India’s warehousing and logistics industry has seen considerable boom due to high growth in retail, e-commerce and manufacturing sectors. Also, the introduction of GST can be the game changer which will add up the growth momentum. As POS industry supplements the growth of logistics and warehousing businesses, we received excellent response from visitors in IWS 2017 who predominantly belonged to warehousing and logistics sectors and wanted to automate several of their mundane operations for their business growth.”

Millennium’s stall was marked by the display of advanced POS technology products such as table-top and industrial barcode scanners, industrial and desk-top barcode printers, colour label printers, hand-held data collectors, and other advanced devices from world’s leading brands such as EPSON, GODEX, HONEYWELL, OPTICON, POSIFLEX and TOSHIBA.

Strategically located, Millennium Stall has attracted people from various industries also as the display of products was catering to the needs of business applications of supermarkets, textile showrooms, electronic and electrical retail shops, entertainment, hospitality, to name a few.

To attend the customers visiting the stall, execute demos for them and answer their technical and business queries, staff from Millennium were stationed along with technology experts from brand partners.

Organized by Reed Manch Exhibitions, India, which is a joint venture between Manch Communications (India) and Reed Exhibitions (UK), IWS 2017 was a rendezvous point for major suppliers, manufacturers, buyers, decision-makers and professionals.

About Millennium India

Established in 2002, Millennium Soft-Tech (India) Pvt Ltd has been in the forefront of providing Point of Sale technology products and solutions to Indian businesses through astute marketing strategy supported by huge partners’ network across India.

Having associated with world’s leading POS brands, Millennium understands the growing demands of retailers better than anyone else irrespective of their size, stature and nature of business, and offers comprehensive, advanced and sustainable solutions to enhance their business.

Headquartered in Chennai and having branches all major cities in India, Millennium is credited with excellent logistics supports and capable of reaching products to the doorsteps of customers located in even remote areas.

As a leading nation-wide distribution company for multinational POS brands such as Epson, Posiflex, Casio, Toshiba and Honeywell, Millennium caters to some of the big super and hypermarket chains, kirana stores, textile showrooms, multiplexes, kiosks, restaurants, hospitals, and SMEs.

For media contact:

K Ramanathan, Content Head and Media Coordinator,

Millennium Soft-Tech India Pvt Ltd, India.

email: ram (at) justransact (dot) com

91+9384612789

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Tractor Supply Company to release its second quarter 2017 results on Wednesday, July 26, 2017

BRENTWOOD, Tenn, 2017-Jul-21 — /EPR Retail News/ — Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ:TSCO), the largest rural lifestyle retail store chain in the United States, intends to release its second quarter 2017 results after the market closes on Wednesday, July 26, 2017.  In conjunction with this release, the management of Tractor Supply Company will host a conference call at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, July 26, 2017, which will be simultaneously webcast live over the Internet at IR.TractorSupply.com.

Please allow extra time prior to the call to visit the site and download the streaming media software required to listen to the Internet broadcast.

A replay of the webcast will be available at IR.TractorSupply.com shortly after the conference call concludes.

About Tractor Supply Company
Founded in 1938, Tractor Supply Company is the largest rural lifestyle retail store chain in the United States. At April 1, 2017, the Company operated 1,617 Tractor Supply stores in 49 states and an e-commerce website at www.tractorsupply.com. Tractor Supply stores are focused on supplying the lifestyle needs of recreational farmers and ranchers and others who enjoy the rural lifestyle, as well as tradesmen and small businesses.  Stores are located primarily in towns outlying major metropolitan markets and in rural communities.  The Company offers the following comprehensive selection of merchandise: (1) equine, livestock, pet and small animal products, including items necessary for their health, care, growth and containment; (2) hardware, truck, towing and tool products; (3) seasonal products, including heating, lawn and garden items, power equipment, gifts and toys; (4) work/recreational clothing and footwear; and (5) maintenance products for agricultural and rural use.

Tractor Supply Company also owns and operates Petsense, a small-box pet specialty supply retailer focused on meeting the needs of pet owners, primarily in small and mid-size communities, and offering a variety of pet products and services.  At April 1, 2017, the Company operated 152 Petsense stores in 26 states.  For more information on Petsense, visit www.petsense.com.

Contact:

Kurt D. Barton
Chief Financial Officer

Christine Skold
Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
(615) 440-4000

Investors:
John Rouleau/Rachel Schacter

Media:
Alecia Pulman/Brittany Rae Fraser
ICR
(203) 682-8200

Source: Tractor Supply Company/globenewswire

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DC Aviation Al-Futtaim starts offering jet fuel from its base in Dubai South at Al Maktoum International Airport

DC Aviation Al-Futtaim starts offering jet fuel from its base in Dubai South at Al Maktoum International Airport

 

Dubai, UAE, 2017-Jul-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Starting this month, DC Aviation Al-Futtaim (DCAF), the joint venture between DC Aviation Group and Al-Futtaim, is offering its private and business jet clients competitively priced jet fuel from their base in Dubai South at Al Maktoum International Airport.

With the addition of this new service, DCAF offers its customers a full turnkey solution including Aircraft Management, Maintenance, FBO and Ground handling services as well as Business jet charter.

“Providing excellent service and highest level of convenience has always been the cornerstone of our business. By expanding our services to include the sale of Jet A-1 fuel at a competitive price, we are in a position to offer the full range of services to our customers,” said Holger Ostheimer, Managing Director of DC Aviation Al-Futtaim.

For more information on DCAF’s facilities and services, please visit www.dc-aviation.ae or call +971 4 870 1800.

Source: Al-Futtaim

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NRF: imports could set new record as merchants enter back-to-school season and begin to stock up for the holiday season

WASHINGTON, 2017-Jul-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — July and August should be two of the busiest months ever seen for imports at the nation’s major retail container ports, possibly setting a new record as merchants enter the back-to-school season and begin to stock up for the holiday season that will follow, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today (July 10, 2017) by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“We’re expecting retailers to import some of the largest volumes of merchandise ever,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “That’s a good indicator of what could be ahead for consumer demand and retail sales, and it’s a sign that retail is going strong despite what you might read in the headlines.”

Ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.72 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units in May, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was up 7.3 percent from April and up 6.2 percent from May 2016. One TEU is one 20-foot-long cargo container or its equivalent.

June was estimated at 1.66 million TEU, up 5.3 percent from the same time last year. July is forecast at 1.71 million TEU, up 5.1 percent from last year; August at 1.75 million TEU, up 2.2 percent; September at 1.66 million TEU, up 4.3 percent; October at 1.71 million TEU, up 2.2 percent, and November at 1.6 million TEU, down 2.7 percent from last year.

The August figure would be the highest monthly volume recorded since NRF began tracking imports in 2000, topping the 1.73 million TEU seen in March 2015. The 1.7 million-plus numbers seen in May, July, August and October represent four of the six busiest months in the report’s history.

The first half of 2017 is expected to total 9.63 million TEU, up 7.1 percent from the first half of 2016. Cargo volume for 2016 totaled 18.8 million TEU, up 3.1 percent from 2015, which had grown 5.4 percent from 2014.

NRF has forecast that 2017 retail sales – excluding automobiles, gasoline and restaurants – will increase between 3.7 and 4.2 percent over 2016, driven by job and income growth coupled with low debt. Cargo volume does not correlate directly with sales because only the number of containers is counted, not the value of the cargo inside, but nonetheless provides a barometer of retailers’ expectations.

Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett, an internationally known economist who prepares Global Port Tracker for NRF, said the increases in imports have come despite threats by the Trump administration to impose new limits on international trade.

“Some actions to date appear to have alienated traditional allies and are causing them to work more closely together, leaving the United States on the sidelines,” Hackett wrote in his monthly editorial comment in the report. “ ‘America First’ may well result in protectionist actions that will cut the United States off from the benefits of the global value chain and economic growth for U.S. importers and exporters.”

Global Port Tracker, which is produced for NRF by the consulting firm Hackett Associates, covers the U.S. ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades and Miami on the East Coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast. The report is free to NRF retail members, and subscription information is available at www.nrf.com/PortTracker or by calling (202) 783-7971. Subscription information for non-members can be found at www.globalporttracker.com.

NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy. NRF.com

Hackett Associates provides expert consulting, research and advisory services to the international maritime industry, government agencies and international institutions. www.hackettassociates.com

Contact:

J. Craig Shearman
(202) 626-8134
press@nrf.com
(855) NRF-Press

Source: NRF

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Eerste volledig elektrische trucks de weg op voor Albert Heijn

Eerste volledig elektrische trucks de weg op voor Albert Heijn

 

Zaandam, Netherlands, 2017-May-16 — /EPR Retail News/ — Vandaag nam Abdeluheb Choho, wethouder Duurzaamheid van de gemeente Amsterdam, de eerste e-trucks in gebruik die Albert Heijn-supermarkten in Amsterdam gaan bevoorraden. De volledig elektrische trucks zijn uitstootvrij en heel stil. Het is voor Albert Heijn, Simon Loos, Ginaf en de gemeente Amsterdam een kroon op het werk van hun gezamenlijke duurzaamheidsinspanningen.

Met de ingebruikname van twee volledig elektrische vrachtwagens zet Albert Heijn een volgende stap in het verduurzamen van het transport naar winkels. ‘Het gebruik van e-trucks sluit goed aan bij onze ambitie te rijden met trucks die zuiniger, stiller en schoner zijn’ vertelt Peter Leegstraten, senior consultant transport van Albert Heijn. ‘We rijden al met 150 truck-trailer combinaties op vloeibaar aardgas (LNG). Die geven significant minder uitstoot dan dieselwagens en zijn een stuk stiller. We onderzoeken ook de mogelijkheden om op Bio-LNG te gaan rijden. E-trucks vormen een mooie aanvulling. In deze gewichtsklasse rijden nu nog nauwelijks elektrische trucks. Onze verwachting is dat het op grote schaal toepassen van elektrische aandrijving nog enkele jaren duurt. We gaan nu vooral leren en ervaren hoe bevoorrading met e-trucks werkt’.

Simon Loos, logistiek partner van Albert Heijn sinds de jaren ’60, gaat met de emissieloze bakwagens Albert Heijn-supermarkten in het centrum van Amsterdam bevoorraden. De e-trucks rijden dagelijks vijf tot zes keer heen en weer vanaf het distributiecentrum in Zaandam. Na een uitgebreid ontwikkel- en testtraject gaan de e-trucks nu de weg op, de een in Albert Heijn-stijl en de ander in Simon Loos-kleuren.

Vergelijkbaar met een diesel zonder uitstoot en geluid

De nieuwe e-trucks komen uit de stal van Ginaf, fabrikant van vrachtauto’s voor zwaar transport en pionier op het gebied van elektrisch vervoer. Voor de ontwikkeling van de nieuwe elektrische trucks werd flink geïnnoveerd om een compromis te vinden tussen flexibiliteit en actieradius enerzijds, en het laadvermogen anderzijds. Het resultaat is een laadcapaciteit die vergelijkbaar is met die van dieseltrucks, ondanks het iets hogere eigen gewicht van de wagen. Door bijladen van de accu’s tijdens het inladen van de trucks op het DC en gedurende de pauzes kunnen de trucks vrijwel continu worden ingezet. De elektrische bakwagens kunnen zich dus goed meten met hun dieselbroertjes, maar zijn volledig uitstootvrij en stil.

Zero-emissiebeleid

Ook voor de gemeente Amsterdam is ‘zero emissie’ een belangrijk onderwerp. Schone lucht is één van de zogenoemde transitiepaden richting een duurzaam Amsterdam. Abdeluheb Choho, Wethouder Duurzaamheid van de stad: ‘Amsterdam is koploper in elektrisch vervoer. In 2025 willen we dat het verkeer binnen de ring A10 helemaal uitstootvrij, of in ieder geval zo schoon mogelijk is. Een stevige ambitie, en dan is het goed om te zien dat bedrijven zoals Albert Heijn het initiatief nemen om hieraan bij te dragen. Als gemeente bieden we natuurlijk graag de helpende hand, bijvoorbeeld in het vergunningenproces of door te kijken welke subsidies beschikbaar zijn.’

Noot voor de redactie

Op de foto: Abdeluheb Choho, Wethouder Duurzaamheid van Amsterdam, neemt de eerste e-truck in gebruik.

Afdeling mediarelaties:
pers@ah.nl
088 6590 2020

Source: Albert Heijn

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NRF monthly Global Port Tracker report: retail imports should see steady increases through the summer and into the fall

WASHINGTON, 2017-May-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Imports at the nation’s major retail container ports should see steady increases through the summer and into the fall, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today (May 9, 2017) by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“Regardless of whether the sales come in their stores or through their websites, retailers see that consumers are buying more this year and they’re importing the goods needed to meet the demand,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “With unemployment at its lowest level in a decade and the economy adding jobs, retailers expect shoppers to continue to increase their spending.”

“In the United States, the economy continues to slowly grow,” Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said. “Gross domestic product was lower than expected in the first quarter but unemployment has dropped to levels not seen since before the Great Recession and, best of all, labor employment has increased dramatically. Our view, therefore, remains unchanged: There is nothing to worry about in the first half of the year, and growth is expected to continue in the second half even if it comes at a slower rate.”

Ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.53 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units in March, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was up 6.8 percent from February, when many Asian factories closed for Lunar New Year, and up 15.8 percent from unusually low numbers the same month a year ago, when Lunar New Year came a week later than this year. One TEU is one 20-foot-long cargo container or its equivalent.

April was estimated at 1.56 million TEU, up 8.3 percent from the same time last year. May is forecast at 1.66 million TEU, up 2.6 percent from last year; June at 1.62 million TEU, up 3.3 percent; July at 1.68 million TEU, up 3.1 percent; August at 1.74 million TEU, up 1.6 percent, and September at 1.65 million TEU, up 3.6 percent.

The first half of 2017 is expected to total 9.5 million TEU, up 5.6 percent from the first half of 2016. Cargo volume for 2016 totaled 18.8 million TEU, up 3.1 percent from 2015, which had grown 5.4 percent from 2014.

NRF has forecast that 2017 retail sales – excluding automobiles, gasoline and restaurants – will increase between 3.7 and 4.2 percent over 2016, driven by job and income growth coupled with low debt. Cargo volume does not correlate directly with sales because only the number of containers is counted, not the value of the cargo inside, but nonetheless provides a barometer of retailers’ expectations.

Global Port Tracker, which is produced for NRF by the consulting firm Hackett Associates, covers the U.S. ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades and Miami on the East Coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast. The report is free to NRF retail members, and subscription information is available at www.nrf.com/PortTracker or by calling (202) 783-7971. Subscription information for non-members can be found at www.globalporttracker.com.

NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy. NRF.com

Hackett Associates provides expert consulting, research and advisory services to the international maritime industry, government agencies and international institutions. www.hackettassociates.com

Contact:
J. Craig Shearman
(202) 626-8134
press@nrf.com
(855) NRF-Press

Source: NRF

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Esprit opens new logistics center in Mönchengladbach, Germany

Esprit opens new logistics center in Mönchengladbach, Germany

Ratingen, Germany, 2017-May-06 — /EPR Retail News/ — On 26 April 2017, Esprit opened the new 80,000 sqm logistics center in Mönchengladbach, Germany, together with Goodman, a global leading owner, developer and manager of logistics real estate. The new facility is an expansion of the existing 53,000 sqm property occupied by Esprit and operated by the Fiege Group. As one of the largest fashion logistics centers in Germany, the expanded facility will be used to supply Esprit’s own stores and wholesale customers across Europe.

As part of an extensive transformation process, Esprit has comprehensively optimized many internal processes. One important component of this restructuring is the best possible improvement in efficiency of the logistics processes of the company. This objective is also served by the expansion of the spaces in the logistics center in Mönchengladbach. After extension, the logistics center now has a total area of 133,000 sqm and special equipment features for example such as 24,000 sqm mezzanine space with four cargo lifts and 80 loading gates. Esprit is consolidating several regional warehouses in Mönchengladbach and will in future use the property for Europe-wide distribution.

“The additional capacity at Regiopark Mönchengladbach is an essential component of our strategic restructuring at Esprit and the associated further development of the business model. Thanks to the modern concept for the extension of Goodman’s property, we will in future supply our partners and our own shops in a way that is even faster and demand based,” emphasizes Jose Antonio Ramos, Chief Commercial Officer at Esprit.

Jordan Corynen, Goodman Regional Director for Germany, Austria and Switzerland commenting on the rapidly changing market dynamics affecting retailers like Esprit, said: “Shorter product lifecycles, product line extensions, changing shopping habits and fierce competition for the fastest delivery time are just a few of the challenges facing the retail industry which can put significant strain on a company’s logistics operations. We help our customers meet these demands by providing future-proof facilities in top locations.”

Logistics service partner Fiege, will continue to run the operations of the logistics center and will be increasing the number of employees in the center to around 750. The company has been working for 16 years in partnership with Esprit and has been providing the fashion retailer with a variety of logistics services in this time.

The premier location for textile and fashion logistics:

The facility in the Regiopark Mönchengladbach is located just 1 kilometer from the A61. The site is also well connected to the national road network via the A44, A46 and A52 motorways. As such, the Regiopark is perfectly suited for the fast and reliable distribution of goods to Germany and Europe, in particular to the Benelux countries. Over the last few years, the Regiopark Mönchengladbach has developed into one of the most important locations for textile and fashion logistics in Germany and the City of Mönchengladbach has been positive about the development.

With the completion of the logistics center for Esprit, Goodman is further expanding its presence in this strategically important logistics location. In Mönchengladbach, the property group has previously developed a distribution center of over 130,000 sqm, occupied by Zalando, and a logistics center of 22,500 sqm, occupied by the logistics providers Logwin and Vetten, who are jointly active for a major fashion retailer.

The project was realized by Goodman for a subsidiary of the Goodman European Partnership (GEP), Goodman’s leading European investment vehicle. GEP has a portfolio of over 110 properties across 10 countries which already includes the existing 53,000 sqm warehouse for Esprit.

SOURCE: Esprit

 

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Rakuten and Japan Post expand partnership in e-commerce logistics to reduce the redelivery of parcels

Tokyo, 2017-Apr-06 — /EPR Retail News/ — Rakuten, Inc. and Japan Post Co., Ltd. will strengthen their collaboration in e-commerce logistics to reduce the redelivery of parcels by examining various measures to increase the efficiency of deliveries and pick-ups.

1. Background
The e-commerce market continues to grow at an accelerated pace with the continued evolution of the internet and the diversification of consumer needs as e-commerce has become one of the primary means of consumption in daily life.

Rakuten and Japan Post have already collaborated on picking up products purchased on Rakuten Ichiba with “HAKO POST” lockers for receiving Yu-Pack parcels and convenience stores and “Rakuten Box” delivery lockers. Both companies have continued trials and studies for further efficiency in e-commerce logistics and delivery.

However, the ratio of redeliveries to homes remains high and reducing this is a pressing issue in e-commerce logistics. Rakuten and Japan Post are working together on the following to address this issue.

2. Policies under consideration
Rakuten and Japan Post are studying the provision of and policies for a last mile delivery service that allows users of e-commerce services to have products delivered once with certainty, without worrying about missing a delivery.

Specifically, both companies are considering:
(1) Expanding parcel pick up locations (convenience stores, post offices, HAKO POST, and Rakuten Box)
(2) Implementing designated pick-up locations
(3) Expanding notification services
(4) Awarding Rakuten Super Points when parcels are picked up the first time

To promote these measures, Rakuten and Japan Post are working together to offer special delivery fees for purchases made with Rakuten Ichiba merchants.

Rakuten and Japan Post are striving to develop more convenient and robust e-commerce and improve the efficiency of e-commerce logistics.

Source: Rakuten, Inc.

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Tractor Supply Company announces the promotion of Kurt D. Barton to SVP, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

Bob Volke Promoted to Vice President, Controller

BRENTWOOD, TN, 2017-Mar-07 — /EPR Retail News/ — Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ: TSCO), the largest rural lifestyle retail store chain in the United States, today (03/06/17) announced that Kurt D. Barton has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer in line with the Company’s management transition plan announced last July. Mr. Barton succeeds Anthony F. Crudele who retired after serving as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer for the past 11 years. As part of the planned succession, Mr. Crudele and Mr. Barton have worked together over the last seven months to ensure a smooth transition of all responsibilities.

Mr. Barton first joined Tractor Supply in 1999 and was promoted to Senior Vice President, Controller earlier this year. He had served as the Company’s Vice President, Controller since 2009. Mr. Barton also served as Director, Internal Audit from 2002 to 2009 and held other leadership roles in accounting during his tenure with the Company. Mr. Barton has had direct responsibility for the Company’s accounting, financial reporting, tax, purchasing, master data management, accounts payable and inventory control functions and has been an integral part of the Company’s corporate finance and strategy team. Mr. Barton, a Certified Public Accountant, began his career in public accounting in 1993, spending six years at Ernst & Young, LLP.

Bob Volke has been promoted to the position of Vice President, Controller, effective immediately. Mr. Volke joined Tractor Supply in April 2007 and has served as the Company’s Vice President, Accounting since February 2014. Mr. Volke’s expanded responsibilities include the Company’s general accounting and financial reporting, as well as operations accounting and non-merchandise purchasing functions. Mr. Volke served as Director of Accounting from 2009 to 2014, and has worked directly for Mr. Barton over the last eight years. A Certified Public Accountant, Mr. Volke has more than 30 years of accounting experience in the manufacturing, financial services and publishing industries.

Greg Sandfort, Chief Executive Officer, stated, “On behalf of Tractor Supply, I would like to thank Tony for his many contributions to the Company over the last 11 years. We wish Tony the very best in his retirement and are excited to have Kurt Barton take the helm as Tony’s planned successor. Kurt has been with Tractor Supply for 18 years and is a talented financial leader with a deep understanding of the business and track record of success. I congratulate Kurt on his promotion and look forward to continuing our work together.”

Sandfort continued, “I would also like to congratulate Bob on his well-deserved promotion to Vice President, Controller. Bob has worked alongside Kurt for several years and has been an important part of our finance team, with a passion for our business and dedication to our continued growth. I am both confident and excited about the team we have in place to continue to move our business forward.”

About Tractor Supply Company
Founded in 1938, Tractor Supply Company is the largest rural lifestyle retail store chain in the United States. At December 31, 2016, the Company operated 1,595 Tractor Supply stores in 49 states and an e-commerce website at www.tractorsupply.com. Tractor Supply stores are focused on supplying the lifestyle needs of recreational farmers and ranchers and others who enjoy the rural lifestyle, as well as tradesmen and small businesses. Stores are located primarily in towns outlying major metropolitan markets and in rural communities. The Company offers the following comprehensive selection of merchandise: (1) equine, livestock, pet and small animal products, including items necessary for their health, care, growth and containment; (2) hardware, truck, towing and tool products; (3) seasonal products, including heating, lawn and garden items, power equipment, gifts and toys; (4) work/recreational clothing and footwear; and (5) maintenance products for agricultural and rural use.

Tractor Supply Company also owns and operates Petsense, a small-box pet specialty supply retailer focused on meeting the needs of pet owners, primarily in small and mid-size communities, and offering a variety of pet products and services. At December 31, 2016, the Company operated 143 Petsense stores in 26 states. For more information on Petsense, visit www.petsense.us.

Contact:

Christine Skold
Vice President
Investor Relations
(615) 440-4000

Investors:
John Rouleau/Rachel Schacter, ICR

Media:
Alecia Pulman/Brittany Rae Fraser, ICR
(203) 682-8200

Source: Tractor Supply Company

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Konekesko sells Suvi and Palta boat brands and business operations

Helsinki, 2017-Mar-01 — /EPR Retail News/ — Konekesko sells the Suvi and Palta boat brands and business operations to a company being established. Terho Liukkonen and Tommi Ihalainen, the owners of the company being established, are members of the current management of the Suvi and Palta boat business.

The Suvi and Palta boats are sold through Konekesko Ltd’s recreational machinery trade network in Finland. The boats are exported into Sweden, Norway and Estonia. The boats are made by two contract manufacturers in the Savonlinna region in Eastern Finland – RA-Vene in Silvola and OH-Marin in Enonkoski.

Suvi boats have been manufactured since 1985. Palta boat manufacturing started in 1990. The current range of models in production includes 29 small boat models suitable for use at the summer cottage or for fishing.

”It’s natural that the Suvi and Palta boat brands and business operations transfer to new owners who are known to the dealer network and committed to partnership,” says Kari Rautanen, Sales Director of Konekesko’s recreational machinery trade. ”In late 2016, we announced the sale of the Yamarin boat business to Yamaha Motor Europe N.V.’s subsidiary, Inhan Tehtaat Oy Ab,” says Rautanen,” under the new owners’ direction, the Suvi, Palta and Yamarin boat brands are in good hands.”

”We want to continue the development of both brands and make it more efficient, as well as the long-term cooperation with all dealers,” say Terho Liukkonen and Tommi Ihalainen.

Kesko’s strategic objective is to achieve growth in the Finnish grocery trade, the building and technical trade and the car trade.

The persons involved in the sales of the Suvi and Palta boats will become employees of the new company under their existing contracts. The business transfer will take place on 28 February 2017.

Further information:
Sales Director
Kari Rautanen
Konekesko Ltd
kari.rautanen@kesko.fi
tel. +358 40 740 3388

Terho Liukkonen
tel. + 358 500 780 747

Tommi Ihalainen
tel. +358 440 900 709

Source: Kesko

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Carrefour Spain rolls out compressed natural gas trucks in its fleet

Carrefour Spain rolls out compressed natural gas trucks in its fleet

 

Spain, 2017-Feb-22 — /EPR Retail News/ — Carrefour Spain, is incorporating compressed natural gas trucks in its fleet to carry out deliveries of e-commerce orders together with home delivery vans with the same characteristics.

These vehicles reduce nitrogen oxide (Nox) emissions by up to 99% and the level of particles emitted by 95% more than other diesel engines and also reduce acoustic pollution.

Inside the trucks Carrefour Spain has installed a system of tri-temperature crates with three independent chambers (frozen, refrigerated and dry), each one adapted to an adequate temperature. That way, each product travels in its respective environment, reaching the delivery point in perfect condition. Carrefour will gradually increase the number of these tri-temperature natural gas vehicles throughout the national territory.

For all request about the Carrefour Group (sales, financial results, governance, international,…), please contact the Carrefour Group media relations office:

. By phone:

Switchboard: +33 (0)1 41 04 26 00

For journalists: +33 (0)1 41 04 26 17

. By e-mail: presse_groupe@

Source: Carrefour Group

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Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority to fund Foodstuffs’ trial of electric delivery vans across its New World and PAK’nSAVE supermarkets in 2017

Auckland, New Zealand, 2017-Jan-22 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Honourable Judith Collins has today  (20 January 2017) announced that the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) will be providing funding to support Foodstuffs trial of electric delivery vans across its New World and PAK’nSAVE supermarkets in 2017.

“This is the first time a commercial electric vehicle fleet of this size has been trialled in New Zealand,” says Chris Quin, CEO, Foodstuffs North Island Ltd. “The funding will go towards the implementation of 28 zero emission electric delivery vans at New World and PAK’nSAVE stores across the North and South Island.”

According to Quin when the project was put to the business initial interest from stores was incredibly positive. “Our owners recognise and support Foodstuffs’ commitment to be more sustainable and at the leading edge of new technology. Our business practices are continually evolving to be more sustainable, this is demonstrated through our work on recyclable packaging, food donation, natural refrigeration systems and energy efficiency and ensures the business will be well placed over the coming years.”

Quin adds, “It fits in perfectly with Foodstuffs drive to reduce environmental impacts and support brand NZ. Electric vehicles offer the potential to both reduce the business’ dependence on imported fuels whilst at the same time reducing road based transport emissions by 100%.”

“Add to this the fact the electricity powering the vehicles is 100% locally generated and over 80% renewably generated through hydro, wind and geothermal sources – meaning we are investing in both New Zealand‘s economy and its environment.”

The Nissan e-NV 200 delivery vans will be imported over the next year from Europe where they are manufactured. Once charged they are capable of travelling up to 150 kilometres at a time without generating either noise or emissions.

Foodstuffs is in discussion with EECA about the potential installation of separate public electric vehicle charging points at key New World and PAK’nSAVE store locations throughout the country.

“The idea is that the provision of easily accessible charging facilities will encourage the public to gradually transition away from petrol and diesel cars to sustainable electric vehicles. You will be able to charge your car whilst grabbing your groceries,” says Quin.

Contact:

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

Source: Foodstuff NZ

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WCA member companies to be integrated into Alibaba.com logistics platform for cross-border eCommerce shipments

Shanghai, China, 2017-Jan-14 — /EPR Retail News/ — WCA Ltd, the world’s largest logistics network, and Alibaba.com, a leading global wholesale trading platform and the B2B business arm of Alibaba Group today ( January 12, 2017) announced they have concluded a co-operation agreement that will see approved WCA member companies integrated into the Alibaba.com logistics platform for cross-border eCommerce shipments.

WCA will provide its professional support in vetting and approving international logistics providers for high quality and efficient logistics services for the customers of Alibaba.com. Approved providers will have full access to compete for logistics orders generated on the Alibaba.com platform.

WCA and Alibaba.com have agreed parameters and standards of service, as well as offering all participants a protection scheme that includes compensation for qualifying transactions.

“The fact that Alibaba.com has recognised the quality, global strength and professionalism of WCA and its members will open up vast new opportunities for business growth for independent freight forwarders”, said Dan March, WCA’s Chief Executive Officer. “Many of our member companies are already heavily involved in many facets of cross-border eCommerce logistics. The strict qualification process for our newly-formed WCA eCommerce network will provide reassurance that the services provided by our members can facilitate merchants on Alibaba.com to accelerate their global trading.”

The collaboration will commence in January 2017, facilitating shipments generated by Alibaba.com’s members to be made to the major export markets of the USA, India and the UK.

Steve Su, Director, Alibaba Logistics said: “We are thrilled to partner with WCA, a global network with well-connected global resources, to provide fast and convenient shipping options for our members. We are committed to offering premium services to global SMEs on our platform who are looking to scale up their business presence through cross-border trading. We are confident partnering with a leading global logistics alliance such as WCA will help us achieve that goal.”

“The world is rapidly changing,” added WCA Chairman, David Yokeum. “And we are working hard to ensure that our members are equipped and able to take advantage of the huge projected growth in global eCommerce shipments. Alibaba.com has shown both determination and innovation in forming this partnership and we fully expect the business to flourish. We are putting both independent forwarders and Alibaba.com traders at the vanguard of change in this exciting and dynamic market.”

About WCA
WCA is the world’s largest and most powerful network of independent freight forwarders, with over 6,300 logistics offices located in 189 countries worldwide. WCA offers members a comprehensive suite of benefits, products and networking opportunities, including an extensive financial protection programme allowing companies to conduct business with complete security and peace of mind. WCA is dedicated to developing industry-leading solutions to the challenges and opportunities faced by the world’s best independent freight forwarders.

About Alibaba.com
The first business of Alibaba Group, Alibaba.com (www.alibaba.com) is the leading platform for global wholesale trade serving millions of buyers and suppliers around the world. Through Alibaba.com, small businesses can sell their products to companies in other countries. Sellers on Alibaba.com are typically manufacturers and distributors based in China and other manufacturing countries such as India, Pakistan, the United States and Thailand.

Media Contacts:

Kaitlyn Mode
WCA, Ltd
+1 954 973 5537
kmode@wcaworld.com

Crystal Liu
Alibaba Group
Crystal.liu@alibaba-inc.com

Source: Alibaba Group

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FedEx dropoff and pickup services to be made available at Walgreens locations nationwide

Walgreens and FedEx customers to benefit from additional convenient and secure delivery locations
 

MEMPHIS, Tenn., and DEERFIELD, Ill., 2017-Jan-14 — /EPR Retail News/ — FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and Walgreen Co., one of the nation’s largest drugstore chains, announced a long-term alliance agreement that will offer convenient access to FedEx dropoff and pickup services at thousands of Walgreens locations across the United States beginning within the next several months.

“Walgreens, with its strong focus on customer care, is the perfect retailer to help us continue to meet the growing demand for convenient, secure dropoff and pickup options, and our research has shown that customers rank pharmacies as a preferred location for accessing their e-commerce shipments,” said Raj Subramaniam, executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer, FedEx Corporation.

“The addition of Walgreens locations to the existing network of FedEx retail offerings will substantially increase customer access to staffed pickup and dropoff locations and enhance convenient access to FedEx Ground and FedEx Express package shipment and dropoff options. We look forward to offering these capabilities to customers, and continuing to meet their e-commerce shipping needs with these flexible options.”

“Working with FedEx to provide safe and secure delivery locations while making it easy for customers to ship returns and other packages through the FedEx networks is another way we are becoming America’s most loved pharmacy-led health, wellbeing and beauty retailer,” said Reuben Slone, Walgreens senior vice president of supply chain. “We look forward to providing our customers with these convenient options that will be available whenever the store is open.”

Improving Convenience and Saving Time
By bringing together Walgreens convenient network of retail locations across the country and FedEx as one of the leading enablers of the rapidly growing e-commerce economy, this new alliance will significantly expand the options available to consumers to drop off and pick up their FedEx shipments and handle multiple tasks during a single store visit. As part of the FedEx Onsite™ program, customers will be able to drop off pre-packaged and pre-labeled shipments to Walgreens stores and pick up packages that they direct to their neighborhood Walgreens.

After an initial, small-scale rollout this spring, Walgreens and FedEx expect to have the program available at thousands of Walgreens locations later this calendar year and chainwide at nearly 8,000 Walgreens stores by fall 2018.

About FedEx Corp.
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services.  With annual revenues of $58 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 400,000 team members to remain “absolutely, positively” focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. To learn more about how FedEx connects people and possibilities around the world, please visit about.fedex.com.

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

Contact:
Email: media@walgreens.com
Tel: 847-315-2921.

Source: Walgreens

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NRF support former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao as the new head of the Department of Transportation

WASHINGTON, 2017-Jan-13 — /EPR Retail News/ — The National Retail Federation supported confirmation of former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao as the new head of the Department of Transportation in a letter sent today (January 11, 2017) to the Senate.

“Mrs. Chao has an incredible history, knowledge and experience within the transportation industry and we think she is perfectly suited to be the next secretary.” David French, SVP for Government Relations.

“The next secretary of transportation must address ongoing issues of infrastructure funding while ensuring that our transportation systems are truly state-of-the-art and able to handle expected increases in freight flows,” NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French wrote. “Mrs. Chao has an incredible history, knowledge and experience within the transportation industry and we think she is perfectly suited to be the next secretary.”

French said Chao “has the background and experience to address some of the key supply chain issues facing our nation and our global competitiveness,” citing her previous posts as deputy secretary of transportation, deputy administrator of the U.S. Maritime Administration and chairwoman of the Federal Maritime Commission.

French said the Transportation Department is important to retailers because merchants are among the nation’s largest shippers, moving hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of merchandise through the nation’s ports, rail lines, and highways each year.

“The condition of this interconnected supply chain and its ability to move freight quickly, efficiently and safely are vital to retailers’ businesses, as well as those of American manufacturers, agricultural producers and the millions of workers they employ,” French said.

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee began Chao’s confirmation hearing this morning.

NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy.

Contact:
Robin Roberts
press@nrf.com
(855) NRF-Press

Source: NRF

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The RideConnected motorcycle communication App now available for free in the iTunes and Google Play Stores

IRVINE, Calif., 2017-Jan-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Sena Technologies, Inc., the global leader in Bluetooth innovation for the motorsports, action sports and outdoor sports lifestyles, has announced today the release of the RideConnected App. The RideConnected App for motorcycle riding will connect multiple riders across the globe through their Sena Bluetooth headsets. Riders may now connect with more riders than ever before through any Sena Bluetooth headset with the RideConnected App.

The RideConnected motorcycle communication App, created for both iOS and Android phones, will be available for free in the iTunes and Google Play Stores. Not only will riders no longer be limited by range, the amount intercom connections between riders are virtually limitless when within LTE range of their mobile carrier. Compatible with all Sena Bluetooth headsets, the RideConnected App offers more freedom than ever. As long as you are connected to WiFi, or a mobile network, you may now communicate over any distance, and with multiple riders.

Set up your own personal profile and navigate through the features of the RideConnected App with ease. Simply create different teams, and invite friends to create their own profile on the App through SMS message, GPS, or by providing them with your unique four-digit code. Users may also use the existing voice prompts of their Sena Bluetooth 4.1 headsets to operate the RideConnected App.

The App will be the first of many added benefits designed for Sena users. Sena is always looking for ways to benefit its loyal community of riders, and improve upon communication and connectivity. The RideConnected App for motorcycle and cycling communication is Sena’s solution to sticky communication situations while on the road.

SOURCE: EuropaWire

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Kesko to sell its Yamarin boat business to Inha Works Ltd

Helsinki, 2016-Dec-22 — /EPR Retail News/ — Konekesko Ltd, part of Kesko Group, has made an agreement to sell its Yamarin boat business to Inha Works Ltd, a subsidiary owned by Yamaha Motor Europe N.V.  The representation of Yamaha’s recreational machinery in Finland transfers From Konekesko Ltd to Yamaha Motor Europe N.V.

Kesko’s strategic objective is growth in the Finnish grocery trade, the building and technical trade and the car trade.

Yamaha Motor Europe N.V. will establish a country office of its own in Finland to be responsible for the sales and marketing and after sales services of Yamaha products and selected boat brands.

“I’m very pleased that the manufacture of Yamarin boats and the import of Yamaha’s recreational machinery will continue in the ownership of our long-standing partner Yamaha Motor Europe. We see that this transaction provides the Finnish Yamarin with the best possible opportunities to progress and grow in both the national and the export market,” says Antti Meriläinen, Senior Vice President, agricultural and machinery trade.

The sale includes Konekesko Ltd’s Yamarin boat business, the import of Yamaha products and the representations of certain other brands. In 2015, the aggregate pro forma net sales of the operations being sold were €65 million. The parties have agreed that the transaction price is not disclosed. The people working in the businesses being disposed of will transfer to the employment of the new operators under their existing contracts in connection with the transaction.

The completion of the transaction is subject to the approval of the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (FCCA) and the fulfilment of the other terms and conditions of the transaction. The transaction is expected to be completed during the first half of 2017.

Kesko and K-retailers form the K-Group, whose sales total over €13 billion. The K-Group is the third largest retail operator in northern Europe and it employs approximately 45,000 people. Kesko operates in the grocery trade, the building and technical trade and the car trade. Its divisions and chains act in close cooperation with retailer entrepreneurs and other partners. Kesko’s net sales are €10 billion and it employs approximately 30,000 people. Kesko has over 1,500 stores engaged in chain operations in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Belarus and Poland. Kesko is a listed company and its shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. The company’s domicile and main premises are in Helsinki. Kesko is the world’s most sustainable trading sector company (The Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World). www.kesko.fi

Yamaha Motor Europe (www.yamaha-motor.eu) based in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) is a full subsidiary of Yamaha Motor Company Limited, Japan, a global leader in the manufacturing and sales of Outboard Motors, Personal Water Craft and other recreational craft (Power Two Wheelers, Golf cars and All-terrain vehicles). In Europe, Yamaha is market leader for Outboard Motors, providing a wide range of models from 2.5 to 350 Horsepower.

Buster Boats, Inha Works Ltd, (www.busterboats.fi) is the largest aluminum boats manufacturer in Europe and one of the leading companies in the Nordic recreational boats market. The Company has a product offering consisting of Buster branded, multi-purpose aluminum boats. Buster key markets consist of Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia. Inha Works’ factory is located in Ähtäri and its head office and product development are in Raisio.

Contact:
Antti Meriläinen
SVP
Kesko’s agricultural and machinery trade
antti.jo.merilainen@kesko.fi
tel. +358 105 320 492

Riikka Toivonen
Head of Financial Communications
riikka.toivonen@kesko.fi
tel. +358 105 323 495

Juha Lehtola
President, Buster Boats – Inha Works Ltd.
Juha.Lehtola@busterboats.com
tel. +358 40 550 0624

Remko Visser
Department Manager Sales & Marketing, Marine Division, Yamaha Motor Europe N.V.
remko.visser@yamaha-motor.nl
tel. +31 653 527 241

Source: Kesko Group

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NRF/Hackett Associates Global Port Tracker Report: Retail imports expected to be up 3.2% this month over the same time last year

WASHINGTON, 2016-Dec-12 — /EPR Retail News/ — Imports at the nation’s major retail container ports are expected to be up 3.2 percent this month over the same time last year as stores bring in the last of the merchandise for the holiday season, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today (December 9, 2016) by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“There’s still shopping to be done, and retailers are making sure the gifts that need to be under a tree are waiting on the shelves,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “Imports are up a healthy amount over this time last year, and that’s a good sign for holiday sales and the economy.”

Ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.67 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units in October, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was up 4.6 percent from September and up 7.4 percent from October 2015. One TEU is one 20-foot-long cargo container or its equivalent.

November was estimated at 1.53 million TEU, up 3.6 percent from last year, and December is forecast at 1.48 million TEU, up 3.2 percent.

The numbers come as NRF is forecasting $655.8 billion in holiday sales, a 3.6 percent increase over last year. Cargo volume does not correlate directly to sales because only the number of containers is counted, not the value of the cargo inside. But it nonetheless serves as a barometer of retailers’ expectations.

Cargo volume for 2016 is expected to total 18.6 million TEU, up 2 percent from last year. Total volume for 2015 was 18.2 million TEU, up 5.4 percent from 2014. The first half of 2016 totaled 9 million TEU, up 1.6 percent from the same period in 2015.

January 2017 is forecast at 1.54 million TEU, up 3.2 percent from January 2016; February at 1.49 million TEU, down 3.5 percent from last year; March at 1.38 million TEU, up 4.4 percent from last year, and April at 1.54 million TEU, up 6.4 percent.

With cargo growth at covered U.S. ports for the year coming in at only 2 percent, Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said a trend of imports exceeding growth of gross domestic product appears to have ended.

“This is a new phenomenon,” Hackett said. “It was not long ago when industry leaders were doing their forecasts based on trade growth outpacing GDP by a ratio of more than 2-to-1. Those days are gone.”

Global Port Tracker, which is produced for NRF by the consulting firm Hackett Associates, covers the U.S. ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades and Miami on the East Coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast. The report is free to NRF retail members, and subscription information is available at www.nrf.com/PortTracker or by calling (202) 783-7971. Subscription information for non-members can be found at www.globalporttracker.com.

NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy. NRF.com

Hackett Associates provides expert consulting, research and advisory services to the international maritime industry, government agencies and international institutions. www.hackettassociates.com

Contact:

J. Craig Shearman
(202) 626-8134
press@nrf.com
(855) NRF-Press

Source: NRF

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Leading U.S. carrier in the Pacific Matson, Inc. is all-in on the AWS Cloud

Matson closes final data centers as it moves its critical shipping and logistics businesses to AWS for increased performance, reliability, and security

SEATTLE, 2016-Nov-28 — /EPR Retail News/ — Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), an Amazon.com company (NASDAQ: AMZN), today announced that Matson, Inc. (NYSE: MATX), a leading U.S. carrier in the Pacific, is all-in on the AWS Cloud. Matson, whose shipping network reaches Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, China, and areas of the South Pacific, has closed all four of its on-premises data centers in its migration to AWS. Moving its applications from its on-premises data centers to the AWS Cloud has helped Matson achieve faster performance, increased reliability and security, and IT infrastructure cost savings.

The shipping industry requires advanced IT capabilities to enable precise tracking of assets and customer shipments as they move around the world. Matson’s vessels, shipping terminals, container equipment, and truck shipments all require highly reliable technology to ensure that its transportation network operates at world-class levels. In addition, Matson’s customers count on cloud-based applications to provide real-time visibility and analytics in managing their own supply chains. All of these mission-critical applications run on the AWS Cloud today, including Matson’s custom-built order-to-cash booking and billing systems, terminal operations, global equipment management, U.S.-wide logistics applications, and customer-facing website.

“Several years ago we set out on a journey to modernize our entire portfolio of enterprise applications and to upgrade and optimize every corner of our IT infrastructure. Once we completed our application modernization, we were ready to culminate this transformation by migrating onto a single cloud platform, which we view as the optimal strategy to sustain world-class customer service and operational reliability. We chose the AWS Cloud because it provides unmatched security, performance, and cost benefits,” said Peter Weis, Matson’s CIO. “Having moved one hundred percent of our enterprise applications from on-premises data centers to the AWS Cloud, we are now free to focus on further innovation.”

“Companies large and small around the world are increasingly moving all-in on the AWS Cloud so they can focus their resources on differentiated work,” said Mike Clayville, Vice President, Worldwide Sales at AWS. “We’ve worked closely with Matson during its migration to AWS and are excited to congratulate them on the closing of their data centers. Standardizing on the broadest cloud platform available, Matson will be able to devote more of its time and resources to driving new and enhanced processes for its own customers.”

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

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

About Matson, Inc.
Founded in 1882, Matson is a leading U.S. carrier in the Pacific. Matson provides a vital lifeline to the economies of Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Micronesia and select South Pacific islands, and operates a premium, expedited service from China to Southern California. The Company’s fleet of 22 owned vessels includes containerships, combination container and roll-on/roll-off ships and custom-designed barges. Matson Logistics, established in 1987, extends the geographic reach of Matson’s transportation network throughout the continental U.S. Its integrated, asset-light logistics services include rail intermodal, highway brokerage, warehousing, and less-than-container load freight consolidation and forwarding to Alaska. Additional information about Matson, Inc.is available at www.matson.com.

Media Hotline:

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

Source: Amazon Web Services, Inc.

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SkyBus rollS out self-serve ticketing on its Melbourne routes with NCR Corporation

Fast-growing airport transfer service chooses NCR’s omni-channel self-serve solution

Melbourne, Australia, 2016-Nov-23 — /EPR Retail News/ — SkyBus, operators of Melbourne’s express CBD to airport transport service, has rolled out self-serve ticketing on its Melbourne routes with NCR Corporation, the global leader in omni-channel solutions.

The roll out has enabled SkyBus to offer omni-channel and round-the-clock ticketing to its 3.5 million annual customers travelling on any of its three Melbourne Airport routes: CBD Express, St Kilda Express and the Frankston service.

Since installing the NCR Self-Serve 90 kiosk, this ‘at stop’ purchasing option has proved successful, with SkyBus seeing significant uptake, with more than 70,000 tickets purchased in the first six months.

“It was a crucial part of our expansion plans to be able to offer an omni-channel ticketing solution, enabling customers easy and simple access to tickets whilst offering a consistent and streamlined service,” commented Michael Sewards, Co-CEO, at SkyBus.

“It was vitally important that we chose a solution that was proven in the travel sector and robust with exceptional reliability. We found this in NCR. The NCR Self-Serve 90 offered exactly what we were looking for, from streamlined, sleek units with all-in-one capability to industry-leading technology. We’re delighted with how the project has gone so far,” Sewards added.

SkyBus is steadily expanding in Melbourne, with new services to St Kilda and Frankston launched in the past five months. Its express CBD to Melbourne Airport service operates 24/7, with departures leaving Southern Cross Station every 5 minutes during peak periods.

Dennis Davidson, general manager, NCR Travel and Entertainment, commented: “Travel providers are looking for more ways to modernise their customer experience by transforming physical and digital channels. Our self-service ticketing solutions seamlessly integrate physical and digital channels, giving SkyBus more ways to interact and deliver a better experience to their fast growing customer base.”

To find out more about NCR’s extensive hardware, software and services offer for the travel industry, visit www.ncr.com

About NCR Corporation
NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is the global leader in consumer transaction technologies, turning everyday interactions with businesses into exceptional experiences. With its software, hardware, and portfolio of services, NCR enables more than 550 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, Georgia 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. The company 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

About SkyBus
SkyBus has been providing safe, convenient airport transport in Melbourne for more than 38 years. Its iconic red vehicles run seven days a week, transferring over three and a half million passengers each year between the CBD and Melbourne Airport on the most affordable airport transport service in Australia, when measured by cost/kilometres travelled. SkyBus pairs affordability with superior service, offering customers free Wi-Fi, luggage racks, reliable running times, and online, mobile and kiosk ticketing options.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @skybusmelbourne

Media Contact:
Tim Henschel
NCR Corporation
770.299.5100
tim.henschel@ncr.com

Source: NCR Corporation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Source: Colruyt Group

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NRF and Hackett Associates Global Port Tracker report: retail imports expected to be up 4.4 percent this month

WASHINGTON, 2016-Nov-09 — /EPR Retail News/ — With the holiday shopping season officially under way, imports at the nation’s major retail container ports are expected to be up 4.4 percent this month over the same time last year and should see a slightly larger increase next month, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today (November 8, 2016) by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“Retailers are importing more during the holidays this year than last year and that can only mean one thing – they expect to sell more,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “Most of the holiday merchandise is already here, but retailers are still restocking to be sure shoppers will have a broad and deep selection as they hit the stores over the next several weeks.”

Ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.6 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units in September, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was down 6.6 percent from August, the busiest month of the year, and down 1.6 percent from September 2015. One TEU is one 20-foot-long cargo container or its equivalent.

Volume rebounded in October to an estimated 1.67 million TEU, up 7.5 percent from last year. November is forecast at 1.54 million TEU, up 4.4 percent from last year, and December at 1.5 million TEU, up 4.5 percent.

The numbers come as NRF is forecasting $655.8 billion in holiday sales, a 3.6 percent increase over last year. Cargo volume does not correlate directly to sales because only the number of containers is counted, not the value of the cargo inside. But it nonetheless serves as a barometer of retailers’ expectations.

Cargo volume for 2016 is expected to total 18.6 million TEU, up 2.2 percent from last year. Total volume for 2015 was 18.2 million TEU, up 5.4 percent from 2014. The first half of 2016 totaled 9 million TEU, up 1.6 percent from the same period in 2015.

January 2017 is forecast at 1.54 million TEU, up 3.6 percent from January 2016; February at 1.49 million TEU, down 3.2 percent from last year, and March at 1.38 million TEU, up 4.6 percent from last year.

Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said U.S. imports are growing, but not as fast as in past years.

“Despite all the good economic news recently, we are faced with imports growing only about 2 percent this year,” Hackett said. “Whether that is merely part of the aftermath of the Hanjin bankruptcy or a sign of weakening demand is not yet clear. Unless there is a major disruption, however, growth should be modest but sustained during the first half of 2017.”

Global Port Tracker, which is produced for NRF by the consulting firm Hackett Associates, covers the U.S. ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades and Miami on the East Coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast. The report is free to NRF retail members, and subscription information is available at www.nrf.com/PortTracker or by calling (202) 783-7971. Subscription information for non-members can be found at www.globalporttracker.com.

NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy. NRF.com

Hackett Associates provides expert consulting, research and advisory services to the international maritime industry, government agencies and international institutions. www.hackettassociates.com

Contact:

J. Craig Shearman
(202) 626-8134
press@nrf.com
(855) NRF-Press

Source: NRF

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Garmin’s portfolio of integrated flight deck upgrades now includes G5000 modernization program for Citation Excel and Citation XLS

Garmin's portfolio of integrated flight deck upgrades now includes G5000 modernization program for Citation Excel and Citation XLS
Garmin’s portfolio of integrated flight deck upgrades now includes G5000 modernization program for Citation Excel and Citation XLS

 

OLATHE, Kan, 2016-Oct-31 — /EPR Retail News/ — Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), today (October 25, 2016) announced it will expand its portfolio of integrated flight deck upgrades to now include a G5000 modernization program for the popular Citation Excel and Citation XLS. The Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) is targeted for approval in late 2018 and will be available from select Garmin dealers, as well as Textron Aviation Service Centers.

“For over five years and across multiple airframes, the G5000 has received the enthusiastic praise from aircraft operators as it offers an unprecedented level of situational awareness, yields a significantly lower cost of operation and delivers an exceptional in-flight experience,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin vice president of aviation sales and marketing. “With this, we’re excited to grow our integrated flight deck upgrade programs to include the ever-popular Citation Excel and XLS, providing these customers with an attractive path to achieve global airspace modernization initiatives with a state-of-the-art avionics suite.”

The G5000 integrated flight deck modernization program for the Citation Excel and Citation XLS will feature three high-resolution 14-inch flight displays situated alongside dual touchscreen controllers. Intuitive menu structures contribute to the ease of operation and straightforward user interface. The G5000 offers optimal situational awareness, which features landscape oriented flight displays with multi-pane capability, allowing pilots to simultaneously view maps, charts, checklists, TAWS, TCAS, flight plan information, weather and more. Geographical map overlay within the HSI is also available on the PFD. Charts can be viewed across all three displays and are geo-referenced, including Garmin FliteCharts™ terminal approach procedures or optional Garmin ChartView powered by Jeppesen, as well as Garmin SafeTaxi® airport diagrams. The G5000 flight deck for the Citation Excel/XLS is estimated to provide a weight savings of 200 pounds or more compared to the current system, allowing additional baggage, passenger and/or fuel load flexibility.

The G5000 installation on the Citation Excel/XLS will include a fully digital Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS), offering optimized performance throughout the aircraft’s flight envelope. The G5000 system supports a wide range of capabilities including coupled wide area augmentation system (WAAS/SBAS) approaches, vertical navigation and flight level change (FLC) modes. New to the Citation Excel and available as a standard feature on both the Citation Excel/XLS, emergency descent mode is automatically enabled by the autopilot in the event of a loss in aircraft pressurization. Safety enhancing autopilot underspeed protection (USP) is an optional feature and allows the autopilot to assist with airspeed management. Fully coupled go-arounds are also enabled by this technology, greatly reducing pilot workload and bringing sophisticated flight monitoring and performance capability to these aircraft.

The G5000 upgrade offers lower cost of operation, exceeds modern airspace initiatives and solves parts obsolescence among the Citation Excel/XLS with zero-time avionics. With the G5000 upgrade, these aircraft will receive a fully integrated, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) rule-compliant Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out solution.

Owners and operators have access to more airports throughout the world when incorporating the G5000 integrated flight deck into their Citation Excel/XLS aircraft, which features PBN/RNP 0.3 with LPV/APV approach capability. Pilots are provided an elevated level of situational awareness with optional synthetic vision technology (SVT™), which presents a 3D virtual depiction of terrain, obstacles, traffic and the runway environment so the image on the display replicates what the pilot would see outside the cockpit on a clear day. SVT works seamlessly with Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) alert coloring and voice alerts to warn pilots of potential ground hazards by displaying obstacles and terrain that may pose a threat to the aircraft. The G5000 offers TAWS-A alerting as standard, providing alerts such as excessive closure rate and large glideslope deviations. This upgrade will also support Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) operations.

An option for this upgrade, Connext® wireless cockpit connectivity can enable wireless flight plan transfer and more between the Garmin Pilot™ app on a mobile device and the G5000 integrated flight deck. Owners and operators can more easily manage flight plans with Flight Stream, while also receiving additional benefits such as the sharing of traffic, weather, GPS and more across multiple mobile devices in the cockpit.

The G5000 flight deck modernization program will also support additional options, including:

  • Advanced weather radar capabilities, including turbulence detection and ground clutter suppression
  • Wind shear alerting
  • SiriusXM Aviation weather for the U.S. and Canada, providing comprehensive weather data such as NEXRAD radar imagery, METARs, TAFs, lightning, winds aloft, echo tops and more
  • Access to global weather products and text/voice communication through the Iridium satellite network
  • Active and passive traffic surveillance using TCAS II/ACAS II technology, featuring Garmin patented CLEAR CAS™ (Correlated Location Enhanced ADS-B Receiver Collision Avoidance System), which uses a blended surveillance method of active interrogation and passive reception of ADS-B data
  • SurfaceWatch™, which supports visual and aural cues to help prevent pilots from taking off and landing on a taxiway, on a runway that is too short or on the wrong runway based on performance data entered during preflight
  • FAA Data Comm operational support, including Link 2000+ and CPDLC

The G5000 integrated flight deck is a modernized avionics suite that is equipped to meet and exceed industry requirements, while also offering a lower cost of operation and a three-year warranty. For additional information regarding the G5000 modernization program for the Citation Excel/XLS, contact Dave Brown at 913-440-1714. Visit the Garmin exhibit (1900) at the National Business Aviation Association Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Orlando, Florida, November 1-3, 2016 for additional information.

Garmin’s aviation business segment is a leading provider of solutions to OEM, aftermarket, military and government customers. Garmin’s portfolio includes navigation, communication, flight control, hazard avoidance, an expansive suite of ADS-B solutions and other products and services that are known for innovation, reliability, and value. For more information about Garmin’s full line of avionics, go to www.garmin.com/aviation.

For decades, Garmin has pioneered new GPS navigation and wireless devices and applications that are designed for people who live an active lifestyle. Garmin serves five primary business units, including automotive, aviation, fitness, marine, and outdoor recreation. For more information, visit Garmin’s virtual pressroom at garmin.com/newsroom, contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200, or follow us at facebook.com/garmin, twitter.com/garmin, or youtube.com/garmin.

About Garmin

Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN). Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Garmin, Connext and SafeTaxi are registered trademarks and G5000, SVT, FliteCharts Garmin Pilot and CLEAR CAS are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.

All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

Notice on Forward-Looking Statements:

This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd. and its business. Such statements are based on management’s current expectations. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Garmin, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 26, 2015, filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 0-31983). A copy of such Form 10-K is available at www.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/finReports.html. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Contact:

Jessica Koss
913-397-8200
media.relations@garmin.com

Source: Garmin International Inc.

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GoCargo: X5 Retail Group launches new service for booking cargo transportation services online

Moscow, 2016-Oct-19 — /EPR Retail News/ — X5 Retail Group N.V. (“X5” or “the Company”), a leading Russian food retailer (LSE ticker: “FIVE”), announces the launch of GoCargo, the Company’s proprietary solution for booking cargo transportation services online. The new service enables senders to place shipping orders, and distributes them among registered private carriers based on the cargo’s location and the delivery address. In 2017, GoCargo will be rolled out to all of X5’s networks and used for 100% of their third party shipping orders. In the future, it will be also made available to other cargo shippers for their transportation needs.

The IT framework for GoCargo is based on an algorithm that matches cargo and transport by volume, weight, temperature conditions, shipping dates, as well as loading and parking points. It can process up to 10,000 orders daily. The system is integrated into X5 Retail Group’s ERP infrastructure, which expedites the process of searching for and booking transport, and rules out possible human errors and streamlines the document workflow.

GoCargo stores information on the cost and status of shipping orders, along with delivery notes, warrants for transportation, and customers’ documents. The parties exchange legal documents directly through the service using the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) technology.

The system can be accessed through a website or through the GoCargo app for Android.

For the remainder of 2016, X5’s shipping orders in the Central Federal District will be serviced by around 300 vehicles operated by third party companies that are already registered in the system. The number of registered vehicles is expected to reach 2,000 during 2017. In 2017 X5 plans to place 100% of its third party shipping orders via the GoCarGo system, which accounts for approximately 30% of company’s overall cargo shipping volume. The remainder of cargo shipping will be executed by X5’s own fleet, which consists of 1,561 trucks (as of 30 September 2016).

In the future, all legal entities and sole proprietors will be able to register to both place and receive orders in the system, provided they are verified by X5’s security service.

Timur Parshikov, X5’s Director of Transport, commented: “GoCargo will enable X5 to manage transportation more efficiently by optimising third-party transportation services and cutting logistics costs.”

Carriers will be able to register and use GoCargo free of charge. As an additional service option for drivers looking for cargo transportation jobs and registered in GoCargo, X5 will rent out and sell trucks suitable for the transportation of its cargos. Other benefits for GoCargo-registered drivers will include fuel and maintenance discounts, as well as support from GoCargo experts in drafting legal documents for commercial cargo transportation.

Contact:

Maxim Novikov
Head of Investor Relations
Tel.: +7 (495) 502-9783
e-mail: Maxim.Novikov@x5.ru

Andrey Vasin
Investor Relations Officer
Tel.:+7 (495) 662-8888 ext. 21-456
e-mail: Andrey.Vasin@x5.ru

Source: X5 retail Group