Tag Archives: Retailer

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Vape starter kit sales soar by 37% over Stoptober campaign

Modern electronic mod vaping device. Vape. ecigarette

 

LONDON, 2017-Oct-31 — /EPR Retail News/ — Early signs indicate that Public Health England’s new harm reduction approach to decreasing smoking rates across the UK has not only been widely accepted, but capitalized upon. For the first time, vaping has featured prominently within the NHS Stoptober campaign, with the official website included in the Stoptober TV advertisement.

Vape Club – the UK’s largest online retailer of vaping products and e-cigarettes – has seen e-cigarette starter kit sales increase by 37% year on year following the launch of the 2017 campaign.

Director of Vape Club Dan Marchant says that the medical acceptance has provided a watershed moment for public health:

‘It’s fantastic to see the NHS finally backing vaping as a pathway to quit smoking. The industry has been backing this alternative for a long time, but with the evidence provided by Public Health England, endorsements from the likes of Cancer Research UK and the figures which are produced by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), there can be no doubt that vaping is the most effective method to give up tobacco.

The NHS advocating vaping as an alternative to tobacco is an enormous breakthrough and will do an outstanding amount of good for public health and tobacco control in the UK.’

Believed to be 95% less harmful than traditional tobacco, e-cigarettes feature within the NHS’ Stoptober campaign as a way of phasing out tobacco rather than advocating – as seen in previous campaigns – the ‘cold turkey’ approach. Through the adoption of this harm reduction strategy, the UK has seen record high rates of smoking cessation and is fast becoming a European leader in this respect.

About Vape Club

The UK’s largest online retailer of vape kits and e-liquid, Vape Club aim to provide the best possible quality vape products at the best possible prices.

Vape Club are offering a site wide 15% discount with the code STOPTOBER.  You can also be in line to win your very own starter kit as they give away 5 kits each week through social media to smokers looking to switch.

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


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

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

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

Chub Scotch Ale • Oskar Blues Oskar Blues Brewery • Colorado

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

Even More Jesus • Evil Twin Brewing • New York

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

Independence Pass Ale • Aspen Brewing Company • Aspen, Colorado

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

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

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

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

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

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New research shows speed and agility are top priorities for every retailer competing in fast fashion

New research shows speed and agility are top priorities for every retailer competing in fast fashion

 

Retailers need to get in shape to meet consumer demand for a fast fashion fix

WORLD RETAIL CONGRESS, DUBAI, 2017-Apr-06 — /EPR Retail News/ — With one in eight younger consumers (18 to 24 year olds) shopping every week and buying a fashion item at least once a fortnight, retailers are gearing themselves up to meet growing demand for fast, on-trend, fashion-led styles, according to new research from Kurt Salmon, part of Accenture Strategy. Speed and agility are the top priorities for every retailer competing in fast fashion.

“Young consumers have a ‘see now, buy now, wear now’ mentality when it comes to fashion, which has been driven by big fashion houses making the latest designs and styles available to buy straight from the catwalk. This is challenging retailers to improve their operational agility to meet rising demand for current trends,” said Dan Murphy, managing director, Kurt Salmon, part of Accenture Strategy. “This insatiable appetite for fast fashion will inevitably continue as these shoppers age. There is no reason to believe that younger consumers, who have grown up wedded to devices and social media, will expect anything less than instant gratification in years to come, and continue to possess the same sense of style and image.”

‘See now’
With many younger consumers constantly searching for style inspiration on everything from social media to the high street, retailers are under increasing pressure to turn around new lines in record time. Many have been working hard to reduce their lead times to meet this growing demand for fast fashion. One leading fashion retailer is now delivering new lines in two to three weeks; yet speed is only part of the success equation.“Retailers need to accurately analyze what is selling in real-time and be in a position where they can react quickly,” explained Murphy. “According to one major fashion retailer, there is now only a 24 to 36-hour window from browsing to buying. Retailers that actively engage with their customers, analyze shopping and social media habits, and pre-empt future trends, will be the winners in the fast fashion market.”

‘Buy now’
Speed of delivery of online orders is also highly important to consumers. Accenture research highlights that one in five of 18 to 20 year olds want same day delivery, and a further 13 percent want delivery in less than half a day. Twenty-one to 37 year olds are slightly more relaxed with almost a third happy for their orders to arrive the next day.

‘Wear now’
The study found that shoppers buy for the present, with 53 percent of all consumers surveyed wearing items within a week of purchase, and 15 percent wearing items the very same day. For younger consumers (18 to 24 year olds), the numbers increase; 60 percent wear items within a week of purchase, and one in five wear items on the same day of purchase.

While the majority of younger shoppers claim that ethical sustainability is a key factor informing their purchasing decisions, their behaviour suggests otherwise; less than half (48 percent) of 18 to 24 year olds recycle their clothes. Additionally, half (50 percent) of retailers surveyed say they are actively exploring new ways to extend the product lifecycle, using recycled materials, or facilitating clothes swapping and sharing.

Please find further information about the report here. Join the conversation at @AccentureStrat.

About the research
Kurt Salmon, part of Accenture Strategy, conducted interviews with 23 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and senior executives at leading global fashion retailers to explore the ‘see now, buy now, wear now’ trend and the readiness of retailers to deliver. A survey of 2,000 UK consumers aged between 18 to 55+ was also conducted to understand current appetite for fast fashion.

About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions – underpinned by the world’s largest delivery network – Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With approximately 401,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.

Accenture Strategy operates at the intersection of business and technology. We bring together our capabilities in business, technology, operations and function strategy to help our clients envision and execute industry-specific strategies that support enterprise wide transformation. Our focus on issues related to digital disruption, competitiveness, global operating models, talent and leadership help drive both efficiencies and growth. For more information, follow @AccentureStrat or visit www.accenture.com/strategy.

Contacts:

Lucy Davies
Accenture
+ 44 777 3044 808
lucy.d.davies@accenture.com

Source: Accenture

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Health and Beauty brand owner and retailer The Hut Group acquired Hale Country Club & Spa in Cheshire

Northwich, United Kingdom, 2016-Jul-13 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Hut Group, Europe’s fastest growing online Health and Beauty brand owner and retailer, has acquired Hale Country Club & Spa in Cheshire. Operating across 50,000 sq. ft., Hale Country Club provides its 5,000+ members with best-in-class fitness, leisure, spa and beauty facilities.

The acquisition of Hale Country Club is a continuation of The Hut Group’s commitment to substantial investment in infrastructure to support the growth and durability of its core online Health and Beauty businesses. Similar recent investments by the Group include: the £120 million design, build and acquisition of a one million sq. ft. distribution centre; and £10 million invested during 2015 into the Group’s sports nutrition and weight management production centre.

The Hut Group will continue to expand Hale Country Club’s industry-leading health and beauty facilities for the benefit of the membership and the Group’s key brands, Myprotein and Lookfantastic.

Myprotein is the world’s largest online sports nutrition brand and, in re-branding the gym facility to Myprotein, Hale Country Club will become the focal point for the brand’s 200+ ambassadors. With a social media following of over two million, Myprotein’s ambassadors are elite athletes drawn from over 30 different sports and 30 different countries. Recent members to join #TEAMMYP include: Danny Willett, Masters Golf Champion 2016; Max Whitlock, the gymnastics World, European, Commonwealth and British champion and Olympic medallist; and Michael Bisping, the UFC Middleweight Champion of the World.

Retailing over 800 prestige brands, The Hut Group is the world’s second largest online beauty retailer. Members of Hale Country Club will now have access to this broader prestige brand offering as more brands are retailed within its spa, wellness pool, thermal suite and treatment facilities. Hale Country Club will be a focal point for the 90+ Look fantastic beauty ambassadors who, with a social media reach of 15 million, support The Hut Group’s commitment to prestige brands, product innovation and unrivalled infrastructure.

The Hut Group recently announced record results for 2015 with sales +35% to £334m (2014: £248m), EBITDA up +33% to £30m and £42.2m of cash generated from operating activities (2014: £38.2m). The Hut Group had a 2015 year-end cash position of £141.5m (2014: £54.6m), providing it with significant resources for further strategic initiatives.

Group Chief Executive Officer and founder, Matthew Moulding, commented: “As we continue to build enduring and scalable brands we are committed to investing in the infrastructure which supports our core online Health and Beauty businesses. This acquisition is a continuation of our investment strategy, with Hale Country Club & Spa’s unrivalled facilities providing a step-change in Myprotein and Lookfantastic.”

Media Enquiries:
media-enquiries@thehutgroup.com

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Health and Beauty brand owner and retailer The Hut Group acquired Hale Country Club & Spa in Cheshire
Health and Beauty brand owner and retailer The Hut Group acquired Hale Country Club & Spa in Cheshire

 

Source:  The Hut Group

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Retailer Argos to become the headline partner of this year’s National Fitness Day across the UK

Milton Keynes, UK, 2016-Jul-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — This year’s National Fitness Day, the biggest annual celebration of fitness and physical activity across the UK, will see leading retailer Argos become the headline partner.

The event which takes place for the third time on Wednesday 7th September, co-inciding with the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, is run by ukactive – the leading not for profit health body with the aim of championing the fun and enjoyment that physical activity can bring to all the family.

In 2015, 12,000 people took part in over 2,000 events organised across the country. The new partnership with Argos provides a platform to reach new audiences with ranges of products that include sports, fitness, outdoor toys, healthy grills and juicers – all aiming to help their customers lead healthier lives, and will involve its 30,000 colleagues across 800+ stores

ukactive works alongside its 3,500 members drawn from the public, private, and third sector to achieve its shared ambition of a more active nation. Increasingly, well known consumer brands – such as Argos – have been using physical activity and fitness to engage with both their consumers and their workforce.

This year’s event coincides with the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games which will be attended by cross-party peer and ukactive Chair, Baroness Tanni-Grey Thompson.

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, ukactive Chair said:

“Partnering with a nationally recognised brand such as Argos is a fantastic opportunity to promote the physical activity agenda and provide a platform to take up exercise for an unprecedented number of people across the UK.

National Fitness Day is a powerful tool to raise the profile of physical activity and the role it plays in increasing the health of our nation. By engaging people across the country we can help provide a pathway into continued involvement in physical activity.”

Argos’s involvement comes at a time when they are focussing on promoting the fun of fitness for all the family as part of their wider Healthy Living campaign.

Stephen Vowles, Marketing Director, Argos said:

“Argos is committed to helping customers achieve their well-being goals, and we are encouraged by their increasing desire to be more active, eat and feel healthier, as the demand for products like Fitbit has taken off. Through our sponsorship of National Fitness Day we want to encourage people to realise the benefits of doing a little bit more every day – walking in the park, cycling, taking an exercise class – and we will be encouraging our 30,000 colleagues across 800 plus stores to do the same.”

National Fitness Day will continue to promote and allow people to engage in physical activity on the day through free gym passes, exercise classes, outdoor events, taster sessions and a host of physical activities from health and fitness operators around the country.

Tracey Crouch, Minister for Sport, said:

“With lots of taster sessions and free events, National Fitness Day is a fantastic opportunity to encourage greater participation in physical activity, in line with our sports strategy.

“It’s great that ukactive is partnering with the private sector and that Argos will be helping to spread the message across the country to both consumers and their own workforce.

“Sport and physical activity can have a really positive impact on people’s lives, improving both physical and mental health – I hope as many people as possible get involved on the day.”

Further details around National Fitness Day and information on how to sign-up to deliver events can be found here: www.nationalfitnessday.com

Notes to editors

For more information about ukactive or to arrange an interview, please contact Stan Jackson (ukactive) on 077 477 18279 or email to: stanjackson@ukactive.org.uk or Jon Dale (Argos) on 07889 746297 or jon.dale@argos.co.uk

About ukactive

ukactive is the UK’s leading not-for-profit body for physical activity, working with over 4,000 members and stakeholders across the UK. We champion the fun, enjoyment and benefits of being active. As an organisation, ukactive facilitates big impact partnerships across the public and private sector, supporting partners in delivering their goals around physical activity. We grow and stimulate the value of physical activity to society as a whole – alongside specific sub-sectors where we have developed significant stakeholder relationships inc. social, political, economic, health, consumer, and financial.

ukactive also provides leading research and evaluation, insight and thought leadership, strategic project and stakeholder management, campaigning and promoting best practice for its partners.

About Argos

Argos is a leading UK digital retailer, offering around 60,000 products through www.argos.co.uk, its growing mobile channels, stores and over the telephone.

Argos continues to be the UK’s largest high street retailer online with around 120m customer transactions a year through its stores and over 975 million website and app visits in the 12 months to February 2016.  Customers can take advantage of Argos’ convenient Check & Reserve service available through its network of 842 stores and concessions across the UK and Republic of Ireland.

In the financial year to February 2016, Argos sales were £4.1 billion and it employed c.30,000 people across the business.

Argos is part of Home Retail Group, the UK’s leading home and general merchandise retailer.

About National Fitness Day

National Fitness Day, 7th September 2016, will once again be the biggest and most visible annual celebration of physical activity of the year. It is the day to celebrate the role that physical activity plays across the UK, facilitated by ukactive and previously, the énergie Group, who are the largest and fastest growing fitness franchise company in the UK, and who founded National Fitness Day back in 2011.  Realising that this is an event that would benefit with participation from the whole sector, énergie graciously ‘gifted’ National Fitness Day to UK Active in 2014.  We would like to publicly thank énergie for this and are proud to now be growing the event year on year.

Just as last year, our aim to establish National Fitness Day as the most active day of the year hasn’t changed. We welcome thousands of clubs, parks, leisure centres, gyms and uk active members who will be opening their doors to welcome you for a free half hour session in your area.

We know the benefit regular exercise delivers including a healthier heart, increased wellbeing and a better quality of life. However, many of us find getting fit troubling, it becomes a challenge and it shouldn’t be – that is why we started National Fitness Day.

Research shows if you exercise in company (with friends) you are more likely to stick at it; the social atmosphere creates a positive environment which importantly helps us to have fun.

Contact:

Argos:
t: 0845 120 4365
e: media.relations@argos.co.uk

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Retailer Argos to become the headline partner of this year's National Fitness Day across the UK
Retailer Argos to become the headline partner of this year’s National Fitness Day across the UK

Source: Argos

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PetSmart becomes exclusive retailer to carry pet products featuring The Secret Life of Pets characters

  • PetSmart Receives Exclusive on Licensed Pet Collection
  • Marketing Partnership Involves “Store Takeover” and Innovative Multichannel Shopping Experience

PHOENIX and UNIVERSAL CITY, CA., 2016-Feb-17 — /EPR Retail News/ — PetSmart and NBCUniversal Brand Development Group today announced a strategic partnership with Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures’ The Secret Life of Pets. Under the agreement, PetSmart has become the exclusive retailer to carry a collection of pet products featuring the characters from the film.

Under the terms of the deal, an innovative multichannel shopping experience and compelling marketing partnership will be created that will entertain PetSmart’s pet parent customer base, engage new consumers and drive excitement for the film’s audience. The PetSmart campaign will launch timed to the release of The Secret Life of Pets, which arrives in theaters nationwide on July 8, 2016.

“What we instantly responded to is the fact that The Secret Life of Pets shows us the immensely entertaining lives that our pets lead when we’re not around,” said Eran Cohen, Chief Customer Experience Officer, PetSmart. “It’s an all-audience comedy that will be popular among our pet parents and their families – kids and adults alike. We’re excited to team with NBCUniversal Brand Development on the launch of this perfectly aligned pet-oriented movie.”

The Secret Life of Pets will have “store takeover” presence across PetSmart’s more than 1,400 stores throughout North America, petsmart.com and other digital platforms. The Secret Life of Pets campaign will include advertising that features custom-to-PetSmart animation and assets across television, print and digital, as well as social engagement programs.

“Our exclusive partnership with PetSmart is a critical component of our strategy to engage more directly with consumers whose pets are an enormous part of their families,” said Jamie Stevens, Executive Vice President, Global Retail Development, NBCUniversal Brand Development Group. “We are excited to collaborate with PetSmart to expand our reach and bring The Secret Life of Pets to life.”

The exclusive PetSmart product collection includes pet apparel such as the iconic Gidget ruffle-skirted dress and hoodies; slogan tees like “Every Dog Has His Day,” featuring Max and Duke; plush and rope squeaker toys featuring Norman and Snowball; and cat and dog beds featuring Gidget and Duke. Also featured is a curated collection of the Characters’ “Top PetSmart Picks” – a list of PetSmart favorites as picked by the main characters in the movie. Big Heart Pets, the company behind Milk-Bone® dog biscuits, will also offer an exclusive-to-PetSmart line of movie-themed pet treats.

About The Secret Life of Pets
For their fifth fully-animated feature-film collaboration, Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures present The Secret Life of Pets, a comedy about the lives our pets lead after we leave for work or school each day.

Comedy superstars Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet and Kevin Hart make their animated feature-film debuts in The Secret Life of Pets, which co-stars Steve Coogan, Ellie Kemper, Bobby Moynihan, Lake Bell, Dana Carvey, Hannibal Buress, Jenny Slate and Albert Brooks. Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and his longtime collaborator Janet Healy produce the film directed by Chris Renaud (Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2), co-directed by Yarrow Cheney and written by Brian Lynch and Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio.

About NBCUniversal Brand Development
The NBCUniversal Brand Development Group drives expansion of the company’s intellectual property across the corporation. With a focus on kids and family, the business unit has oversight of a dedicated Universal Kids & Family TV Productions business, Digital Products & Gaming, NBCUniversal Consumer Products, and Franchise Management. A key component to this division includes evolving titles into robust, multi-year sustainable brands with multiple consumer touchpoints, including Television, Digital, Video Games, Consumer Products and Live-Events, among others.

NBCUniversal Brand Development Group is part of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

About Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is part of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

About Illumination Entertainment
lllumination Entertainment, founded by Chris Meledandri in 2007, is one of the entertainment industry’s leading producers of event animated films. Illumination, which has an exclusive financing and distribution partnership with Universal Pictures, is the creator of the hugely successful DESPICABLE ME franchise, which includes MINIONS, the second-highest-grossing animated film of all time as well as DESPICABLE ME 2, an Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Feature of 2013. In all, Illumination’s films, which also include 2011’s HOP and 2012’s Dr. Seuss’ THE LORAX, have grossed more than $3 billion in worldwide box-office revenues and feature some of the world’s most renowned talent. Upcoming films include the highly anticipated July 2016 release of THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS, starring Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, and Kevin Hart in their animated feature debuts; SING, which arrives in theaters in December 2016, starring Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton and Tori Kelly; DESPICABLE ME 3, set for June 2017; and a newly-imagined version of Dr. Seuss’ THE GRINCH, set for November 2017. In addition, Minion Rush (800 million downloads) has become one of the world’s most popular apps, and Minion Mayhem attracts huge crowds at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood.

About PetSmart®
PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they can live more fulfilled lives. This mission impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates, and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 53,000 associates, operate approximately 1,444 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico and approximately 202 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and pet products and offers dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart Doggie Day Camp day care services and pet adoption services in-store. Our portfolio of digital resources for pet parents – including PetSmart.com, PetFoodDirect.com, Pet360.com, OnlyNaturalPet.com and petMD.com – offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S. Through our in-store pet adoption partnership with independent nonprofit organizations, PetSmart Charities™ and PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, PetSmart helps to save the lives of nearly 500,000 homeless pets each year. In addition, PetSmart supports organizations that make communities a better place to call home through our philanthropy program, PetSmart Gives Back™. By giving back to the communities where we live and work, PetSmart not only celebrates the power of pets to enrich people’s lives—we live it.

Follow PetSmart on Twitter: @PetSmart
Find PetSmart on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PetSmart
See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart  

Contacts:

Danielle Bickelmann
Golin for PetSmart
972-341-2503
dbickelmann@golin.com		  

PetSmart Media Line
623-587-2177

Sarah Rothman
Illumination Entertainment
646-254-6030
Sarah.Rothman@42West.Net

Evan Langweiler
Universal Pictures
818-777-9709
evan.langweiler@nbcuni.com

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Menkind Customer Gets Dream Start To The Year

Menkind, the UK’s leading retailer for men’s gifts and accessories, has given one of its customers a dream start to 2010 by sending him £1,500 worth of gadgets and goodies absolutely free.

The Surrey-based company, which sells a massive range of gifts for men and boys toys, from lava lamps to remote control helicopters, has announced Robert Gallimore as the winner of its Christmas prize draw competition.

Mr Gallimore, of Stafford, simply entered the draw at www.menkind.co.uk and is now the proud owner of 20 of the company’s best-selling Christmas gifts worth just under£1,500. Included in the monster haul is a Steepletone CD, radio and iPod jukebox valued at £500, a Rovio mobile webcam worth £200 and a host of other top products including the official Top Gear board game, a mini-football table, lava lamp, luxury bath robe and much more.

Paul Kraftman, managing director of Menkind, said: “Understandably we had a massive response to this competition from our customers, who all wanted to get their hands on the fabulous prizes on offer.

“However, there could only be one outright winner and we’ve spoke to Robert to let him know the good news. He’s over the moon to have won the competition.

“We wanted to make sure the prizes included in our Christmas draw were really something customers would get excited about and so all of our top 20 Christmas gifts were included. With all of the toys and gadgets that are now heading Robert’s way, he’s sure to be kept entertained for quite some time.”

Robert isn’t the only one with a reason to smile though. Another 50 runners-up have also been picked out of the hat and each one will receive a £20 voucher to spend on the gift of their choice at Menkind’s online store.

Via EPR Network
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Gemondo Introduces The Gorgeous Zandra Rhodes Jewellery Collection

Gemondo, one of the UK largest online jewellers has introduced the gorgeous Zandra Rhodes Jewelleryinto their designer jewellery collections. Gemondo.com is an online jewellery retailer specialised in designer jewellery. It’s the only online outlet for discontinued Zandra Rhodes jewellery, and stocks the largest collection of Zandra Rhode’s jewellery in the world, many of which are offering at sales prices.

Zandra Rhodes is a famously colourful British fashion designer. She was introduced to the fashion world by her mother, who was a teacher at Medway College of Art. Zandra Rhodes graduated from the Royal College of Art in London in 1964. Her major area of study was printed textile design. Zandra Rhodes is renowned for her unconventional clothes and pink hair. Her designs are considered clear, creative statements, dramatic but graceful, bold but feminine.

Zandra Rhodes was considered as one of the new wave of British designers who put London at the forefront of the international fashion scene in the 1970s. She designed costumes for Princess Diana and Freddie Mercury of Queen, and continues to design for royalty and celebrities. In May 7 2009, Zandra Rhodes teamed up with Marks & Spencer and launched a capsule collection, using her creative and iconic designs as inspiration, featuring a range of women’s wear, accessories, holiday pieces and lingerie. It turned out to be a huge success.

Zandra also has her very own collection of jewellery. Her inspiration has always come from organic material and nature, and the Zandra Rhodes Jewellery collection continues this theme. Turning silk into yellow and white gold or silver with a combination of precious and semi-precious stones, such as Sapphire, Swarovski Crystal, and Pink Tourmaline, etc. Zandra has created five different styles of beautiful and stylish necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets, and brooches. The Zandra Rhodes jewellery includes five separate collections, which are Oriental Whisper collection, Punk Chic Collection, Lovely Lilies collection, Signature collection and Manhattan Lady Collection.

The inspiration for the Oriental Whisper Collection was the eternal ‘wiggle’ line that is featured in nearly every one of Zandra’s fabulous textile designs, and has become the staple of Zandra’s work in this field; The inspiration for Punk Chic collection came from her days as the ‘Queen of Punk’ where her haute couture collections included torn fabrics, pinned together with safety pins. Zandra’s safety pin designs came a long time before Versace and Vivien Westwood.

Via EPR Network
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Petrol Price Hike Presents High Street Christmas Shoppers with £78 Million Bill – Before They Have Even Hit the Shops

Soaring fuel prices are forcing more consumers to shop on their computers rather than on the high street this Christmas, according to independent price comparison and switching service, uSwitch.com. A 15% rise in petrol prices since last November has pushed the bill for driving to the shops and parking the car up to a staggering £78 million – and that’s before any presents have been bought. As a result, despite the postal strikes that were widely predicted to drive consumers back onto the high street, research amongst uSwitch.com’s consumer panel reveals that over 7 out of 10 (72%) people are doing their Christmas shopping online this year.

The price of petrol, which has climbed from 95p to 109p per litre over the last 12 months has done nothing to help consumers struggling through a tough year. While pressure remains on oil companies to lower prices, the situation is not set to improve imminently. The AA has warned that end of the VAT cut will add an estimated 2.4p per litre to pump prices from January. As a result, shoppers heading onto the high street this Christmas could face fuel bills of up to £8million.

However, it is the cost of car parking that is really set to send shoppers in a spin this Christmas. With the average trip costing £9 in parking fees, consumers will be spending a staggering £70 million parking their cars to go Christmas shopping this year – nearly 10 times the cost of the fuel they use for their round trip. Of the UK’s top ten largest cities it comes as no surprise that Londoners are stung the most, paying an average of £18 for up to four hours parking, while shoppers in Bradford are charged a fifth of the price – a meagre £3.50.

In total, uSwitch.com estimates that Christmas shoppers are set to spend £78 million driving to the shops this Christmas– a bill that could be cut by staying at home and buying gifts on the internet. According to research amongst uSwitch.com’s consumer opinion panel, the recession has given rise to a new generation of online shoppers. And, contrary to speculation that postal strikes and high street discounts are preventing people from logging on, 1 in 5 (19%) consumers say they have increased the amount of web-based purchases made since the downturn began. A further quarter (26%) are planning to increase the amount of purchases they make via the web this Christmas and 6 out of 10 (59%) believe there are better bargains to be had online than on the high street.

According to the research, internet shopping has varied appeal. 75% appreciate the ease and convenience of surf-shopping compared with trudging the high street, whilst 44% cite the ability to purchase specialist items that aren’t available anywhere else as the web’s main plus point. In addition, nearly three quarters of consumers (72%) state that they find it easier to stick to a budget when shopping online – as they are more aware of the mounting totals and are less likely to succumb to the temptation of browsing. Books are the most popular items purchased on the web – hardly surprising considering the top ten bestselling paperbacks are currently offered online with a 55% discount on the recommended retail price.

Online retailers have seen a 14% growth in year on year sales with UK consumers spending an estimated £31 billion online between January and August. Amazon ranked as the number one online retailer last Christmas, and with new initiatives such as free delivery on almost all orders, looks set to hit the 36% sales growth forecast for Q4 this year.

London and Northern Ireland lead the way when it comes to online bargain hunting, spending an average of 1.48 hours shopping online every week. This is closely followed by Wales (1.46 hours), the South West (1.43), and Scotland (1.41 hours). Web users in the North East are the least frequent online shoppers, spending just 1.23 hours a week browsing for bargains.

Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch.com, says: “Consumers are fighting an ongoing battle to make their money go further. This year they have had no choice but to take a hard look at their spending and adapt their lifestyles to cope.

“Christmas shoppers heading onto the high streets are being stung not once but twice, with high prices at the pump and astronomical car park fees. It’s no wonder that many are ditching the high street and choosing to shop from the comfort of their own home. Nearly 17 million homes now have broadband – a massive jump from 7 million just three years ago – and it’s getting cheaper and faster to use. With broadband as cheap as £5.99 a month it’s easy to see why we as consumers have wholeheartedly embraced online shopping.”

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MAC Cosmetics Has Announced The Launch Of A Newly Designed Website That Fuses Art And E-Commerce

MAC Cosmetics has announced the launch of a newly designed website that fuses art and e-commerce.

MAC Cosmetics Has Announced The Launch Of A Newly Designed Website That Fuses Art And E-Commerce

The website redesign includes a number of new ground-breaking technological features as well as launching a collection of Christmas 2009 gift sets, MAC Palettes and makeup shades for the festive season.

“Websites act as their own entity and they tell you when they want to be redesigned,” said James Gager, Senior Vice President/Creative Director, M·A·C Worldwide. “We looked at the M·A·C website in its entirety and wanted to redesign it in a way that was interactive and playful yet still very M·A·C. We incorporated new technologies that engage our customers in a way that they haven’t been before, by playing with vibrant colour, incorporating videos, and adding edgy new collection and product visuals that will make a serious impact.”

One of the key new features reinforces MAC’s authority in colour with the new Colour Play feature, which is unique to the website. It is an innovative immersion into colour that allows consumers to view, compare and shop for colour and texture across all product groups, from MAC eyeliner to lipstick and glitter.

A second innovation to the site lets the consumer learn how to professionally apply their favourite MAC blush or eye shadow with MAC’s new brush finder; an interactive tool that allows consumers to educate themselves on the various brush types in order to choose one that will best suit their specific needs.

Continuing with the theme of educating the customer, MAC has launched a series of ‘How to’ videos in which MAC’s Senior Makeup Artists offer their expertise via step-by-step tutorials that provide makeup tips, techniques and detailed product benefits; from learning how to apply MAC eyelashes to creating the perfect red lip.

The Christmas colour collection boasts an array of pretty pastels for the lips and smokey purple tones to adorn the eyes. MAC assortment of perfect holiday delights are also back, showcasing perfectly presented Christmas sets such a Naughty Noir Eye Bag – containing MAC mascara, pigment and eye liner.

About MAC Cosmetics
Makeup Art Cosmetics, better known as MAC Cosmetics, was founded in 1984 in Toronto. MAC Cosmetics’ first US store was opened in 1991 in Greenwich Village. Ten years after its initial opening, MAC Cosmetics was acquired by Estee Lauder Companies.

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Animal Crowns UK Pro Surf Tour Champions

The Animal team cleaned up the top spots of the UK Pro Surf tour at the final decider event in Newquay at the weekend. Alan Stokes claimed the overall men’s open tour title and Gwen Spurlock became overall women’s open tour champion too. This is a great finish for Gwen who has taken home the Welsh Junior and British Junior titles already this year.

Animal Crowns UK Pro Surf Tour Champions

The Animal Newquay open was the final stop of the gruelling six round tour that took the cream of UK surfers round the UK best breaks. After the stormy conditions provided by Mother Nature on day one, meaning the event was moved to Towan beach, the competition returned to Fistral. Day two saw a challenging chunky 6ft swell and a strong cross-shore SSW wind testing competitors. Each heat of the day was watched closely by the onlookers to find out who would win overall.

The weekend started with Stokesy holding a slender lead but with six surfers all in with a chance of taking the men’s Pro open tour title. As the heats progressed the contenders were eliminated leaving Newquay surfers Tom Butler and Alan Stokes as the last challengers remaining in the semi finals. Stokesy won his semi but Tom was unable to find the best waves and 3rd place kept him out of the final and handed the victory to Stokes.

Stokesy commented, “It means so much to take this title, it’s the hardest UK title to win as the championship is contested over 5 events. These new chargers like Tom Butler and Reubyn Ash pushed me all the way and made it an anxious but fantastic final event.”

In the Women’s event strong performances were put on by Zoe Sheath and Gabi Rowe. This wasn’t enough to take the overall title from Gwen Spurlock who won the overall UK Pro Surf Tour Women’s event thirty points ahead of the pack. Gwen’s story is one of a true champion, after winning the junior tour in 2007 a serious head injury kept her from the water in 2008. Now sporting a helmet Gwen has not only returned, but won the tour title.

On finding out she’d won the tour Gwen said, “Boom. I’m amazing.” She was pretty stoked that she had won the title.

About Animal
Since their conception, Animal clothing, Animal watches and Animal bags have successfully evolved into household names. The introduction of the Animal estore in 2009 means Animal can now offer Animal products UK wide and in a space unconstrained by shop floor size.

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Designer Jeweler, AstleyClarke.com Wins Best Luxury Brand Online 2009

We are delighted to inform you that AstleyClarke.com has won the Walpole Award for “Best Luxury Brand Online 2009“

The annual Walpole awards for Excellence took place last night (16th November 2009), at Banqueting House, London and honored those individuals and companies who have, in the views of the judges, members and industry, achieved the pinnacle of excellence across seven categories including luxury, design, online, international, overseas and emerging talent.

Designer Jeweler, AstleyClarke.com Wins Best Luxury Brand Online 2009

This year, the award for Best Luxury Brand Online was judged by leading industry experts Nathalie Massenet of Net-a-Porter, Brent Hoberman of MyDeco.com, Guy Salter of Walpole, Erik Wachtmeister of A Small World, Martin Bartle of 270 Degrees and Peter Fitzgerald of Google. Judges unanimously agreed that AstleyClarke.com has shown innovation through the use of online technology and marketing, achieving outstanding sales results and a luxury presence online in 2009. The other Nominees were: Anya Hindmarch, Cartier, Hackett, Mulberry and Louis Vuitton.

AstleyClarke.com is now the recognized home of the World’s best collection of designer jewellery and is the ultimate destination for all online jewellery gift shopping.

The award is a fitting accolade; in October AstleyClarke.com re-launched its Designer jewellery website as part of the strategic development of the Astley Clarke brand. It sits within the company’s mission to make Fine Designer Jewellery a more creative and imaginative category for a new generation of luxury consumer. This consumer embraces the attributes of ecommerce and is a high spender in the luxury arena. To compliment the launch of the new website, AstleyClarke.com also opened its newly refurbished showroom in West London.

“I am delighted AstleyClarke.com has won the Walpole Award for Best Luxury Brand Online. Astley Clarke has embraced a gap in the market for online luxury and is a pioneer in changing the way that luxury consumers shop for jewellery online – With exquisite designer jewellery, combined with a return to old-fashioned customer service of the highest standard, AstleyClarke.com has carved a unique niche for itself; moving away from a mass approach to luxury”. Bec Clarke – Founder and Managing Director

AstleyClarke.com
The new AstleyClarke.com website features outstanding jewellery photography; sophisticated gemstone search functions; zoom features and product showcases giving customers an improved view of the products, exquisite front end design, excellent faceted navigation, improved jewellery wish-list and gift reminding features. The site also houses inspirational jewellery content by the AstleyClarke.com design team, International Jewellery designers and leading fashion and jewellery editors. To educate international jewellery shoppers, Astley’s Jewellery Miscellany, written by the in-house gemmologists, covers in-depth information on gemstones, precious metals, design and craftsmanship.

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Artificial Christmas Trees Light Up The Ellen DeGeneres Show With A Denali White Christmas

Balsam Hill® Artificial Christmas trees has set a new standard of quality for the Artificial Christmas Tree industry. From the complete realism of the Vermont White Spruce Tree to the striking Artificial Christmas Trees White Denali, Balsam Hill® has overwhelmed its customers with quality and options. Ellen DeGeneres’ delight was evident on an episode that featured Artificial Christmas trees by the company. As she enjoyed the splendor of the trees, her enthusiasm and passion for beautiful touches of holiday magic was apparent. The Balsam Hill® Artificial Christmas Trees Decorations adorned the studio stage in such a way that it was transformed into a magical winter wonderland of Christmas that anyone would appreciate.

California, November, 2009 – Balsam Hill® Artificial Christmas trees are the number one trees when it comes to realism and beauty. The company has established a mission that guides them in working toward the goal of creating Artificial Christmas trees that are realistic and luxurious, while also being convenient and beautiful. The company has set new standards in all areas with each of its categories of trees. The Vermont White Spruce Tree, California Baby Redwood™, and Colorado Mountain Spruce trees are known for their realistic qualities and the Artificial Christmas Trees White Denali has been described by the “Home Journal” as ‘striking’. Even Ellen DeGeneres seemed to be taken aback as she looked intently at the adornments on her stage.

In recent years there has been a move toward using Artificial Christmas trees. This has resulted in a booming new business of opportunities for many, which means many companies are being put up overnight and producing less than quality products. But the cream always rises to the top, and that has been the case with Balsam Hill®. This company’s technology is at least two steps ahead of the others, which is why there is such a difference in the trees made by Balsam Hill® and Artificial Christmas trees made by other companies.

As the “Home Journal” describes Balsam Hill’s® Artificial Christmas Trees White Denali as being striking, the article goes on to suggest that one simply decorates it with blue paper starbursts and blue and silver ball ornaments. While this may not be the true traditional type of decorating theme that one is used to, the luxury of having the white tree foundation of Balsam Hill’s® Artificial Christmas Trees White Denali to work with opens new opportunities for creativity. Because the tree is white, using simple color schemes usually works; the white foundation provides opportunities to try things that may not work so well on a green tree.

Until this ‘white’ Christmas tree was created by Balsam Hill®, it was not possible to find well-made, first quality, white Artificial Christmas trees. Therefore, anyone with a sense of creativity but with a preference for quality was left without a real solution. Balsam Hill® has provided that solution and at the same time, made it more difficult for other companies to compete with them.

Balsam Hill® also offers high-end Artificial Christmas Trees Decorations that add a stunning final touch to the perfect tree. The company provides ornaments that are unique and quite different from the typical ones seen in department stores. It seems that they have gone out of their way to find and offer the ideal Artificial Christmas Trees Decorations in order to make their trees look even better.
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Retailers Seeking Temporary Solutions To Guarantee A Better Christmas

Displaysense reports high street retailers and independent stores are heading into the festive period in full force by increasing their retail display solutions to promote and distribute their range of products in defiance of forecasts of a slump in Christmas sales threatening the speed and strength of the UK’s economic recovery.

Displaysense, the UK’s leading supplier of display cabinets and cake stands has noticed a growing trend in businesses purchasing more in the way of temporary shop displays. This allows retailers the opportunity to have more stock on display, providing customers more choice as well as retailers the chance to reduce their stock and increase sales during this festive period.

With a slump in sales over the summer period, primarily due to poor weather and unrest in the banking system, there is now a surplus in stock at many retailers which needs to be cleared in order to make way for the latest products and gadgets for 2010.

With the opportunity of Christmas and January sales just around the corner, many shops are looking for as many opportunities as possible to sell, sell, sell and recoup their depreciating investment in the stock they hold. As cash is very much king to retailers and with banks still unwilling to lend, businesses are trying to ensure they can make the most of this silly season of sales and buyer demand approaching.

Steve Whittle the marketing manager at Displaysense, commented on this trend in a positive tone by stating, “The fact that a lot of businesses are looking to get rid of their stock shouldn’t be seen as a desperate attempt to make some money, but rather that they are ready to move on after a disappointing year. New stock lines bring new opportunities and the lessons learnt over the past year or so should put the majority of companies in good stead for the coming months ahead”.

With some ranges of wire chrome shelving units and clothes rails near to selling out at Displaysense, the company is already having to reorder more to fill the demand, which is the opposite to last year’s demands which saw the company’s 95% off sale signs selling out. The move from desperation to innovation has clearly paved the way for the unexpected upbeat feeling on the high street.

Only time will tell whether the predictions of a gloomy Christmas period will come true, however one thing that is certain, a temporary display isn’t just for Christmas. It can be a real life saver for retail shops.

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Ernest Jones Has Unveiled Its Own Twitter Page

Ernest Jones, the Diamond and Watch specialist has joined the social media revolution and launched its own Twitter page.

The Ernest Jones Twitter page can be found under the name Ejonesjewellers at the social media site. The page is designed to give customers a chance to stay up to date on offers, new product launches, news and trends from Ernest Jones and the watch, jewellery and fashion marketplace.

Ernest Jones is joining other leading high street brands such as H.Samuel, Next, Tesco and Starbucks in this innovative arena. With the competitive nature of the market at present this makes total sense and allows the jeweller to engage with customers, maintain its brand presence and reputation and keep its customers informed about offers, promotions, new collections and products and charity affiliations.

The messages (Tweets) are intended to be a mixture of information and fun and will be aimed at consumers, journalists and anyone interested in Ernest Jones. Ernest Jones will also engage with any customers looking for advice or information, either answering the query directly or referring the customer to someone who can help them.

According to Jason Edworthy, Signet Digital Comms Manager, “We want to engage with our customers, promote our offers and build our brand and online presence with witty, fun and informative Tweets aimed directly at our customer base.”

This initiative also offers consumers insight into less obvious ranges, such as the famous Vera Wang wedding collection, that consumers might not realise Ernest Jones sells. Other benefits to the consumer include industry news, fashion tips, exclusive product information and the possibility for customers to engage directly with one of the high street’s leading authorities on diamonds and watches.

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Kaenon Polarized Releases New Sunglasses For Holiday ’09

Kaenon Polarized™ , the Newport Beach-based maker of lifestyle and performance sunglasses, proudly announces the Holiday arrival of three new Luxury Performance frame designs for men and women.  The men’s and women’s sunglass styles will be available November 1 and launched to retail in limited release through Kaenon’s premium dealer network, including 20 southwest Nordstrom locations.

Designed in California and made in Italy, PINO™ and BURNET™ are modern, west coast interpretations of retro-period designs that are pure Luxury Performance to be worn equally, by both men and women.  JOSS™ was inspired by, and designed with racecar-driving pop star Danica Patrick for women looking for something feminine and stylish, yet comfy and sporty in a women’s sunglass.

The initial Holiday 2009 release will make each style available in a rich, gloss black frame with the company’s patented SR-91 polarized lens in Grey 12™ as well as a new frame color the company calls Havana – a beautiful tobacco brown accented by deep, dark rich tones.  Each frame is hand painted and assembled in Italy following Kaenon’s creative direction and strict quality control.  Joss will offer Havana with Copper 12™ SR-91 polarized lenses, while Burnet and Pino will house G12 lenses in Havana.  Each frame is Rx adaptable with Kaenon’s SR-91 prescription lenses – in Single Vision or Freestyle™ Progressive.

PINO
Simple, clean, and stylish, PINO is a modern, west coast take of a 50’s-period classic to be worn by both men and women looking for a moderately sized fun, yet functional sunglass.  Designed in California, made in Italy, Pino’s injection molded TR-90 8-base wrapped frame is pure Luxury Performance.  Old school styling with low-key Kaenon branding engraved on a decorative metal inlay, all defy Pino’s light weight, performance fit.  Only further enhanced by our patented SR-91 polarized lenses that provide unsurpassed razor sharp optical clarity and glare reduction.  Pino comes with a protective metal case and is Rx adaptable.  MSRP begins at $229.

BURNET
BURNET is a subtle reshaping and condensed interpretation of our popular, retro-inspired Burny™ frame style.  Designed to be worn by both women and men equally, it’s a timeless, classic design that features subtle, yet distinctive styling with the performance and comfort Kaenon Polarized is known for.  Easy to wear for a wide variety of face shapes, and featuring a throw-back temple design highlighted by discrete branding and logo detailing in a pure metal inlay, this durable, performance-wrapped TR-90 frame houses 8-base SR-91 polarized lenses for razor sharp optical clarity and unsurpassed glare reduction.   Made in Italy, BURNET comes with a protective metal case and is Rx adaptable.  MSRP begins at $229.

JOSS
Inspired by Danica Patrick, and designed with input from the racecar-driving pop star, JOSS is the shapely sister to our popular Georgia™ frame style that Danica has been so instrumental in popularizing.   Joss is distinguished by a slightly oversized round lens shape, enhanced by supple, curvy surfaces that taper aft into thin sleek temples that support our female-fit geometry.   Made in Italy using TR-90 frame material, Joss is light weight, durable and super comfy, with buried Variflex nose pads for additional comfort and security that come standard as do the wrapped 8-base SR-91 polarized lenses for maximum protection with unsurpassed razor sharp optical clarity and glare reduction.  Complete with a protective metal case and Rx adaptable, Joss is the choice in women’s sunglasses that begs to be worn…and loves to play!  MSRP begins at $209.

Kaenon Polarized has quickly become the luxury performance choice of those who live the Southern California lifestyle to its fullest. Superior lens performance is the engine that differentiates Kaenon Polarized sunglasses, verified by scientists and validated by professionals in both land and water sports such as, sailing, golf, baseball, snow, surf, paddling, fishing, cycling, climbing and driving, as well as celebrities in film and music.

At the core of every Kaenon Polarized sunglass is the company’s proprietary and patented SR-91 ® lens material. No other lens on the market offers better clarity, impact protection, and glare reduction, all in one ultra-lightweight lens. Every SR-91 polarized lens carries a Lifetime Guarantee against delamination, cracking or splitting – including Kaenon Polarized prescription sunglasses made from SR-91 prescription polarized lenses.

With an initial 20+-store launch that started in July, Nordstrom will sell all three new Kaenon Polarized sunglass styles in Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, and Hawaii – including its four flagship locations at South Coast Plaza, Fashion Valley Mall, The Grove and Scottsdale.  Including Nordstrom in this initial Holiday launch of Burnet, Pino and Joss, demonstrates the success both companies have enjoyed since partnering in July – with sales of Kaenon Polarized sunglasses out-performing Nordstrom expectations.

“Nordstrom has always been the first to recognize true leadership and trend direction in fashion and sensibility, and we’re very excited they’ve shown such confidence in Kaenon Polarized to once again demonstrate their knack for quality product and ability to differentiate themselves with distinctive brands,” said Steve Rosenberg, Co-Founder and CEO of Kaenon Polarized. “Nordstrom not only understands the trends, they have exceptional insight behind the product that drives those trends,” he added.

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Storewide Clearance Sale on Children’s Clothes At Naartjie Kids

Naartjie Kids, the original name in fun clothing sizes 0 – 10, announced today, it’s storewide clearance sale featuring up to 60% off selected fall fashions for boys, girls and infants. The clearance sale begins today, and is good on items purchased in-store and online. Choose f r o m a variety of styles f r o m Naartjie Kids’ Fall collections. In addition, shoppers will receive an additional 30% off girls’ velour fashions including dresses, pants and coats, f r o m November 19-25.

“Little ones are constantly growing and outgrowing their clothes, so kids clothing is always a natural for holiday shopping lists and gift giving,” said Joe Norwood, director of marketing, Naartjie USA. “This year, Naartjie Kids helps holiday shoppers with find great fashions at unbeatable prices, during our storewide clearance sale. Our promotion on girls’ velour fashions make great holiday ensembles that are stylish without the spendy price tag.”

The Naartjie Kids fall styles are on clearance during the pre-Thanksgiving shopping season and feature easy-to-wear and maintain styles in kids, baby girl and baby boy clothes. The girls’ velour collection features girls dresses and optional matching Mommy Tunics that make wonderful ensembles for holiday parties and photo shoots. (Mommy Tunics are not discounted during the Velour promotion.)

Naartjie Kids’ designs, colors, prints, and styles represent a truly unique synthesis of European fashion trends with western casual lifestyle. Featuring a dominant focus on natural fabrics that are garment-dyed, pre-washed and pre-shrunk for easy wear, low maintenance and comfort, Naartjie Kids uses a garment dye process that results in a more vibrant color and softer clothing and accessories for precious little ones.

The ultimate in mix and match, Naartjie Kids introduces new colors, prints and styles within a grouping to allow customers to mix and match across the entire assortment. In addition, shoppers can mix and match between Naartjie Kids seasonal collections, which showcase the freshest and broadest color assortment in the industry, distinctive detailing, mixing of fabrics, appliqués and embroidery details. Always “Kid-Friendly” design concepts made primarily of natural fabrics that feature weight-right fabrications for maximum comfort and easy care. Each item is designed and constructed for easy-wear comfort, whether the garment is dressed up or dressed down.

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H.Samuel Has Joined The Twitterati With Its Own Twitter Page

H.Samuel the jeweller has launched its own Twitter page, joining other leading high street brands such as Tesco and Next on the popular social networking site.

H.Samuel is following a growing trend in retail for engaging directly with customers. Any retailer looking to maintain its brand presence in the future and to stay competitive will be using social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook to engage with customers and manage brands and reputations.

The H.Samuel Twitter page is designed to inform customers about offers, promotions, new products and brands as well as keeping consumers up to date with news about competitions and charity affiliations. The messages will be a mixture of information and fun and will be aimed at consumers, journalists and anyone interested in H.Samuel and its products, promotions, offers and brands.

According to Jason Edworthy, Signet Digital Comms Manager, “We want to engage with our customers, promote our offers and build our brand and online presence with witty, fun and informative Tweets aimed directly at our customer base.”

The benefit for consumers is access to up-to-the minute information about new brands, new offers, competitions and an insight into products that they might otherwise not consider or realise that H.Samuel stock, such as gifts and collectibles. Other benefits include news on exclusive products and competitions and the possibility for customers to engage in conversations directly with the brand if they have queries.

Regardless of the topic, the company intends for each Tweet to link to a promotion, information page or product. The Tweets themselves will not all be directly sales orientated and are intended to entertain and please the customer as well as inform them.

As well as promoting products and offers, H.Samuel is hoping to increase brand awareness at a crucial time in trading for all high street retailers. It is hoped that the Twitter page will drive footfall to stores and visits to the website.

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The Body Shop Revives 80s Favourites

The Body Shop has announced it is bringing back some of its most popular products f r o m the 80s for a limited period.

The Body Shop is re-introducing classic products, now featuring new retro packaging. Old favourites such as Fuzzy Peach, the Banana collection and Ice Blue are all present, as well as a range of cleansers and moisturisers for face and body, and hair care products.

The Body Shop Revives 80s Favourites

Other original products included in the range are Dewberry Bath and Shower Gel, with a fragrance still fondly remembered by almost half of British women (44%) and now containing Community Trade aloe vera, specially selected for its ability to soothe and hydrate skin. Cucumber Cleansing Milk is also making a return, to help cleanse without drying the skin. In addition to gentle cucumber extract, the Cucumber Cleansing Milk features Community Trade organically grown soya oil.

The Body Shop customers can also have their say about which products f r o m the 80s they’d like to see make a comeback by visiting the company’s website and voting on the items they’d like back on shelves.

With its strong and unique heritage, The Body Shop was founded by Dame Anita Roddick in 1976 and has taken a place in the hearts of British women. A survey* showed that two-thirds of women fondly recall its 1980s campaigning against animal testing (63%) which today remains uncompromised, and its innovative use of natural ingredients (60%). A brand known for taking pioneering steps forward, in the 1980s its introduction of fair trade ingredients is still remembered by one-third of British women (31%).

The Body Shop has consistently developed new innovative ways of helping protect the planet through its use of packaging, with products in the originals collection now packaged in 100% PCR PET (made f r o m post-consumer recyclate).

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Cloggs.co.uk Launches One Day Website Discount Days

Cloggs.co.uk prides itself on offering in-season fashion footwear at incredibly competitive prices, which is why the company has been trading successfully online for nearly a decade. However, it also cares about its customers and has empathy with those that face financial hardship this year. As a result, it has taken the brave decision to introduce discount days on its website to ensure that those consumers who have had to tighten their belts this year can still afford the shoes and boots they want to buy as presents.

To take advantage of the one day discount days, all consumers have to do is visit the website on the right day throughout November and December. If they visit the website on a discount day they will find banners and promotional material advertising the tempting offer available. They then just have to note down the promotion code and start selecting the shoes and boots they want and proceed to the checkout. Once they get to the checkout they can then redeem the promotion code and the discount will automatically be applied to their purchase. It couldn’t be simpler.

Whether they are looking for UGG Boots like the UGG Bailey Button or the Classic Short for their wife, daughter or sister, Dr Martens Boots for their husband, son or brother, or something funky like the latest Converse Boots for nieces and nephews, purchasers just need to keep an eye on the website and use the offer when it appears.

Nick Thomas, Cloggs.co.uk Director stated: “At Cloggs we are all too aware of the financial pressures that face consumers this Christmas. Millions of people have had to deal with unfortunate events like losing their job, wage cuts or redeployment. Many of those are probably panicking that they won’t be able to afford the presents that their friends, family and loved ones really want. Recognising this, we have taken the decision to introduce one day discount days in the run up to Christmas so that buyers can grab the presents they want at hugely discounted prices.”

Despite the recession, online shopping in the UK is predicted to grow by 13.3% in 2009; accounting for 10% of the UK’s total spending. Consumers are turning to the internet more and more as they realise that branded products like footwear and electricals tend to be cheaper online. It is also far easier to spot bargains f r o m  the comfort of their home, rather than trudging f r o m shop to shop on the high street.

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Roman Originals Celebrates New Accessories Collection

Roman Originals are having an exciting end to 2009. They have announced the launch of their new trendy accessories range, with a wonderful array of colourful clutch handbags and elegant ladies hats, perfect for the holiday season. If that is not enough, the women’s wear company are also providing free UK standard delivery for those orders over £45, not to mention new customers can sign-up to receive an extra 10% off all orders – go to the homepage and look on the right hand side for the ‘GET AN EXTRA 10% OFF TODAY’ button just click and enter your details to receive your 10% off.

Like Roman Originals clothing ranges, their new range of womens handbags and womens hats have undergone the same rigorous testing to ensure that they meet the desired high quality standards expected. The range consists of vibrant beautifully made clutch bags made from fantastic fabrics and designs. Nevertheless, the handbag and hat ranges are not the only exciting new developments for affordable retailer Roman Originals.

Customers will be pleased to know none of their orders will be affected by the postal strikes. As of the 16th of November, Roman Originals will be offering Next day delivery within the UK, and will also commence international shipping.

Traditionally all Roman Originals ladies clothing and accessories were available in over 150 outlets across the United Kingdom. However, due to increasing demand for their well made garments, all Roman originals clothing and accessories are available internationally. Customers outside the UK will now be able to order online from Roman Originals just in time for the holiday season. On top of that, the company now offers free standard delivery for UK customers who spend as little as £45 on an order.

Customers visiting the site can also sign up to receive the Roman Originals catalogue. The catalogue is available on request to keep customers up-to-date with all the seasons’ trends and latest garments from Roman Originals. For those who like to keep a close eye on fashion, there is also an email list to with the latest fashion news and details of their special offers.

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H.Samuel The Jeweller Provides In-Store Proposal Packs For Romantic Men

H.Samuel, Britain’s biggest chain of jewellers is kitting out its shops with ‘proposal cushions’ to cater for men who suddenly go down on one knee in their stores.

The spontaneous acts of romance have tripled in branches of High Street giant H.Samuel in the past year, often by men acting spontaneously when they see sight of trays of engagement rings. Store staff have now been provided with a ‘proposal pack’ including a soft cushion and a bottle of bubbly to make it more comfortable and romantic for the men caught up in the moment.

The pack also includes a pack of tissues to dry any tears from emotional women as they, hopefully, say yes. The pack will be given to any love-struck couple who get engaged in the store, as long as they buy a ring from the new Christmas Kisses range. The novel innovation came after H.Samuel, which has more than 300 branches, noticed a rise in the number of proposals actually taking place in its shops.

Modern women want to choose their own diamond ring, so traditional proposals where a man suddenly produces a diamond and gets down on one knee are not as commonplace as they once were. Instead, couples go to stores to look at the available range, the guy buys the ring his girlfriend has chosen, and pops the question later. So many men get caught up in the moment when they go into the store that a growing number are getting down on one knee and proposing there and then, even when there are other customers about.

Kevin Ryan, stores director at H.Samuel said: “In-store proposals are proving increasingly popular with our customers. It seems that if a couple come in to look at a ring together, the moment just seems right to propose. Our staff are getting quite used to dealing with emotional women whose partners spring a marriage proposal surprise on them there and then.”

The high street jeweller said it used to get around 10 proposals in store a year, but this has nearly trebled in the past 12 months. H.Samuel reckons this is because more men are now choosing an engagement ring with their partners by their side, rather than risk buying one that is not liked.

The proposal pack of soft cushion, mini bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne and tissues is being launched to mark a new romantic collection of diamond jewellery out before Christmas, traditionally the most popular time for engagement proposals.

Mr Ryan said: “Engagement proposals in store certainly cheer up our staff and one of our sales staff was invited to be a flower girl at the wedding of a couple who got engaged in our Kings Heath branch in Birmingham.

“Men have told us it is easier to choose a ring with their girlfriend so they don’t risk having to exchange it.

“We hope that our proposal packs – including our soft cushion to kneel on – will help to remind men to get down on one knee when they want to propose marriage to their partner.”

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Lauren Klein Jewelry Introduces Gold Jewelry for the Holidays

Lauren Klein, a leading online retailer of designer jewelry, rates the winter holiday season its busiest, along with Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. Hot items this year in both men’s and women’s jewelry and accessories include yellow gold and yellow gold and diamond combinations. From personalized and monogrammed jewelry, Lauren Klein offers early holiday shoppers a hassle-free shopping experience, f r o m the comfort of their own homes. In addition, customers using the code “NOV09” will receive a 15% discount off their entire order.

“At Lauren Klein, all that glitters is gold this season, as jewelry still ranks one of the most popular and classy gifts around,” said Sarah Leight, manager, Lauren Klein. “Holiday party goers who want to dress up their ensembles can choose f r o m the most exciting new styles this season as we are continually adding new and inspired selections to our inventory throughout the year.”

Lauren Klein’s selection of gold and diamond heart-shaped jewelry will set hearts aflutter this holiday season, with the magical allure of jewelry boxes transporting the likes of Monogram Hammered Yellow Gold Heart necklace to a Citrine Heart and Diamond Bezel Dangle Necklace, with matching earrings, to a variety of fashionable yellow gold necklaces.

Featuring treasured keepsake gifts such as monogrammed jewelry for men and women and diamond necklaces to take her breath away, Lauren Klein has a gift for everyone’s wish list. Some of the popular gift items this year include an unexpected pairing of leather and diamonds in the collection of leather bracelets. Whether engagement, promise or costume, a ring makes a great gift, and just about any style can be personalized with the gemstone of choice.

Lauren Klein specializes in all types of jewelry — whatever the style, Lauren Klein has it all. F r o m traditional diamond jewelry to trendy fashion jewelry, Lauren Klein carries only the best selection of women’s jewelry — rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, anklets and baby jewelry — at the most competitive prices. The company’s new Monogram Collection offers personalized jewelry for that extra special touch.

The finest collection of jewelry available to the public is also backed by Lauren Klein’s incomparable experience rooted in the fine jewelry industry. As a customer-focused company, Lauren Klein strives to bring the highest quality products directly to consumers to ensure their satisfaction is exceeded. With more than half a century of heritage in the diamond industry, this family operation began its ecommerce business on eBay and Amazon. After great success, Lauren Klein showcases its entire jewelry collection on Laurenklein.com.

To receive a 15% discount of purchases, enter code NOV09 at checkout.

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Online Boutique Specializes In Sweet Baby Gifts For The Sophisticated Gift-Giver

BabyStuffGifts.com, a leading online baby boutique, today announced its full line of one-of-a-kind personalized baby gifts and accessories, for those with discriminating tastes. As a trusted industry leader in specialty baby gifts, BabyStuffGifts.com offers an exclusive selection of fine baby clothes, gift baskets, accessories, blankets, hooded towels, bibs, burp cloths, dolls and plush toys.

“In a time when everything we purchase is mass-produced, we are pleased to offer charming gifts that are treasured for their uniqueness and uncompromising quality,” says Nancilyn Gray Scott, founder, BabyStuffGifts.com. “Most of our gift items and toys are manufactured exclusively for our store. These one-of-a-kind gifts are created by our talented team of designers, who share our philosophy about producing the highest quality baby products and gifts.”

Specializing in gifts for infants f r o m birth to 12 months of age, BabyStuffGifts.com offers dozens of gifts in every price range and for every occasion. In addition to a full line of exclusive boys’ and girls’ baby gifts, BabyStuffGifts.com offers a variety of bibs and burp cloths, bath and beach wear, nursery décor, stuffed animals and more, all personalized with the baby’s name or monogrammed with his or her initials.

About BabyStuffGifts.com
Every baby is a special gift and each one deserves only the very best! At BabyStuffGifts.com, our passion is to provide each precious baby with personalized baby gifts and baby gift baskets, at reasonable prices. Founded with a deep appreciation for finer quality items and sophisticated gift-giving, BabyStuffGifts.com offers a distinctive selection of personalized baby toys direct to consumers or through select retailers. Shipping to both domestic and international destinations, BabyStuffGifts.com manufactures most of its own products, which make wonderful baby shower, birthday, holiday and all-occasion baby gifts. For more information, please visit www.babystuffgifts.com.

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British Site Which Saved Consumers $87m Throughout The Recession Officially Launches In The US

Former Gordon Ramsay protégé Mark Pearson is the founder of CouponCodes4U.com, a discount coupon site that has officially launched today and is aiming to save Americans millions of dollars. Mark Pearson worked as a sous chef under celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay at the prestigious Claridges restaurant in London. MyVoucherCodes is officially the UK’s most popular discount voucher code website in the UK.

Discount site CouponCodes4u.com officially launches today, and looks set to follow in the footsteps of UK-based sister website MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, which 15% of Brits use every month to save money on purchases ranging from supermarket shopping to money off on holidays and other one off purchases.

During the recession, MyVoucherCodes was responsible for nearly £1/2bn worth of sales in the UK, the equivalent of $787m. Throughout this period, Brits saved the equivalent of $87m USD, and the company hopes to repeat this sort of success across the Atlantic.

CouponCodes4U already features thousands of discounts and offers from top retailers keen to establish themselves on the site due to Mark’s background, with current deals including $75 off at Dell, 55% off at Amazon, $50 off at Sears, 35% off at Macy’s and many more.

In pre-launch beta testing, the site managed to amass a following of over 300,000 unique users a month, with no formal marketing in place. Over 15,000 retailers are listed on the site, all of which provide discount coupons, which are redeemable at online checkout.

CouponCodes4U.com has over 100,000 coupon codes, deals and discounts live on the site, and regularly generates over $1m in sales every month, all of which point to great success in the long run for the site.

CouponCodes4U is the Stateside birth-child of one of the UK’s leading young entrepreneurs, Mark Pearson. Since the recession, MyVoucherCodes, officially the UK’s leading discount website has saved Brits over $87m in the last year, and Mark hopes to bring his award-winning style to America.

Although there are many discount coupon sites which have popped up since the Credit Crunch, Managing Director Mark Pearson said,

“The discount coupon industry in the States is in desperate need of a shake-up, as too many US websites offer codes that they don’t actually have on the site, or that are already expired.

“Consumers deserve to see the discount coupon codes that retailers are releasing, and deserve to benefit from them too. In the UK, the rules around the discount sector are quite stringent, and I’m looking to bring the same discipline that has made MyVoucherCodes such a success to the US.

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Four in Ten SME’S seeing signs of Economic Recovery

 

Greenshoots: 42% of SMEs are seeing some signs of economic recovery – but only 1% say the signs are strong

•Recovery time: 27% of SME owners predict six months to a year for their business to recover f r o m the recession, but 26% say it will take more than a year to get back on their feet again

•Growing confidence: 81% of SMEs think they will survive the recession – a 5% increase since February this year

•Trading conditions: 58% still finding it tough, but a small increase in the number now saying that the current trading environment is OK

•Recession headache: cutting costs remains the biggest issue for SMES, but cashflow concerns now taking over f r o m worries about falling demand.

Over four in ten SME owners (42%) report seeing some signs of economic recovery, with a further 1% saying that these signs are strong, according to new research f r o m uSwitchforBusiness.com.

And while the Government has been forced to acknowledge that Britain is still in a recession that is likely to be longer and deeper than originally feared, the findings reveal a small increase in the number of small businesses confident that they will survive. 81% now think that they will get through the downturn, compared with 76% in the first quarter of this year.

However, small business owners expect the recession to have a long lasting impact. Over a quarter (27%) say that it will take their business between six months and a year to get back to normal again, while 26% say that it will take them more than a year. Incredibly though, 32% say it will only take up to six months to recover with 14% of these saying it will take them no time at all to get back on their feet.

The findings come f r o m the latest uSwitchforBusiness.com SME Confidence Survey, which tracks small business confidence over time and highlights current issues and concerns facing Britain’s small traders. It shows that, despite increased optimism, 58% of small companies are finding trading conditions difficult (59% in Q1). However, there has been a small increase in those saying that current trading conditions are OK (40% compared with 38% in Q1).

Earlier in the year, cutting costs was the biggest issue for SMEs and this remains the case today with 58% of companies actively looking for ways to cut back. Similarly, the number of small companies reporting a drop in demand remains unchanged f r o m Q1 (34%). However, 35% are now experiencing cashflow concerns (up f r o m 33%) making cashflow the second biggest concern facing SME owners today.

In Q1, 19% said that the recession was having no impact on their business at all. Today this has dropped to 14%. Overall though, 62% of SME owners report that the recession has been tough, but manageable. Only 18% say that it has been very damaging to their business.

Looking forward to 2010, and with many clearly believing that there is light at the end of the tunnel, SMEs say that their biggest challenges will be increasing sales/turnover (39%), getting over the recession (19%), dealing with regulation and red tape (15%) and overcoming issues with late payments and cashflow (12%).

Jake Ridge, small business expert at www.uswitchforbusiness.com, says: “Despite having the odds stacked against them, Britain’s SMEs have battled to stay afloat and to survive the recession. It has meant making tough decisions and inevitably most small businesses have felt some pain, whether having to lay off staff, find ways to cut costs or learning to combat cashflow concerns. In the first quarter of 2009, 59% were looking for ways to cut costs and this strategy seems to have paid off as most small businesses are now feeling confident about surviving this downturn.

“Small business owners are not feeling complacent though – 43% can see signs of recovery but they know they are not out of the woods yet. They are continuing to keep a tight lid on costs and know that the next challenge comes at the end of the recession when they begin the task of building their businesses back up again.

“In this climate, shopping around for your next energy contract makes sense as no business can afford to be paying more for their energy than competitors. Once they are paying the lowest possible price for the energy they use, businesses can then focus on using less of it – these two simple steps will help them reduce costs substantially and will be a good habit to get into for the challenging times ahead.”

uSwitchforBusiness can save your business money by helping you make smarter decisions about your business electricity, communications and insurance.

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UK Manufacturer Of Point-Of-Sale Products Highlights Must-Have Display Items For Christmas Promotions

Stuck for inspiration this season on how to display any last minute seasonal point-of-sale? Well there’s still plenty of time to order items for the run-up to Christmas, and to make product selection easier, UK Point Of Sale Group Limited has come up with a quick-fix solution – a Christmas wish list.

The UK manufacturer of point-of-sale (UK Point Of Sale) materials has created the must-have list as it has been reported that consumers can look forward to seeing significant promotions and early winter sales this year. So UK POS believed a quick call stating the Christmas wish-list would assist retailers with their orders during this extremely busy period.

With UK POS’ best possible prices and next day delivery available, the list features six point-of-sale options, including:
– A1 Pavement A Boards Sign to get customers in store
– A4 Snap Frames to promote Christmas special offers and deals with interchangeable posters
– Shelf Talkers for stand out pricing displays
– A4 pallet Stacking Card Holders for large displays of product promotions
– Flag Sign Holders to catch the customers attention with special offers and deals
– Extending Wire Hooks for ceiling posters to guide customers through the store

It was Rob Templeman, the chief executive of Debenhams, who predicted that consumers can look forward to significant promotions this Christmas with retailers looking to boost revenues after a somewhat turbulent year*. However UK POS fears that retail outlets could soon become over run with offers or overcrowded sales, when in fact retailers should be taking the less is more approach.

UK POS’ sales and marketing director, Debra Jamieson advises:
“Overcrowding shelf space with various offers and promotions can be off putting for consumers and leave shoppers confused as to what product is truly the best value for money. Being clear and concise about your brand offerings is more important than ever this Christmas to ensure retailers secure those all important sales.”

“Retailers need to make consumers feel that an offer is too good to be missed. As such, we are advising our customers to rotate displays during the run up to Christmas, creating first come first serve offers that encourage that immediate impulse response.”

UK POS’ next day delivery service means that retailer’s can select their must-have display products and have them delivered in time for the Christmas rush. For further information call UK POS on 0161 431 4400 and quote: Christmas Wish List.

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FotoLum Offers Child Safety Kit Free For Field Testing

Each year, more than 650 children in the United States are hit and killed by cars while another 20,000 are injured. Invariably, the accidents are due to the child’s lack of vehicle awareness and the driver’s inability to see the child. That problem is particularly critical now as we await the end of daylight saving time, and the days continue to grow shorter. For 2009, the day of the year with the least amount of sunlight is December 21st.

This year FotoLum – a leading developer of photo luminescent products and solutions – is offering an inexpensive, yet effective safety kit designed to increase children’s visibility when walking to school or school bus stops, or playing outside after dark. Fotolum products are far superior to novelty glow in the dark items. They represent the fruits of years of research and testing on high-grade, proprietary, materials that yield photo luminescent performance unmatched in the industry.

For a limited time, FotoLum is seeking individuals to conduct testing of their Child Safety Kit products. Interested parties simply visit the FotoLum website, click on the contact link and send a request. FotoLum will mail out a free Child Safety Kit to the address provided by the requester.

The FotoLum Child Safety Kit was designed for safety outdoors and in. The outdoor components consist of photo luminescent vinyl combined with 3M Scotchlite silver retro-reflective coating in a tread-plate pattern backed with 3M adhesive where applicable. The retro-reflective shines brightly when hit with light, such as that from a vehicle’s headlights while the photo luminescence glows brightly in the dark for hours after proper charging from a natural or artificial light source.

Outdoor components include a glowing Safety Wrist Band with tread-plate reflective, two 1/2″ x 12″ strips of the same material backed with the 3M adhesive for application to bicycle helmets, backpacks or jackets and a 3″ tread-plate reflective photo luminescent glow stick alternative. Fotolum developed the glow stick alternative to counter the toxic waste generated by the disposal of hundreds of millions of one-use chemical glow sticks and glow accessories piling up in land fills every year. The glow stick alternative can be attached to the zipper pull of a jacket, school bags, backpacks, bikes as examples. AllFotolum components are reusable over and over and will last for 10 years or more.

Indoor components include a glow in the dark light switch locator and the award-winning After-Lite Crystal Energy Cell which fastens to a low-energy compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) to provide energy-free emergency lighting. After-Lite also works great as a night light. The light switch locator absorbs light during the day, then gently illuminates at night indicating the location of the light switch.

The same material used in the FotoLum Child Safety Kit is used on helmet and equipment patches implemented by the Fire Department of New York and many other fire departments across the nation to which FotoLum supplies.

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Megaman Energy Saving Bulbs Rated as Best Buy in November Which? Report

20% of the cost of most domestic electricity bills is from lighting. Although energy-saving light bulbs are more expensive to buy than ordinary bulbs they can last up to 15 times longer, depending on the type of the bulb you buy. Changing saves energy and thus money.

The November 2009 ©Which? report on Megaman® GSU111d 11w Dimmerable® (fully dimmable with standard dimmers) had this to say:

“Test score 75%. Megaman® GSU111d Dimmerable® Warm White 11W.

Pros. One of the best bulbs for starting up, this one produces a good amount of light quickly and light output meets the manufacturer’s claim. It lasts well, too – we test bulbs for up to 8,000 hours, and every one of the Megaman® bulbs lasted the duration. It handles frequent switching on and off well and can be used with dimmer switches.”

With many traditional light bulbs disappearing from the shops for good, now is the time to change to more energy-efficient lamps & bulbs.

In September the phase out of traditional bulbs started with 100w clear and most pearl/frosted wattages being discontinued, all others will go over the next few years.

The humble light bulb is dead….. to be replaced by more efficient lighting such as compact fluorescent lamps — known as CFLs, or energy-saving light bulbs.

The light output of older compact fluorescent lamps reduces significantly with age. Now is a good time to replace your old energy saving bulbs as well as replacing any traditional style bulbs. GW supplies has a wide range of energy saving bulbs and because they can buy in bulk they can offer excellent prices.

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