Tag Archives: Shops

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Brookes Basks In Heatwave But Urges Caution With The RASH Guide From Outdoor Look

As we begin to enter the primary summer months, many across the UK will ensuring as much free time as possible is spent outside in the sun. Although obvious enjoyment is had across a range of outside leisure activities such as hiking, camping and fishing, unfortunately each summer sees a new wave of casualties who have become victims to heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

As emergency services will be called to hiking trails and walking hot spots across the country, Ian Brookes – founder of leading discount outdoor clothing specialists outdoorlook.co.uk – has once again laid the spotlight on the brand’s summer safety guide – RASH.

Established last summer, the guide brings to attention a 4-point-plan which can easily be understood by adults and children alike this summer;

REST – Remember to rest at regular intervals if your activity is in full glare of the summer sun. Take shade under a tree and should you continue your activity, do so at a slower pace, keeping a watchful eye over whoever is suffering

AIR – Ensure any tight clothing is loosened and temporarily remove any clothing items you can. Should there be a breeze, be sure to stand against it as this will help draw heat away from your body and therefore cool down quicker.

SIP – Make sure you and your party drink at regular intervals. Setting regular times– every 15 mins for example – will ensure you stay hydrated. Remember, as tempting as it maybe to gulp a drink off, it is important to sip slowly so your stomach is given enough time to process the fluids efficiently.

Help – If whoever is ill continues to show symptoms of a sufficient recovery, do not delay in calling for additional help. Heat exhaustion subsequently lead to heat-stroke which can be fatal in extreme cases.

“It is an accessible guide to some basic principles when occasionally get overlooked,” explained Brookes.

“It can happen from time to time when you are outside enjoying the good life, so it is important we try and remember some core ways of staying safe and free from health risks such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion.”

Being the founder of the UK’s leading discount outdoor clothing specialists, Brookes also highlighted that having suitable outdoor clothing can also be an effective measure at staying safe in the sun.

Via EPR Network
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UK POS Encourages Retailers to Purchase Promotional Materials to Take Advantage of the Easter Shopping Period

UK Point of Sale Limited have urged UK Retailers to take advantage of their low prices on essential advertising and point of sale accessories during the build up to Easter, with offers on pavement signs and other eye-catching products.

The Point of Sale products specialist has been a leading provider of many essential products to help retailers entice customers into their shops as well as clearly mark out store layouts and offers to improve the retail experience that will be key to success this Easter…

A number of retail businesses have struggled in recent years to keep customers coming through their doors so by marketing themselves more aggressively and getting their brand and offers in front of their customers has become instrumental in keeping consumers coming back in light of reduced consumer spending in recent years.

UK POS lead the field in providing clear advertising and marketing opportunities by using A Boards and banner stands to showcase offers and deals that customers will want to see and hear about.

With Easter just around the corner along with many other upcoming events such as Father’s Day and the Royal Wedding too many retailers will be looking to stand out from the crowd and effective use of UK POS’ point of sale products will help to promote the business.

Debra Jamieson, Sales & Marketing Director at UK Point of Sale said, “Now, more than ever, shop owners both big and small are finding that the competition is fierce and effective use and management of their store layout and promotion is quickly becoming essential.

“Well thought out retail window displays are going to advertise a shop’s key deals and offers and this in turn will encourage more customers through their doors.”

UK Point of Sale sell a wide range of point of sale products online at their website ukpos.com, where businesses can browse and buy items online, with 24 hour delivery of all in-stock items right to the customer’s door it is easy to see how UK POS have built up their reputation as the UK’s number one P.O.S. manufacturer.

Via EPR Network
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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.”

Via EPR Network
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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.

Via EPR Network
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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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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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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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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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Men’s Gift And Accessories Firm Is Groomed For Success Thanks To Bank And Government Funding

£987,000 enterprise fund cash helps ensure new stores are looking good. EXPANSION plans for mens gift and accessories company Menkind Stores certainly created the right impression with the Royal Bank of Scotland, when it agreed to help fund the company’s plans to open five new stores.

The high street bank decided that Menkind could benefit from a little ‘grooming’ if its plans to expand beyond its original single store and launch a cutting-edge new website were to take it to the next level.

So Menkind Stores’ founder, Paul Kraftman, went to his bank manager, Robert Laurie, with his plans, and was put in touch with the administrators of the government’s Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme.

And the bank helped Menkind secure £987,000 of EFG cash which has gone a long way to funding the buying and fitting out of the five new stores. The funding boost has certainly had the desired effect on the business’s fortunes.

“Our new store openings were fitted out in a new concept, which has proven to be a great success in driving sales,” said Mr Kraftman.

“We are grateful to Robert and the team at RBS for arranging the finance package we needed.”

One thing Mr Kraftman is only too well aware of is the seasonal nature of the men’s gift market, but he believes Menkind’s growth has been achieved because of, rather than in spite of, this.

“Our flexible operating model allows us to manage and align costs so effectively with the seasonality of our market,” he added.

Menkind opened its first store in 2001 in the Lakeside Shopping Centre, Essex. The five new stores are in Aberdeen, Cardiff, Nottingham, Liverpool and Manchester.

Its new-look website, www.menkind.co.uk, is now live in good time for Christmas, and is crammed with thousands gift and novelty ideas for men (and big boys) of all ages to suit every pocket from football gifts to mens watches and remote control cars.

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The Guess Watches Anniversary Collection Now Available At H.Samuel

H.Samuel has announced that it will be helping Guess watches to celebrate its 25 year anniversary by launching the Guess special edition watch collection, available at H.Samuel.co.uk and in-store.

The new special edition Guess collection features signature looks with a modern twist. The Guess Pink 25th Bling ladies watch is exclusive to H.Samuel and offers customers a real taste of Guess glamour, featuring a pink strap and large round crystal set dial with Guess logo.

Guess Watches has also created three new styles in ten variations for the Guess Girl – all with a specially designed 25th anniversary case back.

Also amongst this new line of watches is the ever-popular and iconic Guess logo and Guess triangle with glitz bezels as well as crystal-studded dials and cases. These styles are highlighted in an array of colourful leather straps suitable for every woman’s fashion wardrobe.

Guess was founded in 1981 by the Marciano brothers. One of the most widely recognisable brands in the world, Guess is known for its ground breaking and innovative style. Through their design, marketing and distribution of fashion lifestyle products, Guess has become one of the fashion leaders in young contemporary markets across the globe and consistently produces designs that are fashion-forward and trend setting.

Guess is also famous for spotting up and coming talent. Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Laetitia Casta, Eva Herzigova, Charlize Theron and a host of today’s top celebs, models and actresses have taken part in Guess campaigns in the past.

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H.Samuel Launches Silverstone Competition With Citizen Eco-Drive

H.Samuel, the UK’s leading high street jeweller, has teamed up with Citizen watches to offer customers a unique opportunity to win a day test driving cars at Silverstone racetrack. Prize winners will be given the chance to drive high performance cars in a variety of scenarios. With full training and supervision, this will be an amazing day out. Entry to the competition is by signing up for the H.Samuel email newsletter, no purchase is required.

The Silverstone Grand Prix Challenge offers the winner the opportunity to drive a Ferrari 360, Porsche 911, Lotus Exige and a Land Rover around the world famous track, experiencing the thrill and excitement first hand. Customers will also take part in an auto-test in a Caterham 7, Peugot 206 GTI or Ford Fiesta, spinning and driving a car at speed through obstacles and around bollards.

With a full briefing and expert instructors to ensure maximum safety and enjoyment, this is a once in a lifetime chance for consumers to live out their petrol dreams. Breakfast and lunch is also included and participants will receive a trophy and presentation pack so that the lucky winners can remember their big day.

Citizen Eco-Drive watches are renowned for their style, design, innovation and quality. Featuring the Eco-Drive solar power system which powers the watch from any light source, Citizen watches rank among the finest on the high street. Available in a wide range of styles from sporty chronograph watches to dress watches, the Citizen watches range features watches for men and watches for women.

To enter the competition, consumers simply have to go to the H.Samuel website and click on the Citizen competition link on the Homepage, where they can sign up to receive the H.Samuel newsletter and be entered into the draw automatically. The closing date is 24 December 2009. The draw takes place within ten days of the closing date and winners will be notified within 28 days of the draw. After the draw date entrants are free to unsubscribe to the email newsletter.

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Snip-its Introduces Snip-its Express

Snip-its (www.snipits.com), the fastest growing franchise of children’s hair salons in the U.S. today announced franchising opportunities for its new Snip-its Express store. Snip-its Express offers the same, quality Snip-its’ haircutting experience customers have come to trust, while providing a streamlined version of the original franchise, for those looking for a smaller upfront investment. A new, 800-square foot Snip-its Express recently opened in Canton, Mass.

“The beauty of the Snip-its Express store is that franchisees can expect similar returns that our larger stores experience, with a smaller footprint and lower point-of-entry, with an investment as low as $127,775, said Christine Mudd, director of franchise development, Snip-its. ”The Snip-its Express store offers double the recession-busting return on investment with a solid business model, in a thriving industry coupled with lower cash outlay.”

Express is a smaller version of a traditional Snip-its salons, which typically measure about 1,500 square feet with 18 feet of storefront. Featuring the Snip-its-branded line of animated characters, salon-tailored educational computer games and no-muss, no-fuss recipe for success.

Leveraging Snip-its brand equity and internal expertise and infrastructure further increases operators’ success quotient. Snip-its is one of the most innovative, all-inclusive retail experiences in the hair care market today, and its model has proven superior to the competition. Committed to franchisee success as a reflection of its own success, Snip-its has several built-in revenue streams including a line of beauty products and merchandise.

Snip-its supports business owners in the process of financing a franchise investment by working with several preferred lenders who offer competitive and flexible financing options. Snip-its is registered with the SBA and with recent government plans to incentivize community banks to lend to small businesses, Snip-its is primed for growth.

Snip-its, a growing kids franchise was founded in 1995 by California native, Joanna Meiseles, the daughter of Hollywood producer, Robert Blumofe credited with the movie, Yours, Mine and Ours and is the granddaughter of famed comedian Jack Benny. After a heartbreaking visit to an ‘adult’ salon with her then young son, the first-time entrepreneur established the entertainment-styled salon with the goal to make children’s hair care a positive fun-filled adventure for families. Entrepreneurs that relate to this scenario may wish to learn more about opening a Snip-its store. For more information on Snip-It’s Express franchising please visit http://snipits.com/franchising/franchise_faq.cfm.

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Big Smile Toys’ Winter Toy Catalog Rings in the Holidays

BigSmileToys.com, a leading online toy store, announced today that it has released its winter toy catalog just in time for the busy holiday season. The full-color catalog features the arrival of popular and educational toys and games. The convenience of shopping online, especially during flu season, allays parents’ fears of going out in public places, while the printed catalog gives children plenty of holiday gift ideas from which to choose.

“Busy parents are increasingly shopping online for gifts and other purchases, and those who grew up anticipating the arrival of a favorite toy store catalog can now share that experience with kids,” says Steve Scartozzi, president BigSmileToys.com, who fondly recalls his own favorite holiday memories of looking through the season’s newest kids toys and circling the gifts he hoped to find under the tree.

BigSmileToys.com brings back this tradition, with the release of its winter toy catalog, which is chock full of toys that are likely to be on every child’s wish list. The catalog aids children and their parents in better communicating on gift selection and can minimize disappointment once the wrapping paper comes off.

BigSmileToys.com’s winter catalog features some of the most popular names in children’s playtime for boys and girls. Hot toys for boys this holiday season include fun play sets like Playmobil’s Egyptian Pyramid or Police Headquarters, K’s Kids Pull Back Autos and Bruder Mack Dumptruck. For the girls, the selection includes a full selection of dolls and dollhouses, as well as arts and craft sets and make your own jewelry packs. BigSmileToys.com also carries a full selection of educational sets such as one of Thames & Cosmos Kid’s Chemistry Sets and do-it-yourself kite, plane or rocket kits.

Based in suburban Philadelphia, BigSmileToys.com features an extensive line of children’s toys, games, books, plushes, puppets and even sporting equipment for purchase. With more than 48 years of experience, BigSmileToys.com operates on the idea that fun + learning = smiles and offers products which follow these principles. Learn more and search for products at www.bigsmiletoys.com.

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Ernest Jones Launched a Collection of Baume & Mercier Watches

Ernest Jones, the Diamond and Watch specialist has launched a collection of Baume & Mercier watches, offering consumers the chance to buy the high quality Swiss Made timepieces on the high street and online.

The selections of watches are crafted in steel or gold and in styles to suit both men and women. The collections available at Ernest Jones include the Classima Executive, which reinterprets Baume & Mercier watch-making tradition using mechanical movements enriched with small embellishments and refined finishes, and the Riviera collection, which revolutionised watch-making with a dodecagonal case. Ernest Jones also features the refined rectangular Diamant and Hampton ranges which offer a blend of elegance and modern design.

Also available at Ernest Jones is the iléa collection, a feminine range with sensual curves and flowing lines.

Founded in Switzerland in 1830, Baume & Mercier is a luxury watch brand that combines the finest watch making traditions with contemporary design and high quality components. In keeping with its pursuit of excellence, all Baume & Mercier watches bear the Swiss Made label and feature signed and numbered case backs. All movements are accredited by the Richemont Group. Baume & Mercier uses only stainless steel or 18ct gold bracelets and genuine alligator straps and all watches in these collections are water resistant with a two year international warranty.

Contemporary, classic and modern Baume & Mercier watches offer a unique style that reflects the taste and requirements of an aesthetically minded clientele. By valuing innovation, creativity and authenticity Baume & Mercier manufacture quality, first-class watches that are among the finest in watch making.

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Newport Rhode Island Cosmetics Retailer And Beauty Spa Offers A Variety Of Skin Care Products And Services Both In-Store And Online

Cosmetic Cosmos, a trusted supplier of high quality cosmetics and skin care, announced today that it has teamed with the Melanoma Foundation of New England to offer free skin cancer screenings at its Newport, Rhode Island retail store. The company has made a pledge to help educate consumers on the dangers and prevention of melanoma and skin cancer in addition to offering mineral foundations with sunscreen as well as other skin care products with sun protection to help customers minimize their exposure to dangerous UVA and UVB rays.

cosmeticcosmosimage.jpg (168×209)

“Whether it is at the beach, park, sporting events or even driving your car, everyone must be aware of what exposure to the sun can do to their skin,,” said Sherry Brice, president, Cosmetic Cosmos. “As a trusted resource on skin care and beauty, we feel it’s our responsibility to educate consumers about the prevention and diagnosis of skin cancer. We are partnering with the Melanoma Foundation of New England, to offer free skin checks at our Newport, Rhode Island store. We also pledge to educate our customers about skin cancer and how to protect themselves from exposure to damaging UVA and UVB rays.”

Cosmetic Cosmos scours the planet for the latest, most advanced skin care and cosmetic products with the goal of offering customers the best products to protect and beautify the body, from head to toe. Based in Newport, Rhode Island, Cosmetic Cosmos offers both men’s and women’s products, which can be shipped around the world through its online store at www.cosmeticcosmos.com. In addition, the Newport, Rhode Island location offers wedding and spa services.

About Cosmetic Cosmos
Cosmetic Cosmos is a Newport, Rhode Island based retail store, spa and web site offering the highest quality color cosmetics and skin care at affordable prices. Featuring a full line of skin-healthy mineral makeup, anti aging skin care creams, sun and self-tanning products, make up, nail polish, hair products, wigs and more, CosmeticCosmos offers local customers services such as Newport Rhode Island wedding make-up. For more information, please visit www.cosmeticcosmos.com or call 866-426-7667 (866-4COSMOS).

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