Tag Archives: UK

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UK: B&M opens new store on Parc Tawe Retail Park in Swansea

UK: B&M opens new store on Parc Tawe Retail Park in Swansea

LIVERPOOL, UK, 2018-Jan-02 — /EPR Retail News/ — There was plenty of excitement in Swansea today as B&M opened its new store on Parc Tawe Retail Park.

The addition to B&M’s portfolio in the region comes as a huge boost to the local economy, creating 70 jobs for people from the area.

Visitors to the store will be able to browse a wide range of branded and own label goods, including toys, groceries, health & beauty and pet ranges.

As part of the opening celebrations, B&M employees invited local charity, Ty Olwen Trust, to be their VIP for the day. Local Mayor, Cllr Philip Downing and his wife, Lilian, were also in attendance.

The charity aims to help people suffering from cancer and life-limiting diseases by providing amenities, equipment, services and facilities not normally provided by the NHS. They also support the family and dependents of patients who are facing financial circumstances as a result of these illnesses.

The foundation were handed £250 worth of vouchers to spend in-store as a thank you for their hard work in the community.

The store manager, Helen Buckley, said: “The team from Ty Olwen Trust really stood out for us as they go the extra mile for local community, we wanted to give them some VIP treatment as a thank you for all the hard work they do.

“We hope that our donation can help them to continue the great work they do.”

She also commented: “The new team have been working really hard to get the store ready for opening day and we can’t wait to get the doors open Thursday and show customers their new B&M Swansea.”

SOURCE: B&M Retail Limited

For media/press enquiries please email press@bmstores.co.uk

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UK: B&M completes the relocation of its Stenhousemuir store

UK: B&M completes the relocation of its Stenhousemuir store

LIVERPOOL, UK, 2018-Jan-02 — /EPR Retail News/ — B&M’s relocation of its Stenhousemuir store was complete today as the new doors were opened for the first time.

The addition to B&M’s portfolio comes as a huge boost to the local economy, creating a further 15 jobs – and another 20 temporary roles – for people from the area.

Visitors to the store, located on Tryst Road, will be able to browse a wide range of branded and own label goods, including toys, groceries, health & beauty and pet ranges.

As part of the opening celebrations, B&M employees invited local charity, Kidney Kids Scotland, to be their VIP for the day. Local Deputy Provost, Cllr Ann Ritchie, was also in attendance.

The charity supports children with renal/urology illness, as well as their families, to enable them to receive treatment as close to home as possible and minimize disruption to their family unit. They also support and complements the amazing work of hospitals all over Scotland by supplying them with much needed equipment and funding.

They were handed £250 worth of vouchers to spend in-store as a thank you for their hard work in the community.

The store manager, Kevin Troy, said: “The team from Kidney Kids Scotland really stood out for us as they go the extra mile for local community, we wanted to give them some VIP treatment as a thank you for all the hard work they do.

“We hope that our donation can help them to continue the great work they do.”

He also commented: “The new team have been working really hard to get the store ready for opening day and we can’t wait to get the doors open Wednesday and show customers their new B&M Stenhousemuir.”

SOURCE: B&M Retail Limited

For media/press enquiries please email press@bmstores.co.uk

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Amazon Music launches “The U2 Experience” available to U2 fans from U.S., UK, Germany, and Austria

  • Amazon to Launch an Exclusive Broadcast of New and Archived Interviews from U2, Including Live Recordings of Songs from the Band’s Upcoming Album “Songs of Experience”
  • Available to Amazon Music Account Holders in the U.S., UK, Germany, and Austria via Amazon Music on Web, Mobile, and Amazon Echo Devices Where Available For a Limited Time; Launching Simultaneously Across Multiple Time Zones on November 29 at 6pm EST
  • Prime Members and Amazon Music Unlimited Subscribers Just Ask, “Alexa, Play the U2 Experience”

SEATTLE, 2017-Nov-29 — /EPR Retail News/ — Amazon Music today (Nov. 28, 2017) announces “The U2 Experience”: a first-of-its-kind broadcast for Amazon Music designed with the voice experience in mind. Launching simultaneously across multiple time zones on November 29 at 6 pm EST, “The U2 Experience” is a new type of radio, filled with historical and new exclusive content produced by Amazon Music and available to U2 fans who tune in from the U.S., UK, Germany, and Austria, ending just before the release of the band’s upcoming album, Songs of Experience, on December 1. Only available during its one-time broadcast and exclusively on Amazon Music, “The U2 Experience” will be available at www.amazon.com/theu2experience and on the Amazon Music mobile app and Web Player for iOS, Android, Mac, and PC. In a new way of listening, the broadcast will also be available to all Prime members and Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers in the U.S. and UK through Alexa, on Amazon Echo devices, simply by asking, “Alexa, play The U2 Experience.”

“I hope you don’t need to know anything about U2, or anything about the context, to enjoy [Songs of Experience],” says U2 guitarist, The Edge. “I think it’s an album of just classic songs, great melodies great hooks, great lyrics. I think there’s very few bands in the history of rock and roll that have been around and made as many albums as we have with the same lineup…that perspective is unique, you know? On the last record [Songs of Innocence] we wrote about where we came from. How this band came together, Dublin of the late 70s early 80s, and this new record is the companion album. But it’s from this current perspective now… So many years later, what have we learned?”

For a limited time, fans will be able to drop into the broadcast and begin listening wherever the unique audio is currently in progress. “The U2 Experience” features a chronology of the band’s career, including commentary surrounding the significance behind iconic songs and legendary stories from the road, as told through live broadcast interviews with the band spanning nearly 40 years. Also included are some of the legendary rock group’s biggest hits, and live recordings of songs from The Joshua Tree and Songs of Experience, recorded during The Joshua Tree Tour 2017. The immersive audio show also includes a new and exclusive interview with U2 and Amazon Music’s global head of programming, Alex Luke, which took place during a stop in Sao Paolo, Brazil on tour this Fall.

“Few bands have as storied a career as U2, and we saw an incredible opportunity to build a broadcast for their fans,” said Luke. “This all goes back to voice innovation, and what we’ve built is an immersive, ephemeral listening experience for our customers, with a wealth of interviews and content going back nearly 40 years.”

In a brand-new format for Alexa, Amazon’s cloud-based voice service, Prime members and Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers in the U.S. and UK can simply ask, “Alexa, play The U2 Experience,” and will immediately be dropped into the broadcast, wherever the unique audio session is currently in progress. “The U2 Experience” is available to listen on the mobile app and Web Player in the U.S., UK, Germany, and Austria, to all customers with an Amazon Music account, with or without an Amazon Prime membership or Amazon Music Unlimited subscription, available only before the launch of U2’s new album, Songs of Experience, on December 1. Immediately following the show, the band’s new album, Songs of Experience, will be available to purchase on Amazon Music and stream for Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers.

“The U2 Experience” is the latest feature to launch within Amazon Music’s personalized natural language voice controls powered by Alexa, which has reimagined how customers experience music. When paired with Alexa, customers can ask for music by lyrics, mood, genre, era, and activities, simply by voice. Learn more about Amazon Music by visiting: www.amazon.com/music.

Start Times for “The U2 Experience”:

  • UK: Wednesday, 29 November 23:00
  • U.S.: Wednesday, 29 November 18:00 EST / 15:00 PST
  • Germany/Austria: Thursday, 30 November, 12:00am

From “The U2 Experience”:

Interview with Bono, 2017:

“Songs of Experience is kind of a rhyme. Your world view when you’re 17 or 18, contrasted with where you are now. I was very strict, very black and white, with the way I saw the world, whereas now I’m not. I see it in very different terms. When I was a kid – I saw the world as us and them. I think Edge was the same. But now I realize that the biggest obstacles you come up against in your life are probably not what you thought they were. It’s probably you.” – Bono

Interview with The Edge, 1987:

“‘Bullet the Blue Sky’ is a great example of why I love being in a band, as opposed to trying to be a solo artist. And it’s because, when Adam [Clayton] started playing that bass part… it is something I never, ever would have come up with in a million years. I think it is his greatest-ever bass part. He changed that piece of music, utterly, and made it what it is. The bass is of something totally different and unique.” – The Edge

Interview with Adam Clayton, 1981:

“I suspect we’ve always had this sound. We’ve always been U2. And you know, U2 is a thing that evolves constantly. And maybe a year from now, the sound will be slightly different from the sound on Boy. It’s impossible to tell because it’s a natural evolvement, all the time.”- Adam Clayton

About Amazon Music

Amazon Music is the destination for customers to have the most choice in how to access and listen to all their favorite music. In addition to streaming with Amazon Music Unlimited (standalone, on-demand music streaming service) and Amazon Prime Music (included in Prime memberships), where available, Amazon Music offers a wide selection of CD and Vinyl, including AutoRip on more than a hundred thousand albums, and tens of millions of MP3 songs to purchase and own. For more information on Amazon Music visit  and follow @AmazonMusic.

About Amazon

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

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

Source: Amazon

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Poundland announces £1 “Twin Peaks’ chocolate bar to go on sale across the UK on Monday 4 December

Poundland announces £1 “Twin Peaks’ chocolate bar to go on sale across the UK on Monday 4 December

 

  • Poundland To Launch £1 ‘Twin Peaks’ Chocolate Bar In December
  • The First 500,000 Original Bars to Hit Shelves Across the UK on December 4

Willenhall, United Kingdom, 2017-Nov-29 — /EPR Retail News/ — Poundland today (24 November 2017) confirmed its highly anticipated “Twin Peaks’ £1 chocolate bar will go on sale across the UK for the first time at 8.00 am on Monday 4 December.

The 180g bar that sent Britain barmy when it was first unveiled in June, had its launch unexpectedly delayed – but Poundland will finally launch Twin Peaks in brand new packaging in its 850 UK stores next month.

Customers will then be able to choose a bar for £1 that has 20 per cent more chocolate than Poundland’s best-selling Toblerone.

Created in Birmingham, the home of British chocolate, by specialist Walkers Chocolates, the Poundland original chocolate bar has a distinctive British flavour compared to Toblerone’s Swiss chocolate nougat.

Inspired by Shropshire’s Wrekin and Ercall hills, Twin Peaks will offer a taste sensation, receiving rave reviews in secret blind taste tests* with two in three customers preferring it to Toblerone.

Kraft (also the owners of Cadburys) complained about the shape of Twin Peaks.  In recent years Kraft has fought hard to keep Nestle from registering the KitKat shape, but this summer it argued that it had similar rights in the Toblerone shape. Poundland disagreed with this.

Following positive discussions, the first 500,000 bars, which will be on sale for £1 throughout December in their original shape, are set to be a collectors’ item. After this Poundland will revise the shape so it better represents the outline of the Wrekin and Ercall hills – the inspiration behind Twin Peaks as a British alternative to Toblerone and offering 30g more chocolate.

“In the last 12 months we believe our customers alone have missed out on 250 tonnes of chocolate after the size of their favourite item was chopped,” said Poundland trading controller Chris Burns.

“That’s why we began development on Twin Peaks in the first place”.

“Although it’s been a longer climb than we expected, we’re pleased customers will finally get to taste our Twin Peaks – 180g of delicious, British-made chocolate, for just £1”.

Editors’ Notes

* Taste Tests were conducted for the ITV programme ‘Trouble in Poundland’ using kitchen samples in the Wolverhampton Poundland store on 19 May 2017, with approximately two out of three people preferring the taste of Twin Peaks over Toblerone from a sample of around 100 customers .

The Wrekin is a hill in east Shropshire with a summit of 407 metres (1,335 feet). Standing alongside The Wrekin, the Ercall Hill’s highest point is 140 metres (460 feet). The two peaks are a well-recognised landmark in the Midlands and the Wrekin and Ercall form part of the Church Stretton Complex where different geological terrains meet.

About Walkers Chocolate

Birmingham based Walkers Chocolate Limited has been making well-loved British chocolate since 1977 and produces 8000 tonnes of confectionery products per year. Poundland has traded with Walkers Chocolates for over a decade delivering popular lines such as Mint & Turkish Nights.

About Poundland

From opening its first store in Burton-upon-Trent in 1990, Poundland, has built a network of almost 900 stores in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, offering top brands and great quality own brand products, that provide customers with amazing value every day.

Named Discount Retailer of the Year in 2015, it now has over 18,000 colleagues who serve over seven million customers every week from Wick to Weymouth, Londonderry to Lowestoft and Holyhead to Hastings.

At the 2015 Grocer Gold Awards, Poundland was singled out for Own Label Range of the Year for its Make Up Gallery cosmetics line, symbolic of its promise to customers – thousands of quality products in store with over 1,000 well-known brands in 17 shopping categories including food and drink, health and beauty, household, gardening, DIY, Pet, Stationery, Books, DVDs and Toys.

In 2017 Poundland began to roll out PEP&CO ‘shop-in-shops’ offering customers a full range of women’s, men’s and kids’ fashion.  Already available in over 130 of its stores. PEP&CO is bringing new style to Poundland with simple low pricing on family fashion that’s hard to find on local high streets.  Prices at PEP&CO start at £1 and 95 per cent of the range is under £10.00

In September 2016, Poundland became part of the Steinhoff International family an integrated manufacturer and retailer with operations in Europe, Australasia, Africa and the United States.

For further information, please contact the Poundland PR team on 020 3793 3842 or email Poundland@onegreenbean.com

Source: Poundland

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BRC on consumer price inflation figures in UK: It may be an expensive Christmas dinner this year

London, 2017-Nov-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — Commenting on the latest consumer price inflation figures releases by the ONS today (November 14, 2017), Rachel Lund, Head of Retail Insight & Analytics at the BRC said:

“It may be an expensive Christmas dinner this year as a combination of more costly imports and higher world food prices, particularly for dairy products, pushed food price inflation over four per cent year on year in October.

“With more of consumers’ incomes being absorbed in spending on food, retailers of non-food products are having to compete harder for business. In a dismal month for non-food sales, shoppers were offered significant discounts, leading to a drop in the inflation rate of goods such as furniture and clothing. Discounts are being offered at a time when many retailers are coming to the end of the protection from higher import costs provided by hedging facilities. That is putting an enormous squeeze on retailers’ margins as they head into what may well be a nerve wracking festive period.

“All eyes are now on the Chancellor to tackle the underlying weakness in consumer spending: we urge him to deliver a shoppers’ budget to the UK in time for Christmas.”

Source: BRC

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UK: Currys PC World rolls out 2017 Christmas advertising campaign

  • UK’s leading electrical retailer unveils new £6 million advertising campaign, offering viewers the expertise and advice they need to Get It Right this Christmas
  • New festive campaign dramatises three scenarios in which Currys PC World colleagues have been given products to experience in their own home lives, featuring Apple, Bose® and LG

London, 2017-Nov-04 — /EPR Retail News/ — Currys PC World today (2nd November 2017) unveils its latest Christmas advertising campaign, rolling out across TV, video on demand, social and online (YouTube) in the UK.

The new ATL creative showcases how the UK’s leading electrical retailer helps customers ‘get it right,’ at Christmas, with first-hand advice and recommendations from Currys PC World store colleagues.

For the third year running, humorous family scenarios are used bring to life the difficulties in choosing the right Christmas gifts, presenting Currys PC World as the solution to this problem – with the right gadgets and colleague expertise available to help.

The three installments dramatise a real-life initiative by the retailer which allows store colleagues to try out Currys PC World products for themselves at home, so that they’re able to give truly first-hand advice to shoppers in store.

This year’s campaign features technology from three key brands including a proud Dad attempting to be ‘down with the kids’ while parading his new Bose® product range; a family putting the latest Apple products (and their Father) through their paces and a hilarious Mum-Dad double act declaring a ‘tech free’ Christmas to a bewildered audience, before proudly showing off the latest LG OLED 4K ready TV, in all its glory.

While the ads centre around humour and several light-hearted moments, they also demonstrate that the retailer has an effective blend of the right services, right products and right prices, to help customers ‘get it right’ this Christmas.

The campaign will feature 40” hero TV executions alongside a suite of 10 sponsorship idents breaking over November and December, starting on air from Wednesday 1st November, and is supported by promotional activity throughout November and December.

The ads will appear during some high-profile television slots on ITV (Coronation Street, Doc Martin, Jonathan Ross, The X Factor and Sheridan) and Channel 4 (Ugly House to Lovely House, Celebrity First Dates and The Last Leg) across November, as well as commercial broadcasters including ITV, C4, C5 and Sky Multichannel.

The campaign is one element of a fully-integrated nationwide campaign, set to incorporate all areas of the business right down through to Currys PC World stores.

Georgina Bramall, Head of Brand and Advertising, Dixons Carphone: “As market leaders, it’s our job to set an example and do everything we can to help customers ‘get it right’ at Christmas – so it makes complete sense that our own store colleagues test-out and get hands-on with the products for themselves. Being able to access expert advice from people who know and love technology is not just reassuring – it’s essential. Increasingly, this is what sets us apart from our competitors in the minds of our customers and our suppliers”

Colin Jones and Phil Martin, Creative Directors, AMV BBDO: “This campaign playfully celebrates the important role in-store colleagues play in helping customers choose the perfect Christmas gift, from the wide range of entertainment and gifting lines available at Currys PC World. Each Christmas, gift buying can become a puzzling and dreaded task, but with advice honed by colleagues who have tried the products in their own lives, Currys PC World can help you get it right.”

Working with retained creative agency AMV BBDO and media agency Blue 449, the new ATL campaign from Currys PC World will feature across TV, print and digital platforms. The campaign launches with a 40 second TV spot running until 24th December.

Campaign credits:

CREDITS
Creative Agency: AMV BBDO
Executive Creative Directors: Alex Grieve, Adrian Rossi
Creative Directors: Phil Martin, Colin Jones
Agency Planner: David Edwards, Tom Claridge
Agency Account Manager: Chris Taggart, Alex Bird, Chris Ferguson, Vanessa Wise
Agency Producer: Rebecca Scharf
Media Agency: Blue 449
Media Planner: Lizzie Andrew, Tom Coles
Production Company: O Positive
Director: Brian Billow
Production Co. Producer: Nell Jordan
Post-production Company: The Mill
Audio Post-production: Wave

About Dixons Carphone

Dixons Carphone plc is Europe’s leading specialist electrical and telecommunications retailer and services company, employing over 41,000 people in nine countries. Focused on helping customers navigate the connected world, Dixons Carphone offers a comprehensive range of electrical and mobile products, connectivity and expert after-sales services from the Geek Squad and Team Knowhow.

Dixons Carphone’s primary brands include Carphone Warehouse and CurrysPCWorld in the UK & Ireland, Elkjøp, Elkjøp Phonehouse, Elgiganten, Elgiganten Phone House, Gigantti and Lefdal in the Nordic countries, Kotsovolos in Greece, Dixons Travel in a number of UK airports as well as Dublin and Oslo. Our key service brands include Team Knowhow in the UK, Ireland and the Nordics, and Geek Squad in the UK & Ireland.

Business-to-business (B2B) services are provided through Connected World Services, CurrysPCWorld Business and Carphone Warehouse Business. Connected World Services aims to leverage the Group’s existing expertise, operating processes and technology to provide a range of services to businesses.

For more information, please contact:

Currys PC World press office:

M&C Saatchi PR
curryspcworld@mcsaatchi.com
0207 544 3600

Source: Dixons Carphone plc

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John Lewis Retail Report looks back over the extensive changes in the UK and in retail since 2013

London, 2017-Oct-13 — /EPR Retail News/ — In the fifth anniversary edition of the John Lewis Retail Report*, we take a look back at the year breakfast was reinvented, Millennial Pink found its way into wardrobes and homes, voice activation went mainstream and superfoods moved from our plates into our beauty products.

As well as reviewing the last twelve months, this year’s special five-year edition looks back over the extensive changes in the UK and in retail since 2013. For instance:

  • Black Friday has replaced Cyber Sunday as the biggest spending day of the year
  • There are now almost 50 times more smart home products stocked at John Lewis, compared to 2013
  • The proportion of visits from mobiles and tablets to johnlewis.com has increased from 42% to 64% in the last five years.

As with previous years, we have analysed extensive internal data to provide an insight into the products which fell out of favour, the trends that soared and the themes which dominated the year.

What we left behind:

  • Spiralizers: Online searches dropped by 53% compared to last year
  • Office suits for women: This traditional look is becoming a thing of the past with matching suit jackets and skirts seeing a 10% decline
  • Push-up bras: Customers favour non-padded options today, with sales up 20%
  • Sat Navs: With smartphones taking the driving seat, we plan to remove these from our stocklist.

2017 was the year of the unicorn and Millennial Pink

Faced with economic uncertainty and an eventful year in politics, customers sought out products to help them escape from reality:

  • Online searches for pool inflatables increased 99% compared to last year
  • Unicorns were emblazoned on everything, from wallets to water bottles (searches increased 70%)
  • Searches for mermaid-themed products increased 22% on last year.

Meanwhile, the iconic blush shade ‘Millennial Pink’ dominated colour palettes in homes and wardrobes as a result of its phenomenal popularity on the social media feeds of famous influencers including Rihanna and Beyoncé.

  • 63,000 searches for ‘pink’ on johnlewis.com since January 2017
  • Bedroom accessories in this shade saw a 28% increase in sales
  • Men’s pink t-shirts saw a 74% sales increase and pink shirts were up 39% on last year
  • Sales of women’s pink jackets increased by 55% compared to last year

Breakfast was reinvented

This is also the year that the UK lost its appetite for a traditional greasy fry-up, replacing it with a more wholesome alternative. Fat-free Eaziglide frying pans were best sellers, egg gadgets and avocado tools saw sales rises of 25% and 40%. Breakfast classics such as teapots, butter dishes, egg cups and coffee machines all experienced sales increases.

We redefined how customers interact with shops

Nowadays, experience is as important as the product. John Lewis offered more try-before-you-buy, exclusive experiences in the last twelve months than ever before, including sleepovers in shops, live cooking demonstrations with Jamie Oliver, high tea in a Wedgewood pop-up tearoom and yoga and boxing workouts on the rooftop of John Lewis Oxford Street. Millennials are driving this appetite for unique shopping experiences, with younger John Lewis customers twice as likely to do a leisure activity or have a beauty treatment while out shopping than more mature customers.

Mobile shopping is now second nature

Today, almost everyone uses a phone to browse and buy: over a third of online traffic to JohnLewis.com comes from mobiles. In 2017 there was a tipping point in behaviour, as purchases on smartphones increased a staggering 69%, compared to last year. One reason for the growing dominance of mobile shopping is that it allows for a bite-size shopping experience, with customers filling time by browsing for inspiration or buying an urgent item within a matter of minutes.

Peter Cross, Director of Customer Experience at John Lewis, said: ‘How we shop continues to change at pace. Shops now need to combine the very best products with the latest, most immersive experiences. For many customers, their phones are the ‘remote control’ for their lives with their shopping, banking, social networks and to-do list in one place.

‘Five years on, this report is as intriguing as ever – as much for highlighting what we bought as highlighting what we haven’t. It’s our job to make sure that customers in 2020 will be as engaged and excited by the products and experiences we offer as they are today. In the face of all this change we will make sure that John Lewis remains trusted by millions of customers across the country for expert advice and guaranteed quality, which is never knowingly undersold.’

*The John Lewis Retail Report is created every year and is based on its shopping data from August 2016 to September 2017.

Download a copy of the John Lewis Retail report 2017 (PDF 3.1MB)

Notes to editors

John Lewis – John Lewis operates 48 John Lewis shops across the UK (34 department stores, 12 John Lewis at home and shops at St Pancras International and Heathrow Terminal 2) as well as johnlewis.com. John Lewis,  ‘Best In-Store Experience 2017’, ‘Best Furniture Retailer 2017,’ ‘Best Homewares Retailer 2017’1, stocks around 350,000 separate lines in its department stores and johnlewis.com across fashion, home and technology. Johnlewis.com is consistently ranked one of the top online shopping destinations in the UK.  John Lewis Insurance offers a range of comprehensive insurance products – home, car, wedding and event, travel and pet insurance and life cover – delivering the values of expertise, trust and customer service expected from the John Lewis brand.

1Verdict Consumer Satisfaction Awards 2017

You can follow John Lewis on the following social media channels:
www.johnlewis.com/twitter 
www.johnlewis.com/facebook 
www.johnlewis.com/youtube.

Enquiries
For further information please contact:

John Lewis
Lexi Finnigan
Corporate Communications Manager
Telephone: 0207 592 6994
Email: pressoffice@johnlewis.co.uk

Source: John Lewis

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Costa Coffee signs the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment to accelerate recycling of paper cups in UK

London, 2017-Oct-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Organisations from across the paper cup supply chain have signed an agreement with the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE UK) to accelerate UK recycling of PE lined paper cups. The cross-industry collaboration will work towards delivering a long-term, nationwide paper cup recycling solution which complements and builds on the recycling activities achieved so far by the paper cup industry.

The companies signed up to the agreement are: Benders Paper Cups, Bunzl Catering Supplies, Caffe Nero, Costa Coffee, Dart Products Europe, Greggs, Huhtamaki, International Paper, McDonald’s UK, Nestlé, Pret A Manger, Seda Group, Starbucks, and Stora Enso.

Using ACE UK’s extensive recycling expertise, gained running the beverage carton industry’s recycling programme, the fourteen companies will fund an activity programme which will give many more people access to recycling for paper cups. The programme includes:

From 1st January 2018 all ACE UK bring banks will accept paper cups for recycling, delivering an additional 382 recycling points located in 97 local authorities across the UK. With a further 33 recycling points across an additional eight local authorities scheduled during the next phase.

Cups from these recycling points will be processed at ACE UK’s recycling facility in Halifax.

Drawing on its experience and existing relationships with local authorities, waste management organisations and recycling bodies, ACE UK will work to include cups in local authority kerbside collections. Currently 66% of local authorities collect beverage cartons at kerbside, in addition to those which collect through bring banks, and it is hoped to achieve similar levels of coverage for cups.

ACE UK has been successfully running the beverage carton industry’s recycling programme for the last ten years driving significant increases in carton recycling as part of its role as the UK beverage carton industry trade body. During this time it has worked closely with local authorities and waste management companies so that today 92% of local authorities collect beverage cartons for recycling through either bring banks or kerbside collection.

Commenting on the agreement Richard Hands, CEO of ACE UK said: “The paper cup industry is facing very similar recycling challenges to the ones the beverage carton industry faced when we started our programme ten years ago. Whilst our primary focus will remain on increasing beverage carton recycling, we believe our expertise, experience and existing relationships can help the paper cup industry create a step change in cup recycling. Whilst it is early days, we have a clear measured plan agreed and expect to see significant progress in cup recycling over the next two years and beyond.”

The agreement builds on activities implemented and supported during the last year by the companies involved, such as in-store cup recycling, single site and pilot recycling projects including ‘One More Shot’ and the ‘Square Mile Challenge’.

Neil Whittall Global Category Director of Speciality Coffee at Huhtamaki UK, and chair of the Paper Cup Recycling and Recovery Group (PCRRG) said: “Whilst paper cups are fully recyclable, the industry recognises that many are not being recycled because of a lack of collection facilities. Companies across the industry have been working to address this barrier and increase cup recycling.

“This agreement with ACE UK represents a significant advance in UK recycling infrastructure for paper cups. It will also help us accelerate progress towards the PCRRG’s objective of ensuring the majority of the UK population have access to information, schemes and facilities to allow them to recycle their paper cup, as set out in our Paper Cup Manifesto.”

“Furthermore by generating greater volumes of cups for recycling this will create a market for the material, making cups more attractive to waste management companies and creating the potential for more schemes to be introduced to collect cups from a much wider range of locations such as offices and high street locations.”

Mike Turner MD, International Paper Foodservice Europe and chair of European packaging trade body Pack2Go added: “This collaborative agreement, funded entirely by the signatories, is a clear demonstration of the commitment of these organisations, from across the paper cup supply chain, to address the barriers to recycling and deliver practical solutions to maximise recycling of paper cups.”

Dominic Paul, MD of Costa Coffee, said:

Costa is proud to be a part of today’s ACE UK announcement, which will give our customers more access to recycling points for their takeaway cups.

Using ACE UK’s extensive recycling expertise, which currently allows 92% of local authorities to recover beverage cartons for recycling, the partnership will launch in January 2018.

This ground-breaking agreement will help to further accelerate takeaway cup recycling and compliment the nationwide, in-store recycling scheme we already operate across over 2,200 Costa stores. Since the launch of our in-store recycling in February we have already recovered and are in the process of recycling over 9 million takeaway cups, which includes any competitor cups. We also continue to drive the use of reusable cups and have launched two new multi-purpose cups, offering a 25p discount for customers using any branded reusable cup in store.

About ACE UK

The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE UK) provides a platform for the industry to profile and benchmark cartons as a renewable, recyclable and low-carbon packaging choice, and to drive its environmental initiatives. This includes running the industry’s carton recycling programme.

ACE UK represents Tetra Pak, Elopak, SIG Combibloc, the leading manufacturers of beverage cartons for the UK market. It is also supported by BillerudKorsnäs and Stora Enso, which produce about 98% of the paperboard used by ACE UK members to manufacture beverage cartons in Europe.

About Costa

Founded in London by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa in 1971, Costa is now part of Whitbread PLC, which this year celebrates its 275th Anniversary as a great British business.

With over 2,200 coffee shops in the UK and more than 1,200 in 29 international markets we are the fastest growing coffee shop business in the UK and are proud to be the UK’s favourite coffee shop, having been awarded “Best Branded Coffee Shop Chain in the UK and Ireland” by Allegra Strategies for seven years running (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015 and 2016).

Looking after coffee growers is extremely important to us, which is why we established The Costa Foundation, a registered charity with the aim to relieve poverty, advance education and the health and environment of coffee-growing communities around the world. So far, The Costa Foundation has funded the building of 72 schools and improved the social and economic welfare of coffee-growing communities.

Media enquiries:

Floyd Jebson or Debbie Daly, at Instinctif Partners
Tel: +44 (0)1869 353 800
Email: floyd.jebson@instinctif.com or debbie.daly@instinctif.com

Source: Costa Coffee

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Asda reaffirms commitment to offering ‘not for profit’ IVF service in its Pharmacies across the UK

  • Asda Pharmacy’s not-for-profit IVF drugs cost £1374 per cycle
  • With over 255 in store pharmacies offering the service nationwide, potential parents across the UK are able to access treatment
  • Not for profit service ensures affordable and accessible IVF medication is available to everyone

LEEDS, England, 2017-Aug-09 — /EPR Retail News/ — As cuts to NHS funding for IVF treatment have reignited concerns over a ‘postcode lottery’ for women seeking treatment, Asda has reaffirmed its commitment to offering their ‘not for profit’ IVF service in 255 Asda Pharmacies across the UK.

Asda first launched its pioneering service in 2010 to help ensure IVF could be affordable and accessible to all. Today, as thousands of potential parents face the concern of not being able to access the treatment that would allow them to have a family, Asda has restated its commitment to continuing the service. At Asda, one cycle of treatment will cost £1374*and customers using the service have face to face access to a Pharmacist, unlike many online services that offer the treatment.

Infertility continues to be the most common reason for women ages 20-45 to see their GP, after pregnancy itself, and affects 3.5 million people in the UK – the equivalent of one in six couples.* Yet despite the acknowledgement of infertility as a serious medical condition, accessing the treatment remains challenging for many. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that the NHS should offer three full cycles of IVF for women under 40 who have not become pregnant after two years of trying. But the recommendations are not binding – it is up to local NHS providers to decide what to offer, meaning the offer can vary from three cycles to none depending on where a woman lives.

Faisal Tuddy, Asda’s Superintendent Pharmacist: “We know that a considerable number of women have to pay for additional cycles of IVF treatment; a process that is financially, as well as emotionally, draining. Asda is known for offering great value for families wherever they live in the UK and so it makes sense for us that we do what we can to help people get access to the treatment they need, regardless of where they live. Our not for profit IVF service has been a huge success since we launched in 2010 and we’re committed to helping even more people on their journey to becoming parents. .”

For case study examples of families supported by Asda’s Not for Profit IVF treatment click here: https://www.asdagoodliving.co.uk/family/healthy-living/how-ivf-changed-the-lives-of-these-three-couples?platform=facebook

*The cost of a cycle of treatment has been calculated based on the prices of the following: Suprecur Injection 5.5ml (x4), Northisterone 5mg (x21), Synarel Nasal Spray 60 Dose (x2), Menopur 75iu (x 48), Pregnyl 5000iu (x 2), Cyclogest 400mg (x 36), Menopur 75iu (x 20), Cyclogest 200mg (x 84).

For further information contact:
Naomi Farmer
0113 82664072

Tori Pourzand
07779701602

Source: ASDA

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UK: B&M opens new store in Livingston, Scotland

Hartlepool, United Kingdom, 2017-Aug-07 — /EPR Retail News/ — There was plenty of excitement in Livingston today (03 August 2017) as a new B&M store, with Garden Centre, was opened.

It’s the latest addition to the stores in the West Lothian region and comes as a huge boost to the local economy thanks to the creation of 70 jobs.

Visitors to the store, based in Almondvale Business Park, will be able to browse a wide range of branded and own label goods, including toys, groceries, health & beauty and pet ranges.

The new store also features a large 5000 square foot garden centre attachment.

As part of the opening day celebrations, B&M colleagues invited along a local charity, River Kids Scottish Children’s Charity, to be their VIP for the day – who also received £250 worth of B&M vouchers as a thank you for taking part.

The charity aim to make sure that all children and young people receive the best care and experience when in need of help.

168,000 babies, children and young people are treated at Glasgow Hospital every year. River Kids Scottish Children’s Charity sits firmly at the heart of the hospital, raising money to ensure that their young patients and families receive the best possible care.

A spokesperson for B&M said: “We’re feeling really positive about the creation of new jobs for local people and we hope customers are going to be delighted with their new store.

“We are all really excited to get the doors open and welcome our new customers through the door in a few weeks.”

Contact:

email: press@bmstores.co.uk

Source: B&M

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Tesco extends its same day online grocery delivery service across the entire UK

Tesco extends its same day online grocery delivery service across the entire UK

 

CHESHUNT, England, 2017-Jul-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — Tesco has today (24 Jul 2017) announced it is extending its same day online grocery delivery service across the entire UK, making it the first retailer to offer nationwide same day grocery delivery.

Tesco launched same day grocery delivery in London and the South East in 2014 and is now extending the service to over 300 stores across the UK, covering over 99% of UK households. This is the biggest reach of any retailer in the UK, stretching from the Shetland Islands in Scotland to Cornwall in south-west England.

Customers can order by 1pm to have their shopping delivered from 7pm onwards and receive an unlimited number of items. The new service is priced between £3 and £8 but is free for a limited period to members of Tesco’s online delivery membership scheme, Delivery Saver.

Same day deliveries are proving increasingly popular with Tesco seeing an 18% growth in demand for the service so far this year.

Earlier this year Tesco also extended its Same Day Click+Collect service to 300 locations across the UK and today’s announcement means it is the only retailer to offer both Same Day grocery delivery and Click+Collect nationwide.

Adrian Letts, managing director of Tesco Online said:

“Customers tell us they like getting their shopping delivered quickly and conveniently, and with our same day delivery service they can now order by lunch to get their shopping delivered for their evening meal.

He adds:“We’ve seen the service grow in popularity since we launched it in London and the South East so we’re really excited to be rolling it out to customers nationwide.”

  • Nationwide rollout of same day delivery will be complete by the end of August.
  • Same Day Delivery is available seven days a week in London and the South East and six days a week (Monday to Saturday) across the rest of the UK.
  • Same day Flexi-saver home delivery slots are available from £3 and one hour slots from £4.
  • Order by 1 pm for delivery from 7 pm.
  • Tesco delivered its first online order back in 1984 when Jane Snowball from Gateshead ordered groceries to be delivered from her local store. Since then its online grocery service has evolved to offer a variety of options, including home delivery, Click and Collect and Delivery Saver – a loyalty scheme to help regular online customers save more. In June Tesco further enhanced its grocery delivery service by launching Tesco Now, which offers deliveries within an hour to customers in Central London.

Source: Tesco

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SPAR UK partners donate hours of employee time to support youth project in South Wales

SPAR UK partners donate hours of employee time to support youth project in South Wales

 

An army of 40 volunteers from Blakemore Trade Partners has donated 520 hours of employee time supporting a youth project in South Wales.

South Wales, 2017-Jul-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Volunteers from the division’s Trading Department rolled up their sleeves and spent two days regenerating the Fernhill Youth Project, Mid Glamorgan in South Wales.

Employees were tasked with painting the communal and kitchen areas inside the centre, restoring and painting a wooden memorial bench, turning over a large area of land for the project to use for vegetables, and build six work benches. In addition, employees used their IT expertise to clean up the youth centre’s IT software. The team also donated an iPad Mini and 32” flat screen TV to the project.

The Fernhill Youth Project provides a safe, warm place where young people can socialise, have fun, try new activities, learn new skills, help create trust and respect for each other and their community. The project offers a variety of opportunities enabling young people to grow in confidence, increase self-esteem and participate in practical and physical activities that they would not be able to experience otherwise.

Contact:

SPAR International
Email: info@spar-international.com
Tel: +3120 626 6749

Source: Spar International

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Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money research: UK holidaymakers plan to spend £836 million more this summer than this time last year

Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money research: UK holidaymakers plan to spend £836 million more this summer than this time last year

 

The sum of the top five currencies bought from Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money in the first five months of 2017 was 26 per cent higher than the same period in 2016

London, 2017-Jul-19 — /EPR Retail News/ — As the summer holiday season heats up, new research(1) from Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money (www.sainsburysbank.co.uk/travel/money) reveals people plan to take around £836 million(2) more in spending money – or £34 per holidaymaker – than this time last year. The reason for this is to offset the fall in Sterling’s value against popular holiday currencies.

The pound is currently worth around three per cent less against the Euro than it was a year ago, and one per cent less against the US Dollar(3).

The sum of the top five currencies bought from Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money in the first five months of this year was 26 per cent higher than the same period in 2016(4).

To help their money go further on holiday, the findings(1) indicate 9 per cent of people have specifically chosen all-inclusive vacations this summer, and 6 per cent have booked self-catering breaks for this reason.

Nearly one in 20 people (4 per cent) say they will go on fewer excursions whilst on holiday abroad, and 3 per cent have decided to take their summer vacation in the UK this year. In total, just over one in five (22 per cent) plan to make one or more changes to their summer holidays to ensure they get the most out of their money.

Simon Taylor, head of Travel Money at Sainsbury’s Bank said: “A fall in Sterling against popular currencies has made holidaymakers shop around for the best deal. Sainsburys shoppers can benefit from better rates when they use their Nectar card to purchase instore and online from Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money.”

Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money’s findings(1) reveal 21 per cent of people claim they have bought on average £455 of foreign currency at an airport travel money bureau over the past 12 months, despite offering some of the least competitive rates. Its research also reveals that on 5 July 2017 its own Sterling exchange rate was on average 11 per cent higher than the average rates offered for Euros at travel money bureaux at five different UK airports, and 10 per cent higher than the average rates for US dollars(5).

Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money offers Nectar cardholders competitive rates on Euro and US Dollars at its instore bureaux and all currencies online, with 0 per cent commission on foreign currency and the opportunity to collect Nectar Points(6). In addition store customers can be reassured they are getting a good rate with the pledge to beat any store rate from any M&S or PO bureau within a 3 mile radius of the bureau, during the summer period(7).

There are over 50 currencies available to order, with next day collection available for Euros and US Dollars(8). Open seven days a week and with convenient parking, customers can also purchase a Travel Money Card – the Sainsbury’s Bank Multi-currency Cash Passport TM MasterCard® and collect travel money whilst shopping(9).

Sainsbury’s Bank is also currently running an offer for travel money customers by providing a discount of up to 40 per cent on its travel insurance(10) product. Customers who buy currency between 17 May and 29 August will receive a discount code for discounted travel insurance.

Customers can order currency online or by telephone on 0345 301 2724 and collect from one of over 230 travel money bureaux within Sainsbury’s stores, or receive free home delivery for orders of £500 or more.

www.sainsburysbank.co.uk/travel/money

Notes to editor:

This press release is information for journalists only and is not intended to be a promotion to be acted upon by consumers.

Rates and information correct at date of issue.

(1) Sainsbury’s Bank commissioned Opinium Research to survey 2,004 nationally representative UK adults aged 18+ between 28th April to 2nd May 2017. Opinium Research is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules
(2) 942 respondents stated they went abroad last year and plan to/have this year/2004 = 47%
47% of Brits is 24,345,738 (using adult figure of 51,767,000) x £34 = £836,055,067
(3) Sainsbury’s Bank analysis of exchange rates (xe.com) between Sterling and the Euro and Dollar on 5th July 2017 compared to 5th July 2016.
(4) Source: Sainsbury’s Travel Money
(5) Sainsbury’s Bank analysis of own data and analysis of data on Travelmoneymax.com for Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, Edinburgh Airport, Luton Airport and Norwich Airport
(6) Nectar points may take up to 60 days to appear on your account. Customers can collect Nectar points on all instore, phone and online purchases of foreign currency. The number of Nectar points collected is based on the value of the currency transaction: 5 points are collected for transactions between £0 and £249.99; 10 points for transactions between £250 and £499.99; 20 points for transactions between £500 and £799.99 and 50 points for transactions of £800 or more. A Nectar card must be presented at the time of purchase instore, or a Nectar card number quoted online or by phone at the time of purchase. The Nectar loyalty programme is operated independently of Sainsbury’s Bank by Aimia Coalition Loyalty UK Ltd; and the collection and use of points is governed by the Nectar Collector Rules, set out in the registration pack and available at www.nectar.com. Sainsbury’s Bank reserves the right to alter, cancel or withdraw this offer without prior notice.
(7) Rate Promise: You must supply details of the amount, currency and instore rate advertised; name and address of Post Office or M&S which must be within a 3 mile radius of your chosen Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money bureau; and time of rate to be beaten (must be same day). Available instore only, not online or by phone. Applicable on a like-for-like basis on currencies available to buy from Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money bureaux. Purchases only, must be requested before a purchase is made. If your chosen currency is out of stock, we will order it for you. Orders must be collected within 5 days of the order date. We reserve the right to verify the advertised rate. An offer to beat a particular competitor’s rate is valid only on the day it is made. Not available on buy back transactions or prepaid card reloads. Sainsbury’s Bank reserves the right to alter or withdraw this offer at any time without prior notice.
(8) Orders collected at instore bureaux – Euros & US Dollars can be collected next day, other currencies in 3 days. A £1.99 administration fee applies to all online orders under £100 collected instore.
(9) Sainsbury’s Bank Multi-currency Cash Passport™ is issued by R. Raphael & Sons plc, pursuant to license by MasterCard International Inc. MasterCard® is a registered trademark of MasterCard International Incorporated. R. Raphael & Sons plc is a UK bank authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (registration number 161302) and is permitted to issue e-money. Head office and registered office at 19-21 Shaftesbury Ave, London, W1D 7ED, company registration number 01288938.
(10) Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Insurance is Underwritten by Cigna Europe Insurance Company S.A-N.V. Offer only applies to Travel Money purchased instore, online or by phone and includes home delivery or collection from Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money bureaux between 17/05/17 and 29/08/17. Excludes buy back and money transfer transactions. Travel Insurance must be purchased by 26/09/17 using the discount code online. Terms, conditions and exclusions apply to all insurance policies. To qualify for Travel Insurance you need to be 16 years of age or over. Discount does not apply to any part of the premium you pay to cover any pre-existing medical conditions. Copies of the full policy wording and complaint procedure are available on request or by visiting sainsburysbank.co.uk. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion or coupon. Sainsbury’s Bank reserves the right to alter, cancel or withdraw the offer without prior notice.

For further information, please contact:
Sainsbury’s Bank press office
0131 286 0010
bank_communications@sainsburys.co.uk

Emma Murphy / Phil Anderson
Citigate Dewe Rogerson
020 7638 9571

Source: Sainsbury

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Amazon announces animated kid series Lost in Oz to premiere August 4 on Prime Video in the US and UK

Brand-New Series Expands on Multiple Emmy-Winning Special and Stars Voice Talent of Ashley Boettcher, Gina Gershon, Allison Mack, Jorge Diaz and Nika Futterman

SEATTLE, 2017-Jul-08 — /EPR Retail News/ — Amazon today (Jul. 6, 2017) announced that Lost in Oz, the highly-anticipated animated kid series for children ages 6-11, is scheduled to premiere August 4 on Prime Video in the US and UK. The new series, which expands on the multiple Emmy Award-winning Amazon Original special, Lost in Oz: Extended Adventure, is a magical, modern adaptation of the beloved Ozbooks from L. Frank Baum for today’s generation of families. For the series launch, the special will be broken into 3 separate episodes and 10 new episodes will be added on. Lost in Oz, featuring the voice talent of Ashley Boettcher (Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street), Gina Gershon (Red Oaks), Allison Mack (Smallville), Jorge Diaz (Elena of Avalor), Nika Futterman (Star Wars: Clone Wars), Stephen Stanton (Star Wars Rebels) and Keith Ferguson (The Lego Movie), will be available to stream exclusively for Prime members via the Amazon Prime Video app for TVs; connected devices, including Fire TV and mobile devices; and online. Prime members can also download the series to mobile devices for offline viewing at no additional cost to their membership.

In Lost in Oz, 12-year-old Dorothy Gale discovers her mother’s magical travel journal hidden beneath the floorboards of their Kansas home. The book triggers a tornado, which rips her house from its foundation and transports Dorothy and her dog, Toto, to Emerald City, a bustling, modern, metropolis. In order to get home, Dorothy learns she must acquire every element on Oz’s “periodic table of magic” – while the city faces the worst magic drought in eons! Along the way, Dorothy and Toto meet unlikely allies in West, Ojo, Reigh the Lion, Scarecrow, and Glinda the Good, who are each eager to help, but struggling with their own problems. Together, they navigate the magical landscape of Oz while undergoing their own unique journeys of self-discovery.

“We’re excited for families everywhere to experience the magic of this serialized action-adventure comedy, led by a fearless female character and featuring a diverse group of friends,” said Tara Sorensen, Head of Kids Programming at Amazon Studios. “The Lost in Oz pilot and the extended special were extremely popular with young viewers and parents alike, and the new series, poised to be the next Oz-based classic, serves up even more fun for fans.”

Lost in Oz is created by Bureau of Magic and animated by Polygon Pictures. The series is developed and executive produced by Abram Makowka, Darin Mark, Jared Mark, and Mark Warshaw (East Los High). The Amazon Original Special, Lost in Oz: Extended Adventure, won three 2017 Daytime Emmy Awards for “Outstanding Children’s Animated Program,” “Outstanding Sound Mixing – Animation,” and “Outstanding Sound Editing – Animation.”

Below are what customers have said about Lost in Oz:

  • “Wow! Lost in Oz is incredibly engaging, funny, action packed, full of heart, and surprisingly not at all predictable.”
  • “It’s smart, funny, and very cute. AND MOREOVER, there is nothing objectionable for parents in this!”
  • “My kids can barely sit still for 30 minutes but they were Lost in Oz!”
  • “The visual effects are stunning! The story has many smart and fresh twists that we adults couldn’t stop watching with our 5 year old.”
  • “Great adaptation. Seriously, couldn’t stop watching. I enjoy that it’s modern and fanciful, with lots of technology and a hint of magic here and there.”
  • “Sometimes I watch shows with my grandsons purely because they like them. This time, not only did THEY enjoy it…I loved it as well! The characters were lovable, the story line was well written, and the animation was terrific. This is a successful modern twist on an old classic.”
  • “It’s a great show that the family can watch together.”
  • “My 6 yr. old granddaughter has watched it twice and her Mom said she wouldn’t stop talking about it. Love that the heroine is a girl.”

The Lost in Oz: Extended Adventure special is currently available to stream and enjoy using the Amazon Video app for TVs; connected devices, including Amazon Fire TV and mobile devices; and online at www.amazon.com/originals. Customers who are not already a Prime member can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime. For a list of all Amazon Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream. Lost in Oz is also available as part of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, the all-you-can-eat subscription service designed from the ground up for kids. FreeTime Unlimited is available exclusively on Amazon devices, including Amazon Fire TV and Fire tablets, and a year-long subscription is included with every Fire Kids Edition.

About Amazon Originals Kids Programming

In 2014, Amazon Studios began introducing Original Kids Series for Prime Video, kicking off with the Emmy award-winning series, Tumble Leaf, about a delightfully curious blue fox, and his best friend Stick, a quirky caterpillar, as they embark on a fun and nature-filled adventure. Today, customers can enjoy 14 Original Kids Series including Just Add Magic, Annedroids, Dino Dana, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, Danger & Eggs, and An American Girl Story which consists of four separate specials. Four additional series are confirmed to debut later this year including, Emmy award-winning Niko and the Sword of Light, Emmy award-winning Lost in Oz, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

The mission of Amazon’s original preschool series is to inspire lifelong creative learning in children beginning at the preschool age. The aim is to validate, maintain and foster young children’s creative, joyful, and curious learning spirit through offering core content that is integrated with skills children need now and for the future. This is accomplished by integrating a curriculum thread through all preschool shows including The Stinky & Dirty Show, Creative Galaxy and Wishenpoof, working with established creators and educational advisors that comprise the Thought Leader Board and developing learning experiences that extend beyond the screen. All of this is to give parents confidence that these programs will provide valuable skills and life lessons that children can use in their real life—while being entertaining at the same time.

To date, Amazon Original Kids Series has won numerous awards including 16 Daytime Creative Arts Emmys, 3 Annie Awards, 20 Parent’s Choice Awards, 1 Annecy, and many more. Prime Video’s growing line-up of award-winning and critically-acclaimed Originals for kids and families are available to stream and enjoy using the Amazon Prime Video app for compatible TVs, connected devices, including Amazon Fire TV and mobile devices, or online at www.amazon.com/kidsoriginals.

About Amazon Video

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

  • Prime Video: Thousands of movies and TV shows, including popular licensed content plus critically-acclaimed and award-winning Amazon Original Series and Movies from Amazon Studios like Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, Love & Friendship and kids series Tumble Leaf, available for unlimited streaming as part of an Amazon Prime membership. Prime Video is also now available to customers in more than 200 countries and territories around the globe at www.primevideo.com.
  • Amazon Channels: Over 100 channel subscriptions that Prime members can add to their membership, including HBO, SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax, PBS KIDS, Acorn TV and more, plus Anime Strike – the first curated on-demand subscription by Amazon Channels. To view the full list of channels available, visit www.amazon.com/channels
  • Rent or Own: Hundreds of thousands of titles, including new-release movies and current TV shows available for on-demand rental or purchase for all Amazon customers
  • Instant Access: Instantly watch anytime, anywhere through the Amazon Video app on TVs, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets, or online. For a list of all compatible devices visit www.amazon.com/howtostream
  • Premium Features: Top features like 4K Ultra HD, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and mobile downloads for offline viewing of select content

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

About Amazon

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

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

Source: Amazon

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Bunnings Warehouse opens new store in Milton Keynes; its fourth and largest store in the UK and Ireland

Bunnings Warehouse opens new store in Milton Keynes; its fourth and largest store in the UK and Ireland

 

Perth, Australia, 2017-Jul-05 — /EPR Retail News/ — The fourth, and largest, Bunnings Warehouse in the UK and Ireland opened its doors to customers on Thursday 29 June in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.

The new store, on the site of the former Homebase on Snowdon Drive, continues the momentum of establishing the Bunnings Warehouse format in the UK’s £38 billion-a-year home improvement and garden market.

The store occupies over 90,000 square feet and employs 140 people – including more than 88 in newly-created full and part-time roles.

It also stocks more than 35,000 different home improvement and garden products, including a mix of international and British brands – from Purdy’s paintbrushes, never before available to non-professionals, to Ryobi and DeWalt tools. Paint mixing services from Johnstone’s Trade, Crown and Dulux are also available in-store.

Bunnings team members have already been busy in Milton Keynes, lending a helping hand with gardening and decorating projects for MK Snap, Loughton Manor First School, and Milton Keynes Hospital. This support continues a long tradition by Bunnings in Australia and New Zealand of playing an active part in the local community.

To celebrate the opening, Australian legend and racing driver Mark Webber hosted a welcome breakfast for team members.

Nine-time Grand Prix winner and F1 legend Mark Webber said: “Bunnings Warehouse is a huge name in my native Australia, so it’s an honour to be opening their biggest UK store to date. I’m sure the store will be a great success.”

The store’s Complex Manager, Kevin Dale, added: “It is great to finally open our doors to customers. Our team members have worked really hard to get the store ready for opening. Collectively we’ve already completed more than 1,500 training hours to make sure we have the expertise to help with home or garden projects.”

Two grand opening weekend events will also be taking place on 8/9 and 15/16 July with a raft of free family activities. Customers can enjoy face-painting, balloon modelling and even join Peppa Pig & George for a Story Time session (see in store for details).

The company, part of Australia’s Wesfarmers Group, plans to invest up to £500million rolling out Bunnings Warehouse stores across the UK and Ireland over the next three to five years.

Contact:

T: (61 8) 9327 4211
F: (61 8) 9327 4216
To contact us, please email us at info@wesfarmers.com.au

Source: Wesfarmers Limited

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UK: Edge Lane B&M Home Store is open as usual; completely unaffected by the sinkhole or the works to fix the issue

Hartlepool, United Kingdom, 2017-Jul-04 — /EPR Retail News/ — Residents in Liverpool and the surrounding area may have heard the news regarding a sinkhole which has opened up near to B&M’s Edge Lane store.

We are happy to announce that the Edge Lane B&M Home Store is open as usual, and has not been affected by the sinkhole or the works to fix the issue.

The opening hours for the store are completely unaffected and can be found here.

The works to fix the sinkhole are scheduled to last weeks, but visitors to the store will be pleased to know that Edge Lane B&M will remain open throughout this process.

The sinkhole is currently stabilised after stone was poured into it, allowing the inbound carriageway to be re-opened.

Once the hole is made secure, workers will begin excavation and carry out the necessary repair works.

Contact:

email: press@bmstores.co.uk

Source: B&M

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UK: LCP announces new tenants to open branches at Scott Arms, Great Barr

London, 2017-Jul-04 — /EPR Retail News/ — Two nationally known names are to open branches at a busy Birmingham shopping parade – with a third well-known high street retailer also poised to sign up, leading investment and property management company LCP has announced.

Dignity, one of the largest providers of funeral services in the country, and a nationwide takeaway and delivery chain have both signed tenancy agreements at Scott Arms, Great Barr, which is managed by LCP. A third high street name, which is not yet being named, is also under offer.

Jo Salmon, retail portfolio manager at LCP, said the deals gathered pace after it decided to introduce free parking for 90 minutes at Scott Arms in January.

LCP has also spent £100,000 carrying out a reconfiguration of the existing space to attract the new retailers to the scheme.

Dignity has signed a 10-year lease for a 1,400 sq ft unit, while the takeaway and delivery chain has agreed a 20-year lease for a 2,066 sq ft unit, which will also have seating for customers.

“We are very pleased to have signed up these two new tenants to Scott Arms,” said Jo. “The shopping parade is very popular among locals and it also attracts a great deal of passing trade, so the fact that we introduced the free, limited-time parking has had a positive impact, with a marked increase in footfall. It’s this that has helped us to attract these nationally known names.”

Just one unit remains vacant at the busy shopping parade, which about half a mile from junction 7 M6, although LCP hopes to announce a new occupier within weeks.

National commercial property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) acted as agents for LCP, attracting the new tenants to Great Barr.

Richard Jones, director of retail agency at LSH Birmingham, said: “We used our expertise to find the right tenants for the mix and are very pleased to have worked closely with the businesses and LCP to ensure the successful closure of these deals.

“With more than 30,000 passing vehicles each day there are potentially 11 million customers every year, making it a very attractive prospect for retailers.”

Ciaran Nolan, head of property at Dignity, said: “We are delighted to be opening a satellite branch in the Scott Arms Shopping Centre. We are committed to providing a high quality of service for our existing clients as well as increasing the level of choice for bereaved families that live in this area of the city.”

The shopping centre is prominently situated at the crossroads of the A34 Birmingham/Walsall Road, which connects Birmingham with Walsall, and the A4041 connecting West Bromwich and Sutton Coldfield. Junction 7 of the M6 is just over half a mile north of the Scott Arms.

LCP is planning further improvements at Scott Arms, including a car park extension, upgraded landscaping and common parts, plus new signage. Other occupiers include Iceland, Greggs, Well Pharmacy and Ladbrokes.

Contact:

kyates@lcpproperties.co.uk

Source: LCP

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Diebold Nixdorf launches its fully integrated brand and direct presence in the U.K. and Ireland

Company agrees to sell legacy Diebold U.K. and Ireland business to Cennox, meeting regulatory conditions and concluding final antitrust element of Diebold Nixdorf combination

LONDON, 2017-Jul-04 — /EPR Retail News/ — Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated (NYSE:DBD), a world leader in enabling connected commerce for millions of consumers across the financial and retail industries, today (June 29, 2017) announced it is launching its fully integrated brand and direct presence in the U.K. and Ireland.

The company has agreed to sell its legacy Diebold business in the United Kingdom to Cennox Group, fulfilling the requirements previously set forth by the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The acquisition by Cennox is expected to close June 30. Upon closing, the legacy, independent Wincor Nixdorf U.K. and Ireland business will be completely integrated into the global Diebold Nixdorf operations and brand. This includes the company’s retail business, which was not subject to CMA review.

“Our team in the U.K. and Ireland, totaling 900 people strong, looks forward to broadening relationships and providing innovation for our customers — enabling an ‘always on’ experience for consumers and shaping the future of connected commerce,” said Andy W. Mattes, president and chief executive officer, Diebold Nixdorf. “We are very pleased to put this final antitrust requirement of our business combination behind us — and excited to fully move forward in the U.K. and Ireland as Diebold Nixdorf.”

Based in Surrey, U.K., Cennox is a global provider of banking services and the U.K.’s largest independent ATM service business. Cennox provides various self-service-related solutions and support services, patented security products and branch transformation capabilities, primarily to the financial industry but also retail and commercial industries. Under the sale agreement, all staff from the legacy Diebold operation serving U.K. customers, totaling 67 employees, will become part of Cennox. The acquisition will allow Cennox to exclusively sell legacy Diebold hardware, services and Phoenix software in the U.K. and Ireland. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Earlier this year, the CMA published its official findings in connection with the business combination of Diebold, Incorporated and Wincor Nixdorf AG, and concluded that a structural remedy was required to ensure effective competition in the U.K. Diebold and Wincor Nixdorf brands and operations had remained separate and distinct while awaiting CMA review.

About Cennox
Cennox is an industry leader, offering a wide range of solutions to the world’s leading banks, retail and commercial institutions. Cennox deliver the best-in-class solutions that give a distinct competitive advantage in the marketplace. Globally recognised, Cennox is an industry pioneer with operations on six continents and central offices in the United Kingdom and United States, employing over 600 staff.

Cennox has been ranked in the Sunday Times FAST TRACK 200, detailing the top 200 fastest growing UK Businesses for International sales for 2 years running.  In addition, for the past two years, Cennox has also been ranked in the top 100 of fastest Growing UK Businesses on the FAST TRACK 100 list sponsored by Virgin.

About Diebold Nixdorf
Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated (NYSE:DBD) is a world leader in enabling connected commerce for millions of consumers each day across the financial and retail industries. Its software-defined solutions bridge the physical and digital worlds of cash and consumer transactions conveniently, securely and efficiently. As an innovation partner for nearly all of the world’s top 100 financial institutions and a majority of the top 25 global retailers, Diebold Nixdorf delivers unparalleled services and technology that are essential to evolve in an ‘always on’ and changing consumer landscape.

Diebold Nixdorf has a presence in more than 130 countries with approximately 24,000 employees worldwide. The organization maintains corporate offices in North Canton, Ohio, USA and Paderborn, Germany. Shares are traded on the New York and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges under the symbol ‘DBD’. Visit www.DieboldNixdorf.com for more information.

Media Relation:
U.S.:
Mike Jacobsen
APR
+1-330-490-3796
michael.jacobsen@dieboldnixdorf.com

Investor Relations:
Steve Virostek
+1-330-490-6319
steve.virostek@dieboldnixdorf.com;

Germany:
Andreas Bruck
+49 151 1512 3018
andreas.bruck@dieboldnixdorf.com

SOURCE: Diebold Nixdorf

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Brewgooder secures national deal with Asda to stock its Clean Water Lager in stores across the UK and Northern Ireland

Brewgooder secures national deal with Asda to stock its Clean Water Lager in stores across the UK and Northern Ireland

 

LEEDS, England, 2017-Jun-14 — /EPR Retail News/ — Brewgooder, the world’s first craft beer brewery, is to donate 100% of its profits to clean water projects in developing countries, is celebrating securing a national deal with Asda to stock its Clean Water Lager in 357 stores across the UK including 16 in Northern Ireland.

Brewgooder craft lager is the brainchild of Belfast-born Alan Mahon who established the business in Edinburgh in March 2016.

“It’s of huge personal significance that Brewgooder is now stocked in Asda in Northern Ireland,” explained Alan.

“We’ve been waiting with baited breath to tell our story at home and we’re delighted Asda shoppers in Northern Ireland will be able to taste our beer for themselves. As one of the leading supermarkets, Asda is a fantastic route to market and with the volume of product involved, it will accelerate our impact and the number of clean water projects we can support.”

Since October 2016, when it was first listed in Scottish Asda stores, the Brewgooder brand has established itself as the front running social enterprise beer brand selling nearly 100,000 cans in stores in just six months. As a result Brewgooder has facilitated two wells in Malawi including the Nora Docherty Well in Dedza, servicing more than 5,000 people with clean water. A further four wells are in the pipeline due to the increased listing.

Alan continued, “Seeing first-hand the impact our wells are having on communities was motivating and inspiring and it’s thanks to support from Asda that we have truly been able to make a difference. Giving people the unique opportunity to enjoy a great product while at the same time helping others is a powerful combination and by working closely with our customers and consumers we are helping to transform thousands of lives for generations to come.”

Michael McCallion, Senior Buyer for Northern Ireland & Scotland, said,

“Brewgooder was one of the first suppliers to take part in Asda’s Social Enterprise Supplier Academy, a UK first which launched last year in partnership with Social Investment Scotland (SIS). It’s fantastic to see the success the craft beer has had since its participation in the Academy, not only doubling their supermarket listings in just eight months, but also supporting business growth, job creation and acceleration of their clean water impact.

“The product extension into Northern Ireland really is the cherry on the top!”

Brewgooder, Clean Water Lager, 4.5% Craft Lager, four pack is available in Asda NI stores now.

Source: ASDA

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Bunnings Warehouse opens in Hemel Hempstead; its third store in the UK and Ireland

Bunnings Warehouse opens in Hemel Hempstead; its third store in the UK and Ireland

 

Perth, Australia, 2017-Jun-14 — /EPR Retail News/ — The third Bunnings Warehouse store in the UK and Ireland opened its doors to customers on Friday 9 June in Hemel Hempstead, Buckinghamshire.

The new store, on the site of the former Homebase at Apsley Mills Retail Park, continues the momentum of establishing the Bunnings Warehouse format in the UK’s £38 billion-a-year home improvement and garden market.

The Hemel Hempstead store is over 64,000 square feet and employs 111 people – including 53 in newly created full and part-time roles.

It also stocks more than 27,000 different home improvement and garden lines, including paint mixing services from Johnstone’s Trade, Crown and Dulux and a new tool shop offering world-leading brands such as Ryobi and DeWalt.

The company, part of Australia’s Wesfarmers Group, plans to invest up to £500million rolling out Bunnings Warehouse stores across the UK and Ireland over the next three to five years.

To celebrate the opening, Olympic gymnast champion and Hemel local Max Whitlock MBE hosted a welcome breakfast for team members.

Max said: “It’s great that Bunnings has chosen Hemel Hempstead as the location for its third store in the UK. Hemel is where it all began for me so I’m delighted to be back opening the store. I’m sure it will be a huge success.”

The new store’s Complex Manager, Darren Reid, added: “Our team members have worked really hard to get the store ready for opening and are looking forward to sharing their expertise and enthusiasm with customers in Hemel. We’re ready to welcome people to the new store!”

And the fun doesn’t stop there. The new store will also be hosting two grand opening weekend events with a raft of free family activities on 17/18 and 24/25 June. Customers can enjoy face-painting, balloon modelling and even join Peppa Pig & George for a Story Time session (see in store for details).

About Bunnings UK and Ireland

Bunnings is the leading retailer of home improvement and outdoor living products in Australia and New Zealand. As of 12 December 2016, in Australia and New Zealand, Bunnings operates out of 357 trading locations (of which 248 are warehouse stores), employing over 40,000 team members.

In February 2016 Bunnings acquired Homebase, the second largest home improvement and garden retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Bunnings Warehouse opened its first two stores in St. Albans in February/April 2017, with additional stores confirmed in Hemel Hempstead, Milton Keynes and Folkestone. As of May 2017, it also operates as Homebase out of 252 trading locations, employing over 12,000 team members in the UK and Ireland.

Contact::

T (61 8) 9327 4211
F (61 8) 9327 4216
To contact us, please email us at info@wesfarmers.com.au

Source: Wesfarmers Limited

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BRC: Footfall in May fell by 1.0 per cent in the UK on the same month in the previous year

London, 2017-Jun-12 — /EPR Retail News/ —

BRC- SPRINGBOARD FOOTFALL AND VACANCIES MONITOR – MAY 2017
Covering the four weeks 30 April – 27 May 2017

  • Footfall in May fell by 1.0 per cent in the UK on the same month in the previous year, the first decline since February.
  • This is below the three-month average of 0.7 per cent. This month’s positive three-month average makes two consecutive months of three-month average growth, the first time this has occurred since June-August 2013.
  •  High Street Footfall declined in May, the fall of 2.0 per cent its steepest decline since June. This is below the three-month average of 0.8 per cent.
  • Footfall to Retail Park destinations grew by 1.5 per cent in May, below the three-month average growth rate of 1.8 per cent.
  • Shopping Centre Footfall fell by 1.3 per cent in May, below the three-month average of -0.5 per cent.

Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief-Executive | British Retail Consortium

“After the Easter boost in shopper numbers to retail destinations, footfall fell in May, which was mirrored in the month’s sales performance. But it wasn’t just shops that suffered; poor weather at the beginning of the month kept people indoors and made it a poor month for footfall in general with fewer people out and about.

“The biggest movement was noticeable in the number of visitors to the high street, which after several months of growth, saw the steepest decline since June last year.  In an uncertain economic climate, retailers will be looking to the next Government to deliver on their commitment to fundamental reform of business rates; to implement a more sustainable system that allows for growth and investment.”

Diane Wehrle, Springboard Marketing and Insights Director

“May was clearly a month of moderation for UK shoppers, with a -1% drop in footfall across all destinations, and a -2% drop in the high street. The slowing of growth in footfall post 5 pm to +1.1% in May from +3.5% in May 2016 reflects this moderation, suggesting fewer shoppers opted to stay longer and eat out after their shopping trips; a concern for retail locations that have focussed on expanding their food offer to grow shopper dwell time.  The drop in footfall was mirrored by a drop of -3.7% in UK sales as measured by Springboard’s sales index which tracks sales in bricks and mortar stores – with fashion spend in particular dipping in May.  These are clear signals that consumers have started to display greater spending restraint.

“Whilst May’s footfall decline didn’t show a dramatic drop overall, the result for high streets was the worst result since June 2016 when high street footfall declined by -3.7% in the wake of the EU Referendum.  However, April’s results were boosted by the shift in Easter from March in 2016 to April this year, so it is unsurprising that there was a downward shift in footfall from last month, particularly as UK consumers could feel additionally cautious in the lead up to the General Election.”

Contact:
BRC Press Office
TELEPHONE: + 44 (0) 20 7854 8924
EMAIL: media@brc.org.uk
OUT OF HOURS: +44 (0) 7557 747 269

Source: BRC

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Animated kids series Danger & Eggs to premiere on Friday, June 30 on Amazon Prime Video in the US and UK

  • All 13 episodes, created by Mike Owens and Shadi Petosky, and executive produced by Owens, Petosky, and Chris Hardwick, will feature the voice talent of comedians Aidy Bryant and Eric Knobel
  • Guest star voice talent includes Weird Al, Lori Petty, Charlyne Yi, Kate Micucci, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jasika Nicole, Felicia Day, Jonah Ray, Angelica Ross, and Jazz Jennings

SEATTLE, 2017-Jun-08 — /EPR Retail News/ — Amazon today (Jun. 7, 2017) announced its original animated kids series Danger & Eggs is scheduled to premiere on Friday, June 30 on Prime Video in the US and UK. Featuring the voice talent of comedians Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live) as D.D. Danger and Eric Knobel (Huge Theater) as Phillip, the series will also include guest star voice talent from Weird Al (Milo Murphy’s Law), Lori Petty (Tank Girl), Charlyne Yi (Knocked Up), Kate Micucci (Garfunkle and Oates), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim), Jasika Nicole (Fringe), Felicia Day (Geek and Sundry), Jonah Ray (Nerdist, Mystery Science Theater), Angelica Ross (Her Story), and Jazz Jennings (I Am Jazz). Danger & Eggs is created by Mike Owens (Yo Gabba Gabba!, Animaniacs) and Shadi Petosky (Yo Gabba Gabba!, Mad) and executive produced by Owens, Petosky, and Chris Hardwick (Talking Dead, @midnight). The pilot, which was part of Amazon’s Fall 2015 pilot season and is rated 4.6 out of 5 stars by customers with 80% 5-star reviews, is now available to stream exclusively for Prime members via the Amazon Prime Video app for TVs, connected devices including Fire TV, mobile devices and online—Prime members can also download the pilot to mobile devices for offline viewing at no additional cost to their membership.

Danger & Eggs follows the endless adventures of a fearless, teal-haired girl named D.D. Danger (Aidy Bryant) and her ever cautious best friend, a giant talking egg named Phillip (Eric Knobel). As the daughter of world-renowned stunt daredevil, Roy Danger, D.D. is following in his footsteps and is always chasing her next big thrill. Luckily for her, Phillip is always there by her side with jerry-rigged safety mechanisms to make her thrill-seeking dreams come true. Together, they go in search of new adventures at their favorite spot, Chicken Paw Park, which is home to Philip’s mom Becky, a gargantuan chicken. The first season finds D.D. and Phillip meeting a raccoon with a thirst for technology, being sucked into a mysterious underground science lab, discovering a lonely robot in an overgrown garden, and taking on a famous zip line. Throughout their journey, they overcome obstacles with the “Buddy System” because even though they are polar opposites, their differences complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses to solve problems. Their Buddy System mantra says it all, “You look out for me and I’ll look out for you!”

“We are excited to introduce our first animated comedy for children ages 6-11 to our customers,” said Tara Sorensen, Head of Kids Programming at Amazon Studios. “We feel incredibly lucky to be working with the caliber of creative talent behind this series.”

“For us, the heart of Danger & Eggs is the friendship between Phillip and D.D. that proves you can face fear and danger and have a blast in the process because you are not alone,” said Mike Owens. Adds Shadi Petosky: “We can’t believe we get to take out our anxiety on a show–putting our inside voices into these characters and seeing if they stay friends.”

“I’ve been passionate about animation my whole life and to produce this series with my animation company fulfills a lifelong goal,” says Chris Hardwick, Executive Producer. “This show is funny, touching, and has incredible design–everything I’ve wanted to make.”

Below are what customers have said about the Danger & Eggs pilot:

  • “[My 8 year-old son] asked to watch this show at least four times! He loves it! I’ve watched it with him for at least three of those times.”
  • “As a father of a little girl with anxiety issues, I really appreciated Phillip’s portrayal. So often in cartoons there is shaming of nervousness or anxiety (ie: C’mon, don’t be a wimp) but in Danger and Eggs, Phillip is just there. He’s an anxious character and that’s ok.”
  • “My son loves this show! He’s 6 and says he loves the characters and finds them very funny. He loves the art style and how crazy and fun it is.”
  • “As a father of two young daughters, I was thrilled to see a show that revolves around a young girl going on playfully dangerous adventures without the need of an overly macho cohort saving her! Added points for the wonderful humor that is also incorporated for the older demographic without it being crude.”
  • “My 10-year-old daughter and I both loved it! She appreciates the subtle humor and animation of this show and said she wants to watch more!”

Danger & Eggs is part of Prime Video’s growing line-up of award-winning and critically-acclaimed Originals for kids and families. All 13 episodes from the series will be available to stream and enjoy using the Amazon Prime Video app for compatible TVs, connected devices, including Amazon Fire TV and mobile devices, or online at www.amazon.com/kidsoriginals, at no additional cost to their membership. Prime members can also download select titles to mobile devices for offline viewing. Eligible customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime. For a list of all Amazon Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream. Danger & Eggs is also available as part of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, the all-you-can-eat subscription service designed from the ground up for kids. FreeTime Unlimited is available exclusively on Amazon devices, including Amazon Fire TV and Fire tablets, and a year-long subscription is included with every Fire Kids Edition.

About Amazon Video

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

  • Prime Video: Thousands of movies and TV shows, including popular licensed content plus critically-acclaimed and award-winning Amazon Original Series and Movies from Amazon Studios like Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, Love & Friendship, and kids series Tumble Leaf, available for unlimited streaming as part of an Amazon Prime membership. Prime Video is also now available to customers in more than 200 countries and territories around the globe at www.primevideo.com.
  • Amazon Channels: Over 100 channel subscriptions that Prime members can add to their membership, including HBO, SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax, PBS KIDS, Acorn TV and more, plus Anime Strike – the first curated on-demand subscription by Amazon Channels. To view the full list of channels available, visit www.amazon.com/channels
  • Rent or Own: Hundreds of thousands of titles, including new release movies and current TV shows available for on-demand rental or purchase for all Amazon customers.
  • Instant Access: Customers can instantly watch anytime, anywhere through the Amazon Video app on compatible TVs, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets, or online. For a list of all compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.
  • Premium Features: Top features like 4K Ultra HD, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and mobile downloads for offline viewing of select content.

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

About Amazon

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

Media Hotline:

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

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

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M&S Energy launches £300,000 Community Energy Fund to support energy projects and technologies across the UK

LONDON, 2017-May-26 — /EPR Retail News/ — For the third year, M&S Energy is today (22 May 2017) launching the M&S Energy Community Energy Fund, with up to £300,000 available to support community energy projects and technologies across the UK.

Any not for profit organisation that wants to use renewable energy to provide community benefits can apply, whether a community energy group, sports club, library, amateur dramatic society, village hall or school – the judges are looking for innovative and inspiring projects that support the local community’s needs.

Following the initial application and shortlisting process the winners will be decided by public vote giving customers and community members the opportunity to get involved with the initiative and back their favourite project.  Projects that go to the public vote can also seek to raise additional funds through crowdfunding alongside gathering voter support.

Around 80,000 people voted in last year’s competition and 26 projects, including schools, sports clubs and a community pub, were awarded grants and over £28,000 was crowdfunded. The competition highlights the hard work people up and down the country put into improving their local community.

Applications are now open and will close on Friday 23rd June.

Jonathan Hazeldine, Head of M&S Energy said, “Each time we open the M&S Energy Community Energy Fund for new applicants, we are incredibly impressed by the time and commitment so many people give to the community projects that matter to them. Last year’s applicants upped their game with their campaigning and marketing efforts, and we are looking forward to starting the search for this year’s winners. As a 100% green energy provider, this fund is a great way for us to take our commitment further by getting involved with our communities and helping them become more environmentally and financially sustainable.

Dawn Bebe, Director, Energyshare said “Energyshare is delighted to help support the M&S Energy Community Energy Fund campaign for the third year in a row. We hope projects across the UK will once again compete from additional funds and use the opportunity to crowdfund even more funds for their projects to make them happen.”

Amongst last year’s winners was The Angler’s Rest, a community pub with a Post Office in the Peak District, that had faced closure but was saved by the local community who raised money through a local share scheme. This enthusiasm paid off again, with the M&S Energy Community Energy Fund judges awarding it £12,500 for solar panels which will help reduce its energy bills. The judges were equally impressed with Toxteth Food Central, a community-led food hub with an affordable food store, cafe, training space and garden. The judges were inspired by how this project has brought the local community together and awarded funding for solar panels to power the eco-friendly. Entering the competition for the second time, Papworth Trust in East Anglia, which offers care to disabled and older people, was also awarded funding, having demonstrated clear progress towards becoming a more sustainable organisation through LED installations and refurbishments using recycled materials.

Competition details

The M&S Energy Community Energy Fund will be awarded as follows:

  1. Regional funding awards for projects across Great Britain that require a maximum of £12,000, determined by the public vote
  2. Judges’ Prizes of at least  £20,000 awarded to the most innovative or inspiring projects selected from those that do not win through the public vote

Applications are now open and will close on Friday 23rd June.  Applicants will be shortlisted by a panel including M&S, SSE, Energyshare and an independent judge, projects will be considered based upon their social and environmental impact and on meeting a variety of criteria, including:

  • Having a clear business case that gives value for money
  • An engaged and supportive community
  • A measurable community benefit

Full details on how to enter are available at https://www.mandsenergyfund.com/

The public vote will open on Monday 4th September and closes on Friday 20th October.

The winners will be announced in November.

About M&S Energy

M&S launched M&S Energy in 2008, working with SSE, one of the UK’s leading energy companies. M&S Energy offers customers great value gas and electricity, with simple tariffs and excellent customer service from a brand they already know and trust. Like M&S, SSE champions environmental responsibility and works hard to cut carbon emissions and reduce energy use: SSE continues to be the UK’s leading generator of electricity from renewable sources and the largest generator of electricity from wind across the UK and Ireland.

The electricity consumed by M&S Energy customers is matched by electricity that has the Renewable Electricity Guarantee of Origin (REGO). The annual consumption of electricity used by M&S Energy customers is matched with the equivalent amount of electricity generated from large scale hydro sources input to the National Grid.

Media enquiries:
M&S Corporate Press Office
0208 718 1919

SOURCE: M&S

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UK: New B&M store opens in Welshpool, Wales

Hartlepool, United Kingdom, 2017-May-23 — /EPR Retail News/ — Locals in Welshpool were celebrating on Saturday as the ribbon was cut on the town’s long awaited B&M store.

Based on Mill Lane Retail Park, the Bargains Store has created 40 new jobs for local people, which comes as a welcome boost to the local economy.

Visitors to the store will be able to browse a wide range of branded and own label products, including toys, groceries, health & beauty and pet products.

Store colleagues nominated a local charity, the Heulwen Trust, to receive some VIP treatment and help open the store.

The Trust aim to bring enjoyment and pleasure to disabled children and adults, with the motto of “bringing sunshine to people’s lives”.

They offer exciting scenic canal boat trips through some of the most beautiful Welsh countryside, with over 69,000 people with disabilities having enjoyed free daily trips.

In addition to cutting the ribbon, the trust also received £250 worth of B&M vouchers as a thank you for taking part and all their hard work in the community.

Also appearing on opening day was the Deputy Mayor of Welshpool, Councillor Hazel Evans, who gratefully accepted an invitation to attend.

Darren Fountain, B&M Darren Fountain, store manager, said: “The team from Heulwen Trust really stood out for us as they go the extra mile for the community, we wanted to give them some VIP treatment as a thank you for all the hard work they do.

“We hope that our donation can help them to continue the great work they do.”

He also commented: “The new team have been working really hard to get the store ready for opening day and we couldn’t wait to get the doors open and show customers their new B&M Welshpool.”

The fun didn’t stop once the ribbon was cut, with a face painter on hand to transform customers into their favourite super heroes, animals or characters.

Contact:

email: press@bmstores.co.uk

Source: B&M

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Bunnings UK and Ireland appoints David Haydon as Trading and Commercial Manager for Homebase

Bunnings UK and Ireland appoints David Haydon as Trading and Commercial Manager for Homebase

 

Perth, Australia, 2017-May-19 — /EPR Retail News/ — Bunnings UK and Ireland today (17 May 2017) announced the appointment of David Haydon as Trading and Commercial Manager for Homebase.

He will join the business in late June, with responsibility for running the Homebase business. David, whose experience includes senior roles at both B&Q and Wickes will join the Bunnings UK and Ireland leadership team, reporting to Managing Director PJ Davis. He will also sit on the company’s steering committee.

David has over 25 years’ experience working with retailers in the UK and Australia. He joins from Officeworks (part of the Wesfarmers Group) where he has worked for over four years as a member of the leadership team.

Prior to Officeworks, he was Commercial and Marketing Director for Kingfisher Plc’s international businesses, overseeing commercial and marketing strategies for highgrowth markets including China, Poland, Russia, and Turkey.

His experience also includes time at B&Q as both Director of Trading and Director of Commercial Strategy, and in other large retail organisations including Wickes and Superdrug.

David said: “I’m looking forward to joining the team at this exciting time. Working together to create something special in what is the dynamic UK Home Improvement market will be a both a challenge, and a great deal of fun.”

PJ Davis said: “It has been an exciting start to 2017 as we continue to deliver phase one of our strategy.

“We have successfully opened two Bunnings Warehouse pilot stores in St Albans with Hemel Hempstead and Milton Keynes due to open over the next couple of months, followed by Folkestone in July.

“Feedback from customers and the community has been very positive, and now we are focused on developing the programme, which will see at least 10 stores open by the end of the year.

As the pilot activity accelerates, it is still important that we remain focused on delivering a strong performance across Homebase and I’m delighted David has agreed to take up this important role with the business. He will be a great addition to the team.”

About Bunnings

Bunnings is the leading retailer of home improvement and outdoor living products in Australia and New Zealand. As of 12 December 2016, in Australia and New Zealand, Bunnings operates out of 357 trading locations (of which 248 are warehouse stores), employing over 40,000 team members.

In February 2016 Bunnings acquired Homebase, the second largest home improvement and garden retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland. As of 2 February 2017, in the UK and Ireland, Bunnings Warehouse opened its first store in St. Albans. It also operates as Homebase out of 255 trading locations, employing over 12,000 team members in the UK and Ireland.

Notes to editor
For further information, please contact:
Claire Abercrombie
Bunnings UK & Ireland PR Manager
claire.abercrombie@homebase.co.uk
01908 352460 or 07753 310573

Clinton Manning, Bell Pottinger
cmanning@bellpottinger.com
0203 772 2560 or 07711 972662

Joanna Davidson, Bell Pottinger
jdavidson@bellpottinger.com
0203 772 2556 or 07920 785 555

Source: Wesfarmers Limited

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Bunnings Warehouse opens second store in the UK at St. Albans, Hertfordshire

Bunnings Warehouse opens second store in the UK at St. Albans, Hertfordshire

 

St. Albans, Hertfordshire, 2017-May-19 — /EPR Retail News/ — A new Bunnings Warehouse store opened its doors to customers  on Wednesday 12 April  on Hatfield Road, St. Albans, Hertfordshire.

The second pilot store in the UK and Ireland continues the momentum of establishing the Bunnings Warehouse format in the UK’s £38 billion-a-year home improvement and garden market.

Over 50 new jobs have been created, in addition to 30 new positions at the first Bunnings Warehouse store in Griffiths Way, which opened in February.

The company, part of Australia’s Wesfarmers Group, plans to invest up to £500 million rolling out the Bunnings Warehouse format in the UK and Ireland over three to five years.

The Hatfield Road Bunnings Warehouse is 40,000 square feet and stocks more than 24,000 different home improvement and garden products. The store also features timber cutting, a garden centre, a new tool shop offering world leading brands including Ryobi and DeWalt, a ‘colour wall’ with over 3,000 colour tiles – as well as paint mixing from Johnstone’s Trade, Crown and Dulux offering an unlimited paint colour choice to customers.

England rugby union legend, Kyran Bracken also joined team members to celebrate the opening.

Emma Wimble, Bunnings Warehouse Hatfield Road Complex Manager, said: “Our team members have worked really hard to prepare the store for opening and we are looking forward to helping customers and the community with their home and garden projects.

“We have already helped Sandridge School by tidying up an unused area of land by repainting flower beds and creating vegetable patches so the children can set up a gardening club. And we look forward to doing more with groups in the local area in the future.”

Total size: More than 40,000 square feet (3,700 square metres)
Address: The Courtyard Alban Park, Hatfield Road, St Albans, AL4 0JJ
Opening hours: 7 am-9 pm (Monday to Friday), 7 am-8 pm (Saturday),         10 am-4 pm (Sunday)
Store features: Indoor children’s playground, café, timber cutting, garden centre, colour wall and engraving and key cutting services
New jobs created: 53 new full and part-time roles created
(taking the total to 71)
Expertise: Over 90 leading brands supported the store team by delivering ‘in the aisle’ interactive product knowledge training
Activity Organiser: Dedicated Team Member responsible for Community Involvement activity and in store workshop programme
Community Involvement: Engaged with three community groups prior to the store opening; Sandridge School, Earthworks and Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club
Range: Over 24,000 lines
Brands: Introduction of leading brands including DeWalt, Ryobi, Irwin Tools and Johnstone’s Trade, as well as Purdy and Harris

Contact:

T: (61 8) 9327 4211
F: (61 8) 9327 4216
email: info@wesfarmers.com.au

Source: Wesfarmers Limited

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The Co-Op To launch a Wide-reaching food redistribution scheme across the UK

MANCHESTER, England, 2017-Apr-17 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Co-op will this week launch a wide-reaching food redistribution scheme, supporting the 2,500 towns and villages and every postal area across the UK where the business has stores.

The new initiative is expected to redistribute enough food for 20 million meals to over 2,500 different good causes, the largest number of beneficiaries of any scheme operated by a UK convenience retailer.

After an initial trial at 60 stores, a roll out across all stores will result in the Co-op donating up to 8,500 tonnes of food a year.

Jo Whitfield, interim Retail Chief Executive, Co-op, explained how the scheme will work:
“Each of our stores will team up with local charities and good causes in their area, ensuring food donated from our stores directly benefits the communities in which we work. The food will be collected on a regular basis, helping those closest to home.

“Not only will this support local groups, but it will also dramatically reduce our food waste, as we work towards our ambition that no food fit for consumption goes to waste.”

The Co-op already works with FareShare to redistribute food from its depots, and in 2016 redistributed enough food to make more than one million meals, in the process helping more than a thousand local groups and charities.

Media Contact:

Craig Brownsell
Press & Media Manager
0161 692 4283
07843 648467
craig.brownsell@coop.co.uk
coop.co.uk

Source: Co-op

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BRC/KPMG: Online sales of Non-Food products in the UK grew 8.0% in February YoY

  • Online sales of Non-Food products in the UK grew 8.0% in February versus a year earlier, when they had increased by 10.7%. This is above the 3-month average of 7.7% and the 12-month average of 9.3%. This is the second month in a row the 12-month average has sat below double-digit figures.
  • Over the 3 months to February, Online sales of Non-Food products in the UK grew 7.7% year-on-year, the lowest 3-month average since our monitor began. Over the same period, Total Non-Food sales in the UK fell by 0.2%, the first decline since November 2011.
  • In February 2017, Online sales represented 22.2% of total Non-Food sales in the UK, against 21.0% in February 2016. On a 3-month basis, penetration rate was 23.2%.
  • Over the 3 months to February, Online sales contributed 2.3 percentage points to the year-on-year growth of Total Non-Food sales. In contrast, In-Store sales made a negative 3-month contribution of 2.5 percentage points. In February, Online sales contributed 1.8 percentage points to Non-Food growth.
  • Over the 3 months to February, In-Store sales fell, posting declines of 2.4% on a total basis and 2.6% on a like-for-like basis. For the month of February, In-Store sales showed a decline.

London, 2017-Mar-08 — /EPR Retail News/ — HELEN DICKINSON OBE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, BRITISH RETAIL CONSORTIUM

“A fairly stable rate of online growth has again helped compensate for declines in stores. The online market has now grown to over 20 per cent of total non-food sales, and as a result growth of 8.0 per cent is understandable if not as impressive in previous years and helps explain the lowest 3-month average rate of year-on-year growth since May 2013.“Digital platforms remain the preference for a savvy shopper to search for the items they want at the best price, and helps explain why clothing and electronics have driven online growth when sales in stores have flagged. A later Mother’s Day this year has distorted the figures for February, since purchases which were made in the final week of February last year will now fall in March’s figures this year. We expect March’s growth to be stronger due to the impact of this distortion and of new video game releases.”

PAUL MARTIN, UK HEAD OF RETAIL, KPMG

“Online retail sales in February provide further contrast to the poor performance noted on the high street. Non-food online sales are up 8% on last year and penetration rates remain stable at 22.2%.

“Interestingly, many of the categories that failed to capture the attention of shoppers in store, did so online – including clothing and footwear. Carefully placed promotions and the shorter wait until pay day in February are likely to have nudged online shoppers to e-checkouts.

“School half-term will also have contributed to online retailer’s stronger performance and notably children’s toys performed particularly well during the month.

“In the run up to the Budget, online retailers will be eager to learn if the Chancellor looks to support the retail sector. The business rate rise has been hotly contested, given the varying impact the proposed changes will have on retailers utilising physical or online retail channels.”

Contact:

BRC Press Office
TELEPHONE: + 44 (0) 20 7854 8924
EMAIL: media@brc.org.uk

Source: BRC

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BRC/KPMG: February was yet another challenging month for the majority of retailers in UK

  • In February, UK retail sales decreased by 0.4% on a like-for-like basis from February 2016, when they had increased 0.1% from the preceding year.
  • On a total basis, sales rose 0.4% in February, against a 1.1% increase in February 2016. This remains below the 3-month average of 0.8% and the 12-month average of 0.9%.
  • Over the three-months to February, Food sales increased 0.6% on a like-for-like basis and 2.0% on a total basis. This is the third consecutive 3-month average Total growth of 2.0% or above, taking the 12-month Total average growth to 1.2%, the highest since May 2014.
  • Over the three-months to February, Non-Food retail sales in the UK declined 0.4% on a like-for-like basis and 0.2% on a total basis. This is the first 3-month decline since November 2011, dragging the 12-month Total average growth to 0.6%, the lowest since May 2012.
  • Over the three-months to February, Online sales of Non-Food products grew 7.7% while In-store sales declined 2.4% on a Total basis and 2.6% on a like-for-like basis.

London, 2017-Mar-08 — /EPR Retail News/ — HELEN DICKINSON OBE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, BRITISH RETAIL CONSORTIUM

“Overall growth was subdued in February driven by a continuation of the slowdown in non-food sales. This was marginally offset by slightly stronger growth in food sales.

“There was some negative distortion created by the later timing of Mother’s Day this year, which meant that some categories, notably women’s accessories and health and beauty, didn’t benefit from the build-up of gift purchases as they did last year. But looking beyond this distortion, the persistent weak sales performance of several non-food categories points to an undeniable trend of cautious spending on non- essential items.

“Tougher times are expected ahead. The impact of inflation on consumer spending will add further intensity to an already fiercely competitive environment in which the ability to adapt and innovate will be key to survival. Looking to the Budget this week, we hope to see a commitment from Government to lay a path to a truly sustainable business rates system that will give retailers the flexibility needed to invest and support their local communities.”

PAUL MARTIN, UK HEAD OF RETAIL, KPMG

“Evidently February was yet another challenging month for the majority of retailers, with like-for-like sales down 0.4 per cent on last year. Food sales however, continued to buck the general trend by remaining in the black. That said, with inflation starting to have an impact on retail performance, it is clear that consumer confidence is showing signs of deteriorating.

“School half-term holidays are likely to have contributed to the stronger performance in children’s toy sales during the month. Likewise, furniture and home textile sales will have benefited from parents using the holiday as an opportunity to spruce up the home.

“Retailers will be paying close attention to the upcoming Spring Budget in the hope of seeing some measures to ease the pressure being placed on margins. For some bricks and mortar retailers, a hike in business rates may well be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.”

JOANNE DENNEY-FINCH, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, IGD

“Food and grocery turned in a solid sales performance throughout February, with a particularly strong Valentine’s Day this year.

“The return of a little inflation to the aisles is also playing its part and shoppers are bracing themselves for more to come: 81 per cent believe food prices will rise in the coming year, the highest level of anticipation since September 2016. This puts the emphasis back on hunting for value, with 63 per cent of shoppers favouring everyday low prices over more special offers.”

Contact:

BRC Press Office
TELEPHONE: + 44 (0) 20 7854 8924
EMAIL: media@brc.org.uk

Source: BRC

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The latest generation Amazon Fire TV Stick now available in the UK, Germany, and Japan

The latest generation Amazon Fire TV Stick now available in the UK, Germany, and Japan

 

SEATTLE, 2017-Feb-23 — /EPR Retail News/ — Amazon has announced that the latest generation Amazon Fire TV Stick is now available for customers in the UK, Germany, and Japan. Read the press release announcing Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote in the UK: www.amazon.co.uk/pr, Germany: www.amazon-presse.de, and the Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote in Japan: www.amazon.co.jp/press.

“Our customers love Fire TV, and we’re thrilled to introduce the latest generation Fire TV Stick in the UK, Germany, and Japan,” said Marc Whitten, Vice President, Amazon Fire TV. “Since its recent launch in the US, the all-new Fire TV Stick has quickly become a best-seller on Amazon.com and received more than 35,000 five-star reviews. With our new content-forward UI, powerful voice search, and a growing collection of movies, TV episodes, and apps, Fire TV helps customers easily find and enjoy their favorite TV content.”

The all-new Fire TV Stick is 30 percent faster than the previous best-selling version, has a powerful quad-core processor for streaming high-quality video, and offers access to thousands of apps, games, movies, and TV shows. Customers in the UK and Germany can also use the included Alexa Voice Remote to get the news and weather, check their commute, get sports scores, create shopping lists, play music, and more. With the included voice remote, customers in Japan can use their voice to search for their favorite programming and control playback of Amazon Video content.

With the new Fire TV Stick, customers have access to a completely redesigned interface that makes finding what to watch even easier and more enjoyable. Fire TV Stick offers a new cinematic experience, delivering video trailers and content screenshots to help customers access the content they want. Fire TV also shows you the best viewing options – stream, rent, or buy – to help you choose content based on convenience and value. Finding and enjoying apps and games is also easy with a customizable app list on the home screen.

The all-new Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote is available for pre-order now in the UK and Germany, and will ship to customers starting in April. The latest generation Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote is available for pre-order now in Japan and will begin shipping to customers April 6.

About Amazon

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

Media Hotline:

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

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

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