Tag Archives: wins

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Alshaya restaurants wins 18 awards at Kuwait’s leading food and beverage competition HORECA Awards

Alshaya restaurants wins 18 awards at Kuwait’s leading food and beverage competition HORECA Awards

 

Kuwait, 2018-Jan-26 — /EPR Retail News/ — Restaurants operated by M.H. Alshaya Co. – including Asha’s, Dean & Deluca, IHOP and Bouchon Bakery – helped themselves to 18 awards at Kuwait’s leading food and beverage competition, Hotel, Restaurant and Catering Awards (HORECA), last week.

Asha’s signature flair won them one gold, two silver and five bronze medals in the Asian and Mystery Basket categories, while first-time entrants IHOP won a gold medal in fresh pasta category. Dean & Deluca collected silver in the traditional Kuwaiti dish category, along with four bronze medals. Presenting an array of freshly baked goods, first-time participants Bouchon Bakery won four bronze medals in various categories, including bread creation, morning goods, best eclairs and themed celebration cake.

In all, more than 300 chefs from some of Kuwait’s best-known restaurants participated across 17 categories. They were judged by a jury comprising 12 international cooking experts, including Head of the World Association of Chef Societies (WACS) Chef Thomas Gugler, former Le Notre’s head chef Samaan Hilal (the head of the largest culinary and restaurants advisory company in the region), TV cooking show presenter Chef Maroun Chedid, and the ambassador of the French Academy in the Middle East, Chef Charles Azar.

“The awards are a testimony to our teams’ passion and commitment to culinary excellence, and their dedication to providing a memorable dining experience to our guests,” said Ian Toal, President of Alshaya’s Food Division. “Awards like these are also testimony to our commitment to promoting the advancement of the culinary arts and the development of culinary professionals in the industry.”

If you are a journalist and want some information about Alshaya or one of our brands, please contact our Corporate Communications team:

+965 2224 2475
+965 2224 3626
communications@alshaya.com

Source: Alshaya Co.

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Northumberland Tea wins contract with Co-op food stores

MANCHESTER, UK, 2017-Dec-05 — /EPR Retail News/ — Northumberland Tea “bags” a contract to supply approaching 60 Co-op food stores across the North East.

World Cup winner Jack Charlton OBE – a friend of the Logan family and honorary ambassador for Northumberland Tea – brewed-up further interest by popping to his nearby Co-op in Ponteland this week to showcase the tea which bears his image and states that it’s “the best cup since 1966.”

The Corbridge-based business was set up four years ago by Helen and Bill Logan. A donation from every pack sold goes to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, a charity which supported Helen’s father.

Helen Logan, said: “We’re delighted that we have agreed a deal with the Co-op that will see Northumberland tea in stores ranging from Teesside to Berwick, which will extend the tea’s reach to many new areas and tea lovers across the north.’’

“The Co-op is at the heart of community life and this development raises awareness of our brand and reaches new markets. “We sold our small café business to look after my father, who lost his battle with cancer in 2012 and then decided to set up Northumberland Tea. We drank so many cuppas during my father’s illness that we felt well qualified! “This contract is another huge milestone for us, and will help us to raise further funds to support the wonderful work that is carried out by the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation finding better ways to detect and treat cancer.”

The move comes as the Co-op expands its local sourcing programme into approaching 60 of its food stores across the North East.

Charlotte Bleasdale, Ranging Manager for the Co-op in the North East, said: “We are thrilled to sell locally loved products such as Northumberland Tea – food provenance and trust is important to our customers. “It is the passion, quality and innovation involved in developing these products which makes them stand out, they are part of the fabric of local community life and we are proud to give them pride of place at the Co-op.”

Sir Bobby Robson launched his Foundation in 2008 and it has gone on to raise over £11 million to find more effective ways to detect and treat cancer.

The work funded directly benefits cancer patients in the North East and Cumbria and plays a significant role in the international fight against the disease.

Working within the NHS, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation does not employ professional fundraisers to proactively raise money and relies completely on third party, volunteer fundraisers and the incredible generosity of the general public.

Pauline Buglass, from the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation said:“We’re so pleased that Northumberland Tea is now going to be available to Co-op customers all across the North East. “With every purchase, tea-lovers will not only be getting a great cuppa, they’ll be helping us continue the work Sir Bobby began when he launched his charity. We’re grateful for the support we receive from Northumberland Tea.”

Further information:

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

Source: Co-op

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SPAR Hungary partner wins numerous industry-recognised awards

Hungary, 2017-Nov-29 — /EPR Retail News/ — SPAR Hungary continues to invest in different areas of the business, from launching new product ranges to rolling out new stores. Here we take a look at a few recent initiatives that are helping to grow the brand and that have led to the partner winning a number of industry-recognised awards.

Five year anniversary SPAR Partner License Programme

SPAR Hungary first launched the SPAR partner format in 2012. Today, a total of 133 SPAR license stores are operated throughout the country, providing employment to almost 1,500 people. The annual turnover of SPAR license stores amounts to over HUF 32 billion (just over €100 million). SPAR Hungary has an agreement with 109 SPAR retailers throughout the country and continues to welcome new independent retailers to the network.

New SPAR plant in Üllő

Construction is underway of a new plant for the preparation of mayonnaise, salads and sandwiches on the site of the existing SPAR logistics centre in the town of Üllő in central Hungary. The investment of more than HUF 1.2 billion (€3.8 million) includes HUF 250 million (€800.000) spent on technology and equipment. The facility will feature two packaging lines and complies with the highest level of food safety standards. It is the company’s short-term aim to supply quality products made in Üllő to all SPAR, INTERSPAR and SPAR Partner license stores in Hungary.

New vegan products launched

SPAR Hungary has expanded its range of plant-based products under the popular Veganz brand. The selection of more than 60 different products includes delicacies found in dedicated SPAR stores such as organic vegetable milk, natural sweeteners, seed creams, high-concentration protein powders and various confectionery and biscuit items.

SPAR Hungary celebrates an array of awards

The ongoing investments being made by SPAR Hungary are paying off with the partner winning numerous awards, reflecting recognition from the industry and customers.

Most recently, SPAR Hungary received awards at three professional competitions one of which was the Superbrands title, which it took home for the ninth time. The Superbrands programme is one of the most important international brand evaluation awards and is currently carried out in 90 countries. The competition puts the focus on customer feedback. After professional and financial screening of brands and evaluation by the expert panel of judges, an additional online brand recognition and popularity survey is conducted by a Market Research Institute. The award gives positive feedback on the brand, highlighting the best based on professional considerations.

SPAR Hungary also received prestigious acknowledgement at the SuperStore competitionorganised by Trade magazine and Trade Marketing Club, in which the Érd INTERSPAR store was ranked first in the hypermarket category. The Érd Hypermarket also came in second at Mastercard’s ‘Retailer of the Year’ competition, in the category Best customer experience.

“These awards mean huge recognition and confirmation for us, meaning that our efforts and investments for providing top quality services to our customers have paid off. During the last years, we carried out numerous investments enabling our customers to visit modern stores every day. This year, we will invest more than HUF 23 billion (€73 million) in the development of our retail chain,” said Márk Maczelka, Head of Communications at SPAR Hungary.

To read more news from SPAR Hungary, follow this link.

About SPAR Hungary

The first SPAR Supermarket opened in Hungary in 1992, following the acquisition by ASPIAG (Austria SPAR International AG) of a majority stake in General Kereskedelmi Rt. Since its launch, SPAR Hungary has been actively involved in the development of the retail industry in the country.

The move to license independent retailers to operate the SPAR Brand has proven to be very successful for Hungary, with new stores meeting the needs of a larger number of shoppers.

Hungary is the largest SPAR market in Central and Eastern Europe with over €1.67 billion turnover.

Contact:

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

Source: Spar International

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Carrefour’s Market Peñalver store wins Best food and Supermarket Design prize from UK publication Retail Week Interiors

Carrefour’s Market Peñalver store wins Best food and Supermarket Design prize from UK publication Retail Week Interiors

 

Boulogne-Billancourt, France, 2017-Nov-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — The retail design prize has been awarded in London by the UK publication Retail Week Interiors for 25 years. We entered the Best food and Supermarket Design category beside other competitors from Iceland, Egypt, France, Swiss and the UK. This prize has been won in previous years by: 2016 Waitrose (London), 2015 Morrisons (United Kingdom), 2014 Waitrose (Swindon), 2013 Good Wine (Kiev).

Congratulations to all members of the Market team for winning this prestigious prize.

We opened the Market Conde Peñalver store in December, 2016. With this store, we launched a new supermarket concept committed to fresh market and seasonal produce, offering the largest selection of foods in Madrid. The new store is on calle Conde de Peñalver, Madrid, and employs 125 people.

In addition to the products on offer, the new supermarket also features all kinds of services designed to improve the shopping experience: home deliveries all over Madrid with a pay-from-home option, free Wi-Fi, phone charging station, digital terminals with product information such as allergen content and nutritional information, etc.

The supermarket also offers a range of “home care” services such as laundry and dry cleaning, pressing, garment alteration, haberdashery, shoe repair, home repairs, photo developing, and pet care – even a home manicure service for dogs.

Access for all in a 100% eco-efficient store
Market Peñalver is perfect for all shoppers, no matter their mobility requirements, with specially-trained staff on hand to help all customers and a plan for reduced-mobility shoppers. Among the facilities for reduced-mobility shoppers are special trolleys and counters, priority checkouts, wheelchair-friendly lifts, store guides in Braille, audio loops for the hard-of-hearing, backrests at information terminals, dual hand rails on staircases, etc.

This Market store is also innovative on the environmental front. It incorporates all the latest energy-efficiency technology, with resulting savings of 40% in electricity consumption and a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions. Market Peñalver includes a latest-generation cooling plant with new refrigerated displays, LED lighting in all areas (sales floor and warehouse), intelligent lighting control, and a new, high-efficiency air conditioning system.

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

. By phone:

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

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

. By e-mail: presse_groupe@carrefour.com

Source: Carrefour Group

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Lowe’s Canada stores wins three awards at the Hardlines Outstanding Retailer Awards

  • Best Large Surface Retailer – Lowe’s Barrie (ON)
  • Best Building Supply/Home Centre (< 15,000 s.f.) – Ace Matériaux Armand Dumaresq (QC)
  • Contractor Specialist – RONA Penticton (BC)

Boucherville, Québec, 2017-Nov-17 — /EPR Retail News/ — Lowe’s Canada is proud to celebrate the achievement of three of its stores at the Hardlines Outstanding Retailer Awards which took place on Tuesday, November 14 in Niagara Falls. Three of Lowe’s Canada’s banners, namely Lowe’s, Ace and RONA, have taken home awards in the following categories: Best Large Surface Retailer – Lowe’s Barrie (ON); Best Building Supply/Home Centre (< 15,000 s.f.) – Ace Matériaux Armand Dumaresq (QC) and Contractor Specialist – RONA Penticton (BC).

“Thanks to its multi-banner, multi-format network of stores, Lowe’s Canada is ideally positioned to meet the needs of today’s various consumers segments, from DIYers to pros and contractors, no matter their type of home improvement project, and no matter where they live,” mentioned Sylvain Prud’homme, President and CEO of Lowe’s Canada. “These awards attest once again of the diversity of our vast network and of the strength of our business model. I wish to extend our most sincere congratulations to the awardees and their entire teams who work hard, day after day, to offer the best shopping experience to our customers.”

Best Large Surface Retailer – Lowe’s Barrie (ON)
The Lowe’s in Barrie opened its doors nine years ago with the purpose that sets the Lowe’s banner apart: “To help people love where they live.” With a team of 155 employees, customer focus has translated into an increase in customer count exceeding 8% in 2017 (year to date), and sales growth trending consistently above 10% for the last four years. The team’s engagement in showing the value it offers, from merchandise presentation standards to process and procedure, is key in explaining this success. If marketing brings customers in, the in-store experience (service, in stock, cleanliness, knowledge, etc.) turns them into loyal customers. The Lowe’s Barrie store is also very active in the community. Recent initiatives include collaborations with the Women’s Shelter in Barrie and Habitat for Humanity in Huronia, food drives for the Barrie Food Bank, and various toy drives.

Best Building Supply/Home Centre (< 15,000 s.f.) – Ace Matériaux Armand Dumaresq (QC)
Guy Samson purchased Ace Matériaux Armand Dumaresq in Rivière-au-Renard in July 2014. Previously family-owned, the business started up as a saw mill and eventually included a hardware store that was founded about 25 years ago. When he bought the company in 2014, Mr. Samson was facing several challenges: saturated market shares, a competitive environment that included three other hardware stores in his territory, decreasing demographic rate and high unemployment rate. To gain market shares, he chose to rely on a very strong customer service approach. Many SKUs were added to the inventory, the warehouse was expanded by 4,500 sq. ft. and the store by 1,200 sq. ft. This new approach was a huge success: the store increased it sales by more than 400% in just 27 months of operation.

Contractor Specialist – RONA Penticton (BC)
In 2005, the Mielke family created a joint venture with RONA to open RONA Penticton in the heart of the Okanagan Valley. The store customer base is a 50-50 retail-contractor split. In 2016, the store expanded its EWP yard and garden centre, moved the door and countertop shop into a new facility, expanded the Penticton Contractor Desk and opened a new satellite Contractor First location in Osoyoos. This 2,000 sq. ft satellite store with two acres and a staff of 11 allowed RONA Penticton to expand in the South Okanagan and have the Penticton store focus on sales closer to home. As a result, both locations are thriving and in ratio to the size of its operation, Osoyoos is one of the highest performer nationwide within RONA.

About the Outstanding Retailer Awards
Launched in 1992, the Outstanding Retailer Awards are the industry’s only national awards program dedicated to celebrating the achievements of hardware and building supply dealers in Canada. In its 25-year history, the program has honoured more than 150 retailers. The 2017 awards were presented at a special ORA Gala Dinner organized as part of the Hardlines Annual Conference, held November 14, at the Sheraton on the Falls in Niagara Falls.

About Lowe’s Canada
Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving more than 17 million customers a week in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With fiscal year 2016 sales of $65.0 billion, Lowe’s and its related businesses operate or service more than 2,370 home improvement and hardware stores and employ over 290,000 people. Based in Boucherville, Quebec, Lowe’s Canadian business, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, RONA inc., operates or services more than 600 corporate and independent affiliate dealer stores in a number of complementary formats under different banners. These include Lowe’s, RONA, Réno-Dépôt, Marcil, Dick’s Lumber and Ace. In Canada, the companies have more than 25,000 employees, in addition to nearly 5,000 employees in the stores of RONA’s independent affiliate dealers. For more information, visit Lowes.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Valérie Gonzalo
Media Relations
Lowe’s Canada – RONA
Tel 514.626.6976
media@rona.ca

Source: Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

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Argentine author Cristian Perfumo wins Amazon’s Literary Award for independent Spanish-language authors

  • El Coleccionista de flechas by Argentine author Cristian Perfumo, will get the chance to be published globally in Spanish by Amazon Publishing in digital, print and audio formats, and translated into English and published globally by AmazonCrossing
  • Winning entry selected from more than 1,800 works of fiction and non-fiction submitted from 39 countries using Amazon’s self-publishing serviceKindle Direct Publishing (KDP)

SEATTLE, 2017-Nov-08 — /EPR Retail News/ — Amazon today (Nov. 6, 2017) announced that Argentine author Cristian Perfumo has won its Fourth Annual Literary Award for independent Spanish-language authors with his thriller El Coleccionista de flechas. The winning entry was selected from more than 1,800 submissions from 39 countries that were self-published through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) between July 1 and August 31.

Perfumo was one of five finalists whose books were reviewed by a panel of celebrity judges that included best-selling author and coach Ismael Cala, popular Latin American author Blanca Miosi, and Jordi Sierra i Fabra, a best-selling author from Spain.

To be eligible, stories had to be original works written in Spanish, published only through KDP in both digital and print formats, and available exclusively to Kindle through enrollment in KDP Select. The countries with the highest number of participating authors were (in order) Spain, Mexico, Argentina, the United States, and Colombia.

“When I hung up the phone, I hugged my wife and found myself overcome with happiness,” Perfumo said after learning his book had been selected to receive the award. “It was then that I realized the true meaning of winning Amazon’s Literary Award: a lot of new readers were about to transport themselves to my homeland, Patagonia (Argentina), through my stories. A beautiful dream come true.”

One of the judges, Sierra i Fabra, described El Coleccionista de flechas as “a classic police thriller that presents Patagonia and its people with precision, kindling readers’ interest. The plot is well-threaded, excellently crafted, with solid characters. It also has a coherent and precise ending as well.”

As the winning entry, El Coleccionista de flechas will get the chance to be published globally in Spanish by Amazon Publishing in digital, print and audio formats, and translated into English and published globally by AmazonCrossing. Perfumo also will receive a cash prize of $5,000 USD.

Charles Kronbach, Director, Kindle Direct Publishing, explained that self-publishing with KDP gives authors more choices than ever about how to bring their writing to readers.

“This award recognizes the fact that there are many incredibly talented writers out there who have stories to tell and readers eager to access their work,” Kronbach said. “We’re proud to help bring these authors and readers together.”

All books entered in the contest are available at the Kindle Store and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app for iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets, PC and Mac, and on Kindle e-readers and Fire Tablets. Kindle Unlimited subscribers also can read many of the books with no additional cost. The full catalog of 2017 Literary Award submissions, as well as this year’s finalists, are available online at www.amazon.com/premioliterario. Previous winners of the award include Ningún escocés verdadero (2016) by Ana Ballabriga and David Zaplana, La hija del dragón (2015) by Myriam Millán, and La mirada de piedra (2014) by Jorge Magano.

About Amazon

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

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

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

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Kesa Molotsane wins the inaugural Grand Prix series of the Maritzburg SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge

South Africa, 2017-Aug-28 — /EPR Retail News/ — Kesa Molotsane (KPMG) had a classy run in the inaugural Grand Prix series of the Maritzburg SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge on Sunday, August 20, winning in a convincing time of 34.21, followed by Rutendo Nyahora and Irvette van Zyl.

In the penultimate race on the SPAR Grand Prix, the leading lady extended her domination. Out of the starting blocks, Irvette van Zyl edged to the front of the pack, leading marginally for the majority of the race, with Lebogang Phalula and Rutendo Nyahora tailing her closely.

Approximately 4 kilometres from the finish, the star runner set her sights on the finish line. She charged her way through the runners, joining the top three and matching their pace for the last few kilometres of the run. As they wound their way to the stadium, she secured her position on the top step of the podium, cementing her first spot on the Grand Prix series. Having started the 2017 series with a first in Cape Town, a first in Port Elizabeth, a second in Durban and third in Pretoria, she went into the Pietermaritzburg race with a decent 19 point lead ahead of van Zyl.

“I really enjoyed the run today, it was a really nice route. I love the hills, I grew up in a hilly area, so they don’t bother me. It was cold, and I took a while to warm up but I am really glad that I ran. It was a good test before I take on the 5,000m in World Student Games in Taipei this week. I am the only South African running the 5,000m and I want to do my country proud, so today has motivated me and given me the opportunity to challenge myself.”

Molotsane departed directly after the race, heading straight to the airport to go compete in Taiwan with her first 5,000m heat taking place on 25th August and the finals on 27th August. “I needed special permission to run in Pietermaritzburg from the Federation, but I think it was good for me ahead of running against the top international athletes. I wanted to retain my position in the Grand Prix to stay on top of the leaderboard, so needed to compete today.”

Second on the leaderboard, van Zyl said, “I gave it my best but my best wasn’t good enough. I needed to push it as I find myself in a difficult situation with points on the Grand Prix log, I needed to win and get bonus points to stay in the game.”

“I am an impatient runner, so I tend to break early and take up the pace. It usually works for me but I just couldn’t hang in there. Kesa ran really well. I have had a tough year, with the injury that forced me out of the Durban race, I have been working hard to have a fighting chance. But I am glad it was a pain free run. I also like hilly courses, so enjoyed the my first time on the Maritzburg course.”

A total of 4,500 runners took to the course in a chilly 3 degrees. Peter Deeb, Marketing Director of SPAR KZN said, “Having the Maritzburg race being included in the Grand Prix has certainly raised the profile of the race. Everyone had a fantastic time, and we were full to capacity. We are very pleased with the numbers, and it is always wonderful to give back to our community as road running has a huge following here in Pietermaritzburg.”

SPAR South Africa’s support of a variety of sports includes the development of the Grand Prix running series over a number of years, providing great opportunities for runners across the country. SPAR Brand visibility is strong with digital media coverage of the events generating extensive awareness.

Contact:

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

Source: Spar International

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Four Square Ellerslie wins Foodstuffs North Island’s 2017 Store of the Year award

A small Four Square store in suburban Auckland has pipped its bigger brand brothers to win Foodstuffs North Island’s 2017 Store of the Year.

Auckland, New Zealand, 2017-Aug-22 — /EPR Retail News/ — Four Square Ellerslie won top honours at the cooperative’s annual awards dinner at Auckland Museum on Friday, 11 August. Around 200 owner-operators, support staff and partners attended the awards, after the cooperative’s annual meeting earlier in the day.

Four Square Ellerslie’s owner-operator, Lin Guo, took to the stage twice, first to accept the award for best Four Square, then to receive the grand title.

Doug Cochrane, General Manager Retail, Foodstuffs North Island Ltd, says the 200 square metre store at the heart of a popular suburban town centre, was the judges’ clear favourite.

“From the incredibly high standards to its impressive range, all driven by what will help his customers get more out of life, Four Square Ellerslie is a store run by an owner who understands that the culture Lin creates with his team is what will set his store apart,” says Cochrane.

“Lin also understands there is great opportunity from being part of our co-operative, and takes every opportunity to get involved and learn. Despite being involved in lots of training outside his store he has managed to keep up the high standards that have helped him clinch this prestigious award.”

Lin Guo accepted the award on behalf of his team and suppliers, without whom he says there would be no store, “I know it sounds a little cliché but this award really belongs to everyone at Four Square Ellerslie.”

“I was shell shocked on the night to receive this accolade in front of so many senior industry leaders. Being part of such a successful organisation keeps me driven.  And the support we receive is enabling a new generation of grocers to ensure we always do our best for the communities we serve,” says Guo.

Other award winners for the separate brand banners in the North Island are:

  • PAK’nSAVE Store of the Year 2017: PAK’nSAVE Albany (Auckland)
  • New World Store of the year 2017: New World Eastridge (Auckland)
  • Gilmours Store of the year 2017: Gilmours Central (Palmerston North)

“Our six-step judging process includes scoring stores on service, quality, fullness, cleanliness, price and performance, before the finalists are visited by judges. It is of the utmost integrity,” says Cochrane.

“That said, I’m pleased Auckland didn’t take all the big awards, with Gilmours Central being recognised for its consistent delivery of operational excellence. Feedback from customers is great and this store is a standout example for the Gilmours banner.”

Six store’s fresh food departments were also recognised for exemplary standards and service:

  • Bakery: New World Wellington City
  • Butchery: New World Whakatane
  • Produce: New World Eastridge
  • Seafood: New World Howick
  • Delicatessen: PAK’nSAVE Westgate

And two special awards recognised supplier relationships and commitment to the co-operative.

“The Supplier Relationship Award went to New World Matamata, based on feedback provided by 325 sales reps from over 40 suppliers. New World Matamata topped the scoring on eight attributes ranging from Health and Safety through to commitments to maintain stock levels throughout promotions.”

“The final gong of the night was the Co-Operative Spirit Award, which was given to Peter Anderson for his outstanding service as the Board Chair, a position he has held since the merger. Before that he was on the Wellington Board and has owned PAK’nSAVE Kapiti with Glen Taylor since 2005.”

“Both Peter Anderson and Lin Guo represent the best of our business and the industry at large, giving 110 percent to all they do, for the benefit of their customers, staff, community and cooperative.”

“I commend them and all of this year’s winners for earning the recognition they undoubtedly deserve,” concludes Cochrane.

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

Source: Foodstuffs NZ

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SM Supermarket wins Philippine Retailers Association’s Best Supermarket award for 2016

SM Supermarket wins Philippine Retailers Association’s Best Supermarket award for 2016

 

Pasay City, Philippines, 2017-Aug-02 — /EPR Retail News/ — SM Supermarket brought home the Philippine Retailers Association’s (PRA) Best Supermarket award for 2016 at the recently concluded 20th Outstanding Filipino Retailers and Shopping Centers of the Year Awards. The PRA Award is one of the most prestigious awards given to companies based on their criteria that touch on products, operations, sales and marketing, social consciousness, and reputation.

SM Supermarket continues SM Markets’ three-year PRA winning streak that started with SM Supermarket and SM Hypermarket winning Best Supermarket and Best Hypermarket awards in 2014. The following year, Savemore Market and SM Hypermarket won Best Supermarket and Best Hypermarket with SM Hypermarket reaching Hall of Fame status for its back-to-back win. And now, SM Supermarket keeps the streak alive for the group maintaining SM Markets’ lead in the food retailing industry.

Aside from its three-year PRA recognition, SM Markets’ success is evident in the numerous citations and awards it has received including thirty top tax payer awards from various cities and municipalities, being the first chain of supermarkets to receive three Corporate Gold and 163 store level Gold Bagwis seals of service excellence from the Department of Trade and Industry for its sincerity in serving and protecting consumer rights and welfare. SM Markets owes its success to the millions of shoppers who choose to shop and support SM Markets since it opened its first store in 1985.

Source: SM Investments Corporation

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French designer Marine Serre of MARINE SERRE wins LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers for 2017

Paris, 2017-Jun-19 — /EPR Retail News/ — LVMH is pleased to announce that French designer Marine Serre of MARINE SERRE is the recipient of the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers for 2017.

Jury members J.W. Anderson (Loewe), Nicolas Ghesquière (Louis Vuitton), Karl Lagerfeld (Fendi), Humberto Leon and Carol Lim (Kenzo), Phoebe Philo (Céline), Delphine Arnault (Executive Vice-President of Louis Vuitton), Jean-Paul Claverie (advisor to Bernard Arnault and Director or Corporate Sponsorship at LVMH) and Pierre-Yves Roussel (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer LVMH Fashion Group) awarded Marine Serre a 300,000 euro grant and a year-long mentorship program from the LVMH group.

Rihanna, a world-famous music celebrity and fashion icon, honored LVMH by presenting the two trophies of the Prize, designed by Jean-Michel Othoniel, to the winners.

In recognition of the exceptional talent present in this year’s competition, the jury awarded a special prize to Kozaburo Akasaka of KOZABURO. He wins a 150,000 euro grant and a year-long mentorship program from the LVMH group.

“The jury was impressed by Marine Serre’s work, which cleverly combines urban, sportswear and oriental inspirations, creating through these confrontations a unique aesthetic. We have also awarded Kozaburo Akasaka of KOZABURO  a special prize. The Japanese designer distinguished himself with his delicately deconstructed menswear.

The fourth edition of the LVMH Prize saw over 1,200 young talents from 90 countries compete. This success is evidence of the international scope of the event. I’m proud that the LVMH Group has placed the spotlight on their work and supports their development” says Delphine Arnault.

In addition, three fashion graduates have been awarded the Graduate Prize. The recipients for 2017 are: Mariam Mazmishvili from La Cambre in Brussels,Maija Meiro from Aalto University in Helsinki, and Robert Wallace from Central Saint Martins in London.

They will each receive 10,000 euro and will join Louis Vuitton, Kenzo and Céline respectively for one year. Additionally, LVMH offers each of their universities a 10,000 euro grant in acknowledgement of their excellence.

Last year, British designer Grace Wales Bonner was the recipient of the LVMH Prize, while Canadian designer Vejas was awarded the special prize.

THE WINNERS

LVMH Prize Winner: Marine Serre for MARINE SERRE
Special Prize: Kozaburo Akasaka for KOZABURO

Graduates:
Mariam Mazmishvili, La Cambre, Brussels.
Maija Meiro, Aalto University, Helsinki.
Robert Wallace, Central Saint Martins, London.

Contact:

LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton
22, avenue Montaigne, 75008 Paris – France
Tel: +33 (0)1 44 13 22 22
Fax: +33 (0)1 44 13 22 23

Source: LVMH

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Iceland wins Online Supermarket of the Year and Business Initiative of the Year awards at The Grocer Gold Awards

London, 2017-Jun-17 — /EPR Retail News/ — Iceland was delighted to be named Online Supermarket of the Year, and to win the award for Business Initiative of the Year for the new Iceland Kitchen, at The Grocer Gold Awards at Guildhall in London yesterday evening.

This continued a run of recent awards success that included Iceland winning two Gold, two Silver and four Bronze Awards at the British Frozen Food Awards on 8 June – more than any other retailer. On the same evening Iceland was named Convenience Retailer of the Year at the 2017 FreshAwards for excellence in fresh produce.

Iceland Founder & Executive Chairman Malcolm Walker said: “These accolades provide welcome recognition of the huge progress Iceland has made over the last two years to make us one of the UK’s fastest-growing and best-regarded food retailers. As our 2017 financial results recently showed, we are successfully winning new customers and delighting our established shoppers by developing unique, exciting and great-tasting quality food that they simply cannot buy anywhere else, while continuing to offer outstanding value for money.

“Our fast-growing Online business, already twice voted the best in the UK in the annual Which? supermarket survey, continues to go from strength to strength under the leadership of our Managing Director of On-Line David Devany and his expanded team, supported by substantial investment in our website and logistics, including the opening of our second dedicated Online picking centre at Trafford Park this summer.

“Our £2 million investment to create simply the best product development kitchen in Europe at our Deeside head office has played a key role in increasing the pace and quality of our innovation, really taking our food to the next level, under the leadership of our hugely talented and experienced Head Chef Neil Nugent.

“Today we have the strongest management team in our 47-year history, our best-ever product range, a market-leading Online business, and are successfully changing perceptions of Iceland both through our “Power of Frozen” marketing campaign and by making major improvements in our stores. Our new Iceland store concept is proven to enhance our customer appeal and will now be rolled out across the country, while our distinctive and complementary The Food Warehouse format is already open in 40 locations across the UK, with many more stores in the pipeline. I have never been more excited about the prospects for Iceland and I am immensely grateful to The Grocer for the further endorsement provided by these great Awards”.

ENQUIRIES:
Keith Hann
PR adviser
01244 842228 / 07831 521870
kh@keithhann.com

Source: ICELAND

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FCL wins two Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards for CO-OP® GOLD Buttercrunch Toffee Chocolate and Co-op Gold Sorbetto

FCL wins two Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards for CO-OP® GOLD Buttercrunch Toffee Chocolate and Co-op Gold Sorbetto

Saskatoon, SK, 2017-Jun-09 — /EPR Retail News/ — The organization recently picked up two more Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards for CO-OP® GOLD Buttercrunch Toffee Chocolate (private-label confectionary and shelf stable desserts) and Co-op Gold Sorbetto (private-label desserts: fresh, refrigerated or frozen).

This follows FCL’s first two awards last year for its Co-op Gold Caramel Whisky Sauce and CO-OP GOLD PURE® Dark Chocolate.

“We continually seek to develop and provide new innovative food products to Co-op members and customers,” said Sav Bellissimo, Store Brands Manager with Federated Co-operatives Limited. “These awards recognize the quality of our products, which can compete with any other brand on the market.”

The awards, organized by the Retail Council of Canada, have been celebrating innovative new products now for 24 years. A judging panel comprised of consumers, food journalists, packaging designers and marketing executives reviewed 100 product finalists, o

Bellissimo attributed the success to the efforts of the Store Brands Team as well as the Marketing and Communications’ Design Team, led by Marie-Louise de la Harpe. De la Harpe was proud her team could be part of this award in addition to a separate packaging award presented earlier this year.

“Our goal is to continually push the envelope and deliver progressive, industry-leading design. Trust and great collaboration is the secret to our success,” de la Harpe said. “Our team is invested in developing and growing our store brands program and are encouraged by the progress.”

Co-op Gold Fruit Vinegar, Co-op Gold Pure Organic Coconut Peanut Butter and Co-op Gold Pure Sustainable Seafood Steelhead Trout were also finalists for the awards.

A complete list of finalists and winners is available at rccgrandprix.ca.

Contact:
PHONE: 306.244.3311
FAX: 306.244.3403
Email: inquiries@fcl.ca
Human Resources: careers@fcl.ca

Source Coop

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Craftsman brand wins one Gold and two Bronze Edison Awards for innovation

Craftsman brand wins one Gold and two Bronze Edison Awards for innovation

 

Awards Celebrate 30 Years of Honoring Innovators and Innovation

NEW YORK, 2017-May-02 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Edison Awards, celebrating 30 years of honoring the best in innovation and excellence in the development of new products and services, announced that the Craftsman brand was voted a winner of one Gold and two Bronze Edison Awards for innovation at the recent event at The Capitale in New York City.

The Craftsman® Flex Claw™ Hammer received a Gold Edison Award while the Craftsman Sidewinder™ Flat Tape and Craftsman Smart Lawn™ Connect Kit won Bronze Edison Awards.”I’m so proud of our product development team,” said Tom Park, president of the KCD Brands division at Sears Holdings. “They found a way to bring innovation to the most basic of tools – the hammer – by giving it more functionality with four clawing positions. Our Craftsman Sidewinder Measuring Tape makes you say ‘why didn’t I think of that?’ And the Craftsman Smart Lawn app allows you to view the tractor’s performance diagnostics, giving you peace of mind, plus money saving maintenance tips, weather tracking and more – everything you need to keep the best yard on the block.”

Edison Award Winning Products from Craftsman:

  • Built for speed and convenience, the versatile Craftsman Flex Claw Hammer allows you to drive nails with precision and pry boards with excellent access and leverage thanks to a jointed head. The head locks in four different clawing positions to access difficult angles. Made of forged carbon steel with a magnetic nail starter and rubber grip, this hammer is the new twist on a classic.
  • The Craftsman Sidewinder Measuring Tape features an exclusive design that allows the body to lie flat unlike traditional tape measures. Combined with a rear tang to hold the tape measure in place, it allows you to measure without the tape tipping over. It also has an auto blade lock, micro texture grip surface and a writable surface to note measurements that make it a “must-have” for the toolbox.
  • The Craftsman Smart Lawn Connected Riding Mowers provide the complete care system for your mower. Take command of your lawn care with the wireless-enabled Smart Lawn app from Craftsman. Just download the free Smart Lawn app to your smart device and follow the on-screen instructions to connect your mower using wireless technology. It notifies you when it’s time to change the oil, replace the air filter, replace blades and check battery status. Access DIY maintenance videos, the owner’s manual and shop for parts and accessories.

Winning an Edison Award has become one of the highest accolades a company can receive in the name of innovation and business. The awards are named after Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) whose inventions, new product development methods and innovative achievements literally changed the world, garnered him 1,093 U.S. patents, and made him a household name around the world.

“Our judges recognized Craftsman as a true innovator out of the many products in its category,” said Frank Bonafilia, executive director of the Edison Awards.

The ballot of nominees for the Edison Awards was judged by a panel of more than 3,000 leading business executives including past award winners, academics and leaders in the fields of product development, design, engineering, science and medical.

In addition to the Awards Gala, the annual Edison Awards program encompassed a full-day “Meet the Innovators Forum” and the “Innovators’ Showcase,” which offered guests a hands-on experience with many of the winning products.

Craftsman at Sears
The Craftsman brand has been America’s most trusted tool brand for generations, woven into the fabric of the American lifestyle. And Sears is your first destination for Craftsman products, with the widest selection on the planet and the original home of Craftsman. Craftsman at Sears continues to develop innovative tools and products, earning a reputation for unsurpassed quality and durability. This includes a full range of hand and power tools that meet the needs of the DIY user and the demanding professional. In addition, Craftsman at Sears also includes lawn and garden products and tool storage. Plus, Craftsman at Sears is part of Shop Your Way®, a social shopping experience where members have the ability to earn points and receive benefits when shopping at Sears stores and Sears.com/Craftsman.

About the Edison Awards
The Edison Awards is a program conducted by Edison Universe, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to fostering future innovators. The Awards have been recognizing and honoring the best in innovations and innovators since 1987. They honor game-changing innovations that are at the forefront of new product and service development, marketing and human-centered design, and are one of the highest accolades a company can receive in the name of successful innovation. For more information about the Edison Awards complete program and a list of past winners, visit www.edisonawards.com.

*Craftsman and related marks are used under license

For More Information,
Contact:

Larry Costello
PR Director – Sears Holdings
(847) 286-9036

SOURCE: Craftsman at Sears

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Fashion student Kim Linghoff wins the KappAhl Sustainable Design Contest 2017

Fashion student Kim Linghoff wins the KappAhl Sustainable Design Contest 2017

 

Mölndal, Sweden, 2017-May-01 — /EPR Retail News/ — A unanimous jury has named fashion student Kim Linghoff winner of the KappAhl Sustainable Design Contest 2017. The winning entry is about upcycling and puts excess yarn otherwise wasted in clothing production to use.

“The winning entry showcases smart design with a view to a sustainable fashion future.
Kim’s upcycling idea is playful, tasteful and innovative. We see a lot of potential to create something really interesting with Kim,” says Maria Segergren, Vice President, Assortment and Design.

The KappAhl Sustainable Design Contest is a competition for fashion and textiles students who would like to get involved in developing the sustainable design solutions of the future. This year’s winner is Kim Linghoff, a 28-year-old student of fashion at Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm. Her winning entry is based on the idea of making use of excess yarn from clothing production to create modern knitted garments

The jury’s statement reads, “This year’s winning entry is about upcycling. Kim Linghoff has shown how we can both playfully and tastefully combine newly produced materials with excess materials from previous production to make new and exciting knitted garments. A smart way of breathing new life into waste materials instead of throwing them away.”

“As a designer, I neither want nor need to choose between sustainability and high fashion. The tops I designed for my entry stand out and demand attention. Sustainable, knitted garments don’t need to be plain, practical things that just hang off you; these are tops that I would want to wear myself,” says Linghoff.

This autumn, Linghoff will develop her solution together with KappAhl’s design team.

About the KappAhl Sustainable Design Contest
Over 80 per cent of a product’s environmental impact is determined at the drawing board. This makes sustainable design a field with both great potential and plenty of room for experimentation and creative ideas. That’s why KappAhl set up the KappAhl Sustainable Design Contest, for design students in fashion and textiles with a connection to Sweden, Finland, Norway and Poland who want to be involved in developing the sustainable design solutions of the future. Find more on the contest at http://www.kappahl.com/designcontest.

The jury for the Sustainable Design Contest consisted of fashion journalist Emilia de Poret; Kate Goldsworthy, Senior Research Fellow at University of the Arts, London and part of Mistra Future Fashion; Maria Segergren, KappAhl’s Vice President Assortment and Design; Karin Verdoes, KappAhl’s designer; Lina Nyqvist, KappAhl’s sustainability manager for assortment; and Eva Kindgren de Boer, KappAhl’s sustainability manager for production.

Last year’s winner in store now
After last year’s competition, 2016 winner Lovisa Malmberg Gomis has designed two dresses with KappAhl’s design team on the theme of multifunctionality. The dresses are available in KappAhl’s stores at the moment, as part of this year’s Celebrate collection. Watch a film about the dresses here.

KappAhl aims to create high-quality, value-for-money fashion, produced with care and respect for people and the environment. Today, 38% of the company’s products are sustainability-labelled, and it aspires to use only sustainably produced cotton by 2020.

KappAhl was founded in 1953 in Gothenburg and is a leading fashion chain in the Nordic region, with nearly 380 stores in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Poland, together with Shop Online. Our business concept is to offer value-for-money fashion of our own design to a wide range of consumers.

In 2015/2016, turnover was SEK 4.7 billion, with approx. 4,000 employees in nine countries. KappAhl is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.

Download file: 170427 Promising designer wins KappAhl Sustainable Design Contest 2017

PRESS CONTACTS:
Maria Segergren
Vice President
Assortment and Design.
Tel: +46 (0) 704 71 55 32.

Fredrika Klarén
Head of Sustainability.
Tel: +46 (0) 704 71 55 58.

For photos and company information
Charlotte Högberg
Head Corporate Communications
Tel. +46 (0) 704 71 56 31
charlotte.hogberg@kappahl.com.

Source: KappAhl

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Kenmore wins Women’s Choice Award for major appliances

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., 2017-Feb-04 — /EPR Retail News/ — As the trusted referral source for women, the Women’s Choice Award is delighted to honor the Kenmore® brand for earning the 2017 Women’s Choice Award® as America’s Most Recommended™ Range, Dishwasher, Refrigerator and Washer/Dryer appliances for a fourth consecutive year. This award designation is based on a national survey that was distributed to tens of thousands of women across America who were asked to select the brands that they would highly recommend to their family and friends.

“The Women’s Choice Award’s mission is to simplify her life by recognizing brands tried, tested, and highly recommended by women – making it easy to buy with confidence,” said Delia Passi, CEO and Founder. “By carrying the Women’s Choice Award seal, brands like Kenmore® signify their commitment to empower women to make smart buying choices.”

“The Kenmore brand has been trusted by Americans for more than 100 years and is woven into the fabric of the American lifestyle,” said Tom Park, president of the Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard brands. “American women are our primary customers and we take pride in listening to women and developing products that meet their needs. So it is an honor to receive ‘The Women’s Choice Award’ from this respected consumer organization. Reliability, performance and service are our hallmarks.”

Women have remarkable spending power and its continually growing. They currently control the majority of the purchasing decisions for consumer goods in America. Women are also likely to influence or manage big ticket purchases as well as everyday purchases, according to a Nielson Report. That, together with a Forbes article stating that word of mouth has been shown to improve marketing effectiveness by 54%, reveals the significance of being a highly recommended brand by women.

Passi commented on how the Women’s Choice Award serves as a competitive differentiator in today’s cluttered marketplace.

“When a woman is willing to recommend a brand or service to others, it means that business has earned her loyalty. Those are the businesses we wish to recognize for meeting the needs and preferences of their female customers, who are the toughest customer,” Passi said.

“We recently introduced our Kenmore Elite Black Stainless suite of appliances, which are designed based on feedback from our customers, the majority of whom are women,” Park added. “The smudge-proof finish is perfect for busy families, which is feedback we’ve heard, particularly from moms.”

“We are pleased to salute the Kenmore® brand for its focus on excellence, a commitment that is recognized by women consumers nationwide,” said Passi.

ABOUT THE KENMORE BRAND

The Kenmore Brand is an industry leader in delivering trusted performance in the home with smart and stylish appliance innovations that help consumers do things quicker, easier and better. Recognized as a top appliance brand for over 100 years, the Kenmore brand continues to give consumers more time, efficiency and improved results for better living with industry-leading products across small and large appliance categories. For more information, visit www.kenmore.com, www.cookmore.com/press-kit/ or www.facebook.com/kenmore.

ABOUT SEARS, ROEBUCK AND CO. 

Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), is a leading integrated retailer providing merchandise and related services and is part of Shop Your Way, a social shopping experience where members have the ability to earn points and receive benefits across a wide variety of physical and digital formats through shopyourway.com. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through Sears-branded and affiliated full-line and specialty retail stores. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, and DieHard — among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the nation’s largest provider of home services, with nearly 12 million service and installation calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.

ABOUT THE WOMEN’S CHOICE AWARD®

The Women’s Choice Award sets the standard for helping women to make smarter purchasing choices. The company and its awards identify the brands, products and services that are most recommended and trusted by women. Additionally, they recognize those that deliver a recommendation-worthy customer experience. Awards are based on surveys of thousands of women, as well as research conducted in partnership with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. As the trusted referral source for women, WomenCertified Inc., home of the Women’s Choice Award, created the first national award based on the ratings and preferences of women. Women can visit the official website at www.WomensChoiceAward.com to learn more.

MEDIA CONTACT:  
Erica Guzman
WomenCertified Inc.
Marketing Manager
T: (954) 922-0846
eguzman@womenschoiceaward.com

Larry Costello– Sears
Kenmore brand
PR Director
T: (847) 286-9036
larry.costello@searshc.com

SOURCE: Sears, Roebuck and Co.

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Newark Street Elementary School’s recipe wins Price Chopper and Market 32’s Tools for Schools Family Meal Recipe Contest

Newark Street Elementary recipe winner: From l. to r.: Sue Winsor, Afterschool Coordinator ; Jennifer Sicard, principal; and Dylan Gonyer, student chef from Newark Street Elementary School celebrate the Tools for Schools – Million Point Challenge – Grand Prize winning recipe, Dylan’s Spinach Chicken Parmesan with Price Chopper store manager Gary Miller.

 

BCMS recipe winner: From l. to r: Kandace Bradley, teacher aide; David Doemel, interim principal; and Joan Chadderdon, secretary to the principal from Bethlehem Central Middle School celebrate the Fan Favorite winning recipe Roasted Shrimp and Vegetables with Market Bistro Chef Donnie Graham.

 

Newark Street Elementary School (Newark, Vt.) and Bethlehem Central Middle School (Delmar, N.Y.) win bonuses

Schenectady, N.Y, 2017-Feb-02 — /EPR Retail News/ — This year’s Tools for Schools Family Meal Recipe Contest winning recipes are: Dylan’s Spinach Chicken Parmesan submitted by the Newark Street Elementary School in Newark (Vt.) was named the grand prize winner by a panel of Market Bistro chefs and Roasted Shrimp and Vegetables submitted by Bethlehem Central Middle School in Delmar (N.Y.) was named the fan favorite.

“The Family Meal Recipe Contest is an opportunity to show off creativity and originality in the kitchen with recipes that are delicious and easy to prepare. In return, schools receive a significant bonus for their Tools for Schools points balance,” said Mona Golub, vice president of public relations and consumer services for Price Chopper/ Market 32. “For nearly 20 years, Tools for Schools has brought communities together to raise more than $13 million in school equipment for local schools throughout the Northeast.”

Newark Street Elementary School’s recipe, Dylan’s Spinach Chicken Parmesan, will be awarded 1,000,000 bonus points toward educational equipment ($10,000 value). “The school was very excited to hear that Dylan’s recipe was one of the top five recipes and then came the announcement that he had actually won – the whole school erupted in joy!” said Newark Street Elementary School Principal Jennifer Sicard. “Dylan is a very creative young man who loves to experiment with recipes and cooking techniques. He participates in the Community Cooking Club as part of the After School Program here at Newark. The whole community couldn’t be prouder of this young man!! The points will go a long way towards obtaining much needed equipment.”

Bethlehem Central Middle School’s Roasted Shrimp and Vegetables recipe will earn 250,000 bonus points. “We are excited about our win and the support we received from the community,” said Bethlehem Central Middle School Interim Principal Dave Doemel. “We will be able to put our quarter million points to good use in our classrooms, providing BCMS students and teachers with additional tools and materials for learning and exploring the world around them.”

Through March 25, 2017, shoppers are encouraged to support their local school by using their AdvantEdge Card. Points earned from the program enable elementary, middle, and high schools to fund new equipment and education materials, including school supplies, musical instruments, microscopes, computer software, furniture, and playground equipment.

Schools also have a chance to win prizes based on most points earned and the greatest value-to-student ratio. Bonus points, in addition to other incentives, will help schools add to their overall total. As a special incentive to this year’s program, the top 50 schools with the most points earned and the top 50 schools with the highest points per student ratio will each receive a Price Chopper gift card worth $250. The winners will be announced in April 2017.

Tools for Schools has raised more than $13 million for schools in Price Chopper and Market 32’s six-state footprint. This year, hundreds of participating schools across the Northeast will earn a share of more than $500,000 in needed equipment and materials with the help of Price Chopper and Market 32 shoppers and teammates.

To earn points for a designated school, shoppers can visit the Guest Services desk or enroll their AdvantEdge Card at www.pricechopper.com. One point will be awarded for each dollar spent. Purchase of select Price Chopper and brand items will award double points. To find the participating schools in your area, visit www.pricechopper.com.

About The Golub Corporation:

Based in Schenectady, NY, the Golub Corporation owns and operates 136 Price Chopper and Market 32 grocery stores in New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The American owned, family-managed company prides itself on longstanding traditions of innovative food merchandising, leadership in community service, and cooperative employee relations. Golub’s 20,000 teammates collectively own more than 47% of the company’s privately held stock, making it one of the nation’s largest privately held corporations that is predominantly employee-owned. For additional information, visit www.pricechopper.com

Contact:
Mona Golub
Price Chopper
518.379.1480

Jonathan Pierce, APR
Pierce Communications
518.427.1186

Source: Price Chopper

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A.S. Watson Group wins “International Award” at the 2016 Hong Kong Business Awards

A.S. Watson Group wins “International Award” at the 2016 Hong Kong Business Awards

 

HONG KONG, 2016-Dec-12 — /EPR Retail News/ — From a local dispensary to the largest international health and beauty retailer in Asia and Europe, A.S. Watson Group’s 175 years of global accomplishment was recognised by business leaders at the Hong Kong Business Awards 2016, by winning the “International Award”, proclaiming the Group’s achievement in successful international expansion and operations, and enhancing Hong Kong’s international reputation in the process.

The annual Hong Kong Business Awards was established in 1990 by DHL and the South China Morning Post, with the aim to encourage and sustain the region’s entrepreneurial spirit and recognise excellent standards of corporate management and governance.

Contact:

Tel: +852 2606 8833
Fax: +852 2690 2836
Email: grouppr@aswatson.com

Source: A.S. Watson Group

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Belle International wins Family-Friendly Employers and Breastfeeding Support awards in 2015/16 Family-Friendly Employers Scheme

Belle International wins Family-Friendly Employers and Breastfeeding Support awards in 2015/16 Family-Friendly Employers Scheme
Belle International wins Family-Friendly Employers and Breastfeeding Support awards in 2015/16 Family-Friendly Employers Scheme

 

Shenzhen, China, 2016-Dec-01 — /EPR Retail News/ — To recognize the commitment and effort in demonstrating a family-friendly spirit, Belle International was presented with two awards, namely “Family-Friendly Employers” and “Awards for Breastfeeding Support”, in the “2015/16 Family-Friendly Employers Scheme” co-organized by the Home Affairs Bureau and the Family Council.

The biennial Award Scheme, with more than 2,700 companies and organizations taking part this year, aims to recognize employers who attach importance to the family-friendly spirit.  Belle International is delighted toreceive the two recognitions on her first attempt.  In the long run, the Group will continuously live up to the “Family-friendly spirit”, foster a pro-family culture and strive for a win-win situation between employer and employees.

Contact:

Tel：+86 755 8287 7388

Source: Belle International

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Lagardère Travel Retail wins contract to operate Duty Free and Specialty at Cairns Airport

Australia, 2016-Nov-23 — /EPR Retail News/ — Following their success in a competitive tender process, Lagardère Travel Retail has been awarded 10 year concessions to operate Duty Free and Specialty at Cairns Airport.

This win signals a strong and successful partnership with Cairns Airport and reinforces Lagardère Travel Retail’s strategic plan of providing retail solutions to their partners through operating their 3 business units in one location – Travel Essentials, Food Services and Duty Free.

“We are delighted to be awarded this concession, it’s a significant milestone for us”, says Matthieu Mercier, CEO for the Pacific region. “Cairns Airport has been a key partner of ours for 25 years starting with our Travel Essentials business, launching our Food Services business in 2012 and more recently bringing mono brand luxury stores as firsts to the Cairns market. Together, we are well versed in operating in this unique environment.”

Opening in both arrivals and departures in March 2017, a number of new brands and product categories will be introduced to the North Queensland market. With a great understanding of both the terminal and travelling passengers, the needs of the travellers will be met through a constantly evolving offer, award winning customer service and the ability to adapt quickly to an ever changing environment.

Cairns Airport GM Commercial, Fiona Ward, said her team were delighted to receive bids from world leading Duty Free operators.

“The decision to award Lagardère Travel Retail this exciting new opportunity at Cairns Airport was made after a robust evaluation process.” Ms Ward said.

“We look forward to furthering the already strong partnership between our businesses and working with Lagardère Travel Retail as they deliver a unique duty free offer to our customers that brings together exceptional value and accessible indulgence.”

Lagardère Travel Retail operate core Duty Free concessions in the Pacific region, in Noumea, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Townsville, Queenstown, Dunedin and Auckland. Within Cairns Airport, they currently operate 16 stores across the 3 business lines, and these new stores will benefit from the local regional network experience, local support functions and the company’s global experience.

Lagardère Travel Retail are delighted to continue their strong and successful partnership with Cairns Airport, and look forward delivering a world class retail experience.

ABOUT LAGARDERE TRAVEL RETAIL:

With 4 billion euros 100% managed sales in 2015 and a presence in 31 countries, 220 airports and 700 train stations in EMEA, North America and ASPAC, Lagardère Travel Retail is a pioneering and leading travel retail player with global reach. Operating stores in travel essentials, duty free and luxury and foodservice, Lagardère Travel Retail offers a complete range of products and services to satisfy each and every traveller all along his journey. As a multi- specialist retailer, beyond the expertise within its 3 business lines, Lagardère Travel Retail creates value-added opportunities in each location.

In Asia Pacific, Lagardère Travel Retail operates over 300 outlets in 16 airports, supported by professional local teams in Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China and India.

PRESS CONTACT:
Matthieu Mercier
CEO
+61 2 8218 1105
m.mercier@lagardere-traspac.com
www.lagardere-traspac.com

Janette Doolan
Communications Manager
+61 2 8218 1142
j.doolan@lagardere-traspac.com
www.lagardere-traspac.com

Source: Lagardère Travel Retail

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TAG Heuer wins award for its reissue of the iconic Heuer Monza chronograph at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie in Geneva

TAG Heuer wins award for its reissue of the iconic Heuer Monza chronograph at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie in Geneva
TAG Heuer wins award for its reissue of the iconic Heuer Monza chronograph at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie in Geneva

 

Geneva, Switzerland, 2016-Nov-23 — /EPR Retail News/ — At the prestigious Grand Prix d’Horlogerie in Geneva, TAG Heuer won an award in the “Revival” category for its reissue of the iconic Heuer Monza chronograph. Time to look back at this emblematic design, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

The award distinguishes the reissue of a model which belongs to the heritage of the manufacture, whose inspiration closely evokes the spirit of the original. Always highly sought-after by collectors, the Heuer Monza came into being in 1976 when Jack Heuer, the great grandson of the founder, designed a chronograph to celebrate Niki Lauda’s first Formula 1 world championship title with Ferrari.

2016 marks the House’s return to the origins of the watch, since today’s model features two key functions – the pulsometer and the tachymeter scale – which were not included on previous reissues. The original font, and the red hands and counters, reflect the watch’s racing heritage, while positioning it firmly as a new, contemporary design.

TAG Heuer has revived the famous coussin case and the black and white lacquered hands, which are identical to the original. In a key difference, the case of the new model is crafted from grade 5 titanium, making it lighter and more shock-resistant. The diameter of the dial has also been increased, from 39 mm to 42 mm. The “super-racing” strap, in full-grain black calfskin with top-stitching, evokes the three-spoke steering wheel design of racing cars of the time.

Jack Heuer, honorary chairman of TAG Heuer, who designed the original Monza, went on stage to accept the award at the request of Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer and President of the Watch Division of the LVMH group.

Contact:

LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton
22, avenue Montaigne, 75008 Paris – France
Tel: +33 (0)1 44 13 22 22
Fax: +33 (0)1 44 13 22 23

Source: LVMH

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H&M wins CSR Award at the 26th annual Drapers Awards ceremony

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, 2016-Nov-23 — /EPR Retail News/ — On Thursday 17th November, H&M proudly accepted the much coveted CSR Award at the 26th annual Drapers Awards ceremony in London.

Each year Drapers – one of the UK’s most well respected fashion business titles – hosts the prestigious Awards in recognition of the top-performing businesses in the fashion sector. This year H&M was nominated for five out of 17 featured categories including Best Fashion Retailer, Best Place to Work, Best Marketing Campaign, Best Store Design and Best CSR.

H&M was selected as the winner of the CSR Award from a shortlist of nominees. A judging panel of twelve industry experts agreed that H&M’s “great commitments to organic and sustainable cotton” were one of the many reasons that made it the most deserving brand for the award.

Drapers.co.uk then went on to say “There is a definite buzz in the industry surrounding H&M and its CSR initiatives. For more than a decade, H&M has been providing fashion for ethical customers, rewarding responsible partners and using natural resources where possible. It is clear that sustainability has become an intrinsic part of H&M’s business”.

Press Enquiries:

Phone: +46 8 796 53 00
Email: mediarelations@hm.com

Source: H&M

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Carrefour hypermarket in Le Mons voted wins 2016 “Prix Mercure” award

Belgium, 2016-Oct-30 — /EPR Retail News/ — The “Prix Mercure” is the most coveted award in Belgium’s retail sector. It is presented by Comeos, an organisation set up to represent retail and services in Belgium, and is awarded to the best store every year.

Carrefour decided to enter its “Les Grands Prés” hypermarket in Le Mons for the challenge. An independent panel made up of seven retail specialists voted for the “store concept of the year”, selecting one from numerous contenders. All of them placed the emphasis on the customer experience, as well as what it is like for employees to work at them, and represented a major innovation on a market that is mature or otherwise.

The panel revealed the name of the 2016 “Prix Mercure” winning store at a prestigious awards ceremony on 26 October at Le BEL (Tour & Taxis). And it was the Mons store which won the prize!

This store was presented with the award because:
>  The service with a human face that it provides successfully incorporates digital technologies
>    It places the emphasis on business expertise (a pizza maker, a chocolatier, a sommelier, and beer that is brewed on site)

Congratulations to all of the teams who played a part in this excellent result!

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

. By phone:

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

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

. By e-mail: presse_groupe@carrefour.com

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Carrefour hypermarket in Le Mons voted wins 2016 “Prix Mercure” award
Carrefour hypermarket in Le Mons voted wins 2016 “Prix Mercure” award

 

Source: Carrefour

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Pergo Outlast+ wins The Home Depot® 2016 Innovation Award

ATLANTA, 2016-Oct-29 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Home Depot®, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, announces that Pergo Outlast+ won the retailer’s 2016 Innovation Award. Pergo Outlast+ was selected because the new laminate flooring provides 24 hours of defense against liquid spills – something no other laminate offers today. The annual award recognizes the most innovative new products that provide true benefits to consumers and the companies that exceeded expectations in sales, service and program execution.

Runner-up honors were awarded to Milwaukee Tools for its Milwaukee M18 FUEL with ONE-KEY. ONE-KEY allows users to connect to the tool with a smartphone for unlimited customization and control. And honors went to Heath Zenith lighting for its Defiant LED BLADE motion activated security lights. BLADE LED motion light provides seamless light coverage.

Additionally, Trex Enhance Composite Decking, made from 95% recycled materials, won Environmental Partner of the Year and PPG won Marketing Innovation for its Glidden Diamond Launch campaign.

“The Home Depot is focused on being the destination for innovative home improvement products – saving customers time and money,” said Ted Decker, executive vice president, Merchandising for The Home Depot. “Our strong vendor partnerships make this possible and we’re thrilled to highlight many of them today for their outstanding product breakthroughs.”

In addition to the top three award winners, The Home Depot recognized the companies that round out the top 10 product innovations:

Ryobi Ultra Quiet Garage Door Opener ultra-powerful motor will quietly open and close large doors with ease, and comes with a multifunctional wall control, wireless keypad, two remotes, safety sensor and can be controlled via smart device.

Mohawk Industries Lifeproof Carpet has lifetime stain protection, superior softness, exceptional durability and environmentally friendly attributes.

FEIT LED Edge-Lit Flat Panel Lighting integrates the latest in LED technology with a low profile design that directs the light downward creating uniform light distribution without hot spots, flicker or glare.

Masterbrand’s Thomasville Studio 1904 cabinets offer 12 unique door styles with simple straight lines, offering a modern style.

Nexgrill Evolution Plus 5-Burner Gas Grill with Side Burner provides the flexibility of choosing between direct heat and infrared cooking and also has a smoker for smoldering wood chips.

Apex Tool Group Husky 100 (Black) Mechanics Hand Tools includes multi-purpose alloy steel tools, heat-treated for added strength, perfect for small jobs around the house or the DIY mechanic.

Freud Diablo Carbide-Tipped Hole Saw are the industry’s first carbide-tipped hole saws to cut both wood and metal, with a design to simplify the attachment process for mounting.

For more information about products that won, visit www.homedepot.com.

The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,276 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. In fiscal 2015, The Home Depot had sales of $88.5 billion and earnings of $7.0 billion. The Company employs more than 385,000 associates. The Home Depot’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor’s 500 index.

Contact:

Email: investor_relations@homedepot.com
IR Coordinator: 770-384-2871

SOURCE: The Home Depot

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SSP wins contract to operate eight food and beverage concessions at Phuket International Airport

SSP wins contract to operate eight food and beverage concessions at Phuket International Airport
SSP wins contract to operate eight food and beverage concessions at Phuket International Airport

 

LONDON, 2016-Oct-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — SSP Group plc, a leading operator of food and beverage outlets in travel locations worldwide, has consolidated its position in the Thai market with a number of new contract wins.

At Phuket International Airport, SSP has been awarded a four-year contract to operate eight concepts in the new international Terminal 2. Valued at approximately 1.5 billion THB (£33 million*) the new deal will make SSP the leading concessionaire at the airport.

Landside, SSP will run all food and beverage operations on the mezzanine floor. Its offer will include Burger King, Bill Bentleyn Pub, Ajisen Ramen, Thai Express, Airport Kopitiam, Dairy Queen and The Coffee Club. Airside, passengers will be able to choose from Burger King and Bill Bentley Pub.

Commenting on the win, Chris Rayner, CEO SSP Asia Pacific said; “We have been running food and beverage concessions in Thai airports, where we are the clear market leader, since 1995 in cooperation with our Thai partner Minor Food Group. SSP Thailand’s strong track record in delivering great brands, great customer service and great sales all contributed to us being awarded the contracts in Phuket, and we are delighted to be building on our success in this strategically important region.”

Separately, at Suvarnabhumi Airport, SSP has extended all its existing contracts by four years. It has also extended its contracts at Chiang Mai International Airport by two years until July 2018.

Phuket brand line-up:

Thai Express is the world’s largest chain of modern Thai restaurants. Serving traditional Thai cuisine in a relaxed and yet contemporary environment, today the brand can be found at over 30 locations from China and Malaysia to Vietnam and Singapore.

Japanese brand Ajisen Ramen is the country’s leading ramen restaurant and can now be found across the Asian continent. It serves a range of Asian dishes in a format that is simple, tasty and healthy as well as convenient.

Founded in 1954, the Burger King® brand is the second largest fast food hamburger chain in the world. The original home of the Whopper®, the Burger King ® system operates more than 14,000 locations in approximately 100 countries and U.S. territories.

Bill Bentley Pub is a classic English pub, styled to create the warm welcome of the traditional local.

Airport Kopitiam, is a bespoke SSP concept which draws inspiration from the ever popular café culture of Malaysia. Its menu features simple meals, including kaya toast and white coffees.

Founded in the 1940s in Illinois, USA Dairy Queen is famous for its dessert treats and much more. Today it is hugely popular across Asia.

The Coffee Club, which originated in Australia, is a growing coffee chain in Asia Pacific with over 400 stores across nine countries including Thailand.

If you are a journalist and have a press enquiry, please call:
Templemere Public Relations
+44 (0) 1306 735574
press.office@ssp-intl.com

Source: SSP America

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NCR’s SelfServ 91 wins two German Design Awards in “Industry” and “Universal Design” categories

Augsburg, Germany, 2016-Oct-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR), a global leader in omni-channel solutions, has been recognized for its innovative product designs in two categories with the prestigious German Design Award 2017. The German Design Council has chosen NCR’s SelfServ 91 in the cantilever deployment as a winner in the categories “Industry” as well as “Universal Design”.

Among the 4,000 entries, a jury of 48 international experts from various disciplines selected NCR’s innovative ATM design for its unique combination of design and its ability provide a barrier-free unique user experience for modern banking.

The German Design Award is the top international prize of the German Design Council that aims to discover, present and honor unique design trends. The competition sets the highest standards when it comes to selecting the prize winners and invites only those products and communication design services to participate in the awards that have demonstrated to stand out in their design quality. Those that are selected as winners among a field of top-class competitors have successfully proven themselves as some of the best in the world of product design.

NCR has been focused on redesigning its products to enable a better user experience. NCR’s growing omni-channel offerings include reliable, secure, easy-to-use, and cost-effective solutions that are industry hardened to create competitive advantages and personalized user experiences consistent across multiple channels. While the features of ATMs have evolved continuously since their invention, their fundamental construction and build hasn’t been questioned. By placing the customer interfaces at a 90° angle from the wall, the SelfServ 91 opens up a variety of interior design options for banks. Furthermore, wheelchair users can sit underneath and use it as easily as all other customers.

“We are grateful and proud to have been selected as a winner in not only one, but two categories for this prestigious award”, says Adam Crighton, vice president and general manager of Financial Services Hardware, NCR Corporation. “This ATM design combines our standard-setting Interactive Teller technology with our finest in product design. At first glance, angling the interfaces may seem like a small change to make. But it has a stunningly new visual effect and gives banks greater flexibility in their branch interior design, while also providing much easier access for wheelchair users than a common wall-sunk ATM would.”

About NCR Corporation
NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a leader in omni-channel solutions, turning everyday interactions with businesses into exceptional experiences. With its software, hardware and portfolio of services, NCR enables more than 550 million transactions daily across retail, financial, travel, hospitality, telecom and technology, and small business. NCR solutions run the everyday transactions that make your life easier.

NCR is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia with over 30,000 employees globally and does business in 180 countries. NCR is a trademark of NCR Corporation in the United States and other countries. The company encourages investors to visit its web site which is updated regularly with financial and other important information about NCR.

Web site: www.ncr.com
Twitter: @NCRCorporation
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ncrcorp
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ncr-corporation
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/ncrcorporation

News Media Contacts:
Ortrud Wenzel
NCR Corporation
+49 821 405 8191
ortrud.wenzel@ncr.com

Source: NCR Corporation

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SPAR Norway’s EUROSPAR Tomasjord wins ‘Shop of the Year’

Tromsø, Norway, 2016-Oct-07 — /EPR Retail News/ — EUROSPAR Tomasjord in Tromsø is one of the largest stores in SPAR Norway, with more than €21 million in revenue and 2,300 m2 selling area.  85 employees work together to ensure ongoing success. A key success factor for Bjørn is the direct contact with customers which is evident by the fact that after it became known that the store was awarded ‘Shop of the Year’ customers were almost queuing to congratulate SPAR retailer Bjørn Bendiksen, Store Manager Freddy Svendsen and their team.

Better together, the staff is key

The EUROSPAR Supermarket has grown steadily over the last decade, and is constantly setting new sales records. Customers are well aware of the diverse in store offer, the innovative promotional activity and the local community involvement in which EUROSPAR is involved.

“We are so lucky that we have the ability to run our own marketing campaigns as well as to benefit from national promotions. We have daily deals, with prices that even make discounters tremble! Every day we have advertisements on the front and back of both the local papers.

“There is no doubt that the winning factor is our staff. We have highly motivated employees who work hard to give our customers a premium shopping experience. Our basic philosophy is to involve the employees, inform and give them responsibility – we see that they grow from this approach. Furthermore, we encourage our employees to work in different parts of the shop.

“It is of course very satisfying to get daily positive feedback from our customers, hearing that they enjoy the good working environment which prevails among the employees”, said Freddy and Bjørn.

As a third generation retailer, Bjørn has grown up in a store environment, and has himself worked as a retailer for 44 years. But he has no plans to step down.

“I really enjoy being in the supermarket, meeting people and absorbing the atmosphere – it’s wonderful. In order to succeed in food retail, you must be passionate about” adds Bjørn.

Be present instore – that’s where it happens!

Freddy and Bjørn spend most of their time in the supermarket, among customers and employees, continually reviewing the full offer. It is essential to keep up with what is happening.

Bjørn says: “Together we manage to find good solutions and come up with good ideas; that’s why this award is as much a victory for each employee, as it is for Freddy and I”.

The local store must offer local food

One of the things that EUROSPAR Tomasjord focus strongly on is locally produced food. And those locally produced goods are often used as promotional items – at very good prices for the customer.

“We are concerned about local producers and products – after all we all live locally. It is important that locally produced food is not just a supplement, but that the local producers also can make money and a living. Therefore, we use a lot of local goods – especially in our dinner meal range. Our customers appreciate it – they like supporting local producers. Some promotions are so popular that it can be difficult for the producers to deliver enough products” concludes Bjørn.

Contact:

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

Source: Spar International

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CBRE Group wins the 2016 Global Outsourcing Social Responsibility Impact Award conferred by IAOP and ISG

Los Angeles, 2016-Sep-29 — /EPR Retail News/ — CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG) today (September 28, 2016) announced that it has won the 2016 Global Outsourcing Social Responsibility Impact Award (GOSRIA) conferred by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) and Information Services Group (ISG). The award recognizes service provider excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility and exemplary leadership in programs that foster community, workplace training, communication, environment, and giving.

IAOP and ISG began the GOSRIA program five years ago. This is the second time CBRE has won the award—the first was in 2012, the program’s inaugural year. CBRE is the only service provider to have won the award twice.

“A key to CBRE’s leadership position is our unwavering commitment to responsible business practices,” said Bill Concannon, CEO of Global Workplace Solutions for CBRE.  “We thank ISG and IAOP for this award and for recognizing the positive impact of our professionals in our communities and on the environment.”

Earlier this year, IAOP announced that CBRE achieved the highest possible evaluation in the association’s annual assessment of global outsourcing companies, earning five-star status. IAOP has recognized CBRE one of the world’s best outsourcing firms across all industries for ten consecutive years.

CBRE received several other high-profile accolades this year. It was included in the FTSE4Good Index Series, which recognizes companies demonstrating strong environmental, social and governance practices, for three years in a row; ranked 15th on the Forbes “America’s Best Employers” list; included in Fortune Magazine’s Most Admired Companies for the fourth straight year; named a World’s Most Ethical Company by The Ethisphere Institute for the third consecutive year; and received an EPA 2016 ENERGY STAR® Partner of The Year Sustained Excellence Award for the ninth year in a row.

More information on corporate responsibility at CBRE can be found at www.cbre.com/responsibility.

About CBRE Group, Inc.
CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2015 revenue).  The Company has more than 70,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate investors and occupiers through more than 400 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide.  CBRE offers a broad range of integrated services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services and development services. Please visit our website at www.cbre.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Robert McGrath
Senior Director, Global Media Relations
+1 212 9848267

Source:  CBRE Group, Inc.

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SM Supermalls wins Brand of the Year Award, National Tier 2016-2017 at the World Branding Awards ceremonies in London

SM Supermalls wins Brand of the Year Award, National Tier 2016-2017 at the World Branding Awards ceremonies in London
SM Supermalls wins Brand of the Year Award, National Tier 2016-2017 at the World Branding Awards ceremonies in London

 

Pasay City, Philippines, 2016-Sep-23 — /EPR Retail News/ — Another Filipino brand has made it to the global stage. This year, SM Supermalls was given the prestigious Brand of the Year Award under the National Tier 2016-2017, during the World Branding Awards ceremonies held in an exclusive black tie gala dinner at the iconic Kensington Palace in London.

The award, given by The World Branding Forum, was the only one conferred to a local brand from the Philippines in the Shopping Mall category.

Aside from SM, other winning brands include ICBC (China), Bang & Olufsen (Denmark), Hermes (Frances), Nivea (Germany), Chow Tai Food (Hong Kong), Prada (Italy), Sukiya (Japan), Safaricom (Kenya), Maybank (Malaysia), Dulux (Netherlands), Sagres (Portugal), QNB (Qatar), Sberbank (Russia), Raffles Education (Singapore), Amore Pacific (South Korea), Santander (Spain), Zurich(Switzerland), Chunghwa Telecom (Taiwan), King Power (Thailand), Dubai Duty Free (UAE), and Prudential (UK), among others.

SM’s SVP for Operations Steven Tan was present during the ceremony to receive the award.

“We are proud to be recognized in the global stage,” Tan said during his acceptance speech. “SM is a brand that reflects the Filipino people’s indomitable spirit of excellence. We resonate because we celebrate people’s hopes and aspirations, and we bring these a step closer to reality. Through our malls, we strive to create memorable destinations that broaden our shoppers’ experiences, and allow them to participate in a greater, global world.”

World Branding Forum Global Chairman Richard Rowles emphasized that the objectives of the Forum “are to advance the standards, skills and education of the branding community for the good of the industry and consumers.”

“The Awards celebrates the achievements of some of the greatest brands around the globe. With 70 percent of the scoring process coming from consumer votes, winning brands have managed to build a good trust score with their consumers,” said Richard Rowles, Chairman of the World Branding Forum.

The selection of winners is determined through brand valuation (30%), public online voting (30%), and consumer market research (40%). The latter was conducted through one-on-one phone interviews in each country. SM Supermalls came out as the most exceptional brand in the Philippines to merit the recognition under the National Tier – Shopping Mall category, affirming the brand’s position as a household name in the country.

World Branding Forum Chief Executive Peter Pek emphasized on brands’ ability to provide customers with memorable experiences more than just good products and services.

“The quality of brands competing for the awards is very high.  Winners set the standards of what brands need to be in order to win,” Pek added.

The World Branding Forum (WBF) is a global, non-profit organization dedicated to advancing branding standards for the good of the branding community as well as consumers. Its premier recognition program, has so far recognized some of the world’s largest and best-known brands such as Apple (US), British Airways (UK), Louis Vuitton (France), and Mercedez-Benz (Germany).

The World Branding Awards is the premier awards of the World Branding Forum. It recognizes the achievements of some of the best brands in the world.

For further information, please contact:

Ms. Corazon P. Guidote
Senior Vice President for Investor Relations
SM Investments Corporation
E-mail: cora.guidote@sminvestments.com
Tel. No. (632) 857-0117

Source: SM Investments Corporation

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Fast Retailing’s Annual Report 2015 wins Grand Award at the Annual International ARC Awards for the second consecutive year

Fast Retailing's Annual Report 2015 wins Grand Award at the Annual International ARC Awards for the second consecutive year
Fast Retailing’s Annual Report 2015 wins Grand Award at the Annual International ARC Awards for the second consecutive year

 

Berlin, Germany, 2016-Sep-06 — /EPR Retail News/ — Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.’s English-language Annual Report 2015 was granted a Grand Award for the second consecutive year at the Annual International ARC Awards, the world’s largest annual report contest held in the United States. This year, Fast Retailing was awarded Gold for Chairman’s Letter and Silver for Photography, and was also selected from among a group of nominated finalists to receive the prestigious Best of Chairman’s Letter International Grand Award.

The ARC offers Gold, Silver, Bronze and Honors awards across a range of annual report categories, including Overall Excellence, Cover Design, Chairman’s Letter and Interior Design. The reports are evaluated on a specific set of factors, including how succinct and crisp the overall corporate message is, the persuasiveness of the text, the clarity and readability of financial data, the originality of the cover and interior design, and the level of cohesion and consistency of the whole report. Judging is extremely strict, with any report that fails to achieve the required minimum score labeled as “non-applicable”. Winning a Gold Award is even more challenging, and requires the winning candidate to earn over 90 out of a possible 100 points for all the categories. Only 5% of prize-winning reports ever achieve that score.

The International ARC Awards contest is an annual report competition held by MerComm, Inc., an independent awards organization located in the United States. The organization is free from the influence of specific industries, advertisers, or sponsors, with reviews and evaluations carried out in a fair manner by judges from a variety of countries and industries. The competition’s near 200 judges work in such fields as the financial industry, private corporations and production industries. This year marked the 30th year of competition, with 2,124 entries from 32 countries. (See ARC’s own reporting of the event: “ARC Awards – the world’s largest annual report competition – announced the Grand Award winners” http://www.mercommawards.com/arc.htm)

Fast Retailing’s Annual Report 2015 is available on the company’s website.

Japanese: http://www.fastretailing.com/jp/ir/library/annual.html
English: http://www.fastretailing.com/eng/ir/library/annual.html

Source: FAST RETAILING CO., LTD.

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New Zealand: Pams wins Reader’s Digest Most Trusted Supermarket Home Brand for the fourth consecutive time

Auckland, New Zealand, 2016-Aug-01 — /EPR Retail News/ — This is the fourth consecutive win for Pams in the Reader’s Digest Most Trusted Supermarket Home Brand.

The independent survey asked more than 1200 New Zealander’s what brands they trusted across a range of categories; including supermarkets and supermarket own brands.

Rod Gibson, General Manager, Foodstuffs Own Brands says the team at Pams remains committed to delivering great quality products for everyday use at affordable prices.

“This award is about our customers giving the nod that Pams is their brand of choice. We know that we cannot be complacent and there is always room to develop and improve our offerings.

“Pams has been on our customers shopping lists since 1937, we have continued to develop the range and its look over the years and regular customers will start to see a few more exciting new changes happening in the coming months. As well as the Health Star Rating System appearing on our new packaging, you will now see a new logo and some new health focused products,” says Gibson.

Pams is the largest selling grocery brand in the country and has pride of place in its original home – Four Square, as well as being found in all New World and PAK’nSAVE stores throughout the country.

Pams proudly supports a national nutrition-education initiative, Food For Thought, designed for primary school teachers to teach Kiwi kids how to make healthier food and lifestyle choices.

Contact:

Tel: 0800 245 114
Fax: +64 9 621 0987

Source: Foodstuff