MBS News
Thursday
August 26, 2010
Industry headlines from Moira Benigson Executive Search
Retail
Supermarkets Cut Number Of Carrier Bags Handed Out By 4.6 Billion
The number of carrier bags being handed out by supermarkets has fallen by 4.6 billion over the last four years, while sales volumes have actually risen over 6% in the same period.
Read more on www.retail-week.com »
Primark To Open 75,000 Sq Ft Edinburgh Flagship
Value fashion giant Primark is to open on Edinburgh’s Princes Street after winning planning approval for a 75,000 sq ft store. The retailer aims to begin trading from the site in Winter 2011.
Read more on www.retail-week.com »
Carrefour Tests 'planet' Store Format In France As It Bids To Boost Sales
Carrefour, the second-largest retailer in the world, aims to revolutionise the hypermarket concept, primarily with the way products are presented to shoppers. To this end it is trialling two larger-format 'Planet' stores.
Read more on www.bloomberg.com »
Consumer Goods
Hewlett-Packard Creates 700 Jobs At Erskine Plant
Hewlett-Packard plans to create 700 new jobs by setting up an IT hub at its plant in Erskine near Glasgow. HP announced last year it was cutting 700 manufacturing jobs at the plant and moving the work to the Czech Republic.
Danone-Chiquita Acquires Smoothie Producer Immédia
Danone's French joint venture, Danone-Chiquita, has acquired smoothie producer Immédia for an unknown amount.
Digital And Online
Google Offers Free Voice Calls Via Gmail
Google has entered into direct competition with Skype by allowing users to make calls from its web-based email service. Calls in the US and Canada are currently free.
Fashion, Lifestyle And Luxury
Links Of London Unveils Cat Deeley Advertising Campaign
Links of London will launch its first major advertising campaign next week with the new face of the brand Cat Deeley. The campaign shows off the jewellery retailer’s latest collections and will feature in magazines globally.
Read more on www.retail-week.com »
Hudson Jeans Opens London Showroom
Premium denim brand Hudson Jeans has opened a 1,000 sq ft London showroom and is now making private appointments to show its Spring 11 collection.
Read more on www.drapersonline.com »
Travel And Leisure
Eurostar Introduces Crowdsourced Travel Guide
Eurostar has launched a user-driven travel guide as part of its wider 'Exploring is beautiful' campaign to inspire travellers to move beyond its primary destinations of Paris, Lille and Brussels.
Read more on www.marketingmagazine.co.uk »
On The Move
Chloe Chief Executive Exits
Ralph Toledano, chairman and chief executive officer of Chloé, has reportedly left the company. Reports suggest that Geoffroy de la Bourdonnaye, former chief executive of London department store Liberty, is one of the front runners to replace Toledano who had been chief executive since 1999.
Read more on www.drapersonline.com »
Pho Hires Operations Director Ahead Of Growth Plans
Vietnamese casual dining chain Pho has appointed Tim Mills, formerly of Paul, as operations director, with the responsibility of growing the chain.
Read more on www.caterersearch.com »
BBC HR Director Resigns After Refusal To Relocate From London To Manchester
Paul Gaskin, HR director of BBC North, who was responsible for migrating 1,500 staff from London to Manchester, has resigned because he is unable to move himself, citing unforeseen family circumstances.
Read more on www.hrmagazine.co.uk »
The Weatherman Says...
Thanks to Colin and Andrew for their book recommendations. I shall be investigating them as they sound great (the books, I mean). The weather is providing some hideous cycling conditions at the moment - sticky, damp, moist, humid, sweaty, wet and soggy...not conducive to the preservation of ideal undergarment wearability for the duration of a working day.