MBS News

Wednesday
September 01, 2010

Industry headlines from Moira Benigson Executive Search

Retail

JD Sports Acquires DR Shoes

Footwear design and supply company DR Shoes has been bought out of administration by sportswear retailer JD Sports Fashion.

Retailers To Submit Bids For Carrefour Asia

European and Southeast Asian retailers are this week expected to table initial bids for Carrefour's Asian assets, which are reportedly valued at $1bn.

Alliance Boots To Outsource Part Of Pension Plan

Health and beauty giant Alliance Boots is to offload about £300m of retirement fund liabilities to specialist buyout vehicle Pension Corporation.

Consumer Goods

Heinz Tomato Soup: 100 Years Old

Heinz tomato soup is celebrating 100 years of being on British shop shelves today. It has been sold in virtually unchanged packaging during this time.

Pernod Ricard Completes Ambrosio Velasco Sale

Pernod Ricard has sold its Spanish wine and liqueurs business Ambrosio Velasco to Diego Zamora for €32.4m in cash.

Digital And Online

Accel Buys Stake In e-Commerce Site

Venture capital fund, Accel Partners, has taken a minority stake worth €37m in Showroomprive.com, a members-only fashion site that sells designer brands at discount prices.

Fashion, Lifestyle And Luxury

H&M Rumoured To Be Collaborating With French Luxury Designer Lanvin

H&M is rumoured to be launching its latest designer collaboration with luxury French fashion house Lanvin.

New Brands Join Esthetica Line Up

Esthetica, the ethical exhibition space of London Fashion Week, has signed a raft of new fashion and accessories exhibitors ahead of this month’s event, including recycled accessories brand Lost Property of London and Swedish sustainable womenswear brand Righteous Fashion.

Travel And Leisure

Burger King Considering Sale

Burger King has reportedly been considering a sale and has entered into discussions with potential private equity buyers.

Japan Airlines Slashes Workforce

Japan Airlines has announced plans to cut 16,000 jobs and close unprofitable routes, as part of its restructuring plan, following filing for bankruptcy protection in January.

On The Move

Baugur Tycoon's Father Johannes Jónsson Ousted From His Retail Chain

The father of Jon Asgeir Johannesson, the Icelandic retail tycoon of the Baugur group, has been voted out of the board of Bonus, the Icelandic supermarket chain that he co-founded.

Alex Pike Becomes Global Marketing Chief At Simple

Alberto Culver's skincare brand, Simple, has promoted its group marketing director Alex Pike to the newly created role of global vice president of marketing. She will report to vice president of Europe, Tom Monaghan.

Kelkoo Hires Simpson As It Launches Brand Review

Price comparison website Kelkoo has named Chris Simpson as its first European marketing director, with responsibility to develop the company's integrated marketing strategy.

Hachette UK Appoints First Digital Director To Drive Sales Of e-Books

Matthew Cashmore, formerly innovation and ecosystem manager at Lonely Planet, has been appointed by Hachette UK as its first digital director to drive e-book sales and exploit online opportunities.

The Weatherman Says...

Weather: pretty darn good, if you ask me! The sun is shining brightly, the sky is clear and, although the mornings are cool, it is lovely in the sunshine. You can still catch a tan if you try.