MBS News
Friday
March 12, 2010
Moira’s Friday Column
Last year, everyone was talking about pop-up shops! This year, we have a new concept – so clever, so obvious and so easy. As times are still unpredictable, it is still risky to open up a new store, especially in a new country. The solution? A “swap shop”! Merci, the visionary fashion and interiors store from Paris, which opened in the French capital last year and which is swiftly becoming a must-visit destination store for anyone interested in fashion and design, has “swapped shops” with Liberty.
Called Liberty-Merci (L-M for short), there is a Liberty in Merci’s store in Paris, and a Merci in the Liberty store (Carnaby Street entrance). L-M captures the essence of Liberty and Merci, and has a wide range of products, which offers something for everyone – from £4.50 decorative tape made from Washi rice paper, to jewellery for £20 and little bags for £30. The product includes clothing for women and children, accessories, homewares and household goods.
Retail
Advent Considers Poundland Sale
Private equity firm Advent has hired Close Brothers to advise on a possible sale of Poundland, after its pre-tax profits more than doubled in the year to March 2009.
Read more on www.retail-week.com »
Spar Re-Launches Consumer Website
Spar is focussing on shoppers, both out of the store and at home, as part of a three-year digital strategy that has seen the re-launch of its consumer website.
Read more on www.talkingretail.com »
Arnotts Mulls Restructure
Arnotts’ banks have drafted in a team of specialists including former Brown Thomas chief executive Nigel Blow to assist its management team with formulating a strategy for the Irish department store.
Read more on www.drapersonline.com »
Hamleys Kicks Off Overseas Growth Drive
Hamleys has kick-started its international expansion after signing a franchise agreement to open in the Balkans along with franchise shops in the Middle East and India, later this month.
Read more on www.retail-week.com »
Consumer Goods
Gordon & MacPhail Reveal Oldest Malt Whiskey
The world's oldest bottled single malt whisky has been unveiled today by Gordon & MacPhail and tasted by special guests at a launch in the setting of Edinburgh Castle's Queen Anne Room.
Read more on www.talkingretail.com »
Procter & Gamble Aims To Rejuvenate Pantene
Procter & Gamble Co. is planning a reinvention of Pantene through adding more colourful containers and metallic styling bottles in a new line of haircare products.
Digital And Online
Twitter Adds Locations To Tweets
Twitter has added an option that will allows users to add their location to every tweet they send which will be linked to a Google map of that area.
Vodafone Offers Free E-Books Of Current Movies
Vodafone will give away e-book versions of high-profile movies which will run as part of its Free Friday campaign with a YouTube channel demonstrating how to complete the downloads.
Virgin Goes Aerial In Attempt To Provide Broadband In The Country
Virgin Media announced it's plans to take its fibre cables above ground for the first time in a move that could bring superfast broadband to one million homes in hard-to-reach rural areas.
Read more on www.independent.co.uk »
Fashion, Lifestyle And Luxury
Williamson To Design Accessories For Bulgari
Bulgari has teamed up with Matthew Williamson to design a capsule collection of handbags for the spring 2011 season which will be presented during Milan Fashion Week in September.
Geox Clothing To Make UK Wholesale Debut
The Italian footwear brand Geox will wholesale its men’s and women’s clothing range for the first time in the UK for autumn 2010.
Read more on www.drapersonline.com »
Della Valle Adds To Holdings In Saks
Diego Della Valle has this week spent $22.3 million for an additional 2.9 million shares of Saks Inc. through his personal investment vehicle, Diego Della Valle & C. S.A.P.A.
Nars Takes Runway To Reality
Nars Cosmetics will release three videos on Facebook and YouTube, created backstage at the New York fashion shows, to demonstrate how to create wearable versions of each of the looks created by François Nars.
Amy Winehouse Teams Up With Fred Perry
Amy Winehouse has been enlisted by Fred Perry to design a womenswear collection inspired by her style, due to be on sale in stores this October.
Read more on www.vogue.co.uk »
Fat Face Owner Injects New Capital To Secure Future Growth
Fat Face owner Bridgepoint has injected £8.5m into the business to help the retailer’s expansion plans after it bought the business in 2007.
Read more on www.retail-week.com »
Arts & Culture
Pink Floyd Wins EMI Court Case
Pink Floyd has won a court claim against EMI that will prevent the record company from selling single downloads of the band’s concept albums on the internet.
Travel And Leisure
Luminar In Cost-Cutting Drive
Nightclub operator Luminar has launched a major cost-cutting initiative after comparable sales dropped 9.9% in the year to February 25th.
Read more on www.theappointment.co.uk »
British Pub Food Awards Winners
Marston’s Inns and Taverns’ managing director Derek Andrew has been awarded the special achievement award at the Great British Pub Food Awards 2010.
Read more on www.morningadvertiser.co.uk »
On The Move
Market Location Appoints Two New Directors
Gareth Horton and Ben Rawes, both from LBM, have been hired as insight director and account director at Market Location.
Read more on www.brandrepublic.com »
Flowers Direct Chief Moves To Shop Direct
Shop Direct has appointed Jonathan Wall, chief executive of online florist Flowersdirect.co.uk, as its new ecommerce director.
Read more on www.retail-week.com »
The Weatherman Says...
I find football clubs and the relationship that fans have with their clubs incredible. I am fascinated with the scandal and rebellion going on at Manchester United at the moment. Fans treat their clubs with more reverence than religion, more love than their spouses and more madness than a loony tea party. The fans are extremely unhappy with the fact that the current owners took out a big loan to buy the club, thereby spreading their own personal risk and having huge interest repayments to make. Personally I think I would have done the same thing, as would many business people. How many people pay cash for their houses? We take out mortgages. Do we then revile ourselves for being in huge debt? Contentious I know, but it's my opinion. We could actually have some warmth this weekend.