Planning permission is being sought for two new supermarkets in the Youghal, County Cork area. The proposed sites include the former Youghal Carpets building and the Seafield Technical textiles premises on 3.7 acres in the town’s Strand area. Youghal currently has three supermarkets, including Lidl, Tesco and SuperValu. It is unknown at this time which retailer group has applied for the planning, although the Seafield Partnership application also includes a fast-food outlet and six single-storey retail units. The application has already been objected to by Tesco and a representative of another retail group. Both objectors claim the development would impact negatively on town centre development.
Irish e-cigarette company Healthier Smoker Ltd has launched a range of e-cigarette products, under the Wicked e-Juice trademarked brand, manufactured at its new facility in Waterford. Ireland. The company’s new facility produces a variety of e-cigarettes and e-cigarette liquids. Commenting, Stephen Ryan of Healthier Smoker said, “At Healthier Smoker we are producing a top quality certifiable product that presents a healthier and safer way for people to give up or reduce their level of smoking. There are many poor quality competitor products on the market but we are manufacturing to the highest standards here in our brand new state of the art facility in Waterford and are confident that Irish consumers will opt for a more natural, product that is made here in their own country.” The e-cigarettes are on sale through 100 retail outlets around Ireland and at www.healthiersmoker.ie. The strength of the 'e-juices' ranges from 24mg of Nicotine down to 0mg.
An Aldi store in New Ross, County Wexford is expanding and aims to complete by November this year. The refurbishment is as a result of the increased demand over the past few years. A spokesperson for Aldi Ireland said: “The refurbishment will see the store extended, increasing its floor space from 850sq.m to 1,140sq.m.” The store currently employs 20 people and will close temporarily during the refurbishment. There will be additional jobs when the store re-opens in mid November. The store originally opened in 2006, but has seen its customer base thrive. An Aldi spokesperson said, “Aldi has consistently been the fastest growing supermarket in the country for the past six years. Aldi has become a popular fixture in New Ross and we look forward to continuing to offer exceptional value and savings.”
The founder of the Barry Group, James A. Barry is to be honoured for his outstanding contribution to industry by one of America's leading Irish ex-patriot groups. The award recognises Barry's lifelong contribution to Irish business and is to be awarded by the New York-based County Cork Association. The ceremony will be held next month at the Rochestown Park Hotel in Douglas, Cork. The award citation calls the Barry Group one of the “most respected food distribution groups in Ireland". It says, “James still plays an active role in the company today and his experience and counsel continue to be invaluable to the company.” Barry, aged 85, still works at the company and told The Corkman newspaper that he was “deeply grateful” for the honour. Barry’s son Jim now runs the Barry Group.
Vizeum, the media agency, has retained its media buying and planning account for Intersnack, which holds a 40% stake in Largo Foods. The European snack company held pitches for its £50 million account with Vizeum and IPG’s Initiative coming out as the winners. Vizeum will take on Intersnack’s media business in the UK, France, Slovakia and Poland, along with the Netherlands and Ireland, its original account markets. Initiative will manage business in Germany, Italy and Spain. Conor Murphy, managing director, Vizeum Ireland said: “We are delighted to be extending our relationship with Intersnack in Ireland. "Tayto, King and Hunky Dory's represent some of Ireland's best-loved and best-known brands. Naturally, we are very excited at the prospect of collaborating with Intersnack on upcoming campaigns to deliver innovative media solutions." Vizeum also runs the media accounts of Kerry Foods, Irish Distillers Pernod Richard and IKEA.
Marks and Spencer (M&S) chief finance officer Alan Stewart has been named as the new CFO at rival Tesco. Stewart left two days after M&S announced its first quarter sales, which indicated a rise in international sales, although performance was hindered by the peformance of the retailer's new website. Stewart has been given an increased salary with Tesco, and a £1.7 million 'golden hello'. Tesco chief executive Philip Clarke said, “We wanted a candidate who had the right blend of experience, leadership and values to play a leading role in the transformation of Tesco. We have found all three in Alan.” Tesco had been looking for a new finance chief since Laurie McIlwee announced his intention to quit in April this year. Stewart had held the position of CFO at M&S since October 2010.
Tobacco companies Reynolds American and Lorillard are in the final stages of a merger. The deal will bring two of the three largest US tobacco companies together to create a combined capitalisation of $56 billion. It is expected that the merger will effect British American Tobacco (BAT) and Imperial Tobacco (IT), the UK’s biggest competitors. BAT holds a 42% stake in Reynolds, while IT has agreed to buy assets from the merged group. The negotiations have been underway since the start of the year and the group hopes to announce the finalised deal this coming week.
The Small Firms Association (SFA) has called for taxes and charges on income to be changed for the self-employed and entrepreneurs. In its pre-Budget submission, the SFA said, “We argue that the fiscal adjustment should only deliver the minimum net fiscal adjustment package needed to reach the 2.9% fiscal deficit target, and not the €2 billion previously planned. This would enable the government to put more money back in people’s pockets and boost consumption and investment which will lead to growth.” The submission calls for the self-employed USC surcharge to be ended, and for the introduction of a PAYE credit for proprietary directors. It also calls on the Government to introduce a voluntary PRSI contribution, so that self-employed people can qualify for social welfare benefits if they wish.
Mondelez International is set to separate its European cheese and grocery business ahead of a possible sale or spinoff, according to reports. According to a company insider quoted by Bloomberg, the separation may 'pave the way for an exit from the cheese and grocery business', two months on from Mondelez' decision to split off its coffee unit. “Given the impact of the coffee transaction on our European operations, we’ve decided to create a predominantly stand-alone cheese and grocery category in Europe,” Mondelez spokesman Mike Mitchell said in a statement. “We continually review the brands and products within our portfolio and their role.” The cheese and grocery business includes the Philadelphia brand, and accounts for around 10% of Mondelez European sales.
Don't forget! The Digital Marketing in Retail/FMCG seminar, hosted by Checkout, in collaboration with the Digital Marketing Institute, takes place at the Chartered Accountants House off Pearse St, Dublin 2, next Tuesday, July 22. The seminar, which will run from 9am to 5pm, will focus on Social Media, incorporating digital social media strategy, social media analytics, and how to use social media to gain a competitive edge over your competitors. The Digital Marketing Institute is Ireland’s leading awarder of marketing certification and the global certification standard in digital marketing education. Tickets for this one-off event are still available and priced at €150 + VAT. Anyone interested in attending can contact Dani Sinnott at Checkout Publications on 01 2365 821 or by email at [email protected]
© 2014 - Checkout Magazine by Genna Patterson
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