Top stories in the papers this week 15 – 21 May 2010
Cheap British goods put Irish distributors under pressure, UK ban on below cost selling of alcohol and Feargal Quinn’s Retail Therapy looking for participants for 2011 series
Print21 May 2010
1. Maxol invests in more ‘super’ stations
Maxol is set to complete a €12 million investment in seven new ‘super’ service stations before the end of the year, The Sunday Business Post reports. The company has just opened a €2.25 million service station on a 3,200 square metre site in the west Cork town of Clonakilty. Maxol previously invested €1.6 million in a new station on the Newcastle Road in Adamstown, Dublin last October, creating 20 jobs. The group plans to develop three more stations along similar lines, in and around Cork city, with two more planned for Bray, Co Wicklow, and Castlebar, Co Mayo.
2. Cheap goods from Britain putting pressure on Irish distributors
State advisory board, Forfás, has said that Irish retailers and wholesalers are set to obtain an increasing amount of their goods from cheaper British sources. The Sunday Business Post said that a new report on the sector suggested this would put significant pressure on Irish distributors and could lead to job losses or company closures.
3. UK ban on below-cost selling of alcohol to ease cross-border stampede
According to the Irish independent, the days of travelling to the North to stock up on cheap booze could be numbered as the new UK government moved to ban the sale of alcohol below cost. The National Off-Licence Association (NOFFLA) welcomed the move, with secretary Jim McCabe calling for a similar move in the Republic to discourage irresponsible sale of alcohol.
4. Feargal Quinn’s Retail Therapy looking for participants for 2011 series
Animo TV is looking for participants for the second series of the popular retail advice programme, Feargal Quinn’s Retail Therapy. Last year’s series saw Feargal tackle the problems faced by six independent Irish retailers head on and they have enjoyed increased sales and improved morale ever since.
If you are a shop owner who feels that your shop could benefit from Feargal’s unique style of retail know-how, then get in touch by emailing laura@animo.ie or call Laura on 01 6468246
5. Green technology firm to create 25 jobs after €5m contract with Tesco
The Irish Examiner has reported that Cork-based green technology company Nualight is to provide LED lighting for food retail merchandising at Tesco stores in Britain and US. The deal will be worth up to €10m by 2013 and is predicted to create 25 jobs.
6. Retail group expects 1,000 new jobs
Retail Excellence Ireland expects 1,000 new jobs to be created in the sector over the next 12 months as the economy returns to growth. Its first Back to Work seminar designed to help people who are out of work and trying to make the transition from other careers to the retail sector was held in Dublin this week.
7. Retail sales still struggling but a third of managers confident about future
A new survey from the IBEC-affiliated industry representative body, Retail Ireland, shows a slight improvement in business sentiment within the sector, The Irish Examiner reports. However, around 30% of retailers, according to the survey, expect their sales to decline over the course of the next three months; with just over 20% anticipating a rise. Retail Ireland chief executive Torlach Denihan also reiterated his call for an overhaul of the commercial rental system; based on the fact retailers have cut prices to the public substantially.
8. Dublin slumps to 20th in world shop-rent rankings
Dublin has experienced the biggest drop in ranking, to 20th from 16th, of shop rents in the world’s most expensive shopping districts. The Sunday Tribune reports this was despite a general trend for increasing shop rents in the first quarter, defying a sustained slump in global retail markets. A report by CB Richard Ellis released on Friday also showed rents in Sydney and London climbed, while Paris and Hong Kong prices were little changed.
9. Not quite what it says on the tin
Paul Cullen examines the various claims food labels make to catch consumers’ attention in The Irish Times. According to research, more than one-quarter of consumers say they never read the labels on the foods they purchase regularly, and less than 10% say they pay close attention to the claims being made on packaging. Cullen debunks claims such as wholegrain as a “another largely meaningless term” – stating one Irish survey found over half the wholegrain breads examined contained more white flour than wholemeal flour.
ALSO
Irish farm income slump three times the EU average (Leitrim Observe)
Asda announces petrol price cut (Belfast Newsletter)
Minister urged to press ahead with Grocery Code (IBEC)
Bricks-and-mortar retailers cannot ignore web presence (Business and Leadership)
Donegal SuperValu retailers score top marks for quality (Donegal on Sunday)
Six years after the ban, plenty are still lighting up (Irish Independent)
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