Category: News

Iconic Dublin Retailer on the hunt for new home

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Dublin’s Doll Hospital has been forced to close its doors for the second time in recent years. Owner Melissa Nolan expressed her sadness at having to shut up shop at their residence in Powerscourt Town House. However, the owner of the revered Irish institution, Nolan is confident on finding a new sustainable home.

In an interview Nolan said “Three years ago we had to close our premises on George’s Street after thirty years in business. Our rent had been fixed to a five-year lease and it had been going up so we had to go’’

Unfortunately, the move to Powerscourt TownHouse never took off due a poor location and alienation of core customers. “In our haste we never realised that we would be on the top floor, which you have to climb four flights of stairs to get to. Many of our customers are coming with children and prams or are elderly, so it just wasn’t ideal. We tried for three years to give it a go but it didn’t work.”

Nolan is hopeful a viable solution will restore the Doll Hospitals museum and hospital. “I hope we will have the museum set up again and the hospital saved. I’m quite nostalgic about it and I feel it has become something of an institution and we want to hold onto it. At the same time we have to be realistic that we would need help getting somewhere family-friendly with affordable rent.”

Source: http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/its-doll-over-dublins-doll-6015964

Shane Lowry and Heatons announce partnership

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Shane Lowry and Irish Retailer Heaton’s have announced a partnership in which the Irish golfer will be brand ambassador for the sale of golfing apparel Kartel. The brand, which is synom with golfing professionals will be available exclusively in Heatons stores and online from September.

Lowry will design a bespoke range of apparel for Kartel in a three year partnership. The designs will be made available in selected stores from this coming September with the intent to role across all 54 Irish stores and online in Spring 2016.

The range is set to include golf polos and practice polos, trousers, knitwear and wet gear. Lowry will debut the gear at this year’s Scottish Open at Gullane Golf Club.

Lowry said “The collection reflects my own classic taste in golfing apparel and is designed to meet the elite performance needs of a professional golfer, whilst also remaining suitable for any amateur golfer.”

Source: http://www.businessandleadership.com/marketing/item/51202-shane-lowry-in-three-year/

Magnum Pleasure Store to launch in Arnotts

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Arnotts will launch a new pop up ‘Magnum Pleasure Store’, tomorrow Wednesday July 1st. The new pop up will encompass the core Magnum range, but offer a more personalised offering. With 15 different types of toppings to choose from, it follows the same style as ‘Yogism’ and Frozen Yogurts, where you personalise your food to suit your order. The pop up has been in numerous cities across Europe and looks set to hit Dublin right in time for the good weather.

Source: http://lovindublin.com/dublin/these-pimped-out-magnum-ice-creams-are-the-stuff-sunny-daydreams-are-made-of

Kerrygold to start making alcohol

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Dairy producer Kerrygold has announced that it is branching out and will launch a cream liqueur. Kerrygold has been renowned for their dairy offerings and the new venture is a first venture out of their Food niche.

The Irish cream liqueur is a blend of cream, Irish whisky and chocolate. Kerrygold have stated that what differentiates their offering from competing cream liqueurs is the “distinctive cream from Irish grass-fed cows”. A 1 litre bottle of the liqueur retails for €20 and is available exclusively at Dublin Airport.

Source: http://www.thejournal.ie/kerrygold-irish-cream-liqueur-2182675-Jun2015/

Ikea to test new smaller high street format

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Ikea plans to trial new smaller format stores in an attempt to extend their reach across Britain and Ireland. The privately owned Swedish company is known for their extensive stores and flat pack offerings. Beginning in Norwich this Autumn, Ikea will trial ‘order and collection’ points.

Ikea currently operate 18 stores in the UK, which customers cite as ‘too far away’. Ikea’s UK manager Gillian Drakeford said of the new venture ‘’Order and collection points give us the opportunity to trial new ways of being more accessible to our customers’’. Ikea have currently opened similar formats in Spain, Finland and Norway.

The Norwich outlet will allow customers to touch and test Ikea’s product range, speak to home furnishing experts and make and collect orders made online or in the store, which will also include an Ikea cafe. The move is part of a global initiative as Ikea. Ikea currently has 315 stores in 27 countries and aims to double sales to about €50 billion by 2020 through sales growth at existing stores, new stores and new markets.

World’s largest Meat Packer JBS buys Moy Park for $1.5 billion

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

The world’s largest meat packer JBS, has bought Moy Park in Northern Ireland. The Brazilian meat packing company acquired Moy Park from its owners Marfrig Global Foods for about $1.5 billion.

Marfrig expressed how the sale would enable them to significantly reduce their debt and allow a higher focus on pursuing growth opportunities. The transaction is still subject to approval from relevant authorities, but is expected to be signed by the end of 2015.

Moy Park have their headquarters in Craigavon Co. Armagh and is Northern Ireland’s largest private sector employer. They employ 12,000 staff across Ireland, Britain and mainland Europe. It accounted for 26pc of Marfrig’s revenues and has consistently shown annual growth with revenues of €1.9bn recorded last year.

Source: http://www.businessandleadership.com/business/item/51078-worlds-largest-meat-packer

World’s largest Meat Packer JBS buys Moy Park for $1.5 billion

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

The world’s largest meat packer JBS, has bought Moy Park in Northern Ireland. The Brazilian meat packing company acquired Moy Park from its owners Marfrig Global Foods for about $1.5 billion.

Marfrig expressed how the sale would enable them to significantly reduce their debt and allow a higher focus on pursuing growth opportunities. The transaction is still subject to approval from relevant authorities, but is expected to be signed by the end of 2015.

Moy Park have their headquarters in Craigavon Co. Armagh and is Northern Ireland’s largest private sector employer. They employ 12,000 staff across Ireland, Britain and mainland Europe. It accounted for 26pc of Marfrig’s revenues and has consistently shown annual growth with revenues of €1.9bn recorded last year.

Source: http://www.businessandleadership.com/business/item/51078-worlds-largest-meat-packer

Thornton’s chocolatiers to be bought by rival for $177 million

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Italian company Ferrero, who are behind brands like Nutella and Ferrero Rocher have agreed a deal to buy British Chocolate Retailer Thornton’s for £112 million / $177 million. This is the first deal by Ferrero since the death of patriarch Michele Ferrero who generally shied away acquisitions.

On Monday Ferrero agreed to pay 145 pence a share in cash for the 104-year-old Thornton’s.

Thornton’s has been hit in recent years by the rise of newer and innovative upmarket chocolate brands. After a profit warning in December its chief executive of four years, Jonathan Hart, is due stepping down. Thornton’s shares had lost around 40 per cent since March 2014.

 

Analysts said Thornton’s was a good fit for Ferrero, which has strong, premium brands but no retail platform to showcase them. The death of its patriarch had sparked speculation Ferrero might be a takeover target for rivals such as Mars, Nestle and Hershey. Ferrero are also responsible for the Kinder Surprise Egg and Tic-Tac brands.

 

Discounter Dealz eye up new Irish Stores

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Popular discounter Dealz, which own Poundland in the U.K, have expressed their long term plans for the Irish market. Having reported strong growth in its Irish and British operations, they did cite the weak euro as a genuine challenge they will come up against.

While still relatively new to the Irish market, Dealz have established themselves as a leading go to discounter and sell the majority of their products at the €1.49 price point. It opened 10 stores, including one retail park across Ireland in the year to March 29th. This brings its total number of Irish outlets up to 41 stores and its total number of retail parks to four.

While Dealz doesn’t disclose results for Ireland, but said that it now serves some 300,000 customers a week in Ireland. The average basket price per customer is €6.50 (across the UK and Ireland) and would mean annual Irish gross income in the region of €100m.

In all Poundland expects to open at least 60 new stores in the UK and Ireland in the 2015-16 year and continue with a trial in Spain.

Source: http://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/dealz-targets-70-shops-for-ireland-1.2254221

BWG’s €23 million acquisition of Londis approved

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Retail group BWG have had their €23 million acquisition of the Londis franchise given the green light by The Competition Authority. BWG already have Spare and Mace is their portfolios, and this later acquisition will mean they will own over 50% of the Irish convenience market.

The Londis franchise, which is identifiable in every town and county across Ireland, has over 200 stores in Ireland and generate approx. €195 million in annual sales. BWG believes that Londis will complement its existing retail operations of 1,175 Spar, Eurospar, Mace and XL symbol stores in Ireland and Britain.

BWG chief executive Leo Crawford said of the announcement “Londis is a great food retail brand with a rich heritage in Ireland spanning over 60 years. BWG will focus on growing and developing Londis in Ireland as part of our portfolio of market leading convenience brands, and we look forward to working with our newest retail partners around the exciting plans we have for Londis retailers and the brand.”

Source: http://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/bwg-s-23m-acquisition-of-londis-cleared-by-watchdog-1.2250341