Gigabyte opens UK web store

The global vendor looks to expand its presence in the UK

Multi-faceted technology vendor Gigabyte has launched a UK laptop web store, offering a range of Santa Rosa and Napa-based machines with a focus on customisation.

Supported by global internet retailer eXpansys, who will be running the back end logistics of the operation, this will spearhead Gigabyte’s intentions in the UK laptop sector this year.

“Gigabyte will roll out Menlow-based mobile Internet device (MID) and ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) products in April, having its presence in notebooks and portable devices strengthened,” said Richard Ma, vice president of Gigabyte.

“With the standard notebook market over competitive, Gigabyte will also focus on small- and medium-size panel devices to suit client demand. Basic notebooks will focus on adopting seven to nine inch panels, while pushing price and unique functions as the main selling points. UMPCs will focus on seven inch panel-based sliding case devices.

“Gigabyte will also cooperate with telecommunication vendors to push out MID products with five inch panels and 3G communication functions.”

Brands ready to board autorickshaws for marketing

AHMEDABAD: Talks about brands and reach could not hope for a better ride. Success is coming on three wheels for brands looking for eyeballs and consumers.

Three-wheelers, the lifeline for public transport in almost all Indian cities and towns, are also turning out to be cheap marketing vehicles for companies eager to take their products across consumer categories.

And, what could be a better choice than the ubiquitous auto-rickshaw that ferries passengers from residential societies to plush offices, market places, railway stations, airports and is also parked in congested areas and slums. For brand managers, there could not be a better choice of consumers.

Ahmedabad has approximately 50,000 auto rickshaws and brands like Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum, Samrat Namkeen, Sushma Namkeen have opted for similar brand promotions. Needless to say, a lot many are expected to follow,” says proprietor Pushpak Communication Pankaj Dave.

Big Bazaar is one such example. The company will soon start its campaign through autorickshaws.” According to us, such modes of advertising can help us reach across every section, in terms of area as well as customers. The better quality three-wheelers in the city are also an added advantage. One can get better visibility, at cheaper rates,” says Gujarat head Pantaloon Retail Anand Adukiya.

Payment per auto-rickshaw could be as low as Rs 500 per month. Contrast it with a hoarding that would cost close to Rs one lakh for one month, the moving medium is certainly the cheapest. Apart from three-wheelers, brands are also riding on pulling carts and camel carts in the city.

“Brands which need to target masses, usually opt for such out-of-home advertising. The idea is to create a better visibility and higher recall value for your product,” says IIM-A Prof. Arvind Sahay.

Adds director, brand services, Triton Communications Sanjay Chakraborty, “One can also focus on target customers in such medium. For instance, an edible oil brand can display ads on auto rickshaws carrying school children, so that it is visible to mothers. A premium suiting brand will not do the same.” The medium is particularly attractive for companies looking for reach and not brand-building. A typically upmarket brand will not associate itself with auto-rickshaws, says a consultant.

Though such mediums turn out to be cheaper, the concept can not be used for every product. In fact, in the last few years, the concept has been followed by a number of brands, both established as well as local. Also, a few advertising agencies in the city have come up, which only cater to such outdoor advertising techniques. one such example is Pushpak Communication.

Source : Parag Dave & Mahima Puri, TNN

Wal-Mart expands RFID requirements

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is looking to accelerate its RFID rollout, and once again the Dallas area is at the heart of the effort.

The company is requiring all suppliers shipping products to its Sam Club’s distribution center in DeSoto to start applying the radio tags to their pallets starting today.

If they don’t, Wal-Mart will charge the suppliers $2 per pallet to do it for them, the company informed them in a letter earlier this month.

“I think everyone recognizes that it’s the future of how products are going to move through the supply chain, and not just at Wal-Mart, but everywhere,” said Wal-Mart spokesman John Simley.

Wal-Mart and radio frequency identification vendors say the new timeline – with additional distribution centers around the country coming online later this year – highlights the fact that the wireless technology is working as intended, cutting down on out-of-stock problems and boosting sales.

And it’s another sign that the Dallas area is one of the major centers of RFID development and implementation.

Dean Frew is president and chief executive of Carrollton-based Xterprise Inc., which helps other companies, including many Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club suppliers, implement RFID systems.

Mr. Frew said the new timeline for shipping RFID-tagged pallets to the Sam’s Club distribution center will definitely help Wal-Mart, although the payoff for the suppliers themselves might be a bit further off.

“There’s clearly a benefit for the suppliers,” he said. “Is it as immediate as they would like to see? No, probably not.

“But you can’t ignore the fact that if they’re able to keep the shelf stocked more efficiently, in the end suppliers are going to benefit as well.”

RFID technology includes a paper-thin tag with a tiny chip and antenna. When in range of a wireless scanner – at a loading dock in a warehouse, for example – the chip is activated and transmits a small burst of data about the product it’s attached to.

The goal is an automatic electronic inventory system that can track when products come in the warehouse, when they get shipped to stores, and, eventually, when they get sold off the shelf.

After the DeSoto distribution center ramps up, suppliers will have to add four more Sam’s Club distribution centers – including one in Dayton, Texas – to their list by the end of October, and then 17 more by the end of January 2009.

The DeSoto facility will also be the first Sam’s Club distribution center in the country where suppliers will be required to tag every case on a pallet (Oct. 31, 2008) and then every single item that makes it on to store shelves (Oct. 31, 2009).

The timelines should remove any confusion that suppliers have about what they need to do, Mr. Simley said.

“A lot of suppliers of Sam’s were asking for some clarity,” he said. “What do you want us to do and when do you want us to do it by?”

Making DeSoto the launching pad for that effort makes sense.

The Dallas area’s reputation as a top spot for RFID technology can be traced to a variety of sources, from technical work done by researchers at Dallas-based Texas Instruments Inc. to Wal-Mart’s own RFID pilot program, which started in the region.

The area is home to scores of RFID-focused start-up firms, while the Metroplex Technology Business Council is trying to brand the Dallas-Fort Worth region as the “RFID Hub.”

The annual RFID World convention has been held in Grapevine for several years, although the 2008 event is being held in Las Vegas

Source : VICTOR GODINEZ / The Dallas Morning News / January 30, 2008

Coach Plans First Hong Kong Global Flagship Store

Coach, a marketer of modern classic American accessories, and its distribution partner Imaginex have announced the opening of a global flagship store within Hong Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong area in the summer of 2008.

Ian Bickley, president of Coach International, said, “We are delighted with our Hong Kong flagship location, which is expected to be one of the highest volume Coach stores in the world. We understand that along with its strong local consumer base, Hong Kong is also a gateway for the tens of millions of Mainland Chinese tourists who travel there each year. This store will significantly enhance the Coach brand and is consistent with our strategy of raising awareness and aggressively growing market share with the Chinese luxury consumer. We intend to grow our Greater China store base from a total of about 50 locations today in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mainland China and Macau, to about 80 over the next few years. Greater China has the potential to quickly become the third major market for Coach, following North America and Japan. Further, the timing of this opening is ideal, as our business here is remarkably strong and reflects accelerated consumer demand for our product.”

The 873-square-meter store is being designed by Reed Krakoff, president and executive creative director of Coach, with the Coach Architecture Group and will feature a new design created exclusively for this flagship. It will feature a four-story glass and stainless steel back-lit facade, as well as the Coach Horse and Carriage logo, highlighting the brand’s craftsmanship and heritage.

Vacheron Constantin Opens Flagship Store In Beijing

Vacheron Constantin, a Swiss luxury watch brand, has opened a new specialty store in the Malls at Oriental Plaza in Beijing.

This is Constantin’s second specialty store in Beijing, its ninth in China, and seventeenth in the world. Located on the first floor of the Malls at Oriental Plaza, it is next to Changan Street. The new store has a comfortable VIP area and senior clock and watch consultants are ready to offer repair services to customers.

To celebrate the opening of the new flagship store, Constantin launched special watches in this store, including Kalla Lune lunar phases jewelry watch, 1972 Cambree jewelry watch and Malte Tonneau hollow cutting jewelry watch.
 

Brand Esprit gears up for new products

BANGALORE: European casual wear premium brand Esprit is gearing up to introduce new product categories in the country. The company is launching its sportswear, home furnishing, footwear and cosmetics range, in a bid to position itself as a lifestyle brand. Further, to showcase all its new offerings, Esprit plans to unveil large format stores in the range of 8,000-15,000 sq ft. The $5 billion brand entered India in 2005 through a licensing agreement with Madura Garments and is expecting to break even this fiscal, with revenues touching Rs 75 crore. At present, Esprit has one large format store in Select CityWalk mall in Delhi. The brand is looking at opening 10-15 large format stores by 2010. “We plan to unveil large format impactful stores, wherein we will showcase all the new categories to offer a one stop shop experience to our customers. We are not a menswear or a womenswear brand. We are a lifestyle brand globally and in India too we want to offer the complete Esprit range in the large format stores,” Esprit India Brand Head Manjula Tiwari told ET. Presently Esprit offers menswear, womenswear, kidswear, lingerie and accessories.

These large format stores will be spread across luxury malls and premium locations in metros. Right now Esprit operates 30 stores. With the aim of being present in 21 cities, it plans to open 150 stores by 2010. The brand will also be entering new cities such as Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata this year with further expansion in existing markets like Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. “We are looking at doubling our business every year through multiple distribution formats. China, India and Southern Europe are three important markets for Esprit,” Ms Tiwari said. Meanwhile, EDC the youth brand from the Esprit umbrella that was launched last year in the domestic market is also contributing significantly to Esprit’s growth. Registering 40% growth globally, EDC has become a $1 billion brand. The company plans to launch 10 exclusive brand outlets for EDC by the year-end and will roll out 50 EDC stores in three years. The brand, which caters to the 14-22 age group and is priced in the range of Rs 550-3,000 will also be promoted in tier II cities. Right now, Esprit operates five standalone EDC stores.SOURCE: ,URVASHI JHA, TNN , 28 Jan, 2008.

Dell PCs arrive at Tesco

One desktop and seven laptops available in 160 Tesco stores

As of today, Tesco customers can now pick up a Dell computer in over 160 Tesco stores and online through Tesco Direct.

The launch range consists of a desktop PC priced at £399 and seven different laptops starting from the same price. Two Dell XPS laptops are available exclusively through Tesco Direct.

Commenting on the new range, Graham Harris, commercial director at Tesco said: “Since we announced our partnership with Dell in December we have been working hard to get the PC’s on to our shelves.

We are delighted to now offer this award winning brand and our customers can expect some exciting special offers and additions to the range in the coming weeks.”

“Previously our customers could only buy Dell computers by going on to the Dell
website. Now they can buy the products when they’re doing their weekly shop either
online or in store.”

Dell computers are also available to buy from DSGi stores throughout the country

Source :PC Retail, by Christopher Dring January 28, 2008

Reliance Retail plans tie-ups with global biggies

GURGAON: With a high-profile marketing and distribution deal with Apple Inc in its bag, Reliance Retail is in negotiations to seal similar deals in the current year. The retail major is in talks with three to four global players for exclusive tie ups in speciality retail space.

Speaking to ET on the eve of Reliance Retail’s second TimeOut store in Gurgaon, Reliance Retail president & chief executive, lifestyle, Bijou Kurien said: “The tie-ups for speciality retail will be in non-food, non-FMCG categories such as apparel, footwear, consumer electronics, home and interiors and furniture among others.”

While declining to mention specific names of players Reliance Retail was in talks with, Mr Kurien said: “We are hopeful that the speciality retail ventures will be rolled out in the current calendar year.” The company proposes to set up stand-alone stores for speciality retail once the deals are formalised.

Reliance Retail is learnt to be in talks with US-based multi-brand home improvement player Lowe. Its first speciality retail store in partnership with Apple Inc, iStore by Reliance Digital, recently started operations in Bangalore.

Elaborating on plans for its books, music, stationery and toys stores under the Reliance TimeOut umbrella, Mr Kurien said: “The plan is to set up 45 TimeOut stores over the next three years.” The company, however, has not firmed up specific investments for TimeOut stores for the three-year period.

It is currently testing the TimeOut format with three pilot stores — one each in Bangalore and Guragon and a third upcoming one in Kochi. While the Gurgaon store has been set up with an investment of Rs 20 crore, Reliance Retail invested Rs 12 crore in the Bangalore store. 

Source: Ratna Bhushan, TNN, 25 Jan, 2008
 

Retailers Among Fortune’s ‘Best Companies’

China Store Age, January 2008

Wegmans, Starbucks and Whole Foods were among the retailers featured on Fortune’s 2008 “100 Best Companies to Work For” list. Other retailers that made the list include Nugget Markets, eBay, The Container Store, Stew Leonard’s, Recreational Equipment, Nordstrom, CarMax and Publix.

Out of the retailers listed, Wegmans was the only one that retained its No. 3 position from the previous year. Starbucks (No. 7), Nugget Markets (No. 12) Whole Foods (No. 16), Stew Leonard’s (No. 26), and CarMax (No. 46) all jumped to higher positions on the list. Recreational Equipment (No. 34), Nordstrom (No. 36) and Publix (No. 91) had dropped from their previous spots.

The Container Store, which was included in the top ten in 2007, fell to the 20th position in 2008.

eBay, which did not appear on the 2007 list, was No. 68 in 2008.

Whole Foods to stop using plastic bags

by Triangle Business Journal

Whole Food Market Inc. will gradually phase out the use of plastic grocery bags in its 270 stores with the goal of no longer using them by April 22, which is Earth Day.

The Austin, Texas-based grocery chain, which has four Triangle locations, said it will encourage shoppers to bring their own reusable bags and will offer 100 percent recycled paper grocery bags when needed.

“More and more cities and countries are beginning to place serious restrictions on single-use plastic shopping bags since they don’t break down in our landfills, can harm nature by clogging waterways and endangering wildlife, and litter our roadsides,” A.C.

Gallo, co-president and chief operating officer for Whole Foods Market, said in a statement