Top stories in the papers this week 2 – 8 April 2011
Rent law reform scheduled for end of year; Dunnes’ first employee honoured after 67-year career; Food promotions help M&S taste surprise success
Print7 April 2011
1. Rent law reform scheduled for end of year
Minister for Justice and Law Reform, Alan Shatter, expects to publish new legislation on rent reform by July. The Irish Independent reports the legislation to allow flexibility in existing leases with upward only rent reviews, will then be passed into law by the end of the year. The announcement was welcomed by Retail Excellence Ireland, yet the Society of Chartered Surveyors feared “the severe implications of any changes.”
2. Dunnes’ first employee honoured after 67-year career
Supermarket dynamo Ben Dunne Snr’s first-ever employee, Dan Barrett, was honoured earlier this week in Cork at a special City Hall reception held in his honour. The Cork Business Association and Cork’s Lord Mayor celebrated Barrett’s noteworthy career by inviting him to sign the Visitors’ Book. The Irish Examiner reports Barrett recently turned 90 years of age and continues to work for Dunnes.
3. Food promotions help M&S taste surprise success
Marks & Spencer has posted a slowdown in sales in the first three months of the year, yet achieved overall growth. The Belfast Telegraph reports M&S said big-impact promotions saw growth in food sales offset a decline in general merchandise. Like-for-like food sales were up 3.4% and market share was up 0.1% to 3.8%, driven by promotions, such as the Dine In offer, popular on Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.
4. Food prices fall for first time in eight months
World food prices fell for the first time in eight months in March, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation has said. RTE News reports the FAO’s Food Price Index dropped after eight months of continuous price spikes to an average 230 points in March, down 2.9% from its peak in February, but still 37% above March 2010. The FAO said it would be premature to regard this as a reversal of the upward trend.
5. Tesco cashier at centre of €500,000 Lotto ticket dispute not at work
A Tesco worker plans to sue her employer over a winning €500,000 lottery ticket. The Irish Independent reports that Andrea O’Reilly (26), from Navan, Co Meath accidentally issued the winning €9 ticket to a customer (who wanted a €4 ticket) and later claimed it as her own. She said she had planned to pay for the €9 lottery ticket, but was prevented from doing so by her employer. The paper also reveals she wasn’t at work earlier this week.
Also:
Lidl to splash €60m on 141 developments (Irish Independent)
‘Accidental’ Lotto ticket is uncharted legal terrain (Irish Independent)
Greencore profits to fall, brokers warn (Irish Examiner)
Shopping centre chiefs deny rent row behind 100 job losses (Irish Examiner)
Smart Consumer: Buying Irish only for a week? It’s harder than you’d think! (Irish Independent)
Retailers hope for rent changes (Irish Examiner)
Beef exports may rise by 20% due to global need (Irish Times)
McInerney’s SuperValu, Loughrea, scoops national award (Galway Advertiser)
Profits at Amazon’s Irish unit up 29% (Irish Times)
M&S does not reflect the retail weather (Guardian)
Nama ‘very concerned’ at any changes to rent law (Irish Times)
Battle lines drawn between downtrodden and corporate America in Wal-Mart case (Irish Times)
New season wine discoveries (Irish Times)
Andy Bond: ‘the retail recession is ahead of us’ (Guardian)
Marks and Spencer drives retail surge as Footsie pushes forward (Irish Times)
Ardara ‘focus group’ to tackle job crisis (Donegal Democrat)
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