Top stories in the papers this week 19 – 26 November 2010
Development plan will curb new off-licences in Dublin area; Spar group takes €100m property hit; Superquinn selects Dunnes former chief as new CEO
Print25 November 2010
1. Development plan will curb new off-licences in Dublin area
The opening of new off-licences in Dublin city is to be severely restricted for the next five years under a new Dublin City Development Plan. The Irish Times reports any application for an off-licence will have to include a map of all off-licences already located within a 1km radius. A new outlet will only be allowed where there is a “compelling case” for one to be built in a particular area.
2. Spar group takes €100m property hit
Triode Newhill Acquisitions, the company which collects franchise income from the 100 Spar shops directly owned by the group, has written down property valuations by close to 50% to €124 million since the start of the recession. However, the Sunday Business Post reports the 100 stores paid franchise fees of €19.6 million in 2009; up from €18 million in 2008. This suggests an improvement in the performance of these stores, as franchise fees are linked to turnover.
3. Superquinn selects Dunnes former chief as new CEO
Superquinn has appointed former Dunnes Stores director Andrew Street as chief executive in a move that will see executive chairman Simon Burke become non-executive chairman. The Irish Times reports the departure of key personnel earlier this year to Dunnes, including former permanent operations director Sheena Forde, and trading director James Wilson, has given Superquinn, “the option to look at how to restructure things a bit differently than before,” according to Burke.
4. Discount retailers keep shoppers south
Discount retailers Aldi and Lidl are still a hit with cash-conscious consumers, but shoppers are no longer as eager to head to the North for groceries, with figures showing a 21% slide in Irish shopper sales at Asda and Sainsbury’s. The Irish Examiner reports that according to the latest Kantar Worldpanel figures, Aldi increased its sales by more than 12% in the past year while Lidl jumped close to 8%.
5. Lullaby milk flying off the shelves after RTE feature
Lullaby Milk, a novel new product that helps people sleep, has been flying off the shelves since featuring in a recent episode of RTE’s Ear to the Ground, according to the Evening Herald. Mary Burns and her son Gerard, who make the famous Ardrahan Cheese, milk their cows before daybreak to produce the milk. Milking the animals when they’re asleep produces naturally higher levels of melatonin, which helps regulate sleep. Lullaby Milk is currently stocked by both Dunnes and SuperValu nationwide, and by retailers in the Cork region.
Also:
Shop owner told to take down three-storey-high banner protesting at high rent (Sunday Tribune)
Standard of living expected to fall (Irish Examiner)
Britain’s retailers in ‘super dairy’ ban (Irish Independent)
Irate producers turn to protest as retailers profit at growers’ expense (Irish Independent)
Northern Ireland retailers urged to step up Christmas security (Belfast Telegraph)
Hopes high as lights mark start of festive shopping (Sunday Business Post)
Tobacco companies could be forced to sell cigarettes in plain packets to deter young (Irish Independent)
Online shops set for ‘Manic Monday’ (Belfast Telegraph)
– November 29 has been dubbed Manic Monday, because online shoppers are set to spend a total of £537 million, in a last-minute spending spree, according to shopping comparison website Kelkoo.
Dublin’s now a fairer city for shoppers (The Guardian)
Dublin’s retailers unwrap festive delights at www.unwrapdublin.ie to draw shoppers to city centre (Irish Times)
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