Top stories in the papers this week 7 – 14 May 2012
Alcohol code of practice prompts fears; Clinton cards on brink of administration in the UK; M&S launches new budget food range
Print14 May 2012
1. Alcohol code of practice prompts fears
Off-licence owners have expressed alarm at suggestions from the government that it might row back on laws compelling retailers to separate alcohol from other products. The Irish Examiner reports NOffLA condemned the situation – whereby Justice Minister Alan Shatter was again considering not enacting section nine of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008, and instead considering a new, albeit stronger, code of practice – as a “Groundhog Day” scenario.
2. Clinton cards on brink of administration in the UK
Clinton Cards has been forced into administration by its largest supplier, American Greetings. The Irish Independent reports that last year, the company put its Irish operation into liquidation, with the closure of 14 shops here. The retailer, which operates 628 Clintons and 139 Birthdays stores in the UK, suffered dire trading in recent months as it comes up against stiff competition from supermarkets and online retailers.
3. M&S launches new budget food range
Marks & Spencer is attempting to shed its image as a retailer for the wealthy by launching a budget-brand range of everyday food products. The Guardian reports Simply M&S will feature 500 items, ranging from sausage rolls to whole chickens, and will increase to 800 lines in the autumn. The supermarket said it has cut hundreds of prices on existing products and replaced its current Wise Buys stickers with the Simply M&S label.
4. Recession fears lead to drop in oil price
The price of crude oil has fallen to a three-month low of $97.94 a barrel, on fears that a renewed recession will hit demand. ?The Irish Examiner reports that Maxol chief executive Tom Noonan said the price of fuel is too high for consumers. He highlighted that two-thirds of the cost the Irish consumer pays for fuel goes straight to the government, and that Irish fuel importers were not growing rich from high petrol pump prices.
5. Sainsbury’s ends store space race
Sainsbury’s has signalled the end of the space race as it joined rival Tesco in announcing a slower pace of supermarket openings in the coming year. According to The Guardian, chief executive Justin King, said Sainsbury’s would expand its store space by just 5%, around 1m sq ft, this year, against the 1.4m sq ft, or 7%, it added in the financial year which has just ended. King claimed the chain’s growth rate was returning to "normal."
Also:
Government may water down key element of alcohol report (Irish Examiner)
Cuts in price of alcohol help to stall inflation (Irish Independent)
Boost as VAT rate stays at 9% (Evening Herald)
Former hotel site pitched to retailers (Irish Examiner)
Supermarket watchdog to halt supplier bullying (Belfast Telegraph)
Asda fires opening salvo in price war on local forecourts (Belfast Telegraph)
Sainsbury profits climb higher (Irish Times)
Jamie teams up with Moy Park to bring TV dishes to store shelves (Belfast Telegraph)
Councillors lobby for local traders (Derry Journal)
Athy shopping centre given the green light by An Bord Pleanala (Leinster Leader)
Limerick retailers say high rates are still a problem (Live 95 FM)
Eason employee awarded €15,000 (Irish Times)
Paying a price for superstores (Irish Times)
Food price rises starting to slow (Guardian)
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