Did you know… Uniplumo, suppliers of indoor and outdoor plants celebrates its 45th anniversary this year? The Swords-based grower supply to retailers all across Ireland, and is particularly busy with its poinsettia offering this month. Uniplumo growing manager Sean Grimes has over 25 years experience growing pot and bedding plants. Uniplumo expanded its operations this year too, with the addition of another 4,300 metres squared glasshouse to its Bord Bia certified nursery. Uniplumo’s expertise in the area of indoor and outdoor floral gift design caters for everyday seasonal and key calendar events such as Christmas and Mother’s day events. Uniplumo works closely with retailers to develop industry leading indoor and outdoor plant and floral gift solutions that inspire and delight consumers nationwide.
Did you know… Dunnes Stores has reportedly lost a trademark battle with US lingerie maker Playtex, over the use of the phrase 'barely there' on its underwear ranges? According to the Sunday Times, while Dunnes registered a trademark over the use of the phrase in 1998, Playtex, which uses the phrase in its international branding, sought to revoke that trademark two years ago, claiming that Dunnes was seeking to retain it despite not having used the term for 'several years'. The Irish Patents Office found in favor of Playtex in a written judgement last month, the paper reported.
Did you know… Fresh, the Good Food Market is hosting a series of free lunchtime concerts by the Dublin Gospel Choir in December 19? Performing a number of chart favourite and crowd-pleasing songs, the four sets of gospel singers will be in Fresh’s four Dublin stores – The IFSC (Dublin 1), Grand Canal Quay (Dublin 2), Smithfield Village (Dublin 7), and Lower Camden Street (Dublin 2). Noel Smith, Fresh Founder, said: “Since the doors of the very first Fresh supermarket opened in 2006, our shoppers have been extremely loyal and we wanted to come up with a memorable way of thanking them this year”.
Did you know… Tesco is due to sell its online streaming entertainment service Blinkbox to Vodafone? Tesco is selling the service off as part of new chief executive Dave Lewis' plans to streamline the Tesco business and remove any loss-making aspects. It is expected that Vodafone will buy the service for a low price as it moves into the pay-TV market.
Did you know… The Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (ISME) has publicly encouraged Irish shoppers to buy Irish? ISME claims that every €10 spent on local produce actually generates up to €24 in a local community. Mark Fielding, ISME Chief Executive said that Irish produce is synonymous with excellent quality and offers better value than imported goods. He said, “While consumers are understandably most concerned with value for money when making purchasing decisions, they can rest assured that buying Irish products from local SME retailers will meet their highest standards and boost the economy at the same time.” Fielding said that it is also important that retailers label and display Irish goods prominently within their stores, to assist consumers in making the 'best choices'.
Did you know… AIB’s loan approval for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has grown by 60%? The figure is based on the ten months to the end of October and the same period last year. Ken Burke, head of business banking at AIB told the Irish Independent, “These approval figures are a reflection of the increasing demand for credit across the economy. AIB is optimistic about the outlook for the broader SME sector.”
Did you know… Keogh's Crisps posted a profit of €335,000 in 2013, acceding to accounts just filed? The Dublin-based crisp firm, which signed a supply deal with Tesco UK earlier this year, had accumulated profits of €443,500 at the end of 2013. The company employs 40 people.
Did you know… Irish beef will be sold in US retailers by the end of year? The prediction was made by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney at the recent ICMSA Annual Meeting in Limerick. The Minister said, “This is the first time that such circumstances have ever presented themselves. As a result, there is now a tremendous opportunity to market Irish beef throughout the US retail sector.” In the long term, he added that the new market will strategically reduce Irish producers' reliance on the UK. “We must expand our global footprint in terms of developing a sustainable future for our beef industry,” he added.
Did you know… The Ballincollig branch of Lidl, in County Cork, was last week targeted by a man armed with a hammer? Having smashed his way through the front door, in the early hours of November 23, the man proceeded to damage sections of the store, including food and drink displays. The store alarm was triggered when he broke in, but it was estimated that up to €100,000 worth of damage was caused by the attack. A man, in his late 20s, was arrested over the incident, and was questioned at Gurranabraher Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. A significant amount of Christmas stock was destroyed in the incident, and damage was caused to both fittings and the refrigeration units. Repairs began immediately and the store was fully operational within 24 hours.
Did you know… Last month marked 20 years since Terroir’s wine shop in Donnybrook opened its doors? Since opening in November 1994, Terroir’s has established a reputation of carefully sourced wine, alongside wine accessories, speciality foods and gifts. Provenance is extremely important to the company and they follow a simple mission: “If you care about what you eat then you must care about what you drink”. Terroir’s offers a wide selection of rare and fine wines.
© 2014 - Checkout Magazine by Genna Patterson and Robert Moloney.
{loadposition ri02122014}
