Did you know… 40.2% of delegates at last week's Checkout Conference, in association with Rabobank, believe that Aldi will experience faster growth than Lidl this year, with 7.7% believing the opposite to be the case. Delegates were asked whether they felt Aldi and Lidl would continue their double digit growth this year. 28.2% of respondents said that they felt 'growth for both would be unimpeded', while 23.9% said the discounters would see a slowdown in growth this year.
Did you know… Ireland's consumer confidence increased in Q4 2014 to an index of 90, up six points; the largest quarterly increase of all EU countries, according to the latest Nielsen Consumer Confidence Report? The score is 13 points higher than at the same period last year, the study found, and follows a positive Budget last October. 'Our improved outlook is also evidenced in our recessionary sentiment score', the report noted. '66% of Irish respondents believe we are still in recession, down twenty-one percentage points on last year - this represents the largest recessionary sentiment improvement of all countries surveyed.'
Did you know… Diageo is to fund a campaign developed by Barnardos to encourage consumers to moderate their drinking habits? The campaign, which has been described as a national campaign against 'out of control' drinking, will be headed up by Barnardos chief executive Fergus Finlay, according to the Irish Times. It is aimed at anyone who is concerned at the rise of binge drinking, and "wants to do something about it," he told the paper.
Did you know… Over 3,700 companies were set up in January, an average of 132 per day, according to credit risk analyst Vision-Net.ie? Christine Cullen, Vision-net's Managing Director, said that 2014 saw the highest levels of start-ups being established since 2008. She added: "With a strong start in January it is reasonable to assume that this will be one of the strongest years in recent decades for start-ups".
Did you know… Frozen foods retailer Iceland is reportedly facing 'tough times' for the forseeable future, following a difficult Christmas and the rise of an emboldened Aldi and Lidl? Chief executive Malcolm Walker told the Financial Times, "Profits will be well down. We have had tough times before and we have tough times now, but we have got out of them before we all again. It's the life cycle of the company".
Did you know… With the opening of a new store in the Jarman Leisure Park, Hemel Hempstead, Subway now boasts 2,000 stores operating across the UK and Ireland? 260 new stores have been opened in the UK and Ireland over the past year. Greg Madigan, Area Development Manager for Subway UK and Ireland, commented, “The level of growth that the brand has experienced in the UK and Ireland is a fantastic achievement. It reflects the entrepreneurial spirit of Subway franchisees and development agents, together with the power and support of the global Subway brand”. Did you know…. Research by GfK in Germany has found that the revenues of the discounters there decreased by 1.4 per cent in the first 11 months of 2014? It also noted that given the fact that mainstream competitors tend to perform better in December, it is likely that the full-year figures, once available, will indicate a 12-month decline in revenues in the discounter channel. According to Barclays European Retail Equity Research, "GfK further points out that significant price reductions at discounters last year are the main reason for this, and that the price cuts did not bring more customers or sales because competitors responded quickly in terms of pricing."
© 2015 - Checkout Magazine by Robert Moloney and Stephen Wynne-Jones
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