Bulmers Original Cider is marking its eighth decade in business. The cider brand is celebrating its 80th birthday with the news that it uses 25,000 tonnes of apple each year to make 135 million litres of cider. The Clonmel-based firm, part of C&C Group, only uses Irish-grown apples, and currently exports to over 50 international markets under the Magners brand name.
Outsourced field marketing and sales solutions provider CPM has appointed Lorraine Butler as its new Managing Director. Butler brings more than 20 years industry experience to the role, and will oversee CPM’s ‘Famous for Sales’ strategy in Ireland. She holds a BA in Management from DIT, as well as an MSc in Business Leadership & Management Practice from UCD Smurfit Business School, and is a Council Member of the Sales Institute of Ireland.
A 40% discount offer for Aldi circulating online has been confirmed as a fake. The discounter took to its Facebook page to warn its customers not to click on the link. The voucher is being offered by a website called ‘Coupons for Christmas’, and features an expiry date of December 31, as well as Aldi’s logo.
Network performance and security management specialist Fastcom has announced 25 jobs as it looks to further growth in Ireland and Britain. The jobs will be based in its Sligo operations and security centre, and are in network engineering and customer supports. The Irish Times reports that the expansion is being backed by €1.2 million funding from both private and director investment.
The Irish Farmer’s Association, The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association and Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinnes have asked the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to examine the possible market impact of ABP Food Group’s acquisition of a 50% stake in Slaney Foods. The Irish Examiner reports that the Commission hasn’t received notification of the proposed deal yet, but ABP says it will notify it in due course.
The president of the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland, Seamus Etherson, has warned that butchers are facing significant challenges from large retailers in turkey sales. According to the Irish Times, with discounters and other supermarkets offering fresh turkeys for just under €25, and frozen turkey selling for €10, the association says that independent butchers cannot compete on price. “We don’t have 20,000 other products to sell that we can make money on,” said Etherson.
Mobile IT integrator and mobile security specialist, CWSI, has entered into a strategic partnership with SEMSEYE, which develops intelligent embedded systems for the 'Internet of Things' environment. The partnership will allow CWSI to deliver SEMSEYE’s mobile location analytics and enable retailers to analyse consumers’ behaviour.
Alternatives Group has published its 'Predictions for Ireland and the Jobs Market In 2016', which identifies some of the key issues facing the recruitment industry as we head into the new year. According to Charley Stoney, Alternatives Group MD, the biggest challenge facing Ireland Inc in 2016 is in "identifying and attracting the best customer talent, given the current shortage, to ensure that we have sustainable growth in what it still a small market." Among the most in-demand skills sought after in 2016 will be analytical data skills, customer experience skills and evolved leadership skills, she added.
Is one supermarket Christmas turkey ad the same as the next? Orlaith Blaney, the former chief executive of McCannBlue Dublin offers an insightful appraisal of the festive offers presented by Ireland's top supermarket groups, which can be found here.
© 2015 - Checkout Magazine by Jenny Whelan.
