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Weekly Round Up, March 24, 2015

By Publications Checkout
Weekly Round Up, March 24, 2015

Pernod Ricard has appointed Peter Morehead, currently Production Director of Irish Distillers, as its new Group Operations Director. He will commence his new role in April 2015, moving to the company’s global headquarters in Paris. Morehead said of his new role, “I am delighted to be given this opportunity and very much look forward to working across Pernod Ricard's operations and brands on a global basis.”

The government has launched a €250 million Rural Development Programme, with which it hopes to rejuvenate rural town centers, as well as generate employment. Announcing the initiative yesterday, Environment Minister Alan Kelly and Minister of State Anne Phelan called for submissions from interested parties. "I look forward to seeing and hearing about the projects that will be funded in rural areas […] that will make a real difference in the lives of many rural communities," said Minister Phelan.

Aldi will open its 114th Irish store in Oranmore, Galway this Thursday, 26 March. The Oranmore branch is just one of 10 openings planned for this year, with the retailer looking to create 250 new jobs nationwide. The store is located on the R338 Coast Road, and the opening will be celebrated with a special in-store event.

The Teeling family have met with various investors to discuss selling 20% of Great Northern Distillery in a deal valued at €5 million, according to the Sunday Business Post. According to the paper, the deal is expected to be finalised in the next few months and will raise the family company to a value of €25 million. If it goes ahead, any new investment will involve the launch of a new whiskey supplied from Dundalk, along with investment in supplying whiskey to private label brands.

Aurivo Co-Operative Society has paid €28 million to acquire For Goodness Shakes, a UK protein-based drinks and snacks producer, the Sunday Times has reported. The deal will seek to deliver “significant access to the growing market for sport nutrition and drinks in Ireland and the UK” for the Connacht Gold parent. Aurivo posted profits of €5.2 million on sales of €470 million last year.

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Moore Street market stalls are still winning on price, despite the presence of discounters in the area, the Irish Times has reported. While a local Lidl and Aldi are both drawing in bargain-hunting shoppers, fresh fruit and veg prices in Dublin’s oldest food market are still undercutting any supermarket competitor, with avocados for as little as 25c each and bananas at a budget-friendly 8c each, a study by the paper uncovered.

Discounter Aldi is downplaying reports that it is ready to launch an online store in the UK. German trade journal Lebensmittel Zeitung has reported that Aldi was prepared to launch and online store in Britain and possibly other countries. However, a spokesperson for Aldi in Britain admitted, "E-commerce is not an immediate focus for Aldi as we currently have the best performing business model in the grocery sector. However, it is an area we monitor as part of our customer-focused approach."

GlaxoSmithKline has issued a recall notice for all batches of its strawberry or chocolate flavoured MaxiNutrition Cyclone Milk. One of the protein-enriched milk drink’s ingredients, creatine, has been observed recrystallising in cases of the product and may cause choking and mouth injuries.

© 2015 - Checkout Magazine

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