Asda mums's optimism for future has fallen since last quarter
Mumdex, the survey conducted by leading supermarket chain Asda, has issued its second economy report today, revealing how its optimism index has significantly dropped from -8 per cent to -16 per cent since February this year. A panel of 4,000 mums were interviewed about their feelings on their children's future, with a decrease in job prospects coming high on a list of concerns with over a third admitting to fears there will be a great deal less opportunities compared with their generation. Judith McKenna, Chief Operating Officer at Asda, explained that the results, which follow an initial report released in February, highlight concerns that the tough economic situation may worsen. "What this quarter's Mumdex makes clear is that it's tough and getting tougher," McKenna said. "Mums have one eye on balancing the day-to-day, and the other firmly on the future and what it holds for their kids." Of the mums surveyed, 90 per cent discussed concern that their child would not be able to gain employment in a role that would make them happy, but half did supported the government's apprenticeships schemes for young people. The study also reveals a fear that lessening roles in the workplace will directly impact on household finances as mothers feel they will be forced to forego early retirement in order to support their children long term. In response to this economic shift, 68 per cent are protecting the money they have in their budget to spend on offspring. A lack of expenditure on activities has meant a return to an emphasis on core family values, as 40 per cent of those questioned found more enjoyment in spending quality time with the family than on expensive gifts and events. These results follow news last week that the grocer has seen a 7.2 per cent increase in its total sales growth over its first quarter period from 1st January to 31st March 2012. At a time of constrained consumer spending and widespread financial worries, Asda is one of the few large supermarket chains, [along with Sainsbury's, which is managing to attract more consumer spending in store](/articles/04141-sainsburys-underlying-profits-up-71-in-fullyear). McKenna commented: "While economists and politicians are talking about a double dip recession and austerity measures, what concerns mums most are the real long-term consequences for their kids. "They can handle the here and now, but they're less sure about the impact for their families in the years ahead."


Retailers must demand more from people counting data
The concept of counting customers in and out of stores is not a new one for European retailers. For the most part, retail brands and shopping mall owners throughout Europe have embraced people counting technology - many were even early adopters of it. However, a large number of companies are using systems that were implemented years ago and are now rudimentary in terms of technology and reliability. These same systems lack the accuracy necessary to deliver key insights that can be accessed by matching the traffic data information with sales transaction and labour (scheduling or staffing) data. With mounting pressure on retail margins and further convergence of online and offline shopping, enlightened retailers have begun to understand the need to monitor and analyse customer interaction across all stores. Doing this can help retailers to make more informed decisions about marketing, staffing, location and even devising the right strategy for new openings based on comparable store data. The challenge for retailers now is to ensure they have the right technology and processes in place in order to make this happen. **One system, multiple stores and geographies** Many retailers rely on shopper counting hardware that has been installed by a distributor, with a different vendor aggregating the resulting data. The notion of forming a long-term partnership with one provider or making specific demands on the quality of their supplier's analytics is not as widespread as it should be. Good data should be a given when analysing people counting data, however accuracy and consistency rates of 80 per cent are not uncommon. This in turn means that the resulting predictive analytics are unreliable. It is hard to imagine any other business implementation where a figure like this would be considered acceptable. A retailer certainly would not passively accept a 20 per cent discrepancy in its yearly sales figures. The knock-on effect of poor traffic counting accuracy can be significant; a 20 per cent margin of error in your people counting data could impact the staff you bring onto the shop floor by as much as 50 per cent. Fortunately, just as they were early pioneers in their use of people counting technology, European retailers have also been quick to respond to the need for better data - and more of it - to gain an accurate view of how their customers are interacting with each store. These retailers understand the need to tie shopper counting into conversion rates, but they face internal barriers such as inconsistent strategies across territories. Many retailers who operate across geographies make local purchasing decisions and may be using different counting devices or analytics across Europe. This makes it extremely difficult for global heads of marketing or operations to compare and contrast data or make business decisions based on this information. These operational heads, or in some cases global heads of insight, understand the need to adopt one system that is consistent across all stores and countries, in order to have true visibility over how the company is performing. This demand for more detailed, better quality data is also evident in the UK. Some shopping centres here are not only counting traffic along perimeters, they are also implementing counting devices within individual stores to monitor the performance of each tenant. Retailers also share their point of sale data with mall owners in order to drive promotions. Together this increased level of collaboration helps to improve operational effectiveness and create a holistic view of traffic and conversion at every touch point. **Improving operational efficiency across channels** A greater level of visibility is crucial from a labour management perspective, enabling store managers to put their best staff on the shop floor during peak traffic times and reduce staff numbers during quieter hours. It also helps to optimise physical stores as online shopping continues to grow. While many people are choosing to browse or buy online, there are still a large proportion of consumers that make their final purchases in store. Giving the customer the best possible experience when they arrive, with the right staff and the most relevant promotions, is vital for repeat business. As such, it is imperative that retailers understand their online and offline sales in tandem rather than pitting one against the other. Online retailing is a complement to bricks and mortar, however if the in store experience is not stellar, then the conversion rates will fall both online and offline. Retailers must be prepared to make strategic business decisions based on the outcomes of traffic and conversion data. If online sales are beginning to outstrip in-store sales in certain locations, it may indicate poor management performance, a need to relocate to smaller premises or a change in the focus of the store completely. Retailers can only do this if they know the data they are relying on is completely accurate. **Using data to drive the business** Understanding customer behaviour is not just a case of looking at sales figures or counting approximately how many people are coming in and out of shops; retailers must understand who is entering their stores and leaving without making a purchase, how many browsers are being converted to sales, which store configurations (or layouts) drive the highest conversion rates, which promotions deliver the best return and which staff make the most sales. The latest traffic counting technology combined with predictive analytics can help store and mall owners to answer many of these questions and should be a fundamental component in the quest to collect higher volumes of accurate and useful data. Only by having a clear understanding of each store's performance and knowing whether or not it has the potential to improve, can retailers begin to use data to drive their businesses forward. *Todd Starcevich is European CEO of the world's largest retail traffic counter ShopperTrak*


Shop Direct extends Norbert Dentressangle deal
Online & home shopping specialist Shop Direct Group has signed a new ten-year contract with logistics & supply chain provider Norbert Dentressangle (ND), it was revealed today. Shop Direct, the owner of the retail brands Littlewoods, Very, Isme and Woolworths.co.uk, employs ND to manage all product deliveries which require a two-man team - primarily furniture and white goods that need some sort of assembly. ND controls the receipt, quality inspection, putaway, pick, despatch and returns management for 'two-man' products, with home deliveries carried out by Yodel, and due to the success of this partnership it will now continue for the next decade. Mike Herald, Shop Direct's Director of Warehousing & Returns, said: "We have a fantastic relationship with Norbert Dentressangle, based on their genuine understanding of our business and commitment to innovation and continuous improvement. "The new contract reflects both the quality of the current solution and the strategic nature of our partnership with Norbert Dentressangle, which we expect to continue to evolve over the next ten years." ND employs around 200 staff members across two fulfilment sites in Wrexham, North Wales and Hooton, near Liverpool, which manage furniture and white goods deliveries respectively. Over the last couple years the French-based logistics firm has hugely increased its presence in the UK and now manages supply chain activities for leading retailers such as Asda, B&Q, Comet, House of Fraser, Marks & Spencer, Superdrug and Wilkinson.


Waterstones signs Kindle deal with Amazon
Leading bookseller Waterstones has today announced a major new deal with the company once seen as a major threat to its business survival, online marketplace Amazon. The agreement will see Amazon's Kindle e-readers and digital copies of books become available to buy from Waterstones stores and from its website for the very first time. Waterstones Managing Director James Daunt has said that the deal forms part of the book retailer's modernisation programme which will see as many as 100 of its stores refurbished this year with new coffee shops and free wifi being introduced in many locations. "At Waterstones, we are committed to improving our bookshops quite radically to offer the best possible book buying experience. It is a truly exciting prospect to harness also the respective strengths of Waterstones and Amazon to provide a dramatically better digital reading experience for our customers," Daunt said. "The best digital readers, the Kindle family, will be married to the singular pleasures of browsing a curated bookshop. With the combination of our talents we can offer the exceptional customer proposition to which we both aspire." Daunt took over the running of Waterstones after it was acquired from struggling entertainment retailer HMV for [£53 million by A&NN Capital Fund Management Limited](/articles/14100-waterstones-sold-by-hmv-for-53m) last summer. HMV had been forced to [close many of the Waterstones stores](/articles/11002-closure-of-11-waterstones-stores-this-sunday) due to declining sales, in large part caused by increased competition from online rivals such as Amazon and the emergence of the digital e-reader as a serious threat to traditional book reading. Rather than try and fight the digital revolution any longer the new management of Waterstones seems to accept that the future of its stores must incorporate both e-books and physical books. A partnership between Waterstones and Amazon now opens up the possibility that customers to the high street retailer could purchase a bundle pack of both physical and digital versions of the same title at the same time at a discounted rate. Jeff Bezos, Amazon Founder and CEO, said: "Waterstones is the premier high street bookseller and is passionate about books and readers - a dedication that we share deeply. We could never hope for a better partner to bring together digital reading and the physical bookstore." Further details regarding exactly how the new deal between the two companies will work is to be announced this Autumn.


High street footfall declined 12.6% in April
Across all types of retail locations in the UK shopper numbers fell annually by two per cent between February and April this year, new research has revealed. A collaborative study published today by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), automated customer counting firm Springboard and The Association of Town Centre Management (ATCM), shows that in high street stores national footfall fell 12.6 per cent in April alone and 6.4 per cent over the three months to May. Out-of-town locations performed best with customer numbers up 1.2 per cent in the quarter period, despite seeing a 0.4 per cent drop in rain-swept April, while shopping centres saw their footfall slump 0.8 per cent over the wider period. Wales was the only region of the UK to see footfall improve in the three months to April, with shopper volumes rising 0.6 per cent compared to last year, while Scotland (-12.6 per cent), the East of England (-8.9 per cent) and Greater London (-8.2 per cent) were the worst hit areas. Diane Wehrle, Research Director at Springboard, says that much of the poor performance over the quarter can be blamed on the wet weather experienced last month, which contrasted sharply with the warm temperatures and positive national mood of April last year when Prince William married Kate Middleton. "There's no denying that this has been a tough few months but retailers had braced themselves for the blow in light of the weather forecast," Wehrle said. "Proof that rain was a leading factor can be seen from the fact that enclosed shopping centres were the only environment that saw positive footfall figures during April's downpours. "Out-of-town - where particular outlets tend to be the focus for shoppers, helping to make them weather resistant - saw a welcome rise in footfall across the quarter, also thanks in part to the free and plentiful parking on offer." Many within the industry have been hoping for a sharp uplift in consumer spending this summer as the celebrations surrounding the London Olympics and Queen's Jubilee lift national spirits. Worries surrounding the future of the Eurozone are putting that boost to the UK economy at risk however and a number of recent retail administrations reveal how fragile many businesses remain at present. The report shows that the national shop vacancy level stayed at 11 per cent during April, unchanged since the start of the year, and recent administrations and subsequent store closure announcements by large retail chains Game Group, Peacocks and Clinton Cards are likely to keep occupancy levels deflated for some time yet. Scottish retail is proving particularly weakened by low consumer confidence and squeezed personal finances and Ian Shearer, Scottish Retail Consortium Director, warns that there are few signs of a spending recovery north of the border. "Retailers are very much looking for some optimism returning when the sun does, and around this summer's major events," Shearer said. "Nine per cent of shops in Scotland are standing empty, and there are some good signs that this is slightly better than last summer and than other parts of the UK, but vacancies are still high. "In common with others in the property sector we don't believe the current proposals to cut empty property rates relief are the right approach for stimulating new investment in our high streets."


Burberry awarded £63m in counterfeiting case
British fashion brand Burberry has been awarded £63 million in a court case against a network of Chinese counterfeiters, it was announced today. A federal court in the US found that the defendants are liable for federal trademark counterfeiting and infringement as they attempted to sell fake merchandise via numerous domain names using the Burberry trademark. In a similar lawsuit earlier this month, French luxury brand Hermes also won £63 million ($100 million) in damages from those attempting to sell fake goods online, though in Burberry's case, the company has been afforded the right to take over the offending domain names itself. Court documents seen by Retail Gazette state: "It is further ordered that the Infringing Domain Names that were transferred to Plaintiffs pending trial pursuant to the Preliminary Injunction shall remain permanently in the Plaintiff's control." In a statement after the ruling, a spokesman for Burberry said: "We are very pleased with the recent website litigation judgments awarded to Burberry. "Counterfeit goods are a major industry issue, impacting brands and customers alike, and we appreciate that the Court understands the importance of protecting brands against such infringements." The findings come at a time of unprecedented growth for the brand, which [last month reported an 18 per cent increase in total revenues on last year](/articles/33442-burberry-eyes-expansion-as-store-sales-rise-12), standing at over £1 billion for its second half period. Such massive profit has allowed the company to look into further expansion, though the spokesman noted that such success did not deter it from cracking down on those hoping to benefit from its popularity. "Burberry vigorously protects its intellectual property rights and as such, we launched a website litigation program in December of 2010 in order to combat commercial websites engaged in the illegal sale and distribution of counterfeit Burberry goods," he commented. "While we have seen significant success to date, we will continue to take action against, and press for the maximum penalties to be imposed on, those engaged in this illegal criminal activity."


txtNation launches new HLR Lookup platform
txtNation have released their new HLR Lookup platform capable of processing several thousand messages per second.
Fri, 18 May 2012 16:24:23 GMT

Premium beauty market sees value rise
Britain's premium beauty market has seen a 5.2 per cent increase in value year-on-year, according to research released today. Research firm NPD Group found that female consumers are increasingly looking for multi-tasking products as figures show an 80 per cent growth in the cream foundation sector, which fuses make-up with skin nourishing products. Results for the year to March 2012 reveal a 2.1 per cent rise in sales by volume for the overall market, with make-up accounting for 33 per cent of total prestige beauty sales. This represents a 7.2 per cent increase in value year-on-year, the result of an increase in the volume of sales, up 4.2 per cent. "Multi-tasking make-up from brands such as Clinique, Bobbi Brown, Benefit and Laura Mercier mean that women don't just match their skin tone when they buy, but their skin type as well," explained June Jensen, Director of NPD Group's UK Beauty team. "That is why we have seen strong growth of a nine per cent and 13 per cent respectively for those segments year-on-year." While dual benefit items are seeing an increase in popularity, fragrance sales are suffering considerably in a difficult market. Despite growth of three per cent year-on-year, volume sales for women's fragrance have fallen 0.3 per cent over the same period. This decrease in demand has been blamed on the fact that fewer products were released onto the market in the last 12 months, with the value of newly launched fragrances year-on-year declining by 24.9 per cent for women and 19.4 per cent for men. While this may be disheartening news for some, [Jensen noted in March this year that the health & beauty market remains resilient](/articles/01242-prestige-beauty-market-grows-by-94-in-2011). Commenting at the time on market results for last year, she said: "2011's strong performance should reassure the industry that the consumer loves beauty, wants beauty and feels a need for beauty - however tough the economic environment might be."


Boots to expand convenience offering
Health & beauty retailer Boots is to expand further into the convenience market, with plans to build on its existing food offering, Retail Gazette understands. The company, which earlier this week reported a like-for-like (LFL) sales increase of 0.5 per cent year-on-year for its retail category, hopes the move will entice customers keen to make quick purchases. As a company focused on health, Boots also expressed its desire to offer nutritious options. A Boots UK spokesman told Retail Gazette: "At Boots UK we are always looking for ways to expand our business aligned to customer demand and as part of this we are committed to continuing to grow our presence in the convenience market. "We have built our credibility in the food arena with our very successful exclusive Boots brands, 'Shapers' and 'Delicious' delivering a healthy option at lunchtime and we will continue to innovate and focus on these strengths." Earlier this week, parent company Alliance Boots announced a 12.4 per cent rise in headline trading profit for the year ending March 31st 2012, while its total revenue increased to £23 billion, up 18.4 per cent on the previous year. Boots UK, meanwhile, suffered a 0.2 per cent drop in total sales and a 1.1 per cent fall in LFL sales over the period, blamed on a reduction in demand for cold and flu remedies as well as government cuts, and it is hoped that this latest launch will boost sales. The spokesman added: "[We are] exploring how we can deliver even greater choice and convenience for our customers through a broader offering."


Waitrose promotions boost sales 3.7 per cent
Upmarket grocer Waitrose saw a 3.7 per cent rise in total sales last week as discounting and promotions coaxed customers in store, figures released today reveal. As the wet weather early in the week ending May 12th 2012 lead to a more than 20 per cent rise in sales of canned soups, food stocks and roots vegetables compared to the previous week, warm weather over the weekend saw customers rushing to capitalise on promotions on summer items. Cider, on a special offer of three for £5, saw an increase of 11.3 per cent on the previous week, while sales of the grocer's outdoor living range leapt 83 per cent over the period. David Jones, Supply Director at the company, welcomed the weekly results. "[This is] a strong figure given the earlier fall of the May bank holiday this year," he explained. "This has been helped by the performance of our essential Waitrose range which continues to be a firm favourite with customers, despite being a mature brand." Offering over 1,500 products, the range has also introduced special offers, with a selection of meat, poultry and fish currently on sale for three for £10, a move which Jones believes has further driven growth. Sales of the range's meatballs have jumped a massive 112 per cent while beef and lamb rose by 30 and 16 per cent respectively. [Commenting at the time](/articles/42341-waitrose-extends-tesco-price-match-to-all-branded-goods), Managing Director of Waitrose Mark Price said: "Extending Brand Match, alongside Essential Waitrose, increased promotions and free delivery of online orders, will give customers even more confidence that they can do their entire weekly shop with us, with no sacrifice of quality, range and inspiration or service."


RBS deploys Clear2Pay?s Open Payment Framework for SEPA in Europe
Clear2Pay, the international technology provider of next generation payment solutions for financial institutions, clearing and settlement companies and corporates announces that Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has selected its Open Payment Framework (OPF) as the technology of choice to power its payments services hub for SEPA. This includes more than 18 international RBS branches and its chosen FI clients and partner banks.
Thu, 17 May 2012 09:53:13 GMT

Albron selects Equens for ?Quick and Easy Payments?
Albron, the largest independent caterer in the Netherlands, is to begin offering biometric and contactless payments in its restaurants in cooperation with Equens. Today, Albron and Equens signed a contract for the service Snel en Simpel Betalen [Quick and Easy Payments].
Thu, 17 May 2012 09:50:01 GMT

Prima Payments signs with Phoenix Managed Networks for PaySecure
Phoenix Managed Networks (Phoenix) has announced a strategic relationship with Prima Payments Canada. andnbsp;
Thu, 17 May 2012 09:47:38 GMT

ATM Market in CEE growing seven times faster than in western Europe
The central and eastern European (CEE) ATM market continued its recent trend of strong, but steady growth, last year, increasing by another 10% in 2011. 18,000 new machines were installed, bringing the total to 208,000.andnbsp;
Thu, 17 May 2012 09:12:11 GMT

TSYS unveils its agenda for connected mobility
TSYS has announced andnbsp;its agenda for connected mobility to support commerce for digitally active consumers those accustomed to navigating their daily lives with smart phones, tablets, game systems, electronic readers and computers. This initiative will enable consumers and businesses to connect and communicate in real time through a variety of devices that support mobility, business applications and commerce.
Thu, 17 May 2012 08:58:21 GMT

EPC's annual public consultation on the evolution of the SEPA credit transfer and SEPA direct debit schemes
The European Payments Council (EPC), representing the European banking industry in relation to payments, today launched the annual public consultation on possible modifications to the SEPA Credit Transfer (SCT) and SEPA Direct Debit (SDD) Scheme Rulebooks. The EPC encourages all Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) stakeholders to provide feedback by 13 August 2012. Updated versions of the SCT and SDD Rulebooks will be published in November 2012. In accordance with industry best practice, payment service providers (PSPs) and their suppliers have a one-year lead time to address rulebook updates prior to such updates taking effect.
Thu, 17 May 2012 08:56:11 GMT

Specifications to Standardize the Trusted Execution Environment
GlobalPlatform has launched its latest specifications for the Trusted Execution Environment (TEE). The technical documents, which are free to download from www.globalplatform.org, significantly advance GlobalPlatforms infrastructure to standardize the TEE; a secure area that resides in the main processor of devices such as a smartphone and ensures that sensitive data is stored, processed and protected in a trusted environment. andnbsp;
Thu, 17 May 2012 08:52:27 GMT

Payments industry businesses report sales through social media
The international payments industry - often thought of as being risk-averse and reluctant to embrace new ways of working - is on the verge of opting for widespread use of social media channels. Payments industry specialist research house Eurasia Insights' latest findings are to be published in The Social Media in Payments Report 2012 in June.
Mon, 14 May 2012 11:18:42 GMT

FICO reveals winners and losers in fight against European Card Fraud
FICO has published an interactive fraud map of Europe that shows how technology has changed the card fraud landscape. The map accessible atwww.fico.com/fraudeuropeandnbsp; reveals that card fraud has migrated from the UK to other countries, notably France and Germany, over the last few years, due to the UKs adoption of chip and PIN technology, and issuers use of analytics-based fraud management systems.
Mon, 14 May 2012 09:54:08 GMT

Outdated core banking systems slowing down growth for European Banks
A new survey from Ovum, commissioned by Infosys, reveals that 75% of the European banks are still using outdated core banking systems, which is affecting their ability to accelerate growth. The research covered 65 C-level executives across European financial institutions and highlights that the lack of modern core banking systems is impacting the banks ability to meet changing customer demands quickly, and adapt to regulatory compliance mandates efficiently.
Mon, 14 May 2012 09:16:37 GMT