1. Issue No.7 - 20th December 2012
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AUST :
Get on with GST reform
Tax reform is always a complicated, protracted and
painful process, but Treasurer Wayne Swan’s
meeting with state Treasurers in Canberra on Monday
did little to advance the cause. Mr Swan hosed down
state calls to lower the threshold on which goods
imported from overseas incur GST.
READ MORE
2. AUST :
Metcash takes on US giant Costco with
discount warehouse at Eagle Farm
Australian company Metcash is thinking big - taking
on US giant Costco in the battle for the hearts and
minds of Brisbane shoppers. Grocery, liquor,
hardware and automotive parts wholesale distributor
Metcash will open the doors of its first Value Depot
discount warehouse on Saturday.
READ MORE
USA:
PepsiCo looks to “drinkify” snacks
Aiming to pump new life into its beverage division,
PepsiCo is developing a range of snack-based drinks.
Speaking at Beverage Digest’s Future Smarts
conference in New York, PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi
said the company has a “whole range of products in
the pipeline that can be snacks made into beverages.”
READ MORE
3. AUST :
Industry bodies band together towards
retail industry outcomes
A group of major retail-related industry bodies,
including the Australian Retailers Association, has
launched the Australian Traders Group. ATG aims to
work collectively to address key regulatory issues
confronting the retail sector and link with government
to achieve real change on behalf of its members and
the wider industry.
READ MORE
AUST :
Caltex on a high as earnings rebound
Oil refiner Caltex has tipped a strong full-year profit
thanks to its marketing and a welcome boost from its
refining business. The Sydney-based refiner said it
expected to report full-year replacement cost
operating profit of between $455 million and $475m,
up from market expectations of $408m.
READ MORE
4. FRANCE:
France says “non!” to energy drink tax
France’s constitutional court annulled a planned tax
on energy drinks, Tax-News.com reports. The tax,
adopted by the French parliament, provides for a
specific tax of 50 Euros ($65.80 U.S.) per hectoliter
(26.4 U.S. gallons) on drinks containing at least 0.22
grams of caffeine or 0.3 grams of taurine per liter.
READ MORE
AUST :
Tips on security for the festive season
As we reach the end of another busy year and the fun
and festivities of the holidays beckon, remind your
employees and customers that not everyone is busy
shopping and spreading goodwill. While we prepare
for the celebrations of the season, cyber criminals and
internet hackers are out thieving!
READ MORE
5. ASIA :
Research highlight: Seven & I becomes
the world’s second largest retailer
According to Euromonitor research, parent company
of the 7-Eleven chain, Seven & I, is set to become the
world’s second largest retailer in retail banner sales
behind Walmart. Seven & I continues to see resilient
sales in Japan, while expanding its convenience store
chain 7-Eleven across Asia and the US.
READ MORE
AUST :
Coca-Cola Beach @ The Cricket
Coca-Cola has launched two new TVC's that uses
two of Australia's popular summer activities- cricket
and the beach to create the world's first pop-up beach
in a cricket ground. The campaign will run across TV,
social media, POS and digital.
READ MORE
6. AUST:
No leniency as police nab shoplifters
More than 100 people, including an alleged laptop
thief with a magnetic de-tagging device, have been
charged during a pre-Christmas blitz on shoplifting in
Sydney. Over the five days of Operation Lightfingers,
about $27,000 worth of goods were recovered,
Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Bell said on Sunday.
READ MORE
AUST :
Belt-tightening on way to bearing fruit
Small businesses should soon start to see the
benefits of this year's rate cuts, but conditions will
remain tough, analysts say. The economy will start to
pick up in the second half of next year, but not all
small businesses are going to see the benefits.
READ MORE
7. ASIA :
Shell plans to invest more than Baht1bn
for modernizations in Thailand
The Shell Company of Thailand revealed its retail
strategies for 2013, with a strong emphasis on
"superior customer experience". Shell plans to
modernize its service stations to make them more
attractive to customers, and to expand its network to
provide customers with the best services available at
more convenient locations.
READ MORE
AUST :
Information for retailers dealing with
tobacco plain packaging changes and
characters printed on some cigarette
products
Department of Health has released the ‘Tobacco
Plain Packaging Enforcement Policy’. This policy
provides guidance to the industry and retail sector in
relation to the approach to enforcement the
Department will take during what it terms the “Initial
Period”.
READ MORE
8. AUST :
McDonald’s receives warning from
media watchdog for ‘send to friends’
spamming
McDonald’s received a formal warning from
Australia’s media watchdog for spamming young
customers through its Happy Meal website. Emails
were sent using the ‘send to friends’ facility – which
promoted games and other features – on
HappyMeal.com.au. The messages did not have an
unsubscribe facility, as required by the Spam Act.
READ MORE
USA :
Lower gas margins, challenging
cigarette market impact casey's Q2
results
Casey’s General Stores saw a drop in earnings during
2Q fiscal 2013 compared to the same time in 2012,
primarily due to decreased gas margins and a
"challenging" cigarette market. “Our prepared food
program is doing exceptionally well, but the cigarette
environment remains very challenging," said CEO
Robert J. Myers.
READ MORE
9. AUST :
Favourite flavours ‘go retro’ this summer
Retailers should be on the lookout for limited edition
‘retro look’ packaging from FANTA, SPRITE, and
LIFT along with a special release of cult classic;
MELLO YELLO by LIFT. Coca-Cola is serving up a
blast from the past to mums and dads so they can
share their retro cool creds with their teens this
summer.
READ MORE
USA :
California Industry Associations Support
Tesoro-BP Deal
The California Independent Oil Marketers Association
and the California Service Station and Auto Repair
Association gave their thumbs-up to the $2.5 billion
agreement for Tesoro Corp to acquire BP’s Carson,
California refinery and related assets. This includes
the ARCO network of 800 dealer-operator sites in
southern California, Nevada and Arizona.
READ MORE
