Thursday, April 30, 2009

Private Label News from around Europe

Private label has helped Delhaize profits grow by more than 30%. CEO Pierre Oliver-Beckers said: “Due to measures such as the increased offering of private brand products, improved price competitiveness and store remodelling, consumers have stayed loyal to our stores.”

Albert Heijn in the Netherlands is planning to extend its nonfood ranges by the end of this year.

Auchan plans to launch two new retail formats in the next few years. The first will be Auchan Maison, a large store offering household goods and furnishings. The other format, Auchan Gourmand, will be smaller and emphasise food products.

Two German retailers, Bünting and Kaiser, will start a procurement partnership this month. The programme will involved both A-brands and private label.

UK supermarket retailer Morrisons will revamp 500 of its nonfood lines, including items such as cookware and dinner party goods.

Rewe is testing a new fascia for its hypermarket format in three stores.

Makro and Auchan have created InterCompra in Portugal, a company to negotiate buying contracts for them.

Aldi will offer a range of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified sustainable seafood in all its Australia stores. The MSC certification process follows third-party evaluations of a fishery’s sustainability.

Co-op in the UK is introducing the Simply Value range in all its stores. Simply Value was created by Somerfield, the supermarket retailer which was acquired by Co-op. The line will now have the cooperative’s logo on its package.

Pharmacy Chain 36.6 in Russia plans to expand its Natura and Naturage cosmetics brands. The Express Care line of new face masks has been introduced and marketed under the tag line “5 minutes for myself”.

UK retailer John Lewis has launched a collection of kitchen furniture and accessories called Leckford, allowing shoppers to customise purchases by mixing and matching colours.

Zabka Polska, a convenience store retailer in Poland, will launch a network of stores under the FreshMarket name. The retailer plans 15 stores this year and as many as 1,000 in the future.

Metcash in Australia is introducing the Signature range through its 1,300 IGA supermarkets. The range will include biscuits, cereals and coffee. More than 40 retailer brands will be consolidated into the Signature brand.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Tesco challenges discounters in Poland

Tesco is taking steps to meet the competitive challenge by discounters in Poland. Tesco Polska’s chief executive Ryszard Tomaszewski, said: “According to market research, the highest share of turnover from supermarkets and hypermarkets is taken by discount stores. As a result, we have decided to put on sale 700 ‘first need’ products at discount prices under 40 newly created brands by Tesco”. The UK-based retailer also will look to increase its premium business by changing the product offer in some of its Savia supermarkets.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

UK discounters expand as supermarkets lower prices

The food retailing battle in the UK is heating up as discounters make aggressive expansion plans while supermarkets focus on private label and promotions to win back lost market share.

Aldi’s UK managing director foresees that the discounters may eventually capture 20% of retail sales, up from the current 6%. Aldi now has 460 stores across Britain and Ireland and plans to continue opening around 40-50 stores a year, with an ultimate goal of about 1,500.

Aldi sales in Britain climbed 25% in 2008. Aldi said its success was not just a result of the economic downturn, but stemmed from an emphasis on more fresh foods, larger stores, and the introduction of a premium Specially Selected range.

The other big UK discounter, Lidl, plans to add 50 stores this year, one more than last year. Part of that expansion will come through the purchase of stores from other retailers. The discounter will be using a smaller store format to enter more urban areas. It has opened 10 stores of 200 to 500 sqm and another 10 stores are planned for this year.

Meanwhile supermarkets are hoping that their new value ranges will grow popular as shoppers looking to save money. Tesco says 25% of its customers have tried its new discount ranges. Sainsbury reports big increases in its value line, while Spar plans to revamp its entire 900 SKU range with an emphasis on offering “value”.

Carrefour has big plans for a turnaround

Carrefour’s new CEO is looking to turnaround the retailer’s lagging performance with the introduction of a major private label range, a management reorganization and new retail branding. CEO Lars Olofsson said the retailer plans to spend €600 million on price cutting, promotions and the new Carrefour Discount line.

The range of 1,000 low-priced products will focus on everyday products. The line has simple white packaging and will not be discounted. The first 180 SKUs are expected to be launched next month. This is the second time Carrefour launched a budget line to battle the discounters. In 2003 it introduced an extensive range under the Premiere Prix brand.

Carrefour also plans on restructuring its buying departments. The private label food management group in France will be coordinated more closely with the international buying department. For nonfood, the European buying divisions will be tied more closely with the Spanish division.

The retailer’s discounter division, Dia, has new senior management, changed its logo and launched a corporate website to communicate with consumers.

In Belgium, Carrefour is switching to a multi-format, single brand strategy. The GB name will gradually disappear and be replaced by Carrefour for hypermarkets, Carrefour Market for some supermarkets and Carrefour Express for neighbourhood stores.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Face Massage for Beauty

We have already looked at the Magical Face Care Massage. Today we will look at a Face Massage for Beauty.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Example of a Face Care Massage

Face Care Magic. For that magical Face massage

Foot Care and Cracking Heels

Causes of Cracked Heels
A crack, otherwise known as a fissure, is most often due to having excessive dry skin on your foot. Many people may simple be more prone to dry skin as the sweat glands in the feet do not produce as much excretion as they once did.

Cracked heels are more common in those who spend long periods of time wearing open backed shoes and sandals, so are therefore more commonly seen in women.

Sometimes the person may have a developmental disorder of their feet such as flat feet, an abnormal stride and step pattern or may have heels spurs, which can all cause problems with the heels including dry skin and cracking.

Being overweight or standing for long periods may also contribute to having dry cracked heels, as can smoking and diabetes, which can compromise the oxygen and nutrient supply to the tissues.

Signs and Symptoms
Often cracked heels are simply a matter of being a cosmetic issue and cause no other problems, but for others, especially if the crack has deepened, they can be fairly painful and cause distress to the sufferer.

Normally beginning as dry skin on the heels, the cracks can develop quite quickly. Sometimes they can be felt by running a finger along them, whereas others may notice them when they can hear them catching on the bedclothes or socks. It can be very tempting to try and solve the problem by hand and pick at the edges of the heel, but more often than not this will exacerbate the problem, causing the cracks to deepen and become increasingly sore.



Treating Cracked Heels
There are many products available from supermarkets and chemists that are designed to treat cracked heels. Some of the more reputable brands are very useful for correcting this problem. Using a pumice stone or other piece of equipment made for removing hard skin will prove very useful. Never try and remove the hard skin using other implements such as blades or scissors as this can cause infections and bleeding.

Preventing Cracked Heels

- Try not to have bath water too hot as this can have a drying effect on the skin.
- Apply a good quality moisturiser at least once a day to keep dry skin at bay.
- Using a pumice stone or other device designed for eliminating dry skin can be very useful if a layer of hard skin has developed. Eradicating it before it can progress into cracks should help keep feet soft and smooth.
- For those who like to wear sandals, keep their use to a minimum, and apply extra moisturiser on the days when they are worn.
- If you have any existing foot conditions such as flat arches, wear an arch support device that will help to support the foot at all times.

Although cracked heels are not a serious condition they can be unsightly and cause discomfort for the sufferer. It is always best to try and prevent them occurring by treating hard skin as soon as it appears and by employing methods that will help to prevent the dry skin.

Additional Resources
Private label Cracked Heel Products
Foot Care Experts

Hair Care and Shampoos

If you are looking for a natural hair care treatment, you should look for products that have very little synthetic components. The basic hair care requirements are shampoo and conditioners. Common problems of hair fall and dandruff can be contained with regular use of natural products.

Some organic Private Label Shampoos and conditioners that are available may contain milk, honey, herbs and extracts of plants while some may have essential oils. Some products specify the hair type it is suitable for while others can be used for normal hair type. Usually people with chemical treatments and colors have damaged and dry hair or even those who expose their hair to chemical intensive hair products.

With such delicate hair type, you need to go in for products that will soften and strengthen your hair cuticles. For particularly dry hair, use natural oils to moisturize and strengthen hair cuticles. Warm up coconut oil or olive oil and massage it gently into your scalp. Leave it for some time and then wash your hair with herbal shampoo. Massaging your scalp with natural pure oils each week will help you get stronger hair over a period of time. Eggs are a good source of proteins. These are good conditioners and can be put on the hair, for getting shinier, smoother hair. Hair is basically proteins and increasing nutrition in your diet, will help you achieve stronger, silkier hair. Some herbal based conditioners and shampoos can be found in health stores and many online organic products stores.

Exposing your hair to heating and styling products which emit high infra red heat also leads to drying and damaging hair cuticles. Coloring and chemically treating hair damage the hair protein. With an increasing demand for organic herbal skin and beauty products, there are different websites dedicated to making your life healthier and more fulfilling. It is better to wear a hat or cover your hair when you go out in the sun. The sun's exposure can be damaging as it robs the hair's moisture over a period. Limit the use of hair blowers, styling irons and curling irons and protect your hair from chemicals.

Natural hair care is essential for your hair especially when we are living in cities where pollution, dirt levels are high. There are products are available to make your hair healthy, clean and silky. Thus, maintaining a balance of right moisture content, proper nutrition and cleanliness can go a long way in having healthy hair

Private Label News | Cosmetics | Private label Europe