Request ERT magazine
Sign up to the
e-newsletter
Go
Latest News [2007] archive from June 2007
| Fopp closes its 105 stores
Music retailer Fopp has announced it is shutting down its 105 shops, as the firm becomes the latest victim of the slump in CD sales. | |
| Acoustic Energy teams up with Aventure
Acoustic Energy has signed an exclusive distribution deal with custom install specialist supplier Aventure. | |
| BRC welcomes debate on retail crime
As the Government prepares to release thousands of prisoners early to ease prison overcrowding, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) is welcoming an adjournment debate on sentencing policy and retail crime. | |
| Tiscali signs deal with Sky
Tiscali has finalised a deal with Sky that will see it add the broadcaster's basic channels to its IPTV service. | |
| D & G receives more offers from interested parties
Warranty specialist Domestic & General Group says it has received more approaches from parties that may lead to an offer for the company. | |
| Slow down in sales of household electricals
Sales of durable goods – such as TVs and fridges – fell year-on-year for the second month running (by a balance of -21 per cent), according to the latest distributive trades’ survey from the CBI. | |
| Half of US consumers are aware of iPhone
More than half (53 per) of consumers in the US are aware of Apple’s iPhone, and eight per cent are likely to purchase it, according to research undertaken by International Communications Research (ICR). | |
| Freeplay founder to appear in CNN documentary
Freeplay’s founder, Rory Stear, has been selected as one of three social entrepreneurs to be featured on Principal Voices, a CNN International documentary project produced in association with Time and Fortune magazines. | |
| Molesey Refrigeration wins ERT Weekly Golf Open
Independent retailer Molesey Refrigeration walked away with the top prize at this year's ERT Weekly Golf Open, sponsored by Domestic & General.
27 June 2007 | |
| Comet expands recycling scheme
Comet is expanding its nationwide recycling service for unwanted electrical appliances to allow anyone - even non-customers - to use the scheme. | |
| BBC announces launch date of on demand TV service
The BBC's on demand TV service, the BBC iPlayer, will launch to the public on 27 July, the corporation has revealed. | |
| CAI and North Herts College launch NVQ
A pilot partnership between the Confederation of Aerial Industries (CAI) and North Herts College was announced at the CAI's annual trade fair in Stoneleigh. | |
| Internet retailers unaware of shopping laws
Many internet traders have a "weak awareness" of laws that are designed to protect shoppers, the Office of Fair Trading has found. | |
| Tiscali teams up with Universal for on-demand film service
Universal Pictures and Tiscali UK have launched PictureBox, a subscription-on-demand film service, on Tiscali TV. | |
| More than four in five UK households switches to digital TV
More than four in every five UK households have already made the switch to digital TV. | |
| Kenwood to merge with JVC, claims Japanese newspaper
Kenwood has agreed to merge with Victor Co. of Japan (JVC), under a holding company in 2008, according to a report in Japanese business newspaper Nikkei. | |
| Philips CE boss speaks exclusively to ERT online
Jeremy Ling, chief executive of Philips Consumer Electronics, has given his first trade interview to www.ertweekly.com. | |
| BSH opens fridge factory in Russia
BSH has opened its first refrigeration plant in Russia. | |
| Paul Merson signs up for Indesit Challenge Cup
Ex England international, Paul Merson, will be the celebrity guest star at this year’s Indesit Challenge Cup, in conjunction with ERT Weekly. | |
| Sonos to open UK office
In a bid to “grow and enhance” its UK business, American manufacturer Sonos has announced plans to open an office here later this year. | |
| DSGi pulls out of Eldorado deal
Dixons parent company DSG international has abandoned plans to buy Russian retailer Eldorado. | |
| BRC condemns early release of non-violent offenders
Prospects of thousands of non-violent offenders being released early from prison have been condemned by retailers. | |
| DAB digital radio ads echo BBC campaign
The DRDB (Digital Radio Development Bureau) is launching a summer radio advertising campaign which asks “Five million do it, do you?” | |
| Freeplay winds up its deal with Tango
In a radical restructure to its UK business, Freeplay has parted company with Tango, its main distributor for the last two years. | |
| TV Licensing warns dealers about televisions in staff areas
Dealers who have put TVs in staff areas for employees to watch Wimbledon are warned to get a TV licence. | |
| Jessops to close 81 stores
Jessops, the photographic retailer, is to close 81 stores by the end of September 2007, following a strategic review of its business. | |
| UK is Europe's leading market for consumer electronics
The UK is the largest market in Europe for consumer electronics, with a projected value in 2007 of 13.1 billion Euros, according to research from GfK. | |
| Tough times for town centres
UK retail sales will rise by 15.4 per cent by 2011, but town centres will be feeling the pinch with growth rates nearer 6.5 per cent. | |
| Sharp has big plans for LCD TV market
By 2015, the average size of an LCD TV in a European home will be 60in, according to research commissioned by Sharp. | |
| From Russia with 'Lux
Electrolux Floorcare has unveiled its latest product innovation – a high performance, metallic red, upright cyclonic vacuum cleaner - at a special press event in Red Square, Moscow. | |
| Grade forms war cabinet to push HD on Freeview
Michael Grade, ITV's executive chairman, is reported to be forming a war cabinet to push the issue of high-definition services on Freeview in front of the Government and public. | |
| Bissell sponsors Tour De France team
Bissell is continuing its sponsorship of the Tour De France Discovery cycling team, for the fifth year running. | |
| 3LCD projectors lead world sales
Worldwide sales of front projectors based on 3LCD technology, named for their three-chip liquid crystal display image drivers, led all other projection technologies combined in 2006 through the first quarter of 2007, according to Decision Tree Consulting. | |
| Tesco warns of tough times ahead
Tesco, the UK's largest supermarket chain, has said it faces a "tougher year". | |
| New photo vouchers for Jessops
Jessops, has launched a brand new booklet of vouchers – redeemable against photo processing services at every Jessops store. | |
| Retail Packaging Recyling Bill is unsafe, claims BRC
A proposal to force retailers to collect and dispose of used packaging, brought back to stores by customers, is impractical and unsafe, according to the BRC. | |
| Blockbuster opts for Blu-ray
Firm rental firm Blockbuster is to rent high-definition DVDs in the Blu-ray format only at 1,450 of its US stores. | |
| Retra CEO resigns
Retra chief executive Mark Hayward has resigned. | |
| ERTWeekly.com answers training needs with Business Development Zone
ERTWeekly.com has addressed the needs of the industry with the Business Development Zone (BDZ) – a brand new online initiative which aims to provide crucial training within the electrical retailing market. | |
| Give us proper training and high value products, says Comet MD
Hugh Harvey, managing director of Comet, has called on manufacturers to provide improved product training and demonstrations, and to add some value back into the electrical retailing market. | |
| M & S launches own brand TVs
This month Marks & Spencer is launching M&S own brand, LCD widescreen TVs, including a 15in TV/DVD model, which boasts an LCD widescreen, IDTV and an integrated DVD. | |
| Clare calls for manufacturers to phase out standby function
The outgoing boss of DSG International has called on manufacturers to focus their energies on supporting "the international green agenda". | |
| Philips boss calls for simplicity in consumer electronics
Jeremy Ling, CEO of Philips Consumer Electronics, has called for more simplicity in the consumer electronics market in both retail and product development | |
| Hughes MD slams manufacturers for lack of small screen TVs
Independent retailer Robert Hughes, the managing director of Hughes Electricals, has berated leading CE manufacturers for ignoring the small screen digital flat TV market. | |
| Do not mislead consumers about switchover, warns Director General of DCMS
Poor experience of digital switchover will have consequences for Government but also for all the other partners involved, including retailers and manufacturers, according to Andrew Ramsay, Director General, Culture, Creativity and Economy Department for Culture, Media and Sport. | |
| BBC reveals HD plans at Intellect CE Conference
The BBC is to embark on a phased launch schedule for high-definition services on digital satellite, digital cable and digital terrestrial television (DTT). | |
| DAB sales top five million
More than five million DAB digital radios have been sold, according to figures from GfK, the consumer electronics industry’s research body. | |
| Call for higher taxes on energy-guzzling products
While British retailers are urging the European Commission to scrap VAT on all energy-efficient products, a leading scientist has called for taxes to be increased on energy-guzzling products. | |
| REL invests in dealer training sessions
REL Acoustics has heralded its second series of dealer training events as an ‘outstanding success’. | |
| New Playback scheme for Freeview recorders
The Playback accreditation scheme for Freeview-endorsed digital TV recorders has officially launched. | |
| Electricals perform well in out-of-town retailing
Sales may have reached £90 billion last year but the rise of out-of-town retailing in the UK is slowing down. | |
| Smart Trade scheme launches in UK
Smart Trade, the business-to-business rewards programme, has officially launched in the UK. | |
| Sony remains upbeat over Blu-ray
Sony claims shipments of its Blu-ray high-definition DVD players in the US could jump sixfold this year, to 600,000. | |
| John Clare to speak at BRC Conference
John Clare, the outgoing chief executive of DSGi, will address more than 130 delegates at the BRC's Secrets of Retail Success at the Cavendish Conference Centre this Thursday. | |
| Electrolux VP calls for eco-friendly appliances
Electrolux’s Vice President, Group Environmental and Sustainable Affairs, Henrik Sundström, has called on consumers to replace energy guzzling old appliances with new energy saving models. | |
| New van livery for Baumatic
Baumatic has revealed its colourful new van livery, which will be hitting the road this month. | |
| Oftcom set to approve Sky pay-TV service on Freeview
Ofcom looks set to approve BSkyB’s plans to offer a pay-TV service on the Freeview platform. | |
| Wal-Mart trials HDTV specialists
In the US, Wal-Mart, the parent company of Asda, is testing the presence of ‘HDTV specialists’ on its consumer electronics (CE) sales floors and this summer will introduce several HDTV SKUs in a new programme with Sony as part of its recently announced CE initiatives. | |
| Sony job cuts in US
Sony says it is to cut jobs in the US just weeks after announcing an eight per cent reduction in its European workforce. 08 June 2007 | |
| Music to wash clothes by
LG has filed a patent to put an iPod dock and speakers on top of a washing machine. | |
| More price deflation for electricals
Prices of electrical products have fallen by 9.1 per cent in 12 months. | |
| REPIC issues warning to Local Authorities
REPIC, the largest producer compliance scheme by market share, is issuing a timely reminder to all Local Authorities that there is only 17 working days left to sign up to a Producer Compliance Scheme (PCS) in order to benefit from free collection of WEEE. | |
| Exclusive Intellect CE Conference offer for ERT readers
Intellect has teamed up with ERT Weekly to offer our retailer readers the chance to win free tickets for this year's Intellect CE Conference. | |
| DSGi announces new chief executive
DSGi has announced a new chief executive to replace John Clare who retires later this year. | |
| No nationwide coverage for DAB
DAB radio is never likely to reach all parts of the UK, according to BBC controller Mark Friend. | |
| BBC head of HD to speak at Intellect CE Conference
Intellect has added a new speaker to the line-up for next week's Consumer Electronics Conference. | |
| Toshiba to use laptops in next-gen format war
Toshiba is to put disk drives for HD-DVDs on all its laptops as it strives to gain an edge in the next-generation DVD format battle, the Japanese group said yesterday, reports Reuters. | |
| Pace is 'UK's largest CE company'
Set-top box manufacturer Pace Micro has regained its position as the UK's largest consumer electronics company after strong demand for high-definition televisions in the United States boosted its profits, claimed the manufacturer. | |
| BRC on Lease Code
A major study of the Government-backed Lease Code is to be undertaken by the British Retail Consortium. | |
| Government crackdown on unfair trading
A crackdown on aggressive and unfair trading and selling practices is promised by the Government as it starts a consultation that will implement the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. | |
| Dyson slammed by ASA
The Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that a Dyson TV ad was misleading and should not be broadcast again in its current form. | |
| Electricals may need carbon footprint labels
Everything on sale in the UK could carry a “carbon footprint” label under a scheme revealed by the Government last week. | |
| Launch date for iPhone revealed
Apple has announced the launch date of its iPhone. | |
| Samsung Cameras launches new independent retail programme
Samsung Cameras has launched its latest retail initiative in the independent channel. | |
| Exclusive new video interviews on ERTV
The latest edition of ERTV is now online at http://www.ertweekly.com/2007-ertv.html 04 June 2007 | |
| BBG bowls 'em over
Five teams competed in distributor BBG’s first six-a-side cricket tournament at Tring Park Cricket Club in Hertfordshire. | |
| Name change for DVD Entertainment Group
The DVD Entertainment Group Europe has changed its name by dropping the “DVD” from its title and replacing it with “Digital”. | |
| Consumer spending is up
Britons spent £1.09 trillion last year, nine per cent more than in 2005. | |
