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Clearcast approves Lovehoney ad for daytime TV
Lovehoney has become the first sex-toy etailer to air a TV ad during daytime schedules. The 30-second ad, created for Lovehoney by Halo Media, shows a couple sharing a passionate kiss before leaving for work. The ad runs for two weeks from 3rd October on ITV2 and other channels. Lovehoney will also run an above-the-line campaign, including full-page adverts in Company, Cosmopolitan and Good Housekeeping, outdoor posters, ads on the London underground as well as online advertising.

Another profit warning from Flying Brands
Flying Brands has warned that it may breach its banking covenants after trading in the autumn season came in “below management expectations”, with its Gardening Direct business underperforming “significantly”. Flying Brands will now look at renegotiating its banking arrangements or seek a waiver from the bank. To further free up cash, Flying Brands has agreed to sell part of its premises at Retreat Farm, comprising unused office space and employee accommodation, to Jersey-based JAJ Properties for £2.1 million in cash, plus 10 percent of any eventual development profits.

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Nominate your suppliers – deadline 7th October!
You have just over a week left to nominate the suppliers who have contributed most to your business. Categories include Creative & Design, Home Delivery Service/Solution, Print Production Service, Technology Solution and Most Effective Use of Predictive Analytics. For a full category list and nomination form click here. The winners of these sought-after ECMOD Supplier of the Year Awards will receive their trophies during the ECMOD Direct Commerce Show networking party which takes place on 30th November at the Business Design Centre. For details of attending please click here or call 01271 866112.

Print Master Class – 5th October
To learn more about maximising your print ROI and how to perform your own print purchasing audit, book your place to attend the Print Master Class. Led by print procurement consultants Blue Buffalo, the event has an option of 6 dates, the next one being on 5th October. Rates start at £295 per person, with discounts for members of CatEx DCA. Contact Jenny Squire for more details on how to book on 01271 866112 or email jenny@ecmod.com.

New party-plan business launches in the UK
Stella & Dot, a US-based direct selling business, is now recruiting party planners in the UK. The company, which sells jewellery and accessories through a home-based sales force, currently has a base of 18,000 “fashion entrepreneurs” in the US, and according to reports, aims to recruit 500 UK-based agents by the end of the year.

Profits slump at Game
Reflecting “tough market conditions”, PC and video-games retailer Game reported that group like-for-like sales were down 9.9 percent in the first half. Group turnover in the 26 weeks to 31st July was £558.8 million, compared with £624.6 million in the same period last year. Operating losses widened from £18.8 million to £48.0 million during the first-half. Further, in the 34 weeks to 24 September 2011, the group's total sales declined 11.4 percent.

Thorntons chairman to retire within a year
Confectionery retailer Thorntons is on the hunt for a new chairman following the announcement that its incumbent chairman John von Spreckelsen will retire within 12 months.

Ted Baker launches click and collect service
Designer fashion label Ted Baker is launching a click and collect service enabling customers to order online and pick up their purchase in one of Ted Baker's 31 stores, free of charge. The stores will also handle returns and will be able to refund the customer on the spot.

TNT moves into the packets and parcels market
TNT Post has expanded into the packets and parcels market with the launch of a service for online retailers that it says will be up to 10 percent cheaper than Royal Mail. Predominantly targeting businesses that use Kelkoo and eBay to sell their products, TNT is projecting volumes of 17 million in the first year of operation. To facilitate the service, TNT Post UK has invested in new automatic sorting.

Sales up but EBITDA down at House of Fraser
Like-for-like sales at department-store chain House of Fraser grew 5.3 percent in the first half of the year. EBITDA was down from £13 million to £12.2 million, allowing for set-up costs relating to a new distribution centre. The company's online business delivered "triple-digit growth" during the period and is now House of Fraser's best performing store.

Wiggle, GetLenses extend reach
Contact lenses etailer GetLenses has expanded into the Netherlands with the launch of Dutch website. As well as being in the local language and local currency, the website also supports popular Dutch payment method iDEAL. Earlier this year, GetLenses opened a website for its Italian customers. Continuing its global expansion, bicycle and tri-sports retailer Wiggle has launched websites in Italian and Portuguese. The launch follows the unveiling of a Dutch site in July.

St Ives snaps up Pragma
St Ives plc, which announced the acquisition of data marketing agency Response One last week for a minimum of £16.25 million, capped at £19 million, has continued on the acquisition trail with the purchase of market research agency Pragma. St Ives paid an initial amount of £3.3 million, which will be followed by a deferred amount, up to £6 million.



A best-practice guide to click and collect
For retailers operating both online and in “bricks and mortar”, the option of “click and collect”— offering customers the ability to purchase or reserve a product online and collect in-store—is rapidly becoming more important. It’s not a new proposition, and Argos led the way 10 years ago, with many smaller retailers also adopting a Heath Robinson approach to present cross-channel options early on. For a best-practice guide on how to approach click and collect—and how it’s done in the US and Europe—click here…

Coming up in Direct Commerce...

• October issue: special focus on customer recruitment—affiliate marketing, DRTV, online marketing, PLUS our bonus payment processing supplement
• November issue: ECMOD in focus and a look at supercharged marketing: tips and tweaks that you can use now

 




Click here to nominate your suppliers 

 

Marketing Campaign 
Co-ordinator

We are currently seeking an extremely well organised individual to help implement and optimise the direct marketing activities targeted to our fast growing customer base of retail, catalogue and website buyers. From catalogue mailings to customer emails, press advertising to 3rd party promotions, the holder of this role is pivotal to ensuring we hit our customer retention and acquisition targets.

To view the Job Description or to apply, please click here.
 

 

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To place your own advert in Talent Shop, email your 30 word profile to info@ecmod.com and it will appear in the next available issue.

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