CAIRN ENERGY CHAIRMAN BREAKS BREAD IN SPANISH SUPERMARKETS February 15, 2012 A RED-LETTER day for Sir Bill Gammell yesterday, as the fast-growing food brand backed by the Cairn Energy chairman announced expansion into its second international market. Under a deal with French supermarket giant Carrefour, Genius Foods, the gluten-free grocery range in which Gammell is the largest single investor, will be available in the chain’s 350 [...]
South Asia fuels shops boom February 15, 2012 SHOPPERS from Asia helped keep Britain’s tills ringing last year, with their spending in the UK up by 34 per cent thanks to growing demand from south eastern countries like Singapore. Chinese travellers remained the biggest drivers of growth, with spending up 64 per cent year-on-year in January, according to Global Blue, the tax-free shopping [...]
Getting the taste for luxury marketing September 11, 2011 WE’VE all heard people say that good restaurants and products don’t need to advertise, but how exactly do you launch a luxury brand without doing so? We ask Penfolds, a high-end wine producer, how it markets its brand. 1. SCARCITY “There has to be an element of scarcity to any high-end product,” says Mathew Bird, [...]
Serenity and decadence at Dubai’s hottest new hotel June 12, 2011 DUBAI seems an unlikely place for a relaxing holiday at first. Even 2,700 feet up, at the top of the Burj Khalifa tower, the whirr of cranes and speeding Jeeps in every direction makes the sea view throb with activity. My guide points past the hollow half-built skyscrapers jutting across the city skyline to the [...]
City’s hidden Japanese gem February 7, 2011 Soseki 20 Bury Street, EC3A 5AX www.soseki.co.uk Tel:020 7621 9211 FOOD SERVICE ATMOSPHERE Cost per person without wine: £40-£100 ZUMA, Roka, Aqua Kyoto, Sumosan, Umu. Expensive, famous, globally branded restaurants dominate London’s Japanese food scene. I say “scene” – think rich Russians, Sloanes in celebratory mood, wealthy Asian tourists. The interiors are minimalist and violet-lit, [...]
Swedish, swift and very swish January 4, 2011 THIS is the first Saab to be launched since GM handed the brand over to Dutch supercar maker Spyker, and one that gives a flavour of what Saab might look like in the future. It’s been a long, long 13-year wait since the previous 9-5. Thankfully this one is a lot more attractive and slick [...]
Four great experiences for the true aficionado December 8, 2010 l You can’t beat a day of pampering for unwinding after the Christmas rush. Any chap looking to really indulge a lady should look to the spa at the plush Sofitel St James’s Hotel, whose ultimate package includes a crystal necklace from renowned French glassware company Baccarat. For pampering, you get the Zenith Signature treatment, [...]
RUBENS AND CHARLES I WATCH LUXURY GONGS November 15, 2010 THE great and good of the British luxury brands industry gathered for one of the biggest events of the year last night, as its lobbying group, Walpole, held its annual awards. In Whitehall’s Banqueting Hall, under the glow of a delicately lit ceiling of Rubens masterpieces and near the site where King Charles I was [...]
GOING OUT August 12, 2010 August is the quietest month for clubs and so openings are thin on the ground in the West End. Last week however saw the launch of one of the biggest new venues in London (yes, Camden is in London) with a distinctly African theme. Shaka Zulu (www.ahaka-zulu.com) is Stables Market’s new destination restaurant, nightclub and [...]
Buy now to take advantage of the Olympic dream July 29, 2010 NEW data released by Lloyds TSB and the Land Registry this week revealed that since London won its bid to host the 2012 Olympic games, property prices in east London have climbed an average of 26 per cent. This compares to a 22 per cent rise across London with houses in the top-performing district, Homerton, [...]