RETAIL FOCUS  FRONTLINE


Infinite FMS is a specialist field marketing provider delivering bespoke solutions purely for the technology sector. With over ten years experience, we understand how to support manufacturers with the execution of their below-the-line campaigns, ensuring brands are reinforced, product messages are effectively delivered and sales objectives are achieved. Our services include product training, compliance & data capture, promotion & demonstration activity, Mystery Shopping & Roadshows. To learn more about how we can support you, please contact us on 01793 686504 or visit our website at www.infinitefms.com


Do you think the VAT rise will have a negative affect on sales?


Although the majority of people think that the VAT rise will have a negative effect on sales, there’s actually a fairly divided opinion on this. The temporary reduction in VAT didn’t actually provide much in the way of savings for retailers and end-users alike, so it’s possible that a shift in the opposite direction won’t do much either. Time will tell...


 Yes 51%  No 38%  Don’t know 11%


NEWS BYTES


APPLE STORES HIT BY SLEW OF BURGLARIES


An Apple Store in Greenwich, Connecticut has been the latest to have experienced a smash and grab robbery with at least five suspects involved in the break-in, which netted equipment worth tens of thousands of dollars. The combination of large glass store fronts with prominently displayed and valuable Apple merchandise has proven to be too good an opportunity to pass up for American criminals. Other sites hit include Woodciff, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Naperville, Illinois.


JOHN LEWIS BREAKS WEEKLY SALES RECORDS


Department store John Lewis has achieved record sales of £121 million for the week ending Saturday 11 December. The figures are eight per cent higher than the retailer's previous biggest week in 2009, when it achieved £112m. Consumer electronic devices such as iPods were picked out as contributing factors to the success. David Barford, director selling operations for John Lewis, said: "We are thrilled to have exceeded our record week from last year, and by such a margin.”


AMAZON MARKETPLACE HIT KEY RETAILER COMMENTS


“Customers are frequently comparing in-store prices with internet-only retailers”


“The range of tablet products hasn’t expanded as quickly as we initially thought”


“Intel processors tend to sell better than AMD. Very few customers know the differentiators between the brands“


“Blu-ray drives built into laptops are becoming more of a requested feature”


“All in one with touch screen PCs are selling more now than ever before”


www.pcr-online.biz


“Parents are buying high spec laptops for their children as young as 10 years-old”


BY FAKE RECIEPT SCAN A new online scam has been discovered that has seen retailers selling through Amazon’s marketplace targetted with a fake receipt generator program. Users of the fake receipt generator can fill in information such as the item name, price and the date of the order and also allows selecting which Amazon domain to use. The program then generates an HTML file which copies Amazon’s genuine receipts. The user is then able to fraudulently submit the receipts and claim for good not received.


RETAIL PLANS TO RAISE


PRICES ABOVE VAT RISE A report from the accountancy group KPMG has warned that UK retailers are planning to use the VAT rise to mask even greater price rises, as they attempt to recoup margin lost from past discounting. The BRC has rubbished the report.


UK IT HARDWARE SALES


BOOM WILL NOT CONTINUE The UK IT hardware market grew by 11 per cent last year, reaching a value of €19 billion (£16.1 billion), according to figures from the European Information Technology Observatory. Sales of PCs alone rose by almost 13 per cent in 2010, to just under 16 million units. However, the EITO expects IT hardware growth to slow to 2.6 per cent this year. Consumer electronics, meanwhile, are set to grow just 0.1 per cent in 2011, which although modest, is a huge variation from the 2.7 per cent decline that Europe as a whole is forecast.


January PCR 33


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