CITY BEACH WINS ONLINE RETAIL INDUSTRY AWARD. 09.07.10
The inaugural Online Retail Industry Awards (ORIA) winners have been announced and City Beach website www.citybeach.com.au was awarded the Best Use of Technology Award. As reported in our last issue of ASB, City Beach partnered with software developer Brennan to help build its ecommerce platform in just 100 days. Today’s’ announcement is a nod to the three-year multi million dollar investment in City Beach’s online future. In a lavish ceremony celebrating Australian retail’s advances in cyberspace, the industry’s brightest gathered to recognise online excellence after the final day of the Online Retailer Conference in Sydney (July 1-4). A glittering black tie affair featured New Inventors host, James O’Loghlin, who had the gathered throng of almost 400 attendees in stitches with his take on innovation and the internet.
The winners of the first industry awards set the bar high for future contenders with national retailer ABC Shop taking out the top award as Online Retailer of the Year, as well as the title of Best Multichannel Retailer for 2010. Another big winner of the night was Shoes of Prey, taking out three awards after only seven months in business thanks to its innovative online shoe design site. Shoes of Prey walked away with the Best New Online Retailer, Most Innovative Online Retailer as well as Best Online Marketing Initiative thanks to their YouTube campaign and ambitious use of social media.
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RETAIL SALES BUOYED BY CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR SALES DRIVE 07.07.10
The Reserve Bank yesterday announced that the official cash rate will remain unchanged at 4.5% for the second month running, an extended rate pause sure to bring a smile to the faces of retailers across the country. The ABS reports that retail sales rose 0.2 per cent in May, down from the 0.6 per cent rise recorded in April. It's believed a clothing, footwear and department store sales push drove the modest May increase. Clothing, footwear and other personal accessory retailing (1.7%) and department stores (1%) recorded the largest increases in May. Next best were cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (0.8%), other retailing (0.3%) and food retailing (0.2%). Household goods retailing fell by 1.4 per cent.
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FIJI DECREE COULD SPELL TROUBLE IN PARADISE 05.07.10
Joel Parkinson and family have just returned from there and scored some great lefts and some great fishing. Warm water, friendly people and a short and relatively inexpensive flight make Fiji a perennial favourite for surfers and families. However, there’s new trouble in paradise for owners of resorts like Tavarua and Nomotu offering ‘exclusive’ access to some of Fiji’ best waves, following the Fiji Governments approval of "the promulgation of the Regulation of Surfing Areas Decree 2010."
According to the Fijian government's official website: "Cabinet based its decision on a submission by the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Mr. Aiyaz Sayed-Khiayum. The Attorney-General said that the Decree aims to liberalize access to any surfing area in Fiji and thereby enhance Fiji's image as a premier surf travel destination."
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BILLABONG TO ACQUIRE BAY ACTION 30.06.10
Billabong looks set to acquire Byron Bay surf retail icon Bay Action and associated businesses from brothers Mark and Gary Timperely. Although details are still to follow, Billabong Communications Manager John Mossop confirmed that Billabong staff were informed of the deal today. A long-standing local family, the Timperely’s owned the corner garage dating back to 1937. Through three generations the business passed until its transition to surf shop in the mid 1980’s. Mark and Gary are the owner- operators of Bay Action, one of the most recognisable specialist stores on the East Coast. They also own the more sedentary Big Kahuna, the street attitude store S’-cape, and the co-owned Billabong store in Johnson St. More details to follow…
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BILLABONG TO ACQUIRE CANADIAN RETAILER WEST 49 30.06.10
Billabong International Limited today announced it has entered into a definitive acquisition agreement with West 49 Inc, pursuant to which Billabong will acquire West 49 for C$1.30 (A$1.451) per share, for an enterprise value of approximately C$99.0 million (A$110.4 million) West 49, a TSX listed company (WXX:TO), is a leading Canadian specialty retailer of apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment related to the youth action sports lifestyle. The deal includes five banners including West 49, D-Tox, Off The Wall, Amnesia / Arsenic and co-owned Billabong stores. The acquisition of West 49, one of Billabong’s existing retail partners in Canada, is expected to be EPS accretive in FY2011 and is an important step in Billabong’s strategic evolution.
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BILL BAHNE JOINS FIREWIRE 29.06.10
Bill Bahne, a veteran of the surfboard building industry, has joined Firewire as the Head of quality control (QC) and a member of the R&D team. Bahne served as President of SIMA’s Board Builders Committee Member in 2008. Bahne also received criticism in some sections of the industry for his decision to move to Asia to embrace boards manufactured there after earlier advocating the plight of local shapers.
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