Insurance Age - Brokers still hot under the collar a year into regulation

Insurance Age - Brokers still hot under the collar a year into regulation: "Brokers are also still unconvinced over imarket and highly critical of insurers' claims services."

The survey also highlighted concerns over the future take up of industry-sponsored initiative imarket, which appears to still be struggling to gain widespread market acceptance.

Many brokers continue to take a wait and see approach to the industry portal, although there were some positive signs with the number of brokers responding to the survey using imarket having increased to 45% from 38% at the same time last year.

TheMoodieReport.com

TheMoodieReport.com: "Ferrovial offer for BAA declared unconditional; consortium directors appointed to board � 26/06/06
Source: �The Moodie Report
By Dermot Davitt
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UK. Airport Development and Investment Ltd (ADI), the Ferrovial-led consortium created to acquire BAA, has announced that its Recommended Final Offer to shareholders of 6 June is now unconditional. This paves the way for its full takeover of the UK airports group.

The BAA board accepted an ADI offer valuing the company at �10.3 billion on 6 June.

ADI said on Monday that all of the conditions for its takeover of BAA had been satisfied or waived. By 13.00 UK time on Monday, ADI had received valid acceptances in respect of a total of 601,999,026 BAA shares, representing approximately 55.58% of the issued share capital of BAA.

Allied to ADI�s share purchases of recent weeks, it means the consortium now controls about 83.37% of BAA shares. The Recommended Final Offer remains open to other BAA shareholders who have not yet given their acceptance until further notice.

Convertible bondholders have also given their overwhelming approval to the deal.

At Monday's BAA board meeting, members of the consortium had 10 of their own representatives appointed to the BAA board as non-executive directors, with five current directors resigning.

The new directors are Ferrovial CEO Joaqu�n Ayuso Garc�a, Ferrovial CFO Nicol�s Vill�n Jimenes, Jos� Mar�a P�rez Tremps, Juan Bejar Ochoa, Luis S�nchez Salmer�n, Lucas Osorio Iturmendi, Ghislain Gauthier, Macky Tall, Robert Cot� and Eng Seng Ang.

The resigning directors are Tony Ball, Mark Clare, Chris Fay, Alice Perkins and David Roberts.

Following the n"

Gatwick makes corporate responsibility progress

Gatwick makes corporate responsibility progress: "Gatwick Airport has released its corporate responsibility report for 2006, which indicates that improvements have been made in many areas.
The report, which is available online at the BAA Gatwick website, reviews progress made in areas such as security, health and safety and surface transport.
The latter was highlighted as being a particular area of success for the airport, with the number of passengers using public transport increasing to 32 per cent. Gatwick puts this progress down to 'safe, reliable and affordable travel options for passengers'.
The airport wants to increase the proportion of passengers using public transport to 40 per cent by 2012 and is campaigning to keep the Gatwick Express as a non-stop link to the centre of London to help meet this target.
And Gatwick has made strides to become greener in other ways too. The airport has improved in terms of energy efficiency and recycling by introducing energy metering and a sustainable waste strategy.
Gatwick's managing director, Paul Griffiths, commented: 'I believe that we have developed a robust approach to achieving good corporate citizenship and our challenge for the future is to make further step changes in managing the impacts of that growth.'"

Associated Press Business News: BAA's Ownership of Airports Under Review - MSN Money

Associated Press Business News: BAA's Ownership of Airports Under Review - MSN Money: "BAA's Ownership of Airports Under ReviewadvertisementRelated information E-mail this article Print-friendly version

All Associated Press NewsLONDON (AP) - Britain's competition regulator said Friday it will study airport owner BAA PLC's domination of airport ownership.
BAA, which recently agreed to a takeover by Spain's Grupo Ferrovial SA, owns London's Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports and key airports in Scotland.
Recent investing newsAgilent Technologies Appoints New Distributors for Test and Measurement Products in Europe; New Distributors Expected to Strengthen Agilent's Sales Channel for Its Ever-Expanding Basic Instruments ProFed to consider inflation, economic growth in future rate determinationsApple: Stock Options Possibly MishandledOil rises near $74 on positive US economic outlookChina Cracks Down on Blogs, Search Engines
The Office of Fair Trading, which had said in May that it was considering a review, said it would examine whether 'the current market structure works well for consumers.'
The agency said that nearly two-thirds of British air passengers begin or end their journey at a BAA airport.
'Within the London area this rises to nine out of 10 passengers, and in Scotland over eight out of 10 air passengers fly from a BAA airport,' the agency said.
BAA also operates airports at Southampton England; and in the Scottish cities of Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
A consortium led by Ferrovial, the Spanish construction company, won a fight for control of BAA with a 10 billion pound ($18.4 billion) bid.
� 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. "

Ferrovial: Building a New Future

Ferrovial: Building a New Future: "

Ferrovial: Building a New Future
Like others in the construction industry, the Spanish giant is diversifying into facilities management. That's why it spent $19 billion for BAA

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Ferrovial's name was in the headlines for months as it battled investment banking giant Goldman Sachs (GS) to acquire the British Airport Authority (BAA), operator of airports in seven cities in England and Scotland, including London's huge Heathrow. In the end, the Spanish construction giant carried the day over its richer rival with a $19.12 billion bid. But why was it so eager to dish out the big bucks for a string of airports?

The answer lies in the rapidly changing nature of the construction industry. Started in 1952, Ferrovial grew from building and maintaining tracks for Spain's state-owned railroad (hence its name) into the country's leading construction firm. Its greatest claim to fame: The Madrid-based company built the gorgeous and fiendishly complex Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao designed by Frank Gehry.

But construction is a highly cyclical and often low-margin business. So starting in the 1990s, Ferrovial, like many competitors, began diversifying into facilities management. It established a subsidiary called Cintra that runs toll roads and parking garages, many in Spain, and began shopping aggressively for similar opportunities around the world.

USING EXPERTISE. The diversification effort has been remarkably successful. Ferrovial now has 79,000 employees in 40 countries and booked revenues last year of $11.3 billion. It runs the Sydney Airport, the Chicago Skyway, parts of the London Underground, and Canada's 407 ETR toll road. All "

Harrods to add to luxury feel at Terminal 5

Harrods to add to luxury feel at Terminal 5: "Harrods to add to luxury feel at Terminal 5
Harrods could open a store at Heathrow's Terminal 5, which is currently under construction at the west London airport.
According to press reports, the luxury retailer is ahead of Selfridges and Harvey Nichols as the frontrunner to take a 12,000 sq ft site that will act as the centrepiece store at the new terminal.
Colin Hargrave, the managing director of airport operator BAA, told Drapers Record: 'Harrods is an important business partner of ours and we have Harrods stores in a number of our terminals already.'
However, the existing Harrods stores sell mostly souvenirs and the new site will be larger and fashion-centred.
The original Harrods department store in Knightsbridge is perhaps the most famous shop in the world, renowned for its high-class goods.
The new Terminal 5 shop will add to the similarly upmarket feel of the new Heathrow development.
The terminal is also due to feature a restaurant run by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, who is one of only three chefs in the UK to maintain three Michelin stars for his restaurants (see Ramsay restaurant on menu at Heathrow)."

Downloadable travel guides introduced by Tripadvisor-20--M.

Downloadable travel guides introduced by Tripadvisor-20--M.: "Downloadable travel guides introduced by Tripadvisor
TripAdvisor has introduced downloadable travel guides for the top 25 summer destinations worldwide, according to the views of its users.

It has compiled travel advice and insider tips from its 20 million monthly visitors to offer personal insights for different types of traveller.

Guides also feature recommendations on what to pack, how to get around, and where to find the best views.

All 25 summer travel guides are downloadable in PDF file format and can be found at www.tripadvisor.co.uk/triptips.

TripAdvisor now features more than five million reviews and opinions on its site, up from two million one year ago.

'TripAdvisor is taking our fresh and unique online travel advice and information and delivering it to our travellers in a brand new way,' said Christine Petersen, senior vice president of marketing.

'People don't always have the opportunity to bring their laptops on their summer vacations but the downloadable summer guides will allow travellers to take TripAdvisor on the road with them.'

The top 25 summer destinations, according to TripAdvisor users worldwide, (although Americans make up a large proportion), are:

Las Vegas, Vancouver, London, Sydney, Orlando, Hong Kong, Paris, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dublin, Chicago, Miami, New York City, Playa del Carmen, Rome, Amalfi Coast, Washington D.C., Maui, Boston, Cabo San Lucus, Dominican Republic, Charleston, San Diego, Phuket and Cape Cod & Islands. "

Telegraph | Money | Ferrovial faces first challenge at the controls as BAA inquiry approaches

Telegraph | Money | Ferrovial faces first challenge at the controls as BAA inquiry approaches: "Ferrovial faces first challenge at the controls as BAA inquiry approaches
By Roland Gribben (Filed: 27/06/2006)

An announcement is expected shortly from the Office of Fair Trading about an investigation into the operation of Heathrow, Gatwick and other airports run by BAA.

The inquiry will pose the first challenge to the new owners Ferrovial, of Spain, which last night declared its �10.1bn offer unconditional after receiving acceptances representing 83.37pc of the equity.
The OFT served warning during the bid battle that it was considering examining the airports market to see if the current BAA-dominated structure works for consumers.
John Fingleton, chief executive, is expected to take charge of any inquiry after ruling himself out of the investigation into alleged price fixing by BA because of his friendship with fellow Irishman Willie Walsh, BA's chief executive.
A BAA break-up involving the loss of one of its key London airports is one of the options expected to figure in the review, but the OFT wants an equally close look at its Scottish operations in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. BAA airports handle more than 63pc of UK passenger traffic but in the London area the proportion tops 90pc and in Scotland is running at 86pc.
The OFT wants to see whether a restructuring of BAA's airport operations will increase competition, while a break-up will also provide a test to assess the market value of Heathrow - the world's busiest international airport - and whether Ferrovial and its partners paid too much or got a bargain.
Mr Fingleton effectively committed the OFT to an inquiry when he said this month that 'competition"

Bloomberg.com: Germany

Bloomberg.com: Germany: "Grupo Ferrovial SA (FER SM): Spain's second-biggest construction company said it owns 83 percent of BAA Plc (BAA LN) following its 10.1 billion-pound ($18.4 billion) bid for the owner of London's Heathrow airport. Ferrovial shares rose 70 cents, or 1.2 percent, to 58.20 euros and BAA added 2.5 pence, or 0.3 percent, to 930.5 pence. "

Spain Finance & Business - Tues June 27 2006 - Typically Spanish Spain News

Spain Finance & Business - Tues June 27 2006 - Typically Spanish Spain News: "Ferrovial now has control of 84% of the capital of the British Airports Authority BAA, making it the largest airport management company in the world. The second largest Spanish construction and services group is now confirmed the owner of many of the U.K�s airports including Heathrow. Already it has named ten new non-executive directors for the board."

Advertising, Marketing, Media and PR News - Brand Republic

Advertising, Marketing, Media and PR News - Brand Republic: "Aricot Vert refreshes airport with Juicy Lu...
by Alex Donohue Brand Republic 28 Jun 2006 08:00
LONDON - Aricot Vert has created the brand identity for Juicy Lucy's, Alpha Retail's organically themed new coffee and juice bar at Manchester Airport.
The company was asked to develop the design concept, which includes the in-store environment, within an eight-week time span. Alpha Retail described the results as a 'refreshing alternative for travellers' in a highly competitive sector. Aricot Vert worked closely with Alpha Retail to produce what it says is a compelling brand identity, which has been created to reflect the company's core values of fresh and organic Fair Trade produce. Keren House, creative director at Aricot Vert, explained that the agency had worked with Alpha Retail to develop what it has described as a healthy, fresh and affordable alternative to the usual fare of fast food and lager offered in many airport departure lounges."

Post Magazine - UKI lays off 100 staff

Post Magazine - UKI lays off 100 staff: "UKI lays off 100 staff
Royal Bank of Scotland Insurance�s subsidiary UKI Partnerships has made around 100 staff redundant, following a review of the company�s operations.
A UKI spokesman confirmed that the total amount of people affected amounted to less than 100, with the majority offered voluntary redundancy. Less than ten people were made compulsory redundant.
UKI currently employs around 4,000 staff. "

BBC NEWS | Business | New BAA owner freshens up board

BBC NEWS | Business | New BAA owner freshens up board: "New BAA owner freshens up board

BAA's new owner is already making its mark on the company
The new owner of airports group BAA has appointed 10 new directors to the company's board.
BAA, operator of Heathrow and Gatwick airports, was bought by a group headed by Spain's Ferrovial for �10bn earlier this month after a fierce bid battle.
The deal now has the support of investors owning 83% of BAA's shares.
BAA's existing five non-executive directors have resigned, to be replaced by 10 others including Ferrovial chief executive Joaquin Ayuso Garcia.
Those leaving the board include Tony Ball, former chief executive of BSkyB and Mark Clare, deputy chief executive of Centrica.
Ferrovial already has a significant presence in Great Britain, owning Belfast City airport and half of Bristol airport.
Its partners in the BAA consortium include Singapore and Canadian-based investment firms. "

Holiday Extras aims to boost agents� web use-20--M.

Holiday Extras aims to boost agents� web use-20--M.: "Holiday Extras aims to boost agents� web use


Holiday Extras is seeking to encourage agents to use its website as an online tool for selling holiday add-ons.




The company has released a 2006-07 agent guide including 11 new hotels and 22 more car parks at 27 UK airports.




The programme features more than 120 airport hotels, 60 on and off airport car parks, 24 UK airport lounges, airport chauffeur drive, airport car hire, car parking at two UK ports, foreign exchange, travel insurance, London short breaks, London attractions and theatre and theme Park breaks.




New web codes are listed within the pages of the guide to directly link agents to Holiday Extras' products. Product information grids from www.holidayextras.co.uk are now featured in the guide to show how to use the site within a few easy steps. Once online, agents can use the website to increase their product knowledge as well as making bookings, amendments and cancellations.




In addition to a 'best price guarantee' on agent bookings, the company has added an auto-email facility where the agent receives standard commission on emails sent by Holiday Extras to consumers.




Head of marketing and web content delivery Chris Gale said: 'This year's guide has differed greatly from previous years. We are now really striving towards agents using www.holidayextras.co.uk not only as a booking facility but a resource tool as well. By using the website, agents will strengthen customer relations by saving consumers time and money during the booking process.' "

TravelMole 2006 Web Awards winners announced-20--M.

TravelMole 2006 Web Awards winners announced-20--M.: "
TravelMole 2006 Web Awards winners announced


Lastminute.com, Easyjet and Royal Caribbean International were among the winners of this year's Travelmole Web Awards.

The awards were presented at a ceremony at the Slovak Republic Embassy in London attended by winners, nominated companies and category sponsors.

Now in its third year, the TravelMole Web Awards received a record number of nominations, with over 1000 individual websites nominated across 12 categories.

The response was so high, this year the judges decided to select four shortlisted companies for each category instead of three.

Websites were judged by a team of internet specialists according to ease of navigation, clarity of purpose, functionality and effective and aesthetically- pleasing design.

The winners were:

* Easyjet � http://www.easyjet.co.uk/ - Best Airline Website

* Travel Republic � http://www.travelrepublic.co.uk/ - Best Travel Agency Website

* LastMinute � http://www.lastminute.com/ - Best Web-based Agency Website

* To Escape To � http://www.toescapeto.com/ - Best Tour Operator Website

* Business Travel Direct � http://www.businesstraveldirect.co.uk/ - Best Travel Management Website�

* Royal Caribbean International � http://www.rccl.com/ � Best Cruise or Ferry Website

* Dohop �www.dohop.com - Technology Website

* Explore � http://www.explore.co.uk/ - Best Responsible Tourism Website

* Budget � http://www.budget.co.uk/ - Best Car Rental Website

* C&M � http://www.candm.co.uk/ - Best Recruitment Website

* Myhotels � http://www.myhotels.com/ - Best Hotels Web"

TheMoodieReport.com

TheMoodieReport.com: "SWITZERLAND. Unique (Flughafen Z�rich/Z�rich Airport) has decorated a jet operated by Swiss International Air Lines with a uniquely Swiss image of mountain farmers returning from a shopping trip to the Alps.

The Jumbolino features the wording �Z�rich Airport � Shopping Paradise� and is intended to represent the attractiveness of Z�rich Airport as a shopping paradise.

The jet has been serving the European air routes of Swiss International Air Lines since the end of May, mainly from Z�rich Airport. The promotion came about after Swiss offered to design an aeroplane for Unique under a partnership agreement.

At the same time the painting includes a reference to Switzerland, to promote the country with perfect countryside. It was painted in co-operation with Z�rich advertising agency Gothuey & Partner and the illustrator Christian Kitzm�ller.

Explaining the shopping promotion, Unique Head of Marketing & Real Estate Peter Eriksson said: 'The idea and implementation is persuasive, as it combines modernity and tradition with a friendly wink and imparts the message in an original and entertaining way. At first glance passengers see the traditional, internationally-known motif of Appenzell's scenario of driving the cattle up the mountain � and a second look reveals Alpine dairy farmers, children and animals, all carrying full shopping bags.'

The Avro RJ 100 plane has been sprayed with the registration HB-IYS and the name �Churfirsten� by the internationally known airbrush artist Paul Karslake and his team.

The promotion underlines the unique position of Z�rich Airport in Europe as an attractive shopping airport, added Eriksson. Thanks to the absence of VAT in the non-EU destination, savings of up to -20%"

Post Magazine - Aon to go electronic for specialist business

Post Magazine - Aon to go electronic for specialist business: "Aon to go electronic for specialist business
Aon UK has announced that it will move to a full electronic trading capability during 2006 for its specialist insurance and reinsurance businesses.
Aon will begin to transition its portfolio of specialist insurance and reinsurance business from physical to electronic distribution in July this year. This means that in the near future all contracts and endorsements distributed by Aon in London can be signed on-line, not on paper.
The company claims that the implications for insurers and reinsurers are far reaching. They will now be able to receive electronic notification of the incoming offers, agreed quotes and signed lines directly into their underwriting systems. This will provide greater transparency and certainty around the contract, remove much of the re-keying associated with the current process and also significantly reduce the possible degradation of information provided to underwriters.
Aon has developed its own technologies for preparing the electronic submission and will distribute risks from its Concert / Aon Broking Connections (ABC) platform using internationally compliant ACORD messaging.
�We have made significant progress developing agreed standards with the G6 group of underwriters and are now in a position to optimise the use of these standards. Our infrastructure gives insurers and reinsurers connectivity options suited to their own strategy,� explained Ian Summers, director of change strategy at Aon. �Aon's technology can talk either direct to insurers or reinsurers or via a service provider of their choice, all to the benefit of our clients.�
Aon is working with a number of hub providers and, in the case of the Ri3k electronic market place, has simplified the interface and agreed a substantially reduce"

Guardian Unlimited Business | | BA faces investigation

Guardian Unlimited Business | | BA faces investigation: "BA faces investigation

Mark Tran
Thursday June 22, 2006


British Airway today said it was under investigation by the UK's Office of Fair Trading and the US department of justice for alleged cartel activity.
In a terse statement, the self-described world's favourite airline said the allegations related to 'pricing of passenger air transportation, including fuel surcharges'.
BA's commercial director, Martin George, and its head of communications, Iain Burns, have been given leave of absence during the investigation into BA and other airlines."

Growing online industry will still have to try harder

Growing online industry will still have to try harder: "Growing online industry will still have to try harder


Online sales continue to go up but the industry will have to compete even harder in the future to capture individual travelers, says Jeffrey Grau, eMarketer senior analyst.

'With most US travelers are already using the internet, online travel distributors will compete more aggressively for their business,' said Mr Grau.

US leisure/unmanaged business travel sales will total $78 billion this year, up over 20% from the prior year, according to Mr Grau's study called 'Online Travel in the US: Pursuing Customer Loyalty.'

Online travelers are an 'affluent and highly educated segment' of users who visit multiple sites to learn about destinations, find the best rates and book reservations,' he said.

These travelers are technology savvy and less price sensitive than general leisure travelers, he added.

'Online travelers will increasingly rely on social technologies such as RSS, blogs, customer reviews and wikis to plan trips,' he said.

The strong economy and more enthusiastic attitudes about flying have fueled a recent surge in spending, but a softening economy and high energy costs could depress travel spending in the near future, according to Mr Grau. "

NMA.co.uk [100% Interactive Marketing, Media, Mobile and Advertising]

NMA.co.uk [100% Interactive Marketing, Media, Mobile and Advertising]

Airport operator BAA has appointed digital communications company Blue Barracuda to produce a series of corporate podcasts. The monthly podcasts will feature news stories from BAA, such as traffic statistics, investor relations, financial and investor information. The news comes as Spanish building company Ferrovial is finalising its £10m takeover of BAA.

baa.com/podcast

Travelmole Web Awards shortlist announced-20--M.

Travelmole Web Awards shortlist announced-20--M.: "Travelmole Web Awards shortlist announced
The shortlist has been unveiled for the 2006 TravelMole Web Awards being presented on Thursday (June 22) in London.

From over 400 nominations, four websites have been chosen for each of the 12 categories by a team of tourism MBA students at an international school in Paris headed by Liz Craig of Oneglobe Network.

The four shortlisted companies for each category are as follows:

Airlines � Easyjet, British Airways, KLM and Vueling

Travel Agency � Just Click Cruise, Lastminute, Luxury Explorer, STA Travel

Tour Operator � Thomson, Bridge and Wickers, To Escape To, Scott Dunn

Travel Management � Business Travel Direct, Cranley, Azumano Travel, TD Travel Group

Cruise and Ferry � MSC Cruises, Navigator of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International, Sea France

Technology � Dohop, MapMyHotel, Momondo, Tourist Tracks

Responsible Tourism � Explore, Responsible Travel, Worldhotel-link, Nature Southwest

Car Rental � Budget, Holiday Autos, Sixt, US Rentacar

Recruitment � C&M, AA Appointments, Monster, Reed

Hotels � AmResorts, Lions Dive and Beach Resort, MGM Grand, Myhotels

Tourist Board � Discover Ireland, Nature Southwest, TravelNT (Australia's Northern Territory), Visitbritain

These will now be judged by a panel of experts before Thursday's awards ceremony at the Slovak Republic Embassy.

On the judging panel are Debbie Hindle, managing director of London-based travel PR company BGB, Dr Hilary Murphy, Ecole Hoteliere, Lausanne, Switzerland, Joseph E. Buhler, executive vice-president Level 9, Connecticut, Sofia Reino, PhD student, Quee"

Agencies invited to pitch for Direct Line's DM account - DMBulletin - Direct Marketing news by Email - Brand Republic

Agencies invited to pitch for Direct Line's DM account - DMBulletin - Direct Marketing news by Email - Brand Republic: "Agencies invited to pitch for Direct Line's DM account
by Joanne Oatts Brand Republic 31 May 2006

Direct Line: account up for grabsLONDON - Insurance business Direct Line is to put its multimillion-pound direct marketing business out to pitch.
The DM account is currently spread across a number of agencies on the Royal Bank of Scotland roster including Media Square's Finex.
Evelyn Faber, Finex business development director, said: 'It's all in limbo and we are sorting things out at the moment.'
Finex has been invited to defend the account, but a spokesman for Direct Line would not confirm which other RBS roster agencies were also on the pitch list, which is being coordinated by intermediary Creative Brief.
Direct Line, the first UK telephone-based insurance company, was launched in 1985 and is now the country's largest private motor insurer.
In March this year, the company shifted its creative business out of Clemmow Hornby Inge and into M&C Saatchi after less than a year with the agency."

TheMoodieReport.com

TheMoodieReport.com: "BAA Retail/World Duty Free has turned to British celebrities in a new summer campaign to promote airport shopping.

Three films have gone live today on www.baa.com/shopping featuring British celebrities.

'The films are designed to be an engaging visual experience around airport shopping, encouraging customers to become (a) inspired (b) intrigued and (c) more likely to spend money airside pre-travel,' said BAA Marketing Communications Manager Mark Aldridge.

Among the celebrities taking part in the films are Colin Mcallister and Justin Ryan, who are the faces of UK television's Channel Five and star in popular TV programme How Not To Decorate. The duo were selected for their style, enthusiasm and bantering approach, according to BAA.

Other celebrities endorsing airport shopping include supermodel Jodie Kidd and TV presenter Gabby Logan.

Aldridge said the BAA and World Duty Free brands would be promoted in various ways. Each film will carry the BAA logo on the opening and closing frame and throughout the content both brands will be prominent.

In addition supporting advertorials, webchats, radio interviews and online media are designed to drive people to www.baa.com to explore all services, directing them to the shopping pages to download each film. The discount vouchers available on the site will help promote the World Duty Free brand, according to Aldridge.

'We are supporting the launch date with radio and webchat broadcasts. Colin and Justin will be syndicated to over 120 radio stations and ten key websites for webchats and interviews,' said Aldridge. 'The webchats and online interviews can remain on a website for up to a month with pre-promotion commencing up to a week before.' "

Construction Business News from Contract Journal UK: Ferrovial commits to BAA spending plans - 14/06/2006

Construction Business News from Contract Journal UK: Ferrovial commits to BAA spending plans - 14/06/2006: "Ferrovial commits to BAA spending plans
(14 June 2006 09:00)

Ferrovial has given its assurance that it will be committed to BAA�s 10-year, �9.5bn capital expenditure programme if its takeover of the airports operator is successful at the end of this month.
A spokeswoman for the company, which launched a �10.3bn takeover bid as part of a consortium last week, told CJ that despite reports of disruption to BAA�s frameworks and cutbacks of its �2.7bn spending plans for the expansion of Stansted Airport, Ferrovial would maintain the status quo.
The group�s acquisition vehicle, Airport Development and Investment, posted its official bid document to BAA at the end of last week.
�We will be committed to meeting all the obligations of the [aviation] White Paper and we will not be making any cutbacks to the programme,� she said. �We have to ensure that there are no capacity constraints, which means that investments will be made.�
However, the future is not so certain on BAA�s proposed �1.5bn Heathrow East project, which falls outside the White Paper�s remit; BAA has already revealed its list of suppliers to submit proposals for the early stage design and development work on the project.
Although the spokeswoman said it is still very �early stages� to talk about running BAA�s existing frameworks, she said Ferrovial is a very �effective operator� and would seek to take the �best option� for the delivery of airport infrastructure.
One source told CJ that the future of BAA�s framework contractors is �much more positive� than it would have been if the rival bidder, Goldman Sachs, had sealed the deal; Goldman Sachs"

Opodo jumps on dynamic bandwagon-20--M.

Opodo jumps on dynamic bandwagon-20--M.: "Opodo jumps on dynamic bandwagon

Opodo has introduced dynamic packaging for consumers across its UK, French, German and Italian websites.

The service includes a 'shopping basket' facility which allows customers to compare selected travel items before 'checking out' in a single transaction.

Opodo, majority owned by Amadeus, claims that by combining a flight with a hotel, car hire and travel insurance, customers are 'guaranteed' a price saving than if they booked the same products individually on the site.

The new service also allows customers to compare the price of their own dynamic package with a pre-packaged deal to the same destination.

Barcelona emerged from research as the most popular destination being booked by people looking to build their own package, followed by New York, Rome, London and Paris. In total Opodo customers can choose from more than 50 destinations

Opodo CEO Simon Vincent said: 'Europe is still very much a package holiday market with consumers buying traditional packaged holidays as well as dynamical packaged breaks via the internet.

'Indeed recent research shows that in 2005 sales of traditional package holidays sold online in Europe reached �3.2 billion, compared to �1.3 billion sales of dynamic packages.

'Different markets in Europe are at different stages of evolution when it comes to their dynamic packaging offerings, hence why Opodo has built a service which allows customers to either build their own package or choose a pre-combined trip, all in one booking flow.' "

'Airport more important than airline' - poll of business travellers-20--M.

'Airport more important than airline' - poll of business travellers-20--M.: "

14 June, 2006

'Airport more important than airline' - poll of business travellers

The choice of airport is more important than choice of airline, according to a poll of business travellers.

The survey of 500 regular travellers by SAS found that 75% of respondents make business travel arrangements based on a particular airport preference and not on airlines.

Additionally, 65% of business travellers revealed that speed and efficiency of airport check-in procedures was crucial to their travel.

When travelling to the airport the majority still use private taxi (43%), with 35% using public transport, and 22% by private car.

Most prefer to maximize time at home when having to travel on business with 79% travelling from home to their departure airport, rather than going direct from the office.

The Scandinavian airline's UK & Ireland general manager Lars Ove-Filipson said: 'These results demonstrate that time is crucial to today's business traveller. Airlines and airports which help travellers to maximise their time will win loyal customers.' "

Post Magazine - RBSI boasts of increased income despite competition

Post Magazine - RBSI boasts of increased income despite competition: "RBSI boasts of increased income despite competition
Royal Bank of Scotland this morning hailed the performance of its insurance division in the first quarter of 2006.
In a statement then bank said: 'The Group has continued to achieve good growth in income, with strong performances in corporate markets, particularly global banking & markets, and Ulster Bank.
'Retail Markets� income growth reflects the continuing transition in UK customer behaviour away from unsecured lending towards savings and investment products, with wealth management performing particularly well. RBS Insurance has continued to increase its income in competitive conditions. Citizens has achieved good growth in its business activities but the increase in its income in US dollars has been constrained by the continuing impact of the flatter yield curve. Group non-interest income is in line to account for over 60% of total income.'
Sir Fred Goodwin, group chief executive, added: �Organic growth has been a key element of the group�s strategy and a prominent theme in our results over recent years. 2006 is progressing well, and we are confident that our interim results will clearly demonstrate the inherent strength of our business model, the benefits of our diversified business activities, and the range of options available to us for future organic growth.� "

Travel�s move online �at expense of customer service�-20--M.

Travel�s move online �at expense of customer service�-20--M.: "Travel�s move online �at expense of customer service�

Travel companies have been accused of offering the worst online customer service in Britain.

In a poll of 100 leading organisations, the travel sector came out joint worst at delivering answers to straightforward questions such as about flight destinations, refunds and visa information.

Holiday and airline websites could only on average answer one question out of 10, with 40% unable to answer a single question online.

It also took an average of 66 hours to get a response to an email inquiry for information. One site took 149 hours to respond to an email. The research found that travel companies are taking 24 hours longer to reply to customer emails than they did last year.

The survey by software company Transversal found that holidaymakers are being 'condemned to delays and frustration through a total failure to gte their most basic queries answered by travel websites.' "

Macquarie snares stake | The Courier-Mail

Macquarie snares stake | The Courier-Mail: "Macquarie snares stake
Selwyn Parker
June 12, 2006IT was buried deep down in the fine print of Spanish Ferrovial group's successful takeover documents last week for BAA, the British airport operator.
Just two paragraphs on page 11, section 8, outline the arrangement Macquarie Bank has with Ferrovial that attracted the attention of Australia's regulators and which could have stalled the Madrid-based group's �10.3 billion ($A25.4 billion) bid.
They show the Madrid-based company could sell its highly profitable, 20.9 per cent interest in Sydney international airport to Macquarie under a set of put and call options. At a valuation done in November, the stake is worth about �412 million.
The conditions attached to the documents show that the options can be exercised only if the Ferrovial group picks up more than 50 per cent of the voting rights of BAA's share capital, which it is now certain to do.
Reading between the lines, it also shows Macquarie Bank has bounced back from the debacle of its bid for the London Stock Exchange and is once again doing what it does best. Namely, toll roads, airports and other long-term, lucrative infrastructure. "

Temasek hopes to buy BAA airports | Business | Breaking News 24/7 - NEWS.com.au (12-06-2006)

Temasek hopes to buy BAA airports | Business | Breaking News 24/7 - NEWS.com.au (12-06-2006): "Temasek hopes to buy BAA airports
From: By Mark Kleinman and Dominic O'Connell
June 12, 2006
AN investment group backed by the Singapore Government is drawing up plans to acquire airports it hopes will be offloaded by the new owner of BAA, the British group that last week succumbed to a �10 billion ($25 billion) takeover.
Sources said Temasek, which owned Singapore's Changi Airport, had at one stage considered mounting its own bid for BAA. But they said it was now working with investment bank JP Morgan on acquisitions that could arise from BAA's takeover by a consortium led by Spanish infrastructure company Ferrovial and including GIC, another Singaporean investment fund.
But they cautioned that a change of Singaporean transport minister earlier this month could interfere with Temasek's plans.
Ferrovial, led by Rafael Del Pino, has already indicated it may eventually break up the portfolio of BAA airports, which includes Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted in London and Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The Spanish group has given strong hints that it will sell BAA's airport assets outside the UK, the largest of which is Budapest Airport.
Temasek has been eager to get involved in big infrastructure deals for some time. It made an unsuccessful attempt to gatecrash Dubai Ports World's takeover of P&O.
Advertisement:
On Friday, Mr Del Pino flew to London to meet BAA's management. He said he was eager to retain the company's top brass. 'I think they have done a very good job of defending their company, and that shows their calibre,' he said.
Sources said while they expected chief executive Mike Clasper to stay for a transitional period, he was likely to disappoint Mr Del Pino and move "

Herald Sun: Macquarie Bank play [12jun06]

Herald Sun: Macquarie Bank play [12jun06]: "Macquarie also advised Spain's Ferrovial on its successful $25 billion bid for British airports operator BAA, which owns a portfolio of airports including England's Heathrow and Gatwick.
As part of the deal, Macquarie Airports has options to take BAA's 21 per cent stake in Sydney Airport and Ferrovial's half share of Bristol Airport in the UK. "

TheMoodieReport.com

TheMoodieReport.com: "Email Print
UK. BAA this morning ended takeover talks with the consortium led by Goldman Sachs Infrastructure Group, paving the way for the UK airport group�s acquisition by Airport Development & Investment Ltd (ADI), led by Ferrovial.

In a brief statement this morning, BAA said: �The Board of BAA plc informs shareholders that talks between BAA and a consortium including Goldman Sachs Infrastructure Group have ceased.�

The move followed dramatic last-gasp efforts by Goldman Sachs to keep its bid alive. Goldman Sachs itself released a statement earlier this morning confirming talks were continuing, and advised shareholders to take no action on the Ferrovial offer. BAA�s statement now looks to have ended the group�s ambitions.

The BAA board accepted an ADI offer valuing the company at �10.3 billion on Tuesday, although the Goldman Sachs-led offer was marginally higher, at 955.25 pence per share (including a final dividend of 15.25 pence).

Having secured a deal with Ferrovial, BAA would have had to pay a �break fee� of �115.5 million to switch sides and sell to Goldman Sachs. Another complication for Goldman Sachs was Ferrovial�s move on Tuesday to buy 13.9% of BAA shares, worth over �150 million. Any rival bidder would need to control 90% of the shares to buy out minority shareholders.

The offer from Ferrovial and its partners becomes unconditional on 26 June, although it can still revise the terms of its offer until 12 June.

Meanwhile, according to press reports, Australia�s anti-trust regulator will review Ferrovial�s bid, to assess whether it reduces competition between the country�s airports.

Under Australian law, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission can bl"

BBC NEWS | Business | Goldman desists from BAA takeover

BBC NEWS | Business | Goldman desists from BAA takeover: "Goldman desists from BAA takeover

Soon to be in Spanish hands?
US investment bank Goldman Sachs has announced that it will no longer proceed with a takeover bid for UK airports operator BAA.
Its comments came after BAA said it 'ceased' talks with the Goldman Sachs.
The news appears to leave Spain's Grupo Ferrovial free to complete its �10bn ($18bn) takeover of BAA, which has been backed by the UK firm's board.
The UK Takeover Panel had given Goldman Sachs until June 16 to make a rival offer for BAA or withdraw its interest.
Airports have become an attractive investment target because of the surge in air travel worldwide."

Ferrovial moves to block rivals - The Herald

Ferrovial moves to block rivals - The Herald: "Ferrovial, the Spanish infrastructure and services group, yesterday acted quickly to block any rival bids for BAA by snapping up 14% of the British airport operator's shares just hours after confirming a �10.1bn agreed takeover.
The buying spree saw Ferrovial hoover up 150 million BAA shares at 950.25p, an outlay of about �1.42bn.
The Spanish fiirm also has a break clause of �115.5m, which BAA would have to pay it if it accepted another offer.
Dealers said this would make it more difficult for rival bidders to trump Ferrovial's 935p-per-share offer. The deal also includes a final dividend of 15.25p, bringing the total value of the deal for shareholders to 950.25p, or �10.3bn.
Goldman Sachs, which is leading another consortium, urged BAA shareholders to take no action as it is reviewing its position � suggesting the battle may not yet be over.
The US investment bank had offered 955.25p, a full 5p per share more than Ferrovial, but BAA's board was thought to have been swayed by Ferrovial's bid being more advanced.
Goldman's bid would have taken two months to complete, creating a longer period of uncertainty for investors. There were also concerns that Goldman would break up the airports and sell them off.
Graham Exton, fund manager at Tilney Investment Management, said: 'It sounds like Goldman had various conditions applied to their offer. They would have to loosen both the restrictions and increase their offer to get BAA management to look at it.'
On the other hand, Ferrovial was quick to emphasise it had no plans to break up the UK estate and said it was committed to the existing capital expenditure programme of BAA.
Willie Walsh, chief executive of British Airways, which is BAA's biggest customer, indicated he was feeling optimistic about the expansion of Lon"

BBC NEWS | Business | BAA ends talks with Goldman Sachs

BBC NEWS | Business | BAA ends talks with Goldman Sachs: "BAA ends talks with Goldman Sachs

Soon to be in Spanish hands?
Airports operator BAA, which agreed a �10.3bn takeover offer from Spain's Grupo Ferrovial this week, says it has ended talks with a rival suitor.
Discussions over a rival bid from a consortium backed by Goldman Sachs had 'ceased', BAA said.
Its announcement came only 20 minutes after Goldman Sachs had insisted its discussions with BAA were on-going
The news came as BAA reported it had seen 12.8 million passengers pass through its terminals in May.
Bid battle
Ferrovial beat off competition from the consortium led by the US bank, which said it had made a higher offer.
Airports have become an attractive investment target because of the surge in air travel worldwide.
BAA said passenger figures for May were up 3.6% year-on-year, or 3.2% if the effect of a later Easter is taken into account.
Long-haul flights excluding North America rose by 11%, but there was a 10.6% fall in European charter flights.
Aberdeen and Stansted saw the largest gains in passenger numbers, while 5.7 million travellers journeyed via Heathrow, a rise of 1.4%.
Glasgow was the only airport to carry fewer passengers than the same month a year before.
Among the fastest-growing routes were those to China and India which grew 49% and 58% respectively.
Last month BAA promised a �9.5bn investment programme in its three London airports - Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted - over the next 10 years and said passenger numbers at the three airports were set to rise by 3% a year during that period. "

Guardian Unlimited Business | | Ferrovial to sell some foreign BAA assets

Guardian Unlimited Business | | Ferrovial to sell some foreign BAA assets

Ferrovial boss forecasts smooth landing after takeover of BAA - Markets - Times Online

Ferrovial boss forecasts smooth landing after takeover of BAA - Markets - Times Online: "THE chairman of Ferrovial yesterday broke his months-long silence to reassure BAA�s senior managers that their jobs would be safe if he succeeds in his �10.3 billion takeover of the world�s biggest airports operator.


Rafael del Pino y Calvo-Sotelo, who was recently ranked the 56th-most influential man in Spain, said that it was too early to discuss wider job losses, but insisted that Ferrovial had a long track record of generating cost savings through balance sheet restructuring.
Se�or del Pino also played down speculation that Ferrovial would move quickly to increase landing charges for airlines at BAA�s airports because of its increased debt burden as a result of the bid. �The debt does not make any difference to the charges,� he said. Nor would the cost of servicing the debt lead to cuts in BAA�s investment programme, which includes the new Terminal 5 at Heathrow, he added.
Se�or del Pino, who usually maintains a low profile, insisted that no decision had been taken on a potential break-up of BAA if his bid succeeds. �There might be some (airport) sales, but we need to look at the assets in detail,� he said. Ferrovial could also exercise an option to sell its existing stakes in Bristol airport and Sydney airport to Macquarie, the Australian investment bank, after the BAA deal was completed, he said.
Yesterday�s agreement with BAA is the biggest prize yet for Se�or del Pino, who once said his ambitions for Ferrovial were �as big as the planet�. It also provides vindication of the chairman�s abilities.
Balatasar Montano, a journalist with the Spanish daily El Mundo, said: �There were doubts when del Pino became chairman because he was quite young. But his management has since inspired con"

BBC NEWS | Business | BAA agrees to Ferrovial takeover

BBC NEWS | Business | BAA agrees to Ferrovial takeover: "BAA agrees to Ferrovial takeover

The takeover by Ferrovial comes after weeks of discussions
Airports operator BAA has confirmed its support for a takeover by Spanish building group Ferrovial.
BAA, which runs seven UK airports, has agreed to an offer of 950.25 pence a share offer, valuing it at �10.3bn.
Ferrovial beat off competition from a consortium led by US bank Goldman Sachs, which said it had made an offer worth a total of 955.25p a share.
Goldman Sachs urged shareholders 'to take no action' and promised a further announcement 'in due course'.
On Tuesday, the Takeover Panel extended the deadline for a bid from the Goldman Sachs consortium to 16 June.
Bid battle
BAA, which operates airports handling 63% of all air passengers entering or leaving the UK, had previously resisted being taken over, but is now recommending the Ferrovial approach to shareholders.
Ferrovial's latest offer marks a 17% price increase on its original 810 pence-per-share approach, and is 49% than the level BAA's share price was at before Ferrovial's interest became known.
BAA PASSENGER NUMBERS*
Heathrow - 67.7 million a year
Gatwick - 32 million
Stansted - 22 million
Southampton - 1.5 million
Glasgow - 8.7 million
Edinburgh - 8 million
Aberdeen - 2.7 million
Source: BAA


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Discussions regarding a takeover have been going on since February, when Ferrovial said it was considering an approach for the Heathrow Airport operator.
Two months later, the Spanish group made a hostile takeover bid for BAA, after the UK firm's board rejected its approaches.
The Ferrovial consortium's 950.25p-per-share offer includes a proposed final dividend of 15.25p"

BAA accepts takeover bid-20--M.

BAA accepts takeover bid-20--M.: "BAA accepts takeover bid

Airports operator BAA has agreed to support a takeover bid by Spanish building group Ferrovial after weeks of negotiations.

BAA, which operates seven UK airports including Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, had resisted being bought out since it was first approached by Ferrovial in February, but late last night it decided to accept an offer of 950.25 pence a share, valuing the business at �10bn.

A consortium led by US-based investment house Goldman Sachs was also bidding, but it is believed Ferrovial was preferred because of the logistic sense of it combining its assets with those of BAA.

BAA has attracted the takeover bids despite the possibility of it becoming the subject of a competition probe by the Office of Fair Trading.

Last month the OFT said it might investigate whether BAA's dominance as an airport operator was against the public interest. "

TheMoodieReport.com

TheMoodieReport.com: "The BAA Board has agreed to support a takeover by a consortium led by Spanish infrastructure group Ferrovial.

In a statement issued around 08.30 GMT the company said: 'The Board of BAA confirms that it has agreed, subject to final documentation, a revised definitive proposal from the Ferrovial Consortium valuing BAA at 950.25 pence per share. As part of this consideration, shareholders will be entitled to receive the proposed final dividend of 15.25 pence per share. The Board believes that an offer at this level represents an attractive price for BAA. The Board will make a further announcement shortly.'

The announcement followed an earlier well-sourced BBC report indicating acceptance was imminent. This followed yesterday afternoon�s dramatic news that the UK airports company had agreed to talks with its hitherto hostile bidder (operating as Airport Investment and Development Limited), plus a rival consortium, led by Goldman Sachs.

The 950.25 pence a share offer values BAA at �10 billion. Ferrovial�s last, rejected, offer had been 900 pence per share. Ferrovial had until midnight yesterday to table a final offer for BAA, which operates seven UK airports.

What of the Goldman Sachs offer?

Details are still emerging but the BBC said the group had been considering an offer at 940 pence for each BAA share and a special dividend of 15.25 pence per share.

[UPDATE: 08.20 GMT: A statement by the Goldman Sachs Infrastructure Group on the BAA website confirmed that yesterday, 5 June, it submitted a fully financed proposal of 955.25 pence per share (including the declared final dividend of 15.25 pence). It said it noted 'the press speculation' regarding BAA plc and a possible offer by Airport Development and Investment "

BBC NEWS | Business | Takeover battle for BAA steps up

BBC NEWS | Business | Takeover battle for BAA steps up: "Takeover battle for BAA steps up

BAA says offers have undervalued the firm
The battle for BBA has intensified with Commonwealth Bank of Australia joining a Goldman Sachs-led group interested in buying the UK airports operator.
The news comes as Spanish firm Ferrovial faces a deadline of midnight on Monday to make a final takeover offer for BAA.
Last week, BAA rejected Ferrovial's 900-pence-a-share bid for the firm.
Goldman Sachs, whose previous informal offer was rejected, has to confirm it will make a bid by 9 June or withdraw.
Undervalued
BAA, which owns Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports, rejected a preliminary 870-pence-a-share bid from the Goldman Sachs-led group in May.
Colonial First State Global Asset management, which is owned by Commonwealth Bank of Australia, said it had been in talks with Goldman Sachs over the past few months.
Colonial First State Global Asset management has investments in Brisbane Perth and Adelaide airports.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia said the unit would have an interest of more than 1bn Australian dollars ($752m) in the Goldman Sachs consortium if it made a successful offer.
Reports at the weekend suggested the Goldman-led group was preparing to make a �10bn bid for BAA.
If the Goldman Sachs-led consortium chooses not to make a firm bid it will be banned from doing so for a further six months under stock market rules.
BAA has said that bidders will have to pay a substantial premium above its current market value to gain control of the company because of its unique portfolio of assets.
The firm, which controls more than 90% of passenger traffic in and out of London, has said any offer should be at least 940 pence a share. "

Bloomberg.com: Europe

Bloomberg.com: Europe: "Citigroup Is Buying 1.35 Bln Pnds of BAA, Traders Say (Update1)
June 2 (Bloomberg) -- Citigroup Inc. is buying shares worth 1.35 billion pounds ($2.52 billion) in BAA Plc, the world's biggest airport owner, according to traders familiar with the transaction.
The U.S. bank is buying 150 million shares for 900 pence apiece, said the traders, who declined to be identified. Spokespeople for Citigroup and Ferrovial declined to comment.
Citigroup is advising Grupo Ferrovial SA, Spain's second- biggest builder, on its bid for BAA.
London-based BAA on May 30 rejected 900 pence a share offer from Ferrovial as too low. Ferrovial has until June 5 to increase its bid, according to U.K. takeover rules.
Rising passenger traffic and steady earnings are prompting takeover bids for BAA, which also operates airports in Italy Hungary and the U.S. BAA also in April rebuffed a bid of 870 pence a share from a team led by Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
BAA rose 26 pence, or 3 percent, to 904 at 10:42 a.m. in London. "

TheMoodieReport.com

TheMoodieReport.com: "Changi named World�s Best Airport in Skytrax survey; Dubai tops duty free and Copenhagen gains F&B award � 27/05/06
Source: �The Moodie Report
By Martin Moodie
Email Print
INTERNATIONAL. Singapore Changi Airport has been named as the World's Best Airport in the Skytrax 2006 World Airport Awards judged by passengers worldwide. It beat tough competition from arch rival Hong Kong International with Germany�s Munich Airport taking third place.

Japan�s Kansai International, Seoul Incheon and Kuala Lumpur International completed an Asia-dominated top six. The Middle East's leadership position in travel retailing was reflected in Dubai Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport being named first and second in the duty free shopping category, ahead of Changi. Copenhagen's outstanding Food & Beverage offering deservedly topped the Dining category ahead of Hong Kong International Airport.

Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted said: 'After another record-breaking level of customer response to this passenger survey, we have over recent months closely monitored the jostling for the winners accolade. This went down to the wire, with Singapore Changi securing top position in the final month of the survey. The total responses for this 2006 study grew by 1.7 million over year-earlier levels, with more than 7.2 million air travellers casting their votes in this survey, making it the world's largest and most extensive assessment of airport standards.

'Particular praise for the Singapore Changi title as World's Best Airport 2006 is underlined by the fact this is an airport celebrating its 25 year Silver Jubilee in July - and subsequently having to achieve product and service standards that match and exceed competitor airports, many of which are"

TheMoodieReport.com

TheMoodieReport.com: "Alpha completes roll-out of �revolutionary� IT system � 30/05/06
Source: The Moodie Report
By Dermot Davitt
Email Print
UK. Alpha Airports Group has just completed the roll out of what it calls �a cutting edge, end-to-end IT solution which will revolutionise the way it operates�.

The firm has spent three years and invested �7.8 million in installing IRIS (Integrated Retail Information System) across its entire UK retail business. The IRIS project will replace the firm�s current operational and business systems and provide a new and efficient supply chain system across the Alpha Retail business.

One key benefit of the new system includes the increased ability to de-range slow-moving products and target sales to passenger profiles, thereby delivering an improved product range.

The company will also benefit from improved stock availability in stores and stock holding through the supply chain, with stock �pushed� into stores from a central planning function for new product launches and promotions, and auto-replenishment via a central merchandise management function.

Crucially, said Alpha, by centralising these administrative tasks it leaves in-store teams free to focus on customer-facing activities and drive sales growth. Alpha Group Commercial Director David King said: �We have invested a significant amount of money in this project and are confident that it has the potential to completely transform the way we do business. Not only will it allow us to carry out essential processes such as stock replenishment more efficiently, the new technology will improve customer confidence and loyalty by keeping customer waiting times to a minimum during till processing.�

He added: �It will also enable Alpha sta"