Planet business

LAURA SLATTERYperuses the week in business

PLANET BUSINESS:

69

– percentage of Irish grocery suppliers who said they had their products delisted by supermarket chains in 2009, according to a survey by trade publication ShelfLife.

80

– percentage of suppliers threatened with delisting who said Dunnes Stores was the biggest aggressor in relation to this kind of threat, ShelfLife said.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

'Instead of wasting time fobbing us off on the IDA or the DAA, why don't you intervene in this personally, meet with me tomorrow and give us a commitment.'

– Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary wants to take it outside with Tánaiste Mary Coughlan.

Good week

Fashion retailers

Supergroup, owner of the youthful Superdry label and Cult outlets that are currently proliferating around Ireland, is planning its own initial public offering (IPO), it announced this week, despite the fact that the IPO environment has proved to be too inhospitable for the likes of value retailer New Look. Supergroup is entirely owned by its management, which sets it apart from those retailers backed by debt-laden private equity groups.

Meanwhile, Sweden’s H&M – another fashion retailer at the low end of the price scale – will this weekend launch a range of clothes designed by veteran French knitwear designer Sonia Rykiel. The collaboration follows last year’s alliance with footwear guru Jimmy Choo, which had Irish shoppers queuing up at HM’s flagship Dublin stores.

Kerry Foods

Kerry has succeeded where the likes of Guinness and Ryanair have failed – making it into an annual list of the world’s top 500 brands. Kerry, which has positioned itself as a global player in the food market over the past decade, secured 414th spot in the top 500, up from 482nd place in the previous edition of the BrandFinance Global 500 index, which is based on revenues as well as reputation. US retail giant Walmart retained the number-one position based on revenues and awareness, while Google climbed three places to number two in the list, edging out third-placed Coca-Cola, which extended its advantage over rival Pepsi. High climbers on the list included Apple, Santander, Tesco and H&M.

Bad week

Southwest Airlines

The US airline, notoriously the prototype for Ryanair, got into a spot of bother when it threw an obese passenger off a flight. The passenger turned out to be Hollywood director Kevin Smith, who promptly tweeted the incident to 1.6 million people. Southwest stated that his removal was for the “safety and comfort of all customers”, but an enraged Smith said he had successfully fitted into the seat and had not even required a seatbelt extension before being ejected. The airline implied Smith normally bought two tickets because of his size, but Smith said he had only recently done so out of shyness (so he could avoid having to make conversation with someone next to him). Not everyone was sympathetic, with some undoubtedly whippet-like person noting that Southwest’s “fatty ejection” policy made it more, rather than less, appealing a way to fly.

Dominos Pizza

The Susan Boyle/Britain’s Got Talent phenomenon helped it shift more than a few 12-inches in the UK, but the same boost couldn’t offset the effects of recession in the Republic. Although a downturn is often said to encourage people who would normally eat out to trade down to takeaways instead, the global pizza chain recorded a decline in sales from its existing 45 stores here during 2009, blaming the fall on widespread pessimism among consumers and the fact that they have “less money in their pockets”. Nevertheless, the company is intent on continuing its expansion in Ireland, with Dominos Pizza coming to Clonmel, Arklow and Gorey within the next six months.