GERMANY: Lidl has sacked the head of its German operations following allegations that the division was spying on its staff. Lidl said it had released director for Germany Frank-Michael Mros from his duties with immediate effect. Last year Lidl was fined €1.5m (£1.36m) after being found guilty of hiring private detectives to watch employees, and this week German magazine Der Spiegel reported new allegations that Lidl had compiled files of information about its staff containing notes such as "operated for a tumour, but benign", and "wants to get pregnant, impregnation not working".
CHINA: Sports giant Nike is suing two Chinese companies, Lianhua Supermarket and clothing manufacturer Shanghai Kangchen Garment Company, for copying its logo on sports clothes. In a hearing in Shanghai this week, Nike said Lianhua was illegally selling clothes with the Nike logo.
"We didn't know the Nike logo is similar to that on our products," said the lawyer defending the retailer and manufacturer. "It is true our logo bears some resemblance to Nike's, but ours also includes the word 'sports' in block letters, therefore one could not be mistaken for the other."
USA: The Wal-Mart Foundation has given $5m (£3.4m) to the American Red Cross for emergency supplies to help people who lose their houses in fires, floods and hurricanes. The donation will be used to buy blankets, cots and temporary shelters and to train more than 1,000 staff and volunteers. Alabama, whose coast is particularly vulnerable to extreme weather, is to get $76,000 (£51,900) of the money.
"Thanks to the generosity of the Wal-Mart Foundation, we will increase our capacity to serve people in the rural Alabama counties and to be there to respond after a disaster," said Leisle Mims, chapter executive director at the Alabama Gulf Coast chapter of the Red Cross.
AUSTRALIA: Spar has launched its first Australian store, in Deception Bay near Brisbane in Queensland. Along with an extensive deli and fresh food department, the store will sell food-to-go and includes the Treehouse café first pioneered by Spar Ireland, which offers customers Fairtrade coffee, fresh pastries, pies and sandwiches.
"Throughout the world, Spar is regarded as a leader in anticipating consumer trends and introducing innovations and concepts that break new ground," said Spar Australia chief executive Leigh Carson. "The opening of this store is not only an exciting development for Spar; it's an exciting development for supermarket retailing in Australia because it will introduce a contemporary retail offer not often seen in Australian supermarkets."
ROMANIA: After opening its first store in Bulgaria last week, Carrefour this week extended its presence in eastern Europe with the opening of a 80,000 sq ft store in Bucharest, its 23rd in Romania. The store employs 470 staff.
CHINA: Sports giant Nike is suing two Chinese companies, Lianhua Supermarket and clothing manufacturer Shanghai Kangchen Garment Company, for copying its logo on sports clothes. In a hearing in Shanghai this week, Nike said Lianhua was illegally selling clothes with the Nike logo.
"We didn't know the Nike logo is similar to that on our products," said the lawyer defending the retailer and manufacturer. "It is true our logo bears some resemblance to Nike's, but ours also includes the word 'sports' in block letters, therefore one could not be mistaken for the other."
USA: The Wal-Mart Foundation has given $5m (£3.4m) to the American Red Cross for emergency supplies to help people who lose their houses in fires, floods and hurricanes. The donation will be used to buy blankets, cots and temporary shelters and to train more than 1,000 staff and volunteers. Alabama, whose coast is particularly vulnerable to extreme weather, is to get $76,000 (£51,900) of the money.
"Thanks to the generosity of the Wal-Mart Foundation, we will increase our capacity to serve people in the rural Alabama counties and to be there to respond after a disaster," said Leisle Mims, chapter executive director at the Alabama Gulf Coast chapter of the Red Cross.
AUSTRALIA: Spar has launched its first Australian store, in Deception Bay near Brisbane in Queensland. Along with an extensive deli and fresh food department, the store will sell food-to-go and includes the Treehouse café first pioneered by Spar Ireland, which offers customers Fairtrade coffee, fresh pastries, pies and sandwiches.
"Throughout the world, Spar is regarded as a leader in anticipating consumer trends and introducing innovations and concepts that break new ground," said Spar Australia chief executive Leigh Carson. "The opening of this store is not only an exciting development for Spar; it's an exciting development for supermarket retailing in Australia because it will introduce a contemporary retail offer not often seen in Australian supermarkets."
ROMANIA: After opening its first store in Bulgaria last week, Carrefour this week extended its presence in eastern Europe with the opening of a 80,000 sq ft store in Bucharest, its 23rd in Romania. The store employs 470 staff.
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