Smiths News plc has acquired Hedgelane
Ltd, the parent company of The
Consortium for £38 million, plus up to £2
million payable in January 2013 dependent on performance and a
further £4 million payable in Smiths News shares in January
2014. The acquisition is part of Smiths News’ strategy to grow
profits outside of its core magazine and newspaper markets and to
become a leading specialist distributor. The Consortium, which
supplies consumable products predominantly to the education, care
and early years nursery markets, is expected to add an additional
£64 million sales and £7 million EBITDA to Smiths News
in the 2012 financial year.
TV-shopping specialist JML has partnered with
ITV to launch a new retail TV format, dubbed the
“chatmercial”, combining the visual language and
style of a chat show format with TV home shopping all shot in
front of a studio audience. “The Store with JML”
launches on ITV1 Saturday 28th April, broadcasting across ITV1’s
late-night two hour retail teleshopping schedule on Saturdays,
Sundays and Mondays. The deal enables ITV viewers to access JML’s
range on terrestrial television for the first time. The
presenter-led show will have interaction with a panel of experts
and a studio audience. It will be split up into bite-sized chunks
focusing on one product every 15 minutes.
Amazon announced better-than-expected results in
the first quarter, with sales up 34 per cent. International
segment sales, representing the company’s UK, German, Japanese,
French, Chinese, Italian and Spanish sites, were $5.76 billion,
up 31 per cent from first quarter 2011.
Micros Systems, Inc is to acquire Torex
Retail Holdings Ltd, a provider of technology to the
retail, hospitality and convenience and fuel markets. Micros
acquired eCommerce services provider Snow Valley
in March 2011.
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