M&S Meadowhall makeover nears completion
September 20, 2012 by admin
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Date: 20/09/2012. Story submitted by: EmmaLF
Marks Spencer is to reveal a brand new look for its 88,000 sq ft Meadowhall store to customers on Thursday, September 27.
Store manager Lindsay Austin will perform a ribbon cutting ceremony at 8.30am to officially open the store, which has undergone a complete makeover with new features and improvements throughout.
Shoppers will be treated to celebratory entertainment on opening day, including music from an in-store DJ and the chance to win a share of £1,000 in MS Gift Cards with Hallam FM between 12pm and 2pm.
A Beauty department is one of the brand new features customers will see in-store,including exclusive brands from around the world and expertly trained consultants on hand to offer advice and product information.
Across fashion, a number of changes made include the introduction of stunning new clothing and accessories’ displays, highlighting the latest seasonal trends across Womenswear, Menswear, Lingerie and Kidswear.
The store’s Home department will also be dramatically different, creating an inspirational new environment in which to browse and shop for products for the home. Using cutting-edge technology including iPads and interactive product browsing screens, customers will be able to seamlessly view and order the latest MS ranges to create a living room, kitchen or bathroom that suits them. The store will also offer designer ranges, including the exclusive Conran for MS collection.
Store manager Lindsay Austin says the new Deli counter and Bakery have both been a big hit with customers already, ahead of the official launch: “We’ve had some great feedback about the wide range of fresh food now available in-store, as well as the bespoke service we offer from our trained experts, who can offer advice on anything from choosing the right ingredients for a new recipe, to the latest flavours and dishes from around the world.”
Finally the store’s first floor Café has received a significant revamp and, together with the ground floor Café, both now offer increased capacity with a total of almost 200 seats.
Lindsay added: “We’re thrilled to see the final touches being made as part of the huge makeover of our Meadowhall store.
“It’s been a lot of hard work to deliver our new-look store, but it’s looking fantastic and will really enhance our customers’ shopping experience. We can’t wait to celebrate and unveil the makeover in full next week.”
The first customers who “Shwop” at the store on September 27 from 8.30am onwards will receive a stylish re-useable bag in thanks for their donation. Championed by Joanna Lumley, Shwopping is MS’Plan A initiativeinviting customers to “Shwop” by donating a piece of clothing in-store every time they buy a new item. Through Oxfam, these will be resold, reused or recycled and the money raised will go to people living in poverty.
Additional info
Address:
1 The Oasis Sheffield South Yorkshire S9 1EP
Tags:
Meadowhall, MS, makeover, grand opening
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Cherie Amie’s Indiegogo drive raises $15000
September 20, 2012 by admin
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Ten months after designing lingerie to lift women out of poverty, Cherie Amie co-founders Ryan Schuette and Tara Smith celebrated their Indiegogo drive to raise $15,000 with a small crowd in late August.
Their 45-day crowd-funding campaign—which included a lingerie launch party, three fundraising soirees, two live-stream boudoir photography shoots, and late-night emails to friends and family—ended at 12 a.m. Pacific Standard Time with a dramatic 48-hour rally to $15,250.
“We’re so thrilled to complete our Indiegogo campaign for ‘do-good’ lingerie,” says Smith, 27, Cherie Amie CEO and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. “Thanks to our wonderful backers, Cherie Amie will be able to create fair-trade apparel, provide jobs to women in Africa, and fund micro-loans for countless others in extreme poverty all around the world.”
Ninety-four funders ultimately joined the campaign to raise startup capital for Cherie Amie. The average person gave $162, with nine contributing more than once and 23 choosing to give anonymously. Many came from across the United States, with others from as far as Australia, Canada, Germany, Niger, and Poland.
Four backers—Samantha Clark, Austin Lilley, Lin Woodson, and one anonymous donor—contributed funds in exchange for the entire lingerie line from Cherie Amie.
Other funders chose perks that range from their choice of intimate apparel to a 2013 wall calendar that features The Fair Ladies, four all-volunteer models from the Dallas area.
Of their many supporters, however, Schuette and Smith consider Dallas-area boudoir photographer Carole Hayes, founder of Shot by Carole, one of the most indispensable to their cause. The first person to back Cherie Amie, both online and offline, she helped recruit two of The Fair Ladies, shot and edited all photography, and arranged for shoots in high-rises across Dallas, including the penthouse that appears in Cherie Amie’s iconic 37-second teaser video.
“Ryan and Tara have hearts of gold,” Hayes says. “They’re two of the most determined people I’ve ever known, and will make sure Cherie Amie changes the world, one pair of panties at a time. Beautiful lingerie combined with helping women and their families out of poverty—who can resist a concept like that? I couldn’t!”
Even with volunteers like Hayes, the road to Indiegogo wasn’t always straightforward for Cherie Amie. From their office in Dallas, Smith found herself sourcing apparel and coordinating quality control with seamstresses and Peace Corps Volunteers in francophone Cameroon, a logistically challenging operation that required financial investments from the founders and played out over several months.
Now—with roughly $14,000 behind her company—Smith will return to Cameroon in September to personally oversee the production of their apparel line with their first group of artisans. She will return with baby dolls, boxers, panties, and teddies in November, with plans to unveil the line on CherieAmie.com, their online store, before Black Friday.