Retail news round-up September 17, 2013: Tesco found to be selling Dutch pork labelled as British while it plans new Irish stores; Harrods’ Marigay McKee is set to become president of Saks Fifth Avenue; Net-a-porter launches new social networking app; and Christopher Kane to open first London store

Tesco selling Dutch pork labelled as British

Tesco has found itself in another mislabelling scandal after the retailer was found selling Dutch pork labelled as British. A BBC investigation has revealed that the meat labelled as British was probably Dutch, with just a 1% chance of being British.

Tesco has said it was “extremely disappointed” by the discovery and had told its supplier that “this mistake is unacceptable”.

The revelation comes months after the horsemeat scandal, where it was forced to issue apologies for selling horse meat labelled as beef.

Meanwhile, Tesco Ireland plans to open seven new stores and six mobile phone shops across Ireland over the coming year, creating 200 jobs, according to The Irish Times.

Tesco will create 80 new jobs before Christmas by opening five new Express convenience stores as part of a €70m investment programme. The retail giant will create another 14 jobs at new Tesco Mobile phone shops in Tesco stores in Maynooth, Tallaght, Drogheda, Clearwater (Dublin), Wilton (Cork) and Clarehall (Dublin).

Tesco said it will create 120 jobs when new stores in Dundalk and Dun Laoghaire open next year.

Harrods executive to join Saks Fifth Avenue as president

Harrods’ chief merchant Marigay McKee will become the new president of Saks Inc. McKee joined Harrods in 1999 and has been chief merchant since 2011. She has been on the Harrods board since 2005.

In a statement on Monday, Saks reported that it’s chairman and chief executive Stephen Sadove and President and Chief Merchant Ronald Frasch are set to leave the company once it is acquired by Hudson’s Bay, according to the Telegraph.

Net-a-porter launches new social networking app

Net-a-porter has launched a new mobile app, called The Netbook, to connect fashion-minded individuals, creating a social network of users sharing their favourite products from the luxury e-tailer.

Users will be able to create their own profile, where they build a ‘Love List’ diary based on their favourite products from the site, which is shoppable and shareable, according to Women’s Wear Daily.

The Net-a-Porter team is handing out invitations to editors, bloggers, and other insiders in town for London Fashion Week, as it’s currently invite-only.

Christopher Kane to open first store in London

Christopher Kane is set to open its first store in London at Mayfair’s Mount Street by the end of 2014. Christopher Kane will join high-end brands such as Lanvin, Marc Jacobs, Balenciaga and Christian Louboutin at the Mount Street, according to the Telegraph.

Christopher Kane chief executive Alexandre de Brettes, said: “This is the first step in a new chapter for the Christopher Kane brand. London is a powerful retail centre so our store will become not only a destination for a global consumer but an incredible marketing platform for the brand around the world.”

 

.