ADVERTORIAL

Sampath to Delgoda

Sampath Bank opened its 202nd branch at Delgoda in the Gampaha district recently. Delgoda is a growing hub of commercial activities with many commuters, from surrounding villages using Delgoda as a town for daily needs and transport facilities. Its also a busy market place with trades that specialize in local products.

Chief guest Sampath Bank Managing Director Harris Premaratne addressing the gathering at the opening of the Delgoda Branch. Manager of the Branch Gihan Wickramasinghe looks on.

This busy metropolitan will now be fully equipped to walk onto the path of development with its new partner in financial stability; Sampath Bank with its value added service of creating a learning culture that promotes development as well as promoting innovation and value for customers. The new branch is in New Kandy Road, Delgoda.

Sampath Bank offers a full range of banking services form saving accounts for minors and senior citizens, current accounts, foreign currency services, leasing facilities, pawning, personal, home and trade loans, fixed deposit schemes, credit and debit card facilities all of which includes many innovative value additions designed to benefit the customers individual need.

To top all this Sampath Bank offers its customers internet banking with Sampathnet which is a friendly financial service via the internet, it also offers value added services that people do not normally enjoy at the banking counters. This innovative method of banking has become easier and more convenient than ever before.

The main focus of this branch will be to offer a 'people happy and satisfied service' and Sampath will leave no stone unturned to achieve its target. The bank that inspires people, not only helps people visualize dreams but also make those very dreams come true. There by Sampath bank takes pride in having become the trusted and reliable banking partner to many Sri Lankans and are able to help you with their professional expertise with the range of product and services available.

Aspirations Education launches social network community

For student-university interaction:

www.tweetuni.com an innovative web portal introduced by Aspirations Education makes life easier for students and parents through direct interaction with academia overseas.

Aspirations Education (AE) an international career guidance and student placement service centre in Sri Lanka has launched a web portal providing access for students to directly interact with prominent universities and institutes in Australia, the UK, New Zealand, the USA, Canada, Malaysia, India and Singapore. www.tweetuni.com creates a platform for undergraduate students to interact directly with academics in selecting the course of study.

Students could connect with a range of universities through tweetuni.com: Some of them are University of Sheffield, Monash University, RMIT University, Deakin University, Swinburne University, University of Canterbury, Curtin University Singapore, and Singapore Institute of Management (SIM).

Aspirations Education General Manager Deepamala Abeysekera said, "Aspirations Education always believes in innovation. Tweetuni is yet another novelty making the lives of students, parents, and academia easier. tweetuni.com is introduced to the education market space as an enabler between students and universities all over the world who wish to gain international education considering their personal interests. We strongly encourage students to log into this site and obtain first-hand information about study opportunities in world renowned universities. These university representatives are online to provide assistance to students who are in the process of making one of the biggest decisions in their lives".

Through www.tweetuni.com students will experience a diverse range of study opportunities and interact with international representatives and experience firsthand information about the courses of study, free of charge visa guidance, scholarship options, application fee waive off options by logging in and interacting with the preferred University representative.

Aspirations Education is a streamlined agent of Australian High Commission. Further, AE is registered in the UCAS customer database and is permitted to process the application via UCAS. The centre has been trained and certified as a Singapore Education Specialist by Government owned Singapore Education. It's also a pioneer member of the British Education Representatives Association in Sri Lanka, (BERA) established with the British Council. Accredited as one of the leading student placement centres for Malaysian Universities, in addition Aspirations Education is certified as a New Zealand Education Specialist by the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

More information could be obtained from: www.aspirations.edu.lk

ODEL launches Loyalty Card

ODEL, Sri Lanka's favourite fashion and lifestyle retail chain, has launched a Loyalty Card which rewards regular shoppers at its stores with 'Loyalty Points' which can be redeemed easily at any of ODEL's 18 stores.

ODEL founder and CEO Otara Gunewardene (left) presents an ODEL Loyalty Card to Yehali Sangakkara.

With these Loyalty Cards, customers can accumulate Loyalty Points on qualifying purchases at all ODEL stores in the country excluding the outlet at the Bandaranaike International Airport.

Under the scheme, a purchase of Rs 100 earns one Loyalty Point. At the point of redemption one Loyalty Point is equivalent to Rs 1, a considerably higher value than that assigned by many loyalty schemes operating in the country at present, ODEL said.

"The loyalty of our customers has been the biggest source of encouragement to us over the years," said ODEL founder and CEO Otara Gunewardene. "We are now rewarding that loyalty to give better benefits and an improved shopping experience," she said.

She added that the introduction of the loyalty scheme at the peak shopping season of the year, would enable customers to start accumulating points immediately.

In addition to exciting points, the Loyalty Card will expose its users to numerous exclusive promotions and discount offers that ODEL is planning to launch in the upcoming months, the company said.

Any customer who makes a purchase of over Rs 100 and is more than 18 years of age is eligible to sign up for a free ODEL Loyalty Card at any of the ODEL and ODEL Luv SL stores. At the flagship store at Alexandra place, customers have the option of using iPads which have been deployed at the store to apply for the card.

Causeway Paints holds sales conventions

Causeway Paints Lanka Limited held sales conventions for their agents' island wide recently. Here, Causeway Paints Lanka Limited Managing Director M.K.Mowjood, Causeway Paints Lanka Limited General Manager V.Kiritharan, Causeway Paints Singapore Limited Managing Director Tay Wee Meng, Causeway Paints Singapore Limited Director Chua Joo and Causeway Paints Lanka Limited Sales Manager Nirmal Hettiarachchi with sales agents at sales conventions held at Light House Hotel, Galle and Airport Garden Hotel, Katunayake

Scan Products awarded Sunquick Best Country Award

Scan Products Division of C.W. Mackie PLC has been awarded the prestigious Co-Ro Best country award for its excellent performance in sales and marketing for year 2010.

According to Co-Ro Food A/s Denmark selection criteria, it is compulsory to maintain continues volume growth momentum for 3 consecutive years to be recognized for this award. Scan Products of Sri Lanka was chosen for this prestigious award with over 100 Sunquick distributing countries.

C. W. Mackie PLC is a diversified group of companies with a presence of more than 100 years in the country and is a listed company in the Colombo Stock Exchange.

Scan products division of C. W. Mackie is engaged in manufacturing, importing, and distribution of branded FMCG Products specializing in food and beverage category which includes, well-known local and international brands such as Sunquick Fruit Juice, Ovaltine, Star Brand Essences & Colourings, Scan Brand Bottled Water, Scan Jumbo Peanuts, Ocean Fresh Tuna, Scan Jack Mackerel etc.

Scan consist of state-of-the-art factories for bottling of Sunquick fruit juice , Bottled water which are fully automated factories with zero human touch in the processing line and also Scan is maintaining EU standards and certified in SLS, accredited with ISO 9001:2008, ISO 22000:2005, HACCP, GMP, Halal to maintain very high level of quality standards. We always give our utmost priority to maintain this high quality level with high quality standards.

Sunquick is a Danish based international brand which is available in more than 100 countries globally. In Sri Lanka Scan Products division of C.W. Mackie PLC is the local partner for bottling, distribution and marketing SQ under original danish recipe for the last 33 years.

Scan testing laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art testing equipments and staffed with skilled and experienced personal. Comparative analyses are performed on products in accordance with local and international regulatory standards. It is only after every single bottle meets our internal quality standards and fully conforms to international standards that it leaves the plant for consumers.

Happy Cow marks 20 years

Happy Cow recently celebrated 20 years market leadership by hosting a reception for its business partners, distributors, retailers and media. The brand was introduced to the Sri Lankan market by Stassen Foods in 1991 and since then has sustained its leadership position with the introduction of a range of products.

Woerle (Pvt) Ltd. Chairman Gerard Woerle and his wife, was the chief guest, at Woerle's Export Manager Christian Gruber, was also present at the occasion.

Happy Cow Brand Manager Danuka Marasinghe said, "Since the launch 20 years ago, Happy Cow has won the hearts of many and become the number one brand of cheese in Sri Lanka. Our enormous gratitude to our loyal customers who have given us this ranking, and are committed to maintain the standards quality, nutrition, and wholesome goodness of the products.

Happy Cow provides 85% of cheese in the local market. In order to strengthen its market leadership, Stassen Foods hopes to widen the distribution network of Happy Cow Cheese.

Avirate celebrates one year

Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA

Avirate Sri Lanka's premiere high-street fashion label marks one year of its Flagship Store at Maitland Crescent, Colombo 7 adding value to its customers. Within this past year Avirate has expanded rapidly with three branches opening in Sri Lanka and two internationally in India.

Asim Younoos

To celebrate its 1st year a press conference was held. The Chief Executive Officer of Avirate Asim Younoos elaborated its brand's achievements and expansion plans.

Within the next year Avirate plans on opening two more stores in Sri Lanka and ten new stores in India's metropolitan cities and plans expanding to the Middle East and the North American market.

We at Avirate had big plans for the Avirate Cafe which initially started as a complement to the retail stores with a limited menu. "We wish to set-up the Avirate Cafe as a full-fledged cafe - we have started opening the Avirate cafe at 7:30 am as people could stop by for breakfast we have added items such as waffles, breakfast burritos and milo toast. If we are able to get a bigger location we will expand the Avirate Cafe" Younoos said.

Speaking of the Avirate web store that was launched in June, Younoos explained that online retail business was slowly picking up in Sri Lanka. We have changed our exchange policy and are looking at introducing new technology online and in-store known as "Styku". Customers could use body scanners in-store to scan their body measurements and will be given a user name and password that stores their information.

When shopping online at Avirate the customers can enter this username and could be able to match clothes to their body shape and will able to assess size that fits the customer best based on their measurements," he said.

To reward it's loyal customers Avirate offering a special anniversary promotion online and in-store. There will be a 20% discount on all Standard Chartered cards up with mid December.

Online shoppers could enjoy a 20% site-wide discount during this period.

Elephant House launches EGB Light

Keeping with the inclination to provide their customers with the best in what they have to offer, Elephant House has introduced the all new, light and bright EGB Light.

EGB Light is absolutely free of sugar and calories, maintaining, the same standard of quality and taste of the original EGB. The 100% home-grown natural ginger extracts, giving you the taste you love. The permitted sweeteners used in EGB Light contain a whole host of benefits to the consumer.

While helping you control your blood, sugar, EGB Light is best for those who are conscious about themselves. "We decided to develop this version of EGB as there is a high demand for a product of such nature. Now we are able to offer a calorie free favourite EGB" said Head of Beverages, Vice President, John Keells Holdings Chandima Perera.