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45 Events maltatoday, SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016 ARK ADIA has been honoured with the Waitrose International Partner of the Year Award by the leading and award-winning Brit- ish food retailer in recognition of its top performance in repre- senting and growing the Wait- rose business in Malta and Gozo. Waitrose products are avail- able in the 2 Arkadia Foodstores in Portomaso and Gozo and the other 2 Arkadia FoodExpress in Swatar and Paceville. "Every year, Waitrose scru- tinises the performance of its brand where it is represented abroad to be considered for an award in recognition of the sup- port received," said Waitrose In- ternational Sales Manager Chris Place. "It is with great pleasure that we announce Arkadia as this year's winner for their constant effort to grow the visibility and demand for Waitrose exclusive products in Malta and Gozo." The recognition was based on Arkadia's growth in sales of Waitrose products of more than 70% over the past year. Waitrose also praised Arkadia's first-class merchandising standards, par- ticularly in the Home depart- ment at the Arkadia Commercial Centre in Gozo; the continu- ous promotion of the Waitrose brand across the Maltese territo- ry; and the expansion of chilled produce. "I am delighted with the way the relationship between us has developed since the early days of trading in 2013, and I still be- lieve that there is more to come as Arkadia continues to expand further. The Waitrose manage- ment congratulates the Arka- dia team for this well-deserved award," said Mr Place. Arkadia introduced Waitrose in Malta in 2013, in response to customers' increasing demand for quality in what they eat, as part of their daily diet or for spe- cial occasions. Arkadia are the sole providers of Waitrose's ex- clusive ranges: Duchy Originals, essential Waitrose, Heston from Waitrose, Love Life, Waitrose Organic, Seriously, and Cooks' Ingredients. The British food industry is a major force in global culinary trends and produce from the British isles is celebrated and in- creasingly well-known through the abundance of personality and celebrity chefs and TV food- ies. In fact, Waitrose partners with top chefs and author Delia Smith and Heston Blumenthal to select ingredients and create some ingenious and mouthwa- tering dishes, as well as advise customers on cookery, bakery and entertaining tips. The prestigious award was pre- sented by Waitrose to Arkadia Group at the Arkadia Foodstore in Portomaso on April 26. Chanel duo gives signature style "FASHION goes out of fashion. Style never," Gabrielle Chanel liked to say. Much more than beauty accessories, Rouge Coco Stylo and Le Duo Longwear Nail Colour are real style accessories. Together, they co-author a new chapter in colour and give a unique signature to the style of Chanel, from the lips to the fin- gertips. For women who don't want to choose between colour, shine and lip care, Chanel has created Rouge Coco Stylo. In one easy step, this lipstick pen accentuates a style and a personality to match every mood and colour. When it comes to colour and style, Le Verni is the benchmark nail polish. In 2016, Chanel refor- mulates its cult beauty accessory and pairs it with a gel coat for ir- reproachable six-day hold. Embellishing and protective, Le Vernis dazzles with intense and vibrant colours. The selected pig- ments are finely ground and cap- tured in a solution for perfectly even application and an elegant lacquered result. Enriched with bioceramics and ceramides, the new formula also cares for the nails. Apply a thin coat of La Base, fol- lowed by a first coat of colour with Le Vernis. Apply a second coat for more coverage. Let dry and apply a thick coat of Le Gel Coat. Chanel is distributed by Alfred Gera & Sons Ltd APS posts all-round growth in revenue, profits for 2015 NOTWITHSTANDING the chal- lenging economic and financial en- vironment, APS Bank Group con- tinued its growth trajectory in 2015 as it registered a record pre-tax profit of €15.6 million, an increase of 22% over the previous year. This performance is the result of improvements in the main sources of Bank income as well as a stronger contribution from the APS Funds SICAV. Deposits and credit activity also continued to grow, by 6% and 11% respectively, a commendable result for the Bank in the tough market and regulatory climate which characterised 2015. With total assets in excess of €1.1 billion and equity of €117.8 million, the Group is poised for further growth in line with the targets set out in the 2016-2018 Business Pro- gramme. Chairman E. P. Delia made refer- ence to the investment embarked upon in the bank's technology in- frastructure, operational frame- work and human resources. "The Group's strong capital base will allow us to keep on meeting the ever-increasing regulatory re- quirements for capital and liquid- ity whilst placing us on a sure footing as we respond positively to new business opportunities. At the same time, we continue supporting actively cultural initiatives which contribute to personal develop- ment and social cohesion." Chief Executive Officer, Mr Mar- cel Cassar said: "We have delivered good 2015 results built on strong fundamentals however we are also sharpening and modernising our ideas as regards strategy, markets, support, governance, people and quality – these are the bedrock ele- ments for our next phase of growth. An exciting future lies ahead for APS Bank." APS Funds Sicav APS Funds SICAV plc announced that once again both of its funds managed to register further sig- nificant growth in 2015. This was achieved despite volatile interna- tional markets, reflecting an un- certain global outlook. Terrorist attacks, a slowdown in China, and a rout in the commodity markets exacerbated a difficult scenario. The market in Malta remained a beacon of tranquillity. It has per- formed extremely well, as reflected in the very positive results achieved in APS Income Fund. In 2015, ac- cumulator shares in this fund registered an increase in value of 14.59%. From its launch until the end of March 2016, the fund reg- istered an annualised return of 8.66%. As such, it scored among the best performing local funds that invest mainly in Maltese securities. The second fund, namely the APS Regular Income Ethical Fund, offers a unique possibility of gen- erating returns whilst adhering to ethical values. This is the first retail fund of its kind in Malta. In 2015, the accumulator shares of this fund registered an increase in value of 2.58%. From its launch until the end of March 2016, this second fund registered an annualised re- turn of 6.59%. Over 3,600 investors have invest- ed €100 million in the two funds. Global markets remain unstable and volatile. APS Funds SICAV plc will continue to adopt a successful prudent approach towards invest- ment in the coming years. Further information may be obtained at www.apsbank.com.mt/apsfunds. WIN a book To win answer the right question tick the right answer/answers? o The Ghonella was used in Maltese weddings and was traditionally in white o L-Ispanjola is the name of a particular firework o Tal-Maqrut is the name of a particular Maltese chest of draws Send your answers by 14 May to: MediaToday, WIN A BOOK FROM BDL, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann published by BDL A taste of Maltese folklore Arkadia is Waitrose's International Partner of the Year YOUR FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY www.maltatoday.com.mt