closing the gap with market leader Coca-Cola, which has 980k machines. Other companies, such as Asahi, Kirin and DyDo Drinco each have between 250k and 280k machines. Elsewhere in Asia, the company

When that failed, TBWA plugged the gap in both management and its client portfolio by absorbing or merging with other small agencies. It acquired Robert Jenkins in 1989, then folded the resulting business

After a six-year gap (dubbed "the wilderness years" by JWT staff), a new OXO family was created in 1983 around actress Lynda Bellingham, and ran for a further 16 years until 1999. (The idea was briefly

plugging a gaping hole in its European network with the purchase of Credit Commercial de France for €11.1bn. CCF in turn acquired state-owned Banque Hervet from the French government in 2001. Among

they showed continuing resilience despite the growing gap between the French group and its larger rivals. Boosted by exchange rates, revenues for the first six months rose 19% on a reported basis to €

Stefan Larsson, president of Gap's Old Navy mass-market retail chain, is going up in the world. Widely credited with the turnaround of that business since 2012, he is leaving to become CEO of Ralph Lauren,

acquisition of SABMiller will fill in the remaining gaps in AB InBev's current global footprint, strengthening its presence Central & Eastern Europe and Latin America, and adding extensive coverage across

marketing Will Setliff. Meanwhile Gap named EVP group supply chain Sonia Synghal as the new president of the Old Navy brand, filling shoes vacated last year by Stefan Larsson, now running Ralph Lauren.

During 2013, the gap between Carrefour and arch-rival Leclerc narrowed dramatically, and the smaller group came close to seizing first place. By year-end however, Carrefour had recovered at least some

Inditex avoided the headwinds affecting rivals such as Gap, H&M and Marks & Spencer, delivering another quarter of strong growth in both revenues and profits. In its 1Q to April, profits rose 6% on sales