Bates-Clarion seems to be on an acquisition spree. It has recently picked up the accounts for Zoom Stationery, corporate and products, Ticket Restaurant, which is part of the Accor group and Sharp audio. According to industry sources, these accounts are expected to add Rs 3 crore to the agency's bottomline. Though the amount may seem small when agencies are trying to pick up mega accounts, reports indicate that Bates-Clarion will soon spring a surprise by bagging one or two large accounts.

Showcase of Indian Advertising: The India chapter of the International Advertising Association will be bringing out the first volume of a "Showcase of Indian Advertising" by December this year. This will include a selection of some of the best Indian advertising created between April, 1995, and March, 1998. The entries will be judged by a panel headed by K Kurian and will be categorised according to product category and media.

Torrel launches variant of Freyaface wash: Torrel Cosmetics has launched two variants of Freya Face Wash, one for oily skin and the other for normal to dry skin. The wash for oily skin has witch- hazel distillate which tightens the pores of facial skin. The second one has moisturisers to nourish the skin. Both are soap-free pH balanced. The wash for oily skin is priced at Rs 27 while the one for normal to dry skin costs Rs 26.

Crossword to open more shops: Crossword, the India Book House-promoted bookshop chain, will open three franchisee shops across the country in the next six months, Retail consultant R Sriram said, at the inauguration of the Pune franchise, which opened recently. Present in Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and now Pune, Crossword will open in Nashik by end-September, and add branches in Mumbai and Delhi. Other cities where shops will be launched at a latter date include Kochi, Chennai, Bangalore and Calcutta. The 5000 sq ft Pune Crossword will initially stock 25,000 individual titles, a large children's section,toys, stationery, music, CD-Roms and soft drinks, coffee vending machines. The seven-day-a-week store will offer a dial-a-book service with a free-home delivery. Writers expected to visit the store in the next five weeks are Vikram Chandra, Tarla Dalal, RK Laxman, and Gita Piramal.

Atco unveils mineral water: Atco Healthcare Ltd has launched Pure Brilliant Wholesome Water. This water is manufactured by the reverse osmosis, ozonisation and remineralisation process. The product will be available through Atco's network of franchisees and backed by a delivery service. The company hopes to garner 25 to 30 per cent of the purified (packaged) water market. The product has been launched initially in Mumbai and will be available in 20-litre food-grade polycarbonate bottles with a wide range of dispensing options. The cost of the water comes to Rs 65 for 20 litres and the price of the dispensers ranges from Rs 1,000 to 12,000.

Franchising conference in November: Tefla's Conference & Events Pvt Ltd isorganising the Conference & Exhibition Franchising India '98 at Mumbai on November 1 and 2. The forum is supposed to be the first gathering of its kind in the country. The focus for the conference will be on franchising in the sub-continent. The conference will strive to forge alliances for inducting systems to products and services as well as to bring about quality and reliability as also to create awareness about the advantages of franchising and to promote India as a destination for franchising companies.

Essae Teraoka unveils electronic cash registers: Essae Teraoka Pvt Ltd has launched its electronic cash registers (ECRs) which are manufactured at the company's facility in Bommasandra in technical collaboration with Clover Electronics and Omron of Japan. The installed capacity is 6,000 units per annum. The three new ECR come with special features. While Essae RT 130 is for restaurants, bars, and pubs, the Essae RS 500 is for small shops.

Essae RS 310 could be interfaced with electronicweighing scale, barcode scanner, and computer and RS 232 protocol is designed to suit the needs of supermarket and department stores. Company director Prabhu Chandran said that Essae Teraoka Private Limited is the first firm in the country to design, manufacture, market, and service its products.

Citibank's debit card goes national: Citibank is all set to launch its debit card across the country, spurred by a moderately successful test launch in Bangalore. However, the bank has decided to follow the route of its credit cards by scouting around for a co-branding arrangement. Citibank business manager Nandan Mer said, ``We are in talks with several large public sector banks for the co-branding of our debit card.'' The bank test launched its debit card, ``Citicard'', in Bangalore in March.