To follow is a brief review of retail news from around the world:

February 28 – Amazon Japan Asks Suppliers to Share Shipping Costs
Amazon Japan has set a flat rate for food suppliers of 2% and 1-5% for other suppliers. These “cooperation payments” are said to help defray the cost of sales system upgrades as well as other expenses. From Nikki Asian Review

February 27 – France’s Casino Strengthens Shipping Options
The French retail group has strengthened its partnership with La Poste, postal company, to extend deliveries on Sundays to 15 large cities in France as well as offering express delivery starting in June. From Market Watch

February 27 – Indonesia’s Matahari Confident about Future Earnings
Despite a 5.6% decrease in net income from 2016, Matahari announced that with new merchandise initiatives and in anticipation of a stronger macro environment the retailer is optimistic that sales will grow at a faster pace  in 2018. From Jakarta Globe

February 20 – UK’s Asda Sales Rise 2% in Forth Quarter
Comparable sales were up 0.5% for the fourth quarter, however, store traffic was stores was down 1.6%.  Asda indicated that it saw performance strengthened across private label products and grocery. From European Supermarket Magazine

February 19 – France’s Monoprix Adds to Online Presence by Acquiring A Leading Shoe Supplier
The acquisition of Sarenza is noted as part of the Monoprix’s digitalization strategy that hopes to position the retailer as an omnichannel leader in fashion, home and beauty. From European Supermarket Magazine

February 15 – Germany Retailer, Rewe Announced that it Placed Promissory Note Loans of €1 Billion
With 15,000 stores in 20 countries in Europe and 2016 sales over €54 billion, Rewe Group said that this investment will be used to develop its store network, and help with the group’s digital growth. From European Supermarket Magazine

February 7 – Amazon Is the Top E-Commerce Mobile Search in India
A report tracked 800,000 Indian consumers’ mobile searches and 46% of the searches were of Amazon in the second half of 2017.  Flipcart, eBay’s Indian e-commerce operator, accounted for just under 21% of the 1.65 million searches tracked. From The Payers

February 7 – Watsons Stores Will Be Rebranded Under The Name Lalavla in South Korea
With the aim of attracting a younger audience, RS Retail, operator of Watsons will be rebranding and revamping store interiors in South Korea. From Inside Retail

February 7 – Amazon Business Launches in France
As the third European Amazon marketplace after the UK and Germany to do so, Amazon.fr has launched B2B offerings. This will facilitate the purchasing of products for businesses within France. From Finextra

February 7 – Indian Retailers, Aditya Birla and Shoppers Stop Announced Quarterly Numbers
Aditya Birla reported a 9.2% year-on-year increase in net revenue, whereas Shoppers Stop reported a -4.7% decrease. From MoneyControl

February 7 – Korean Retail Chain, Minigood, to Enter Israel Through a Local Franchise
The Korean retailer offers clothing, household goods, personal care and cosmetic products, office equipment, digital products, and toy.  Currently Minigood operates hundreds of stores in Asia and has a projected turnover of $1 billion and 2000 stores by 2020. From Globes

February 7 – Indonesian Retailers Have Seen Slower Sales as Indonesians Spend on Travel and Experiences Over Shopping
Among retailers to close are American retailers Gap and Clarks after 2017 saw the close of UK retailer, Debenhams.  Data shows that consumption has been growing at a slower rate than in previous years, but consumers are saving to spend on travel and experiences. From Nikki Asian Review

February 6 – Lidl and Aldi Remain the Fastest Growing Retailers in The UK
With growth rates of 16.3% for Lidl and 16.2% for Aldi, the retailers are the eighth and fifth largest supermarkets in the UK. From European Supermarket Magazine

February 6 – New Zealand’s Briscoe Group Surpasses NZD$600 Million in Annual Sales
Aided by favorable sales on Black Friday and Boxing Day, Briscoe Group’s sales surpassed 2017 sales by 3.47%. From Inside Retail

February 5 – Australian-owned Homebase Is Not Finding Success That it Had Anticipated in The UK
Within the UK, Homebase operates 250 stores and poor sales at the retailer is expected to drag Bunnings, the parent company of Homebase,  into a loss of £97 million for the first half of 2018. From Independent

February 5 – Brazil’s Havan Plans to Invest BR 2 Billion in Southern Brazilian State, Rio Grande do Sul
The Brazilian retailer’s owner announced the establishment of 50 Havan stores in Rio Grande do Sul later in 2018. From InvestRS

February 5 – Tesco Poland Plans to Close 18 Stores
The retailer has decided to close 18 of its stores in Poland which have been sustaining losses. In 2017 Tesco closed 11 of its stores in Poland and 15 total stores during 2015 and 2015. From European Supermarket Magazine

February 5 – Retail Sales in Australia Drop
December retail sales in Australia dropped .5% month-on-month in December, including a fall of 2.6% in household goods.  These drops saw the Australian dollar drop .1 percent lower against the US dollar. From Financial Times

February 5 – Walmart Discusses Strategy in Brazil After Seven Out of Ten Years of Losses
After merging online and offline sales as a strategy to drive profits, the retailer has not seen the progress it hoped for in Brazil. *This Article is written in Portuguese. From Exame

February 3 – India’s Flip Cart’s Losses in 2017 Are Reported to Have Increased to 68%
The company spent heavily to maintain a lead over Amazon. The online retailer plans to expand its private label offerings over the next three years to help its profits. From Economic Times

February 2 – Aldi Will Continue to Expand in Australia in 2018
Aldi plans to add 32 stores to its count of 500 stores within Australia.  In addition, the retailer plans to refurbish 100 of its existing stores in Australia. From News Limited

The International Business Council is a special interest group of IHA members, dedicated to helping its membership market and sell their products internationally by sharing information, providing networking opportunities and offering programs to assist, support, and educate. Membership is free to all regular, IHA members – visit the IBC website to learn more.