To follow is a brief review of retail news from around the world:
July 27 – Wal-Mart de Mexico Net Profit Rises on Higher Sales, Lower Costs
Mexico’s biggest retailer, Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB, said Thursday that its net profit increased 15% in the second quarter as higher sales combined with lower costs and expenses. From The Wall Street Journal
July 26 – Amazon reportedly relaunching Singaporean expansion plan
Amazon is continuing its international expansion push with the launch of its services in Singapore coming imminently. The arrival could happen as soon as this week, according to a source with knowledge of the plans, and it will mark Amazon’s entry into Southeast Asia. According to TechCrunch, the launch will see Amazon Prime, Amazon Prime Now fast delivery and Amazon’s regular e-commerce services become available to Singapore’s population of over five million people, the source said. From Planet Retail
July 25 – Amazon opens new UK head office and reveals plans to double R&D roles in London
Amazon today opened the doors to its new UK head office and Development Centre at Principal Place in London. Read more at HousewaresLive.net.
July 25 – Home sales up 11% at John Lewis
Total sales for John Lewis for last week (to Saturday July 22) were up 8.9% to £79.8 million. Both online and branches saw strong sales, with online traffic seeing one of its biggest weeks of the year. Read more at HousewaresLive.net.
July 25 – Walmart, JD.com heat up omnichannel drive with new mainland shopping festival
Wal-Mart Stores, the world’s largest retailer, and JD.com aim to intensify integration of bricks-and-mortar stores with e-commerce platforms across the mainland through their launch of a new omnichannel shopping festival on August 8. From South China Morning Post
July 22 – Reliance retail to expand to more small cities
Reliance Retail will open stores in more small cities and towns over the next year under aggressive expansion targets that the Reliance IndustriesBSE 1.16 % unit has set for itself. “I have set our leadership a target of 30% growth each year over the next decade,” chairman Mukesh Ambani told Reliance Industries’ shareholders while explaining the retail unit’s performance.
Read more on the Economic Times.
July 21 – GLOBUS appoints new Head of Non-Food
German hypermarket operator Globus has appointed Sven Möller as the new head of its non-food department effective 1 November this year. Möller previously worked for online retailer Springlane where he was Director of Procurement. From Planet Retail
July 18 – Rebrand to mark Central Group’s 70th anniversary
Central Department Store Group will spend THB350 million (US$10.4 million) to rebrand its stores – alongside a push to boost its online services – during Central Group’s 70th anniversary this year. From Inside Retail Thailand
July 17 – Mexican Market Survey Reports on Leading Online Retailers
The Mexican Association of Online Sales (AMVO) reports that according to a market survey conducted in April 2017 the leading online sales retailers in Mexico are Mercado Libre, Liverpool and WalMart with a market share of 52%, 24% and 23% respectively while Amazon ranks in fourth place with 18% of total internet sales. From El Financiero
July 14 – Housewares retailers reach finals of national awards
The Excellence in Housewares Awards has revealed the names of the retailers who have reached the finalists of the 2017 competition. The winners will be announced at an evening ceremony on Wednesday October 4 at The Royal Lancaster London Hotel. Visit HousewaresLive.net for a full list of finalists.
July 13 – Why You Should Look to China for the Future of Retail
The retail industry is in a state of flux. American retail stores are shutting at a record pace. Amazon.com is experimenting with new formats for brick-and-mortar stores and its $13.7 billion deal for Whole Foods Market is seen as a sign of accelerating change. For a glimpse of the future, U.S. retailers and e-commerce companies should take a look at China, which is already a big test lab. From The Wall Street Journal
July 12 – WALMART tightens supplier regulations over delivery scheduling
Walmart will soon begin fining suppliers that do not adhere to its delivery schedule. Deliveries that arrive early, late, or packaged improperly will all be subject to fines. From Planet Retail
July 12 – Demerger of METRO GROUP completed – New METRO and CECONOMY commence trading at the stock exchange tomorrow
METRO GROUP has achieved its goal of demerging into two strong, successful and focused companies. The Local Court Düsseldorf as the court of registry has entered the demerger in the commercial register today. Thereby the demerger came into effect. Any lawsuits still pending against the demerger will now be dealt with by the courts, but no longer prevent the demerger. From MetroGroup.de
July 11 – AUCHAN Hungary opens more stores and renews online focus
Auchan is to open its first supermarket in Szekszárd this August, while restating its commitment to further developing its e-commerce division. Following Szekszárd, Auchan intends to open more stores around the country. From Planet Retail
July 11 – First ‘Auchan Box’ Store Opens In China
French retailer Auchan has opened its first miniature ‘Auchan Box’ convenience store in Shanghai, China, reports LSA. The new store, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is only 13 square metres in size, but features over 500 product lines, including drinks, snacks, and everyday non-food products. From European Supermarket Magazine
July 10 – Spar Cyprus To Launch First Stores In 2018
Spar International has announced that it is partnering with Cypriot retailer Ermes Group to introduce the Spar brand across Cyprus next year. From European Supermarket Magazine
July 10 – ALIBABA debuts network to connect US sellers to Chinese consumers
Alibaba has launched the Taobao Global U.S. Merchants Network. This offers small businesses a way to reach the more than half a billion consumers on the Chinese e-commerce giant’s platforms. The network will serve as a centralised matchmaking platform for US small businesses to connect with merchants and distributors on Alibaba’s Taobao Global shopping site. Partnering with Taobao Global gives US small businesses a simple, low-risk and low-cost solution to open news sales channels, enter the China market and build a brand presence there, according to Alibaba. From Planet Retail
July 7 – Walmart Posts June Sales Growth
Walmart, Mexico’s largest retailer, posted same-store sales growth of 7.2% in June compared with the same month last year, the grocery and general merchandise chain reported. The mark represents the largest increase for the month of June since 2008. From El Financiero
July 7 – FALABELLA to invest USD1 billion in logistics and IT
Falabella Group, the Peru-based owner of retail chains Saga Falabella, Tottus and Sodimac, will invest USD1 billion over the next four years to develop its logistics and IT, its board announced. Falabella CEO Sandro Solari said the business has taken a turn and ‘has shifted from being a retail company to a logistics and technology company,’ Chilean daily Pulso quoted, via America Retail… From Planet Retail
July 4 – A first Carrefour Market store in the Ivory Coast
Our partner CFAO is continuing to grow in the Ivory Coast. Following the opening of a first shopping centre incorporating a Carrefour hypermarket in Abidjan in December 2015, a second shopping centre – PlaYce Palmeraie – has just opened and features a Carrefour Market. From Carrefour.com
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.
