To follow is a brief review of retail news from around the world:
June 29 – Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is raising its bet on populous Southeast Asia, a region that is home to more than 600 million consumers.
The Chinese internet giant said Wednesday it is plowing an additional $1 billion into Southeast Asia e-commerce firm Lazada Group, raising its stake to 83% from 51%. From The Wall Street Journal.
June 28 – TESCO Makes 1,200 Head Office Job Cuts
Tesco is to cut 1,200 jobs at its head office. This comes only a week after announcing that 1,100 jobs would be axed as it shut a call centre. The cuts come as CEO Dave Lewis presses on with a major cost-cutting drive. The UK’s largest supermarket chain told staff of the cuts on Wednesday morning, with 25% of staff at offices in Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield facing the axe… From Planet Retail.
June 28 – AMAZON and DIA extend their partnership in Spain
Dia and Amazon have reached an agreement to extend their online partnership to Barcelona and surrounding areas. Until now, only Amazon Prime Now customers in Madrid had access to a range of Plaza de Dia products, which could be delivered within a one-hour window for a fee, or delivered free within a two-hour window. Prime Now customers in Barcelona will now have access to a total of 5,300 Dia products available for delivery between 7am and midnight… From Planet Retail.
June 27 – WALMART planning major online expansion for Canadian business
Walmart.ca will open its website up to an ‘endless aisles’ experience by selling goods from third party sellers. It will double the SKUs on offer to have millions online by early next year. Walmart is also launching instore pickup for online purchases… From Planet Retail.
June 26 – TESCO, TATA RETAIL plan 50 openings in Hyderabad, India
Trent Hypermarket, the Tesco/Tata joint venture, has pledged to open 50 stores in Hyderabad, India over the next 2-3 years. The outlets are part of a 200-store opening target for Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Bengaluru… From Planet Retail.
June 26 – FALABELLA brings Peruvian Maestro and Sodimac businesses together
Falabella has revealed plans to merge its Sodimac and Maestro DIY operations in Peru. The Chile-based operator acquired the 30-store Maestro business in 2014… From Planet Retail.
June 22 – JD.COM makes major investment in luxury marketplace Farfetch
JD.com is pumping USD397 million into Farfetch, a marketplace for luxury brands, as part of a new strategic partnership. JD.com Founder & CEO Richard Liu will take a seat on Farfetch’s board as part of the deal, which makes JD.com one of its largest shareholders. Last year, Farfetch raised USD110 million specifically to support its expansion in Asia… From Planet Retail.
June 22 – Sears Canada could survive bankruptcy but likely not as a department store
Bankruptcy may not be the end of Sears Canada. But if a new Sears emerges from the ashes, it will likely look nothing like the retailer Canadians grew up with, experts tell Global News.
June 21 – TESCO Thailand online business achieves double-digit growth
Tesco’s online business in Thailand is experiencing strong double-digit growth, according to the company’s online director, Mark Roughley. The business is reported to be growing faster than e-commerce operations in several other Tesco markets. Roughley attributed this growth to the rise of the omni-channel shopper… From Planet Retail.
June 19 – JD.COM claims record-breaking volumes for anniversary event
JD’s 2017 ‘6.18’ anniversary sales event set a new record. The Chinese e-tailer recorded USD17.6 billion in transaction volume for the first 18 days of the sale (June 1-18)… From Planet Retail.
June 12 – JD.COM to expand into Thailand and beyond
JD.com Inc, China’s second-largest e-commerce company, plans to enter the Thai market later this year as part of a broader strategy to expand overseas operations beyond Indonesia, its founder and chief executive said on Friday. The market entry will serve as a launch pad for further growth, with CEO Richard Liu stating that the company was eyeing expansion into other markets like Vietnam and Malaysia, via this route. “Thailand will come soon, before the end of the year… From Planet Retail.
June 9 – Steamer Trading Cookshop plans to relocate Marlow branch
Steamer Trading Cookshop has commented on the news that its branch in Marlow branch is due to relocate. Steamer Trading operates 42 cookshops and Marlow is one the largest, offering one of the widest selections of cookware, glassware and tableware within the group. From housewares live.net.
June 6 – Amazon, Aldi, Tesco Among ‘Most Valuable’ Global Retail Brands
Walmart (4th), Aldi (9th), Tesco (15th), Lidl (16th) and Carrefour (17th) have been named among the ‘Most Valuable Global Retail Brands’ according to the latest BrandZ report, produced by WPP and Kantar Millward Brown. According to the rankings, the undisputed number one retail brand in the world is Amazon, which has seen a 41% increase in its brand value since last year. The online retailer is now valued at more than $139 billion, making it more than twice as valuable as the next retail brand in the list, Alibaba, which is valued at $59 billion. The Most Valuable Global Retail Brands rankings form part of the BrandZ Top 100, which rates the most valuable brands each year. In this overall list, Amazon places fourth, while Alibaba is 14th, with the list topped by Google, Apple and Microsoft. For more, go to European Supermarket.
June 5 – Costco Makes Landfall in Iceland
The first Costco store in Iceland opened last week, in Kauptún, Garðabær, a municipality of Reykjavik. The store opened its doors at the end of May, with local reports stating that over 40 thousand people in Iceland have signed up for a Costco card already. Taken from Planet Retail.
June 5 – Continente (Portugal) Looking to Expand in the Middle East
Portugal-based, Sonae-owned Continente, as it prepares to open its first hypermarket in the UAE, has said it is investigating opportunities to expand across the Middle East. The further growth opportunities were discussed as part of an interview by Sonae’s Jose Carlos Trinidade with the Portuguese newspaper Expresso. Trinidade said the retailer was ‘currently… in the market evaluation phase and… seeking partners to introduce the grocery retail banner in other countries of the Middle East’. For further reading, see Retail Analysis.
June 2 – Amazon Begins Air Freight Shipments Direct to China
Amazon has launched direct cargo flights from the US to Zhengzhou, capital of central China’s Henan Province. The planes were carrying products, including food, clothes and household appliances ordered by Chinese buyers. For more, see Planet Retail.
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.
