To follow is a brief review of retail news from around the world:
March 19 – India’s Reliance Retail to Open New Stores
Reliance Retail plans to expand its low-cost fashion store network Reliance Trends to 2,500 locations within the next five years. From Retail News Asia
March 18 – Walmart Japan Announces Seiyu Is Not For Sale
Newly appointed CEO of Walmart’s Japanese supermarket chain Seiyu announced that the retailer is not for sale, following reports last year that the US retail giant is looking for a buyer. From One America News
March 18 – UK’s Marks & Spencer to Open Larger Food Stores
Marks & Spencer has announced its plan to turn many of its stores into full-range food destinations to cater to customers’ needs beyond convenience shopping. From MarketWatch
March 18 – Australia’s Woolworths to Launch Media Business
With the goal of allowing suppliers to better communicate and engage with customers, Woolworths Australia has announced the launch of a new stand-alone media business. From Mumbrella
March 15 – Poland’s Grocery Chain, Dino Polska Reports Positive Sales Growth
Polish grocery store network, Dino Polska, is one of the fastest growing networks on the retail grocery market in Poland, posted rapid sales growth of 30.8% including 11.6% of like for like sales. From Grupa Dino
March 15 – Carrefour China Uses Facial Recognition Payment
Carrefour confirms that by April 2019, all of its 210 big box stores will be equipped with facial recognition payment platforms. From Kantar Retail IQ
March 15 – Alibaba Partners with Fado Vietnam to Allow Cross-Border Platform
Alibaba signed a co-operation agreement with cross-border e-commerce platform Fado Vietnam to launch a new trading channel supporting Vietnamese firms, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises through alibaba.fado.vn. From Vietnam Investment Revue
March 15 – Lithuania’s Retail Group Maxima Increases Store Count in Bulgaria
Under the banner, T MARKET, Maxima Grupe will open four more new stores in Bulgaria by the end of the yearand plans to renovate at least four more. From Novinite
March 14 – Carrefour Focuses on Growth Potential in West Africa
France’s Carrefour operates three stores in Ivory Coast, Africa, and expects to open 10 more in West Africa in 2019. The retailer sees potential in this market, where, just over a third of shopping is done in stores as opposed to marketplaces. From Bloomberg
March 14 – France’s Monoprix Working to Expand with Amazon
Monoprix, France’s Casino’s convenience banner, has extended its grocery delivery services to the entire Paris region and over 35 surrounding communities. From Reuters
March 14 – Ahold Delhaize Romania Acquires Local Retail
Ahold Delhaize’s supermarket banner in Romania, Mega Image, has announced the acquisition of local retail chain Zanfir with 10 stores. From Romania Insider
March 14 – Casino France Announces Debt Reduction Plan
France’s Casino Group has launched a new strategic plan for 2019-2021 with plans to further reduce debt by selling additional assets in France by 2020. From Reuters
March 14 – Spanish Supermarket Chain Targets Expansion in Portugal
Spain’s Mercadona plans to open the first of 150 planned stores for Portugual in July. From European Supermarket Magazine
March 11 – Germany’s Metro Enters Myanmar Market
German’s Metro has announced its market entry into Myanmar, representing its 36th market. The initial focus is online sales for corporate customers and building a fresh-food supply chain in the emerging economy. From NNA Business News
March 11 – Auchan Planning Reorganization After Reporting Loss
After posting a 3.3% revenue drop France’s retail group, Auchan, plans to reinvent itself to retain attractiveness and decrease shopping space by adding new activities, such as catering. From Retail Detail
March 5 – China’s JD.com Launches Store on Google
After posting a 3.3% revenue drop France’s retail group, Auchan, plans to reinvent itself to retain attractiveness and decrease shopping space by adding new activities, such as catering. From Reuters
March 5 – Lidl Opens in Train Stations in Portugal
With the addition of two stores in the busiest train stations in the Lisbon area, Lidl’s store count increases to 20 in this area. From European Supermarket Magazine
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.
