All International articles – Page 261

  • News

    Arcandor to apply for state aid

    2009-05-15T00:00:00Z

    Debt-laden conglomerate Arcandor – parent of the Karstdadt stores business – aims to formally apply for state aid soon, its boss told reporters. “We are striving to submit an official request for state guarantees through the banks,” said chief executive Karl-Gerhard Eick. Small banks want to withdraw e90m (£81m) loans ...

  • Dylons
    News

    Dylan’s Candy Bar mulls UK stores

    2009-05-15T00:00:00Z

    Iconic US sweet store Dylan’s Candy Bar is considering opening stores in the UK.

  • News

    Eddie Bauer reportedly in talks with potential buyers

    2009-05-15T00:00:00Z

    The fashion retailer, which operates about 370 stores in the US and Canada, is a possible target for Gordon Brothers, Hilco Consumer Capital and Hudson Capital Partners. Eddie Bauer’s chief executive Neil Fiske declined to comment on bid speculation. The retailer has reported annual losses for the past three years ...

  • News

    Carrefour bids for supermarket chain

    2009-05-15T00:00:00Z

    Carrefour has entered the bidding to acquire Brazilian supermarket chain Gimenes, which has also received a proposals from local operator Associação Ricoy. Gimenes has 23 shops across São Paulo, Brazil’s largest state, and is Brazil’s 22nd largest supermarket chain. Carrefour, Brazil’s market leader, has put two offers on the table. ...

  • News

    Mercator suffers net profit drop

    2009-05-15T00:00:00Z

    Mercator, the country’s largest food retailer, has suffered a first-quarter net profit drop of 30.8 per cent year on year to €6.4m (£5.7m), which it attributed largely to higher financing costs. Operating profit for the first three months of the year rose by 11.5 per cent year on year to ...

  • News

    Wal-Mart to end monthly sales reporting

    2009-05-15T00:00:00Z

    Wal-Mart is to end its monthly sales reporting, which the retailer has been doing since 1979, to “better align investors with the retailer’s business plan and cut volatility caused by holiday shifts”, said Wal-Mart chief financial officer Tom Schoewe.Separately, Easter’s April timing helped improve US retailers’ same-store sales growth for ...

  • News

    Ikea to expand in the Gulf

    2009-05-15T00:00:00Z

    Furniture group Ikea plans to expand in the Gulf region with two stores in Oman and Qatar, in addition to adding new stores to its existing chain in Saudi Arabia. The retailer will also increase the space of its Abu Dhabi store from 9,685 to 21,530 sq ft, according to ...

  • News

    Rosebys UK to be resurrected in global push

    2009-05-15T00:00:00Z

    Home textiles retailer Rosebys could make a return to the UK this year, according to its owner, Indian industrialist Sanjay Dalmia.

  • News

    Tesco thinks local to outrun global recession

    2009-05-15T00:00:00Z

    It’s too early to call the end of the global recession, but it has stopped getting any worse. That’s the prognosis from Tesco international director Phil Clarke.

  • News

    Shopper's Stop to open new outlets

    2009-05-15T00:00:00Z

    Department store group Shopper’s Stop is to open a further 12 outlets in the next three years. The first four will be this year in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Hyderabad. The retailer, one of India’s biggest with 26 department stores, said that one of the triggers for expansion was the steep ...

  • News

    Retail sales fall 8.2 per cent

    2009-05-08T00:00:00Z

    Spanish retail sales fell 8.2 per cent in March. It is the second largest fall on record and the 16th consecutive month of decline as unemployment soared and consumer confidence dropped.

  • News

    Shopper’s Stop sales rise 9 per cent

    2009-05-08T00:00:00Z

    Indian retail group Shopper’s Stop has revealed sales rose 9 per cent to INR3.5bn (£46.9m) for the quarter to the end of March.The group – which operates large-format department stores, home stores and speciality retailers including Mothercare in the country – said margin for the quarter increased 4 per cent. ...

  • News

    Abercrombie & Fitch to cut jobs

    2009-05-08T00:00:00Z

    Fashion retailer Abercrombie & Fitch is to cut 170 roles at its head office in Columbus, Ohio. The retailer will cut 9 per cent of its 2,000-strong positions to reduce costs.Abercrombie & Fitch has suffered from a downturn in sales as US consumers rein in spending. Chief financial officer Jonathan ...

  • News

    Quarantined Mexicans boost sales

    2009-05-08T00:00:00Z

    Mexican retailers have witnessed a sales surge as President Felipe Calderón ordered all 103 million Mexicans to stay at home in a bid to contain swine flu. The five-day quarantine led to shoppers stocking up on food, DVDs and video games.In the northern city of San Luis Potosí, Blockbuster store ...

  • News

    Carrefour and Reliance Retail discuss joint venture

    2009-05-08T00:00:00Z

    French retailer Carrefour is in talks with Indian giant Reliance Retail about forming a joint venture.Carrefour has been negotiating to operate in India in partnership with tycoon Kishore Biyani’s Future Group, but no deal has been struck.The French group is now talking to other potential partners, including Aditya Birla and ...

  • Furla
    News

    Italy’s Furla upbeat despite squeeze on luxury market

    2009-05-08T00:00:00Z

    The outlook for luxury retailers remains uncertain, but some international brands are confident of continued success. Among them is Italian group Furla, which delivered a strong performance last year.

  • RW Fresh   Easy009
    News

    Family packs pay off for Fresh & Easy

    2009-05-08T00:00:00Z

    Fresh & Easy’s 40- to 45-ounce family-sized prepared meals are now the six top-selling lines in the 110-product range, vindicating the grocer’s strategy of offering larger pack sizes.

  • News

    Falabella experiences first quarter profit fall

    2009-05-08T00:00:00Z

    Store group Falabella suffered a profit fall in its first quarter as global economic turmoil took a toll.The retailer, which runs supermarkets, home improvement stores and department stores in Argentina, Colombia and Peru as well as its domestic market of Chile, reported like-for-like declines of between 2.7 per cent and ...

  • News

    Pre-tax profits at Metro plummet

    2009-05-08T00:00:00Z

    Pre-tax profits at grocer Metro plummeted almost 50 per cent in its first quarter to e84m (£74.8m). Sales also fell 2.5 per cent to e15.2bn (£13.5bn) in the three months to the end of March.

  • News

    Sales tumble for two office supplies retailers

    2009-05-08T00:00:00Z

    Two office supplies retailers have experienced tumbling sales and profits in their first quarter.Office Depot revealed a net loss of $55m (£36.4m) compared with profits of $69m (£45.7m) last year. Total sales plummeted 19 per cent to $3.2bn (£2.12bn). Like-for-likes in its retail division declined 17 per cent, as consumers ...