Matthew Stych
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- Opinion
Comment: Japan and China’s retail sector is buoyed by seasonal celebrations
As Halloween and other festivities approach, Japan and China’s online retail sector has experienced unprecedented levels of activity.
- Analysis
International analysis: Asia offers a glimpse of bricks-and-mortar’s future
Last week’s World Retail Congress Asia Pacific took a long look at the growth of online shopping in Asia.
- Analysis
International analysis: JC Penney’s management U-turn begins to pay off
Executives at US department store operator JC Penney must be pretty happy with their decision to reach into the past and reappoint Mike Ullman as chief executive.
- Analysis
Analysis: What would it mean for Tesco and China Resources to buy ParknShop?
Two of the most intriguing developments in the retailing scene in the Greater China region for some time came together dramatically yesterday with the revelation that new potential merger partners China Resources Enterprise and Tesco are also discussing a joint bid for the Hong Kong based supermarket business ParknShop.
- Analysis
International analysis: Ikea’s plans to enter India win cabinet approval
Ikea’s proposals for market entry into India have been approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.
- Analysis
International analysis: Retailers can ill afford a scandal on a global scale
Growing anti-corporate sentiment has focused on the retail sector in recent weeks, as evidenced by the palpable anger with which Amazon director of public policy Andrew Cecil was quizzed by the UK Public Accounts Committee on the issue of tax avoidance.
- Analysis
International analysis: Casino’s gamble in Latin America pays dividends
France-based Casino’s strategic decision to invest in a handful of fast-growing markets has once again paid off.
- Analysis
Inditex to invest £795m in 500 new stores worldwide
On the back of strong 2011 results, Spanish clothing retailer Inditex has revealed capital expenditure of around E950m (£795m) for 2012 as the retailer plans to open about 500 new stores across the globe to take its total past 6,000.
- Analysis
Ikea can’t leave quality behind in bid for growth
In a year that brought several high-profile failures in the UK’s home and home improvement sectors, including the demise of Focus, Möben and Dolphin, Ikea was busy enjoying another record breaking year.
- Analysis
Woolworths marketing overhaul to drive growth
The management of Woolworths in Australia has unveiled a raft of measures designed to drive growth and profitability in the face of a resurgent challenge to its supremacy, particularly in grocery retailing from arch-rival Coles.
- Analysis
Battle for Brazil heats up with Carrefour merger
Carrefour’s board has signed off on a plan to merge its Brazilian assets with the local grocery market leader Grupo Pão de Açúcar (GPA), in which its French rival Casino Group has a minority stake.
- Analysis
Return to normality is a long way off for Japanese retailers
More than a month after the earthquake and tsunami that shook Japan to its core, retailers are still feeling the impact.
- Analysis
Walmart sets its sights on small format expansion
Speaking at an investor conference last week, Walmart US chief executive Bill Simon outlined plans for a much larger foray into small-format retailing than many industry observers had anticipated.
- Analysis
Walmart sets its sights on small-format expansion
Speaking at an investor conference last week, Walmart US chief executive Bill Simon outlined plans for a much larger foray into small-format retailing than many industry observers had anticipated.
- Analysis
X5 in battle for leadership with new growth strategy
Russia’s largest grocer, X5 Retail Group has revealed a change to its expansion strategy and will now be targeting small cities and towns with populations of more than 50,000 inhabitants.
- Analysis
Media Markt to face stiff local competition in China
Metro Group’s Media Markt opened its long-awaited first store in China last month, marking the entry of the second international electricals retailer into the country.
- Analysis
Japan’s Aeon to triple spend on emerging Asian markets
Japan’s second largest retailer Aeon recently announced an ambitious new three-year business plan, in which the company will nearly triple its investment in overseas Asian markets by fiscal 2013.
- Analysis
Slow road to South Korea will help Ikea’s prospects
Ikea has reported that group sales for the year ended August 31, 2010, rocketed 7.7% to €23.1bn (£19.2bn).
- Analysis
Bidding for Carrefour’s Far East assets gets under way
Carrefour collected first round bids last week for its assets in Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. Tesco is viewed as a leading contender.
- Analysis
Dollar General streaks ahead with 9,000th store
US-based discounter Dollar General announced the opening of its 9,000th store at the end of July, pushing it further ahead of rivals as the owner of the largest number of stores in North America. Dollar General overtook 7-Eleven’s store tally in 2003 and has not looked back since.