  | Global retail industry news |  | | |  | - Harvey Norman renews relationship with GE Money
Harvey Norman, a major furniture and electrical retailer in Australia, has extended its deal with its finance provider, GE Money. The move will allow Harvey Norman to offer customers long-dated deals that are interest free. The deal also gives the retailer a competitive edge as it battles its rivals, such as the Good Guys, David Jones and JB Hi-Fi. The Age (Melbourne, Australia) (08 Oct.)      - Australian retailers' appeal over student hours is dismissed
Fair Work Australia has dismissed an appeal from the country's retailers to allow students to work after-school shifts that are less than three hours long. Retailers argued that the move would hurt struggling merchants and force many after-school jobs to be dropped. "This decision will rob young kids of after-school jobs and make things even tougher for struggling small retailers," said Gary Black, executive director of the National Retail Association. The Australian (08 Oct.)  | Recruiters from Microsoft, Starbucks, Facebook & more
Demystify the corporate recruitment process and find out what happens behind the scenes after you submit your resume. Top recruiters share tips & tools for getting your resume into the hands of hiring managers. This session and 12 more start on 10/26 during Career Summit 2010. 50% off expires 10/10 — register now! |
 - Mulberry reports 80% surge in underlying sales
Mulberry reported that its underlying sales have soared since summer and that its full-year profits for the year that ends 31 March would exceed expectations. The UK-based company said its handbags, including the Bayswater, Alexa and Lily, were the star performers. The Alexa sells for as much as £795. Mulberry CEO Godfrey Davis said growth in Asia is outperforming that of its home market. "The wholesale business in Asia is growing at more than 100 per cent per annum," he said. The Independent (London) (08 Oct.)  | "Moments of Greatness"
Leadership, when we draw on our own values and capabilities rather than imitate others, often comes out in a crisis. Author Robert Quinn describes the "fundamental state of leadership," and asks four transformative questions to lead us to that frame of mind at any time in this Harvard Business Review article. Order in print or PDF. |
 | Retail in Asia |  | | | - Bharti Retail muscles its way into India's retail scene
Bharti Retail has been offering developers more money for retail space and signing on for longer leases across India as it strives to increase its presence in the country's organised retail scene. The retail arm of Bharti Enterprises is trying to rapidly expand after maintaining its position in Punjab for nearly three years. Rival retailers and industry experts say that Bharti's moves will drive up real estate prices and are a major risk for the company. The Economic Times (India) (08 Oct.) | E-commerce Spotlight | | | | - Amazon, eBay remain popular retail sites around the world
Amazon and eBay continue to be popular online retailers in the UK, Australia, the US and Hong Kong, according to a recent spending report. Taobao, a Chinese auction site, proved popular, coming in as the second-most-visited site in Hong Kong. The report also noted that the popularity of online shopping continues to gain as consumers shop the Web for the best deals. The Independent (London)/Relaxnews (08 Oct.) - Column: New online retailers have an opportunity to personalise e-commerce
Rob Tarrant, managing director of Brandbank, says industry observers have scrutinised the recent efforts of leading retailers, including H&M and Zara, to establish their online presence. The pundits claim that the brands are behind the curve, but Tarrant argues that they can actually take advantage of early missteps by their competitors and learn from such mistakes. He explains how online retailers can make their e-commerce offerings more personal and sophisticated to attract more consumers. InternetRetailing.net (08 Oct.) | Technology Solutions | | | | - IKEA's rooftop solar panels to generate power, cash
IKEA recently unveiled solar panel installations with a plan for 3,790 panels on the tops of its stores in North York, Vaughan and Etobicoke in Canada. The panels will generate roughly 960,000 kilowatt hours of power each year, according to the retailer. "It's good business," said Energy Minister Brad Duguid. "IKEA gets a rate of return on this, and at the same time they're helping us provide cleaner sources of energy in a location that's very close to the grid." The Toronto Star (07 Oct.) | Spotlight on Fashion | | | | - Fashion retailer Ted Baker reports profit increase
Ted Baker, a UK designer brand, reported a 25% increase in half-year profits, but stressed caution ahead of the holiday trading period. The company said sales of womenswear helped drive its performance. Ted Baker is planning to open new stores around the world, including Hong Kong, Paris and Manchester, in early 2011, in addition to new locations in New York and Chicago this year. Google/The Press Association (U.K.) (07 Oct.) | NRF News | | | | - How Sephora prepares its website for the holiday rush
Want to take the guesswork out of Web performance this holiday season? During an 14 Oct. STORES Knowledge Series webinar, Sephora's director of e-commerce, Melanie Lucas, will discuss the technology her company is using to minimise site abandonment and key metrics that have helped with holiday forecasting and planning. Learn more.
| SmartQuote | | | |  | The wise man questions the wisdom of others because he questions his own, the foolish man, because it is different from his own."
--Leo Stein,
American art collector and critic  |
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