  | Global retail industry news |  |
| Global Industry Watch |  |  | | - Joe Fresh plans to open 20 stores in Canada
Joe Fresh, the clothing brand now sold in Loblaw superstores, plans four stand-alone stores this year in Canada, and eventually will open 20. The stores will help raise the profile of Joe Fresh and will be a test of its competitive ability, according to industry experts. "It will add to their brand cachet," said Kaileen Millard-Ruff of Synovate Canada. "Other brands, like Nike, Hanes and Levis, found by opening their own stores, they could build brand loyalty." The Toronto Star/The Canadian Press (19 Jan.)      - Retailers ready promotions for Dubai festival
Retailers will offer discounts, airline tickets, electronic gadgets and free shopping vouchers during the Dubai Shopping Festival. "The DSF traditionally contributes at least 50 per cent more than the average monthly sale and we feel this year will be no different. The prices will be competitive and the offers enticing. We will also have exciting promotions with each of the brands we represent," said Niranjan Gidwani, deputy CEO at Eros Group. Khaleej Times (United Arab Emirates) (19 Jan.) - Retail sales in South Africa accelerate
Growth in South Africa's retail sales reached an annual rate of 7.8% in November, up from 6.5% in October, according to Statistics South Africa. The data "may finally signal the return of the South African consumer," said Razia Khan of Standard Chartered. "Given the strength of this number, and the likelihood that we see further gains in the months to come, it seems highly unlikely that the Reserve Bank will ease again in this cycle." Bloomberg (19 Jan.) | Retail in Europe | | | | - Strength of Swiss franc prompts watchmakers to boost prices
The Swiss franc has risen 7% against the US dollar and 16% against the euro over the past year, squeezing margins for Swiss companies. Watchmakers are planning to raise prices, with the first increasess expected in April. "We are definitely going to increase our prices to defend the margin. That is the business, what powers the company," said Philippe Leopold-Metzger, CEO of Piaget. The Wall Street Journal (19 Jan.) | Retail in Asia | | | | - South Korea's retail market seen as shifting toward hypermarkets
A report by PriceWaterhouseCoopers found that retail sales in South Korea are expected to rise by about 2% annually through 2014 after growing less than 1 percentage point in 2010. "Nonetheless, Korea is home to one of Asia's most dynamic and largest retail markets, ranking fourth in U.S. dollar terms behind Japan, China and India, and a relatively wealthy population," the report said. About 70% of the market is currently made up of small stores, but it is seen as shifting toward hypermarkets. The Korea Times (19 Jan.) - Australian retailers not capitalising on online sales, experts say
Analysts and online retail professionals say Australia's retailers face challenges that prevent them from capitalising on the consumer shift toward increased online shopping. An online survey by Forrester found that retailers struggled to recruit and retain skilled e-commerce employees. "There definitely is a shortage of e-commerce experts in Australia," said Daniel Feiler, head of communications at eBay Australia. "While the e-commerce sector overseas has been steadily growing and getting better only a few players here have invested in it." The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) (20 Jan.) - Easy-to-use site, free delivery give ASOS its edge, exec says
ASOS, the online fashion retailer, reported a 59% increase in quarterly UK sales, prompting questions about the secret to its success. "It is very simple; the site is beautiful, it's easy to use, and delivery is free," said Rob Bready, product and trading director at ASOS. "We recently changed our strapline from 'The Online Fashion Store' to 'Discover Fashion Online', because of the breadth of what we offer." Telegraph (London) (19 Jan.)  | Each year U.S businesses spend trillions of dollars on goods and services. Focus Research empowers buyers to spend their budget wisely by offering easily accessible and trustworthy information on vendors that support small and mid-size business operations. Download this free whitepaper that compares leading CRM vendors to ensure you choose what's best for your organization. |
 | Spotlight on Consumer Electronics | | | | - Kesa reports decline in sales over holiday period
Kesa, a leading consumer electronics retailer in Europe, warned that profit will likely be at the low end of market expectations as it posted a drop in holiday season sales. Kesa, which owns the Darty chain in France and the Comet chain in the UK, said severe winter weather contributed to the sales decline. "While trading at Darty France remains robust, given the current trading in the UK and the developing businesses we currently expect adjusted profit before tax for the current year to be ahead of last year and towards the lower end of market expectations," Kesa said. The Guardian (London) (19 Jan.) , Reuters (19 Jan.) | NRF News | | | | - Cynthia Rowley, ideeli execs define the "luxury newcomer"
Since Q2 of 2009, luxury fashion spending has outpaced overall fashion spending in the U.S., according to a panel at Retail's BIG Show. So who exactly are these retail luxury newcomers? In a recent post on Retail's BIG Blog, executives from Cynthia Rowley and ideeli detail who these new shoppers are and how they shop. Read more.
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