  | Global retail industry news |  |
- McDonald's reports 5.3% rise in like-for-like sales
McDonald's said that although its US sales rose just 3.1% in January, sales surged 7% in Europe. The global restaurant chain's sales in Asia, Africa and the Middle East rose 5.2%. The increase in Europe was driven by new products, including breakfast items. Bloomberg (08 Feb.)        | 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. |
 | Retail in Europe |  | | | - Effect of VAT increase all but nonexistent, BRC says
The British Retail Consortium said that the unusually high number of deals available following the holidays made the increase in the value-added tax negligible. "The VAT rise had little effect on shop prices in January," said Stephen Robertson, director general at the BRC. "Poor Christmas trading left retailers with stock to shift. The impact of the increase was almost entirely lost among the unusually high number of post-Christmas discounts and promotions." Google/The Press Association (U.K.) (09 Feb.) - John Lewis' service outweighs changes to price guarantee
John Lewis' "Never Knowingly Undersold" guarantee costs the UK department store chain millions of pounds annually. The retailer has been criticised for small tweaks to the price guarantee, such as the exclusion of products with different warranty periods. This blog post argues that John Lewis is moving with the times and still manages to provide excellent customer service. The Wall Street Journal/The Source blog (08 Feb.)  - Wal-Mart, Indonesia's Matahari are negotiating partnership
Wal-Mart Stores is in negotiations with Matahari Putra Prima over a partnership to develop the Indonesian retailer's hypermarts. South Korea's Lotte Shopping has withdrawn from the talks, sources said. Wal-Mart and Lotte, along with France's Casino Guichard Perrachon, were interested in acquiring Matahari's Hypermarket assets, but the company's owner decided against selling. Reuters (08 Feb.)  | Drive company revenue by simplifying IT strategies.
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 | E-commerce Spotlight | | | | - Online spending in Europe expected to exceed that of US
Online spending in Europe, which has a population of more than 500 million, is expected to reach $271.8 billion this year. Meanwhile, online shoppers in the US, which has a population of about 320 million, are forecast to spend about $192 billion, according to Kelkoo. Online fashion shopping has proven particularly popular, with more brands offering goods via the Internet. Inditex's Zara brand went online in September, and Hennes & Mauritz also has joined the Web party. Reuters (08 Feb.) | Spotlight on Luxury Goods | | | | - Dubai retailers surprised by upturn in luxury-goods sales
Retailers in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and industry observers are noting a sharp increase in luxury-goods sales, prompting a shift in strategy. "The upswing is gaining momentum, but since the whole luxury industry didn't expect the recovery to happen so fast, one of the problems we face now is getting stocks on time," said Abraham Koshy, group general manager for Rivoli. "There's this huge demand from China and India is seeing much the same, and from what I hear the US market [for luxury brands] is showing signs of improvement. The industry was geared for recession and its long aftermath, and the changes in the retail sentiments are taking everyone by surprise." Gulf News (United Arab Emirates) (08 Feb.) - Swatch aims to bolster sales by acquiring component makers
Nick Hayek, CEO at Swatch Group, said the largest watchmaker in the world is looking into purchasing component makers to help boost annual sales to $10.5 billion. "There are some companies around that would deserve better management, and if we would take them over, it would be added value for these companies and their shareholders," Hayek said. Bloomberg (08 Feb.) | NRF News | | | | - Urban Outfitters, Arcadia Group, The Container Store execs honored
The retail industry honored three retail legends at the Annual Retail Industry Luncheon. Glen Senk of Urban Outfitters took home Retail Innovator of the Year, Sir Phillip Green of the Arcadia Group was awarded International Retailer of the Year, and Kip Tindell of The Container Store was named Gold Medal Winner for 2011. Read more.
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