| Global retail industry news |  |
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 - H&M expected to report large drop in quarterly profit
Swedish retailer Hennes & Mauritz has been reluctant to say whether it will pass on increasing costs to consumers. As the retailer reports quarterly earnings this week, investors will get a glimpse into how it is dealing with the higher cost of cotton and other issues. "Value-for-money players such as H&M are likely to have a harder time offsetting rising sourcing costs with price increases than luxury goods dealers, because of differences in the nature of their customer bases," according to DnB NOR analyst Asgeir Birkeland. Reuters (29 Mar.)       - BC Partners to acquire Norway's Nille
BC Partners is planning to purchase Nille, the Norwegian discount retailer, from Herkules Capital in a deal valued at about €250 million, sources said. Nille's revenue has risen over the past five years to €170 million. The company, under the ownership of Herkules, has renovated its store concept and streamlined its logistics and sourcing. The company has also added about 100 stores, bringing its total to about 330. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (29 Mar.)  | Making a big change starts with keeping a small promise.
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 | Retail in Asia |  | | | - Starbucks' scale helps it cope with disaster, CEO says
Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, said the company can more easily deal with the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan earlier this month because of its scale. More than 10% of Starbucks' 900 outlets in Japan were closed following the natural disasters. "The impact financially will be diminished because of the size of Starbucks," Schultz said. "It's an extremely important market, not only for its size and profitability, but the emotional connection we have with the Japanese people." Bloomberg (30 Mar.) - Hugo Boss expects China to drive sales, earnings growth
Hugo Boss CEO Claus Dietrich Lahrs is optimistic about the German fashion house's prospects for 2011. The company expects sales and earnings to increase at least 12% and 15%, respectively, with the Chinese market driving much of the increases. "We closed 2010 with excellent results and have maintained this dynamic into the new year," Lahrs said. Reuters (29 Mar.)  | "Hypertension: Controlling the 'silent killer'" — This special report from the experts at Harvard Medical School lays out a step-by-step lifestyle program you can use to lower your blood pressure, improve your health and increase life expectancy. 30% off the cover price and free shipping for SmartBrief readers. Click here to order. |
 - Australia's Harvey Norman to delve into online retailing
Harvey Norman, the Australian retailing giant, is planning to launch an online store, according to Executive Chairman Gerry Harvey. "By this time next year you'll see Harvey Norman with a pretty sizable Internet presence. My heart's beating very strongly on whether we make any money out of it," Harvey said. "I haven't got any choice. I've got to cannibalise our stores." The Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia) (30 Mar.)  | The Print Big Save Big Sale. Save up to 55% on all banners. Affordable, custom-made signs, banners, posters and displays from FedEx Office Print & Ship Centers℠. Get your message out in a big way with everything from full-color banners to photo-quality posters, to yard signs, auto magnets and more. Offer ends 5/15. |
 | Spotlight on Luxury Goods | | | | - Versace's profit eases decision to remain independent
Versace, the Italian fashion house, reported an operating profit after a significant restructuring. The company's results helped to confirm its decision to stay independent, according to Gian Giacomo Ferraris, CEO of Versace. "We are building muscle for the future," he said. "The goal is to remain independent because the family owners say they want it to be private." The Wall Street Journal (29 Mar.) | NRF News | | | | - 6 trends to help you avoid the "race to the bottom"
In the opening session of INNOVATE '11, author and Wired Magazine founder Kevin Kelly shared his views on how to develop brands and products that succeed in an industry that sometimes "races to the bottom" with price points. Kelly shared six trends or movements in the digitally-empowered physical world of retail that impact how we interact with everything and everyone around us. Read more.
| SmartQuote | | | |  | Employment is nature's physician, and is essential to human happiness."
--Claudius Galen,
Greek physician  |
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