| Global retail industry news |  |
- Subway surpasses McDonald's in terms of units
At the end of 2010, Subway had 33,749 restaurants around the world, surpassing the 32,737 McDonald's restaurants. Restaurant chains are increasingly turning to foreign markets, particularly in Asia, for growth. Don Fertman, chief development officer at Subway, said the company expects its international restaurant number to exceed that of its domestic number by 2020. The Wall Street Journal (08 Mar.)       - Target's move into Canada to affect retailers differently
Target and other major U.S. chains are preparing to enter the Canadian market, but how their moves will affect retailers varies, according to analysts. Reitmans, Joe Fresh, Le Chateau and other retailers that will compete most directly will face challenges. Convenience store operators, sporting goods stores and specialty retailers will be relatively unscathed. "Investors should take a look at the companies they own, scan the landscape, see who is coming and decide: Is it going to negatively impact them or not?" said Brian Yarbrough, an analyst at Edward Jones. Reuters (07 Mar.)  | Create a winning social-media strategy
Relying on luck and good intentions when developing your social-media approach can leave you with disparate, ineffective initiatives. Get the data you need to formulate a savvy social-media strategy that produces measurable results. Check out SmartBrief's State of Social Media for Business. |
 | Retail in Europe |  | | | - John Lewis plans to raise £50 million via bond issue
John Lewis, which is poised to release annual results this week, plans to issue a retail bond targeting customers and employees. The company has tapped the corporate bond market in the past, but this is the first time cardholders and staff have been specifically targeted. "We want to explore alternative ways of raising funds as part of the partnership's borrowing programme, and to reach out to the retail investor," said Charlie Mayfield, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership. The Guardian (London) (06 Mar.) | Retail in Asia | | | | - Indian retailers protest 10% tax on branded apparel
Clothing retailers in India, such as Shopper's Stop and Pantaloon Retail India, closed their doors on Monday to protest a 10% tax levied by the government on branded apparel. Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO of the Retailers Association of India, said that more than 10,000 stores across the nation were closed. Rahul Mehta, president of Clothing Manufacturers Association of India, said apparel makers are trying to meet with government officials to discuss the change. Business Standard (India) (08 Mar.), Bloomberg (07 Mar.) | E-commerce Spotlight | | | | - Privalia acquires Germany's Dress for Less
Privalia, the online fashion retailer, has struck a deal to acquire Dress for Less of Germany. Sources said the deal, which will create a global leader in online clothing sales, is worth as much as €200 million. Online clothing sales have surged during the economic downturn as shopping remotely has become easier. Reuters (07 Mar.) - Metro aims to kickstart online sales of electronics
Metro, the retailing giant based in Germany, is looking into acquiring an established online electronics retailer to jumpstart Internet sales of consumer electronics, a source said. Metro's MediaMarkt-Saturn division, the largest retailer of electronic goods in Europe, has struggled with its online sales. Reuters (07 Mar.) | Spotlight on Grocery | | | | - Australian senators question retailers about milk pricing
Coles recently triggered a price war by offering milk at AU$1 a litre, prompting rivals to follow. Woolworths is now striving to distance itself from the battle by acknowledging that the discounts will hurt dairy farmers. Coles has insisted that the discounts will not affect dairy farmers. ABC (Australia) (08 Mar.) | NRF News | | | | - U.S. retail container traffic to be up 11 percent in March
Import cargo volume at major U.S. retail container ports is expected to be up 11 percent in March over the same month last year, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released Monday by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett said recent political turmoil in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and elsewhere is driving up oil prices and will likely increase shipping costs. Read more.
| SmartQuote | | | |  | I have always wished that my computer would be as easy to use as my telephone. My wish has come true. I no longer know how to use my telephone."
--Bjarne Stroustrup,
Danish computer scientist  |
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