Ripley plans to enter third market in Latin America

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29 April 2011 Sign up Forward Archive Advertise Global retail industry news   Global Industry Watch    Australia's Swan notes weak consumer spending Wayne Swan, Australia's treasurer, said weak consumer spending is expected to continue as shoppers rein in their spending. "Retail across the board is weaker now and it's weaker because we are still living with the hangover of the global recession," Swan said. "People are not spending as much at the shops as they used to, they are saving more and that is certainly impacting the retail sector." The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model)/Dow Jones Newswires (28 Apr.) Whitbread boss outlines expansion plan for Costa Coffee Andy Harrison, the new boss at Whitbread, is working on an aggressive five-year expansion plan for both Costa Coffee and Premier Inn. Harrison said he plans for Costa Coffee to have more than 3,500 outlets globally in the next five years. He has boosted the group's budget for opening new outlets to £350 million. The Guardian (London) (28 Apr.) As eCommerce has grown to represent a significant percentage of retail sales and profits, merchants should consider payment strategies that can enhance their online services, open new markets and protect the bottom line. Download this free white paper to learn more.   Retail in Europe    Germany's Lidl bolsters Bulgarian network to 37 stores Lidl, the discount supermarket chain based in Germany, has increased its presence in Bulgaria by three stores and is planning to add another three stores by the end of the year. Lidl opened its first supermarket in Bulgaria in November 2010 and now has a presence in 28 of the country's cities. The Sofia Echo (Bulgaria) (28 Apr.) Lion Capital in final negotiations to acquire AllSaints The private-equity firm Lion Capital is in final talks to acquire a majority stake in the struggling clothing retailer AllSaints. Once the agreement is finalized, Lion will own roughly 75% of the UK retailer. The Guardian (London) (28 Apr.), Telegraph (London) (28 Apr.) Retail sales in Ireland drop as economy remains fragile Excluding auto sales, retail sales in Ireland dropped 3.5% in March compared with the same month the previous year. "The latest trends do nothing to alter our view that consumer spending will decline 2% this year," said Goodbody economist Juliet Tennant. The Irish Times (Dublin) (28 Apr.), Reuters (28 Apr.) Are you keeping up with the changing world of employee health care? Get The Basics of Employee Health Care for Small Business: A Guide to Creating a Company Benefit Plan, and find out what you need to know today. There's no obligation. Click to download a FREE whitepaper.   Retail in Asia    Ashley Furniture CEO discusses plans for stores in China Ashley Furniture is following the lead of Ethan Allen and other US-based companies in opening retail shops in China. Todd Wanek, chief executive officer at Ashley, explains the retailer's approach to China and also discusses efforts in other markets, such as Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia, Costa Rico and Mexico. Furniture Today (28 Apr.) Seven Communication Mistakes Managers Make Management communications can derail in many ways, from simple bad timing to multi-layered misjudgments. This Harvard Management Update describes seven common mistakes managers make in their efforts to convey important information to employees and, more importantly, how to avoid them. Order here.   Retail in Latin America  Ripley plans to enter third market in Latin America Chilean department-store operator Ripley said it plans to expand its business, which includes stores in Peru, to a third Latin American country. "We haven't defined which country yet," said Chairman Felipe Lamarca. "We are looking at all of the countries of the region and we won't be crossing the oceans." Juan Diuana, chief financial officer at Ripley, said the retailer has budgeted about $950 million over the next three years for investment. Bloomberg (28 Apr.) Mexico's Chedraui reports 13.6% rise in quarterly income Grupo Comercial Chedraui, which debuted on the Mexican stock market last year, said quarterly profit increased to 360 million pesos. The figure was driven by new store openings as well as a small increase in same-store sales. Sales in the retailer's US stores surged nearly 40%. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model)/Dow Jones Newswires (28 Apr.), Reuters (28 Apr.)   E-commerce Spotlight  EBay's acquisitions feed hyper-local strategy in global market Four recent acquisitions by eBay are aimed at helping the online marketplace ramp up its local offerings. This month, eBay bought Where, a location-based mobile ad and listing service for local stores, restaurants and other businesses, and acquired a majority stake in GittiGidiyor, a Turkish online marketplace modeled on eBay. TheStreet.com (27 Apr.)   Spotlight on Fashion  Alexon posts profit as turnaround programme starts to work Alexon, the womenswear retailer, reported a profit of £86,000 in the year that ended 29 Jan. The profit followed a £14.3 million loss in the previous year. The company predicts that its turnaround plan will allow it to weather the current woes afflicting retailers. CEO Jane McNally said there was "a real opportunity to further increase profitability." Google/The Press Association (U.K.) (28 Apr.) Other News Esprit's sales figures depend on foreign exchange rates Reuters (28 Apr.) Swedish retailer H&M to open its first store in Utah The Salt Lake Tribune (Utah) (28 Apr.)   NRF News  How secure is your customer data? According to Forrester Research, in the aftermath of a data security breach, companies experience customer losses of 8% to 10%. With the proper infrastructure in place, reputation damage can be avoided altogether. In an upcoming STORES Knowledge Series webinar on 19 May, Andrew Wagoner, senior security engineer for Del SecureWorks, will discuss the tools available to detect and prevent attacks throughout your retail environment. Learn more. 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