  | Global retail industry news |  |
- International retailers seek foothold in Dubai
American Eagle Outfitters, Limited Brands and other international retailers are betting that consumer confidence in Dubai will continue to be desirable. Dubai's retail sales have risen roughly 10% this year. "There are more people in the malls here in Dubai than anywhere else in the world," said Sheeraz Hasan, founder of Millions of Milkshakes. "We wanted to show the West that Dubai is the place to be." Bloomberg (28 Aug.)      - Harvey Norman posts 9% jump in profits but warns on outlook
Harvey Norman, the Australian department store chain, reported a 9% increase in full-year profit but warned that the outlook appears challenging. Investors welcomed the profit rise, but owner Gerry Harvey said the company needs to return to doubling its profits every three years. "I'm not happy with what we're doing. I'm trying to figure out ways that we can improve diversifying into other things to try and make some money as opposed to selling TVs where you can't make any money," Harvey said. ABC (Australia) (30 Aug.), News.com.au (Australia) (30 Aug.)  | How to Get the Package You Need—Without Breaking the Bank
A robust benefits package can be the difference between someone choosing to work with you versus a more established competitor. But with the cost of benefits rising each year, providing a benefits package that helps you attract, retain and motivate talented people gets harder all the time. Download, 5 Ways To Manage The Rising Costs of Benefits. |
 - England rugby player Wilkinson to launch clothing brand
Jonny Wilkinson, the English rugby player, and his brother Mark are planning to introduce a line of clothing called Fineside. "It has been a combination of huge excitement and almost joy at the fact that having been so obsessive about one part of my life, I now have something I feel that tinge of obsession about, that passion for, and knowing that it will be there for the rest of my life," Wilkinson said about his shift from rugby into fashion. The Telegraph (London) (29 Aug.)  | The business phone system market is constantly changing. Vendors are battling for your business with expanded feature sets and competitive pricing. How do you know which system is right for your enterprise-class business? Focus Experts have just completed a comprehensive guide for 2011 to help you assess your needs and choose a phone system that fits. |
 - Philippine retailers brace for increased competition
Philippine Retailers Association Chairman Bernie Liu said foreign brands are upping the stakes for merchants in the Philippines. "As the west is slowing down, more and more foreign brands are looking at new markets and a lot of them are looking at Asia," Liu said. "A lot of our local brands will have to brace themselves and compete with the foreign brands and we see that coming." The Manila Times (Philippines) (30 Aug.) - Jewellers in India offer shoppers gold investment plans
The surging price of gold has prompted leading jewellery retailers in India to offer plans that encourage consumers to invest in gold through small purchases. "The scheme will encourage people to invest small amounts into gold every day, rather than being locked into a price every month," said Bijou Kurien, president and CEO of lifestyle at Reliance Retail. "On maturity, they can buy gold at the prevailing rate or get the quantity (grams or fractions) they locked into periodically for the past one year. The details of the scheme will be announced shortly." The Economic Times (India) (29 Aug.)  - Commentary: European online retailing becomes more like US market
Columnist Jack Love explains how Europe's e-commerce market has traditionally differed from that in the US. In Europe, online retailing has been dominated by large store chains, while in the US, pure-play or Internet-only retailers have driven the market. However, Europe's market is now starting to shift to look more like the American market, Love writes. InternetRetailer.com (29 Aug.)  | Technology Solutions |  |  | | | Spotlight on Grocery | | | | - DIA posts 10% increase in first-half earnings
DIA, the third-largest hard discount grocer in the world, reported first-half earnings were up 10% despite tough trading conditions in Europe. DIA's results were helped by an expansion of certain store formats and strong growth in emerging markets. Reuters (30 Aug.) - Heinz scrutinises market power of Woolworths and Coles
HJ Heinz says that Coles and Woolworths have fostered an "inhospitable environment" for suppliers in Australia due to their dominance of the market. "This is, as many of our peers have talked about, it is a very difficult environment," said Arthur Winkleblack, chief financial officer and executive vice president at Heinz. "With it being such a difficult market, we're going to take the measures that we need to do to address that." The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) (30 Aug.) | NRF News | | | | - Which cloud is the right one?
Cloud computing can lower costs and offers flexible bandwidth, but determining which services are right for your company can be a challenge. In an upcoming ARTS Users' Conference workshop session, attendees will evaluate the full range of cloud capabilities and learn how to select the right services for their needs. The workshop, to be held Sept. 27 in Orlando, is a precursor to the ARTS Users Conference and is open to both retailers and solution providers. Learn more.
| SmartQuote | | | |  | If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in five years there'd be a shortage of sand."
--Milton Friedman,
American economist and Nobel Prize recipient  |
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