| Global retail industry news |  |
| Global Industry Watch |  |  | | - Will Nordstrom's arrival shake up Canada's retail arena?
Nordstrom's reputation for over-the-top customer service may spur changes at Canada's luxury retail brands as the high-end US department store opens four planned locations in Canada during the next few years, experts say. "Retailing in these cities and across Canada will change after Nordstrom comes to town," said Robert Spector, a retail consultant and author of "The Nordstrom Way to Customer Service Excellence." The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (06 Aug.)      | Retail in Europe | | | | - Europe's consumers tighten their purse strings
Consumers across Europe are boosting their bargain hunting at the grocery store, putting off big-ticket purchases and turning to the Internet to find better deals. "Worries about money are chipping away at consumer loyalty to brands," said Daphne Kasriel, a consumer-trends analyst at Euromonitor. "This thrift mind-set is here to stay." The Wall Street Journal (05 Aug.) - London merchants lost when locals stayed away
London officials were too effective in their pleas for residents to work from home to keep the city from gridlock during the Olympics -- stores and restaurants saw a significant drop in business last week and cab drivers' revenue was down between 20% and 40%. The New West End Company, which represents businesses on Oxford, Bond and Regent streets, will launch a "Welcome Back London" campaign this week to encourage residents to return. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (03 Aug.) - Some Bond Street merchants fear Victoria's Secret
The Bond Street Association says some of the reserved high-end retailers it represents may be concerned about the type of shoppers likely to be attracted to the area when Victoria's Secret opens its first shop there later this month. Lingerie sales in the UK have remained strong even during the downturn, as women turn to high-end undies as an affordable luxury, says brand analyst Edith Youngblood. The Telegraph (London) (05 Aug.) - Report: Chinese consumers opt for foreign brands
All of the top five and most of the top 10 most-recognized brands in China come from other parts of the world, including Chanel, which made the list for the first time, according to Nielsen and trade magazine Campaign Asia-Pacific. Apple topped the list, and Starbucks came in at No. 10. China Daily (Beijing) (06 Aug.)  | Learn about Xerox® solid ink and enter to win
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 | E-commerce Spotlight | | | | - PPR partners with Yoox to sell brands online
Luxury brand conglomerate PPR has teamed with Italian e-commerce company Yoox on a joint venture to create single-brand online stores to sell PPR's brands around the globe. The brands include Bottega Veneta, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga and Sergio Rossi, with the first stores slated to launch by the end of the year. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (05 Aug.) - Amazon on track to outpace Wal-Mart, says former ASDA chief
Amazon is on track to overtake larger retail rival Wal-Mart as online retail increasingly shapes the way global consumers shop, said former ASDA chief Andy Bond. "Almost certainly Amazon will have toppled, or at least be vying with, Wal-Mart for the top slot in 2020. 10 years ago people would have said that was ridiculous," said Bond, now chairman of online bicycle retailer Wiggle. The Telegraph (London) (05 Aug.) | Spotlight on Mass Merchandise | |  | | |  | - Locally made products win market share in China
Domestic consumer brands are stealing market share from multinational firms in China despite sometimes costing significantly more than imports. Foreign brands are no longer automatically seen as higher quality than homegrown products thanks, in part, to more sophisticated marketing. That means foreign firms "will have to fight harder for shelf space and fight harder to differentiate from domestic brands," says analyst Ben Cavender. The Wall Street Journal (05 Aug.) - Olympic mascots keep Chinese factory afloat
Yancheng Rainbow Arts and Crafts in China's Jiangsu province started 15 years ago and grew rapidly between 2002 and 2008, but recent changes including increased worker pay and the depreciation of the US dollar have led to slower orders this year. Orders for about 500,000 stuffed Olympics mascots kept the factory going this year, but Chairman Gu Feng worries that cheaper Southeast Asian factories will win the business in four years. China Daily (Beijing) (04 Aug.)  | Top 5 HR Compliance Concerns for Small Business
Small and medium sized companies spend a lot of time focusing on core business issues, but they may overlook one of the most potentially serious and costly issues — regulatory compliance. How do you know what issues to look for in order to protect the company? Download this must-read paper that discusses the top 5 HR compliance issues. |
 | NRF News | | | | - How cloud technology can revolutionize the supply chain
In the retail supply chain, it's essential to know what's going on and what is where at any given moment. At NRF's Global Supply Chain Summit in Atlanta, GT Nexus co-founder and CMO Greg Johnsen explained how cloud technology is changing the supply chain industry and presented steps for easing your company into this very complex solution. Read more. Retail's BIG Blog (08 May.)
| SmartQuote | | | |  | Success is sweet and sweeter if long delayed and gotten through many struggles and defeats."
--Amos Bronson Alcott,
American educator, writer and reformer  |
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