H&M's China plans call for expansion to smaller cities

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06 December 2011 Sign up Forward Archive Advertise Global retail industry news   Global Industry Watch    H&M's China plans call for expansion to smaller cities Swedish apparel retailer Hennes & Mauritz operates 64 stores in China, its most profitable market, and plans to continue expanding there despite beefed up competition from rivals including Zara and Uniqlo. The plan calls for new stores in the large cities where it now operates as well as expansion into slightly smaller towns. The Wall Street Journal (05 Dec.)      Esprit CFO to step down in June Esprit Holdings Chief Financial Officer Chew Fook Aun will resign from his post with the Hong Kong-based fashion retailer on June 1. A strategic overhaul of the company requires the CFO to do extensive traveling to Europe, which Aun is unable to do for personal reasons, the company said. The Wall Street Journal (05 Dec.)      Key Steps Business Owners Should Know About Successful International Payments. This American Express® guide helps you streamline FX payments. Includes FX payment provider profile, how to simplify payments, and insightful FAQ.   Retail in Europe    UK shoppers held back in November UK retailers saw a 1.6% decline in like-for-like sales in November, compared to the same month last year, according to a report from the British Retail Consortium, marking the biggest drop since May. Overall, retail sales rose 0.7% for the month. "The weakest increase in sales for six months suggests consumers are keeping a tight rein on their spending, despite Christmas being so near," said BRC general director Stephen Robertson. Bloomberg (05 Dec.), The Observer (London) (05 Dec.)      Improve Holiday Sales Results with Tools from Akamai! Now is the perfect time to ensure your website will hold up to the rush of holiday shoppers headed your way. With the challenges facing retailers this holiday shopping season, it's never too soon to focus. Download Akamai's Holiday Toolkit now!   Retail in Asia    Rising incomes, young population boost retail in Pakistan Pakistan's retail scene is changing as consumers' incomes rise and a younger population raised on the Internet and Western movies clamor for all things American. The Port Grand shopping promenade in Karachi, a $23 million mall that opened in May, brings in throngs of young people eager for US-style quickservice meals and Western-inspired fashions. Bloomberg Businessweek (01 Dec.)      China's regulators crack down on TV shopping shows Regulators in China have banned 19 TV shopping programs, saying the shows' creators have less than the 10 million yuan in registered capital required under a law passed in 2009. The law, which also requires TV shopping companies to have a regular operation venue and distribution channels, was enacted to protect consumers from fraud. China Daily (Beijing) (05 Dec.)      Are your ATMs at risk of "Skimming"? It's a costly crime that is sometimes hard to identify. Download this 6-page brief from 3VR to understand skimming and how to prevent it.   E-commerce Spotlight    UK online shopping set to hit record highs Monday was on track to be the biggest online holiday shopping day in the UK, with consumers spending £19 million per hour or £456 million for the day. British consumers are expected to spend about 350 million hours shopping online this season, a 15% increase over last year, according to Experian Hitwise. The Telegraph (London) (04 Dec.), The Daily Mail (London) (05 Dec.)      Clarks launches first mobile shoe-selling site UK footwear chain Clarks has launched its first shopping site optimized for mobile. Users typing in the website address on their mobiles are automatically directed to the m-commerce site, which features a prominently displayed site-search box to cater to mobile users who typically log on to find specific products rather than browse. InternetRetailer.com (05 Dec.)      Get the Information That Leads to Higher Sales Learn how a 0.1 percent increase in employee engagement generated more than $100,000 in one store's income when you download the white paper HR and Payroll - Achieving Accountability, Transparency in Retail. A unified HR and payroll system gives you high-quality data you can use to serve customers better.   Spotlight on Grocery    Grocers in Abu Dhabi must upgrade under new rules As India's government put plans to allow increased investment by foreign retailers on hold, supermarkets and convenience stores in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi dealt with different new rules also sparked by the increased presence of foreign retailers. New rules require supermarkets and convenience stores to upgrade and renovate their stores to the same standards used by foreign companies such as Carrefour or lose their licenses to operate. The National (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) (06 Dec.)      Report: Sainsbury's, Co-op set to win on values other than price Sainsbury's and The Co-operative are the chains most likely to win shoppers from rivals with marketing messages that stress "community" and "pleasure" values over price, according to a new report from Starcom MediaVest. MarketingWeek.co.uk (U.K) (free content) (02 Dec.)      Web sales, discount chains to drive grocery sales Discount chains, convenience stores and online supermarkets are the fastest growing grocery channels in the UK and are on track to boost the value of the market by 20% in the next five years, according to IGD. Online food sales are predicted to see the biggest jump, with average annual increases of 14%. The Grocer (U.K.) (05 Dec.)      Principles of Checkweighing - Building an Effective Program This essential guide is an invaluable resource of checkweighing information and a definitive reference providing an insight into all aspects of checkweighing from basic principles to implementation of a comprehensive program. Request your free copy now!   NRF News  Are you a retail supply chain expert? Prove it. NRF is seeking supply chain experts to share insights at its Global Supply Chain Summit, held May 6-8, 2012 in Atlanta. The annual event brings senior executives together to discuss current issues in supply chain management, including a focus on the regulatory environment, corporate social responsibility and global trade management. The deadline to submit a proposal is Dec. 9. Learn more.      Join NRF  |  NRF Events  |  FIRAE  |  STORES  |  Training and Certification   SmartQuote  Fortunately for serious minds, a bias recognized is a bias sterilized." --Benjamin Haydon, British painter and writer        This SmartBrief was created for cpgbrokers.data@blogger.com   Subscriber Tools       Update account information | Change e-mail address | Unsubscribe | Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Grab our News Widget Publish your Press Release   Advertise Associate Publisher:  Dena Malouf (202) 407-7838 Download Media Kit       Recent NRF Global SmartBrief Issues: Monday, 5 Dec 2011 Friday, 2 Dec 2011 Thursday, 1 Dec 2011 Wednesday, 30 Nov 2011 Tuesday, 29 Nov 2011     Lead Editor:  Liz DeHoff       Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 USA     © 1999-2011 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information

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