  | Global retail industry news |  |
- US retail prices rise to pay for China's labor
Labor costs at China's factories have risen substantially as the country's economy has grown, driving price increases on US imports this year. Prices for Chinese imports were up 3.9% last month over the previous year, with higher increases in certain categories where China accounts for up to 80% of imports, including shoes and luggage. The Wall Street Journal (14 Dec.)      - SuperGroup CEO calls rivals' discounts "a big mistake"
SuperGroup CEO Julian Dunkerton said the next two weeks will be key for the company's Superdry fashion brand, but the chain doesn't plan to institute deep discounts to bring in holiday shoppers, despite a drop in shopper traffic. "There is a lot of discounting going on and we don't do that. If you have got it right, sales are OK-to-good –- but I don't think it is brilliant for anybody." The Guardian (London) (14 Dec.)  | Voice of the Customer is not just about surveys anymore.
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 - UK retail sales decline in November
Sales at UK retailers fell more than expected in November, declining 0.4% from the previous month as consumers opted to save rather than spend despite merchants' holiday promotions, according to a report released Thursday by the Office for National Statistics. Bloomberg (15 Dec.) - UK holiday price wars heat up among toy sellers
Holiday toy-price wars are a tradition in the UK, and the battle is hotter than ever this season as a growing field of players fight it out for fewer consumer dollars. Retailers including Amazon and Wal-Mart's ASDA have dropped some prices as much as 50%, and ASDA's ads include direct price comparisons with rival Argos. Bloomberg (14 Dec.) - Morrisons to add 7,000 new UK jobs next year
Morrisons plans to open 25 new stores and develop its manufacturing and logistics operations next year, moves expected to create about 7,000 jobs in the UK, the company said Wednesday. The chain, which added 6,000 employees this year, saw its focus on lower prices and promotions pay off in higher third-quarter sales. Reuters (14 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. |
 - Watsons to open 2,000 stores in China by 2016
Health-and-beauty retail chain Watsons plans to open about 2,000 new stores in mainland China during the next five years, with a goal of operating 3,000 shops by the end of 2016. The company, which opened its first store in China in 1989, plans to expand in smaller towns throughout the country as well as growing its presence in major cities. China Daily (Beijing) (13 Dec.) - Asia's consumers give Inditex a boost
Zara parent Inditex reported a 9.5% increase in net sales in the nine months ending Oct. 31, driven largely by rapid growth in China and other Asian markets. The Madrid-based company, which owns eight fashion brands including Bershka and Massimo Dutti, opened 79 new stores in China during the period and now operates 250 shops there. The Wall Street Journal (14 Dec.)  | Consumer Insights Your Brand Needs to Know: Latest Trends in Behavioral Advertising
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 | Spotlight on Consumer Electronics |  |  | | |  | - Best Buy's profit pinch could spread to Canada
US-based Best Buy has seen its profit margins shrink with a sales-boosting holiday strategy that's heavy on discounting. The strategy isn't as pronounced in Canada, but that's likely to change as rivals including Amazon and Wal-Mart increase their efforts to compete and Target enters the market in 2013, some industry watchers say. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (13 Dec.)  | What if there was a gold mine of data that was going untapped by your data decision-making programs? Today, the role of video can extend far beyond security. Data gathered from video surveillance can now help decision makers actually grow a business rather than just protect it. Download this free white paper and learn how video analytics can translate to competitive advantage. |
 | NRF News | |  | | - U.S. retail container traffic to be up slightly in December as retailers finish holiday season
Import cargo volume at the nation's major retail container ports should be up 0.3% in December compared with the same month last year as retailers head to the finish line of the holiday shopping season, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by NRF. "The uptick we're expecting for December isn't large at all but it comes after several months where retailers had reduced their imports from last year, so it's a positive sign by comparison," NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. Read more.
| SmartQuote | | | |  | You'll never plow a field by turning it over in your mind."
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Looking to build a Facebook community? It's worth exploring the many engagement-fostering Facebook applications on the market, writes Andrea Vahl. Apps such as Booshaka, NetworkedBlogs, Post Planner and ContactMe make it easier than ever to engage your users and ensure your page is always full of fresh content. 
Bosses need to give their employees a sense of ownership in the projects they undertake, writes Underground Elephant founder Jason Kulpa. "Put employees in your shoes, saddle them with a taste of your responsibility and reward them at the level of which you'd expect to be rewarded," he writes. 
The 21 marketers participating in the limited launch of Twitter's brand pages are finding some innovative ways to provide custom content. PepsiCo is inviting users to comment on "The X Factor," Hewlett-Packard is showcasing tweets from followers, GE has a video of "140 Things We Made Yesterday" and movie studios are providing trailers. As PepsiCo digital chief Shiv Singh says, "[Twitter] is starting to take tentative but very interesting steps into being more of a destination instead of just a conversation platform." 
