  | Global retail industry news |  |
- International brands prepare to open stores in Sydney
Spain's Zara, Japan's Uniqlo, the UK's Topshop and other international brands are preparing to enter the Australian market with stores initially targeting Sydney. The global retailers are expected to continue opening outlets in Australia. "Zara, Topshop and F21 will not come to Australia from as far away as Spain, UK and the US just to open one or two stores in Australia. They will open more and more, including outside the CBD in well-to-do suburbs," said Alex Alamsyah, associate director at Knight Frank. The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) (14 Apr.)       - Costa Coffee draws up aggressive expansion plans
UK-based Costa Coffee is preparing to battle other major coffee retailers in India as the market there expands. "In any case, we are fighting them in 26 countries and we will also fight them here", said Santhosh Unni, chief executive officer at Costa Coffee. The company plans to significantly increase the number of stores it operates over the next three years. Business Standard (India) (15 Apr.)  | New Strategies for Inside Sales Success. A specialized process helps your team win new business, close more sales in less time, and build lasting customer relationships. Find out how to overcome inside sales challenges and meet your business goals. Download the free research report now. |
 - Carrefour reports 3.9% increase in quarterly sales
Carrefour, the French retailing giant, said first-quarter sales reached €24.7 billion, a 3.9% increase from the same period the previous year. The retailer's figures were helped by the fast-growing markets of China and Brazil. Meanwhile, consumer consumption in Western Europe remains weak. Carrefour said it is on track to convert nearly 100 hypermarkets across Europe to its new format, Carrefour Planet, by the end of 2011. The Wall Street Journal (14 Apr.), MarketWatch (14 Apr.), Bloomberg (14 Apr.) - Dixons plans to close all PC City stores in Spain
Dixons Retail, which has already issued a couple of profit warnings this year, has decided to shut down its network of PC City stores in Spain. The company also plans to close its head office in Spain. "This decision has been made due to a continuing weak consumer environment and continuing losses of the business, together with the group's plans to focus on combined electrical and computing stores," Dixons said. Telegraph (London) (14 Apr.)  - Japan's Aeon predicts 1.5% increase in annual profit
Aeon, one of the largest retailers in Japan, expects demand for basic goods will help cushion the blow from the decline following the earthquake and tsunami on March 11. The natural disasters, along with the ongoing nuclear crisis, have dampened consumer sentiment in Japan and are expected to reduce discretionary spending. Reuters (14 Apr.) - Analysis: India should dismantle barriers to foreign investment
Policymakers know India needs more foreign direct investment, but the pace at which they are removing barriers to it can be described only as glacial, according to The Economist. Among the biggest beneficiaries would be the primitive and inefficient retail sector, which wastes a quarter of all fruits and vegetables before they reach customers. "Given the huge benefits that liberalisation could bring to India's 1.2 billion people, the government should pluck up courage and fling wide the gates," the magazine noted. The Economist (14 Apr.), The Telegraph (Calcutta, India) (14 Apr.)  | Tokenization is more than a security measure and more than a cost savings technique. It can be used to build your business. This white paper discusses the ways tokens can be used in back-end business operations to develop powerful marketing programs. |
 - Investors pour millions into Russia's KupiVIP
KupiVIP, an online shopping specialist in Russia, said private equity groups have invested $55 million in the company as they seek exposure to the rapidly growing market. "Russia is one of the most exciting Internet markets anywhere -- currently number two in Europe in terms of users and soon to overtake Germany, with 35 percent year-on-year e-commerce growth," said Dharmash Mistry, partner at Balderton Capital, one of the investors. ForexYard/Reuters (14 Apr.)  | Help protect your employees by managing business travel risks with Zurich's white paper 'Managing the Risks of Business Travel: What every business needs to know'. Click here for the FREE download! |
 | Spotlight on Fashion |  | | | - Templeman to resign as CEO of Debenhams after 8 years
Debenhams said CEO Rob Templeman will retire later this year. The announcement follows Debenhams' reporting of half-year results showing the retailer had weathered the challenging holiday season. Michael Sharp, deputy CEO, will succeed Templeman. "Michael and I have worked together extremely closely for eight years and I know that he has the talent and experience to lead Debenhams forward," Templeman said. "I will remain fully engaged in managing the business until I pass on the baton to Michael in September and look forward to continuing my involvement for another year after that as Michael and the board see fit." Telegraph (London) (14 Apr.), The Guardian (London) (14 Apr.), Bloomberg (14 Apr.) - J.Crew plans to launch in Britain, CEO says
Mickey Drexler, chief executive officer at J.Crew, said the company is planning to open an online store for British consumers and "then we'll figure out where we put stores." J.Crew waded into the UK market last year by offering its apparel on Net-A-Porter.com. Telegraph (London) (14 Apr.) | NRF News | | | | - U.S. retail sales rise for ninth straight month
From clothing and electronics to home furnishings and building materials, U.S. retail sales in March increased for the ninth straight month, signaling a confident -- yet cautious -- consumer. According to NRF, retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) for March increased 0.6% seasonally adjusted from February and 3.9% unadjusted year over year. "While current indicators point to a more confident consumer, increasing gas prices and a cramped job market could hamper consumer spending during the upcoming summer months, a key time of year for retailers," said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. Read more.
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YouTube's 88.6 million daily viewers make it a valuable tool for businesses and entrepreneurs, said the University of Texas' Qian Tang at South by Southwest Interactive. The network has a number of uses, such as showcasing talents and listing job openings, that users can take advantage of, Tang says. 
