| Global retail industry news |  |
- Canada's Shoppers Drug Mart struggles with multiple issues
Shoppers Drug Mart, the largest drug-store retailer in Canada, is dealing with tough new laws on generic drugs and the abrupt departure of Jurgen Schreiber, the company's CEO. The company is also facing increased competition from other retailers that are expanding into the pharmacy business. The issues are causing the company's brand to lose a bit of its steam. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (29 Mar.)        | Retail in Europe |  | | | - Co-operative Group says no consumer spending recovery soon
The Co-operative Group said that consumer spending in Britain will not likely recover until 2012. "We had hoped to see signs of economic recovery by the start of 2011, but the downturn is clearly biting deeper than we had expected. We now anticipate challenging trading conditions through to the end of this year and into 2012," said Peter Marks, CEO of the mutual retailer. Telegraph (London) (31 Mar.) | Retail in Asia | | | | - HP to open experience centre in Beijing
HP, the US-based technology firm, announced it will launch its first experience centre in Beijing this week to enhance communication between the company's products and consumers in Asia. Jos Brenkel, a senior executive with HP's information product group, said the company will open experience centres across Southeast Asia and China. ChinaRetailNews.com (29 Mar.) | Retail in Latin America | | | | - Mexico's Soriana sets aggressive expansion plan, CFO says
Soriana, one of the largest retailers in Mexico, is planning to expand aggressively as the country recovers from its economic downturn. Aurelio Adan, chief financial officer at Soriana, was optimistic about sales despite sluggish consumer spending. The supermarket chain plans to add nearly 200 stores over the next few years in an effort to drive up sales growth. Reuters (30 Mar.) | E-commerce Spotlight | | | | - EU proposal could cost online retailers billions annually
IMRG said online retailers could face costs of €10 billion annually due to proposed changes to the European Union's Consumer Rights Directive. The changes would apply to product returns. "These new amendments from the EU are some of the most disastrous for the online industry yet," said IMRG CEO James Roper. "As well as being unnecessary they would inevitably lead to significant price increases being forced on to hard-pressed consumers, pushing up prices across all retail channels and disadvantaging SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) to the point where many would be forced to cease trading online." Reuters (30 Mar.) - Gap sets up shop on China's Taobao Mall
Gap gained a presence on China's largest e-commerce platform this week with the launch of its store on the Taobao Mall, which reportedly commands about 70% of online retail sales by merchandise volume. The chain joins Adidas AG, Levi Strauss & Co and Japan's Uniqlo on the site, which says it sold an average of 864 pieces of clothing per minute to China's online shoppers last year. Yahoo!/Reuters (30 Mar.) | Spotlight on Consumer Electronics | | | | - Best Buy continues to expand in UK despite challenges
Best Buy, the US-based retailing giant, confirmed that it plans to launch five outlets in the UK this year, rejecting claims that its British unit is in trouble. In the US, Best Buy stands out by concentrating on customer service. However, analysts said that the time lag between announcing its plans to open in the UK and the actual first store openings gave its rivals time to enhance their customer service. The Guardian (London) (28 Mar.) - Dixons becomes latest to warn on trading conditions
Dixons, the electricals retailer that runs the PC World and Currys chains, reported that profit likely will be at the low end of analysts' forecasts. "Consumer confidence across a number of our markets has deteriorated, particularly in the UK and Ireland," Dixons said. "We expect it to continue to be (fragile) through much of 2011." The Irish Times (Dublin)/Reuters (30 Mar.) | NRF News | | | | - The warning signs of a rebrand
There are warning signs, like stagnant inventory, dead floor traffic and bad buzz, that clue in most executives that rebranding efforts should be on the horizon. But marketing consultant Ken Schmidt says there are "ominous foretellers" that pop up long before that should not be ignored. In a recent Q&A, Schmidt -- who's worked with companies like Harley-Davidson, General Motors and Coca-Cola -- shares three warning signs for brands that may be on the brink. Read more.
| SmartQuote | | | |  | You are never strong enough that you don't need help."
--Cesar Chavez,
Mexican-American labor leader and civil rights activist,
quoted for his birthday, March 31, 1927  |
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