  | Global retail industry news |  |
- Costco expected to affect product pricing in Australia
Costco, which opened its first Australian store in Melbourne, is planning to expand across the country. Insiders say the move will affect pricing of brand-name consumer electronics, appliances and other products. "By July, Costco will have warehouses in Melbourne, Sydney and the ACT. The next step is...expansion to other states," said Rob Blythe, a consumer analyst at Macquarie Securities. "The expansion of Costco will influence pricing in the market catchments of its stores and resultant competitive impact on other retailers." Current.com.au (Australia) (25 May.)       - Departure of Tim Hortons CEO prompts speculation
Donald Schroeder, president and chief executive officer at the Canadian coffee and doughnut chain Tim Hortons, is leaving the company. One retail analyst said the sudden move might signal that the company plans to pull back from its ambitious US expansion plan. Other analysts dispute this theory, however, saying the plan was approved under executive chairman Paul House, who will become interim CEO. The Toronto Star (25 May.) - Strong sales in Europe, Asia help drive Guess profit
Guess reported a 12% jump in revenue in Europe along with a 24% increase in Asia, helping the US-based retailer's quarterly profit exceed expectations. The clothing retailer is planning to raise prices to cover climbing costs of raw materials. "Our entire industry is experiencing rising commodity and input costs and there remains uncertainty in many economies," said CEO Paul Marciano. Reuters (25 May.)  | Ad Compliance Best Practices Kit — Stay ahead of consumer concern and government regulation with TRUSTe. Gain an overview of what Behavioral Advertising (OBA) is, why it is important, and what your options are. Insights from the FTC, DAA, TRUSTe, Forbes, Publisher's Clearing House and more. Register Now. |
 - Focus DIY closing-down sale expected to begin soon
Ernst & Young, administrators for Focus DIY, failed to find buyers for most of the UK home-improvement retailer's stores so the company plans to close. "While we have been successful in securing up to 900 jobs from the sale of 55 stores in three separate deals, finding a buyer for the whole of the business has not been possible," said joint administrator Simon Allport. "While the administrators are continuing negotiations for the sale of a number of stores across the group, the stock liquidation is likely to result in a number of Focus stores closing with remaining employees going through a redundancy process." Reuters (25 May.), Telegraph (London) (25 May.)  | Utilize the Zurich Enterprise Risk Management Healthcheck assessment tool to get a better understanding of your current ERM strategy with recommendations for improvement. Sign up for FREE access today! |
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 - Brazilian retailer denies merger negotiations with Carrefour
Speculation has mounted about a potential merger involving French retailing giant Carrefour and Grupo Pao de Acucar of Brazil. Pao de Acucar has denied the rumours, saying "it is not currently a party in any negotiation with Carrefour and has not hired any financial adviser to do so." Reuters (25 May.), Bloomberg (25 May.)  | E-commerce Spotlight |  | | | - Amazon plans to hire 900 employees in Scotland
Amazon is planning to create 500 permanent positions and 400 temporary jobs in Scotland. Strong demand for the Kindle has prompted the company to develop a technical support staff in Edinburgh. "As our business continues to grow and we move into new areas like grocery, sports and clothing, our customer services support needs to expand as well," said Allan Lyall, vice president of European operations and customer service. Telegraph (London) (25 May.) | Spotlight on Consumer Electronics | | | | - South Korean retailers alter way mobile devices are sold
Consumers in South Korea are accustomed to being able to look but not touch when shopping for mobile phones and other devices. Retailers are making changes, however, by renovating their shops and relaxing their policies. Shoppers now can try out mobile phones and browse more freely. For example, some shops have Apple's iPad 2 powered up and available for consumers to explore. JoongAng Daily (South Korea) (25 May.) | NRF News | | | |
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