Aurora aims to deliver online orders within 90 minutes

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05 October 2011 Sign up Forward Archive Advertise Global retail industry news   Global Industry Watch    Australian mothers concerned about cost of gifts, retailer says Kmart, which is owned by Wesfarmers in Australia, conducted a survey of mothers to get a feel for their spending plans for the holiday season. Almost 66% of respondents said they are concerned about the cost of gifts. Australian retailers are bracing for difficult trading conditions to continue. The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) (04 Oct.)      Brand Directions rescues Brown Sugar from administration Brand Directions has purchased Brown Sugar, the collapsed fashion retailer, rescuing it from administration and providing hope for the struggling retail and apparel sectors. Sal Algeri, a partner at Deloitte, said that all 16 Brown Sugar stores will remain open. "Brand Directions has also indicated that it is considering re-opening some stores that have already closed and re-hiring a number of staff who lost their jobs as a result," Algeri said. SmartCompany.com.au (Australia) (05 Oct.)      Let Social Media Find Your Staff For You Give your hiring managers fast, easy access to quality employees by pairing social media with automated recruitment solutions that use Web 2.0 functionality. Download the white paper Automating Social Recruiting for Better Hiring and see how 85 percent of best-in-class companies save money with automation.   Retail in Europe    M&S asks non-food suppliers to help fund refurbishments Marks & Spencer called its largest non-food suppliers to a meeting last week in London to ask them to help pay for its programme for refurbishing its stores. Analysts say the move shows how difficult trading conditions are. The Guardian (London) (04 Oct.)      Earnings reports from UK retailers expected to show difficulties Tesco and J Sainsbury are poised to release earnings reports that analysts expect will reflect a squeeze on the disposable income of British consumers. Tesco's results, however, are expected to be buoyed by its expansion into Asian markets and by gains at Fresh & Easy, its US chain. Reuters (04 Oct.)      ALDI's results show consumers return to discounters: The German discount supermarket ALDI has seen a 25% rise in sales in the past quarter while Tesco loses market share. ALDI emerged during the recession as shoppers left mainstream stores looking for bargains, triggered the so-called "ALDI effect." Although it waned in 2009, the ALDI effect is returning, helping boost Lidl as well as ALDI. The Guardian (London) (04 Oct.)      Other News Carrefour discloses exit of commercial director for France Reuters (04 Oct.)      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 to soon to focus. Download Akamai's Holiday Toolkit now!   Retail in Asia    Seven & I reports 4.1% jump in quarterly profit Seven & I Holding's profit for the June to August quarter reflects a rebound in consumer sentiment in Japan following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The company attributed the growth in profit to a wave of convenience-store openings, department store renovations and consumer recovery. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (05 Oct.), CNBC/Reuters (04 Oct.)      Germany's Metro struggles to gain foothold in India Metro Cash & Carry gained the early advantage when it decided to enter India in 2003. However, the German retailing giant has yet to make significant inroads into the country's retail market as other global players ramp up the pressure. Business Standard (India) (04 Oct.)      White Paper: The Sustainability Advantage in CPG — Accelerating Success with Eco-Design. Learn how CPG manufacturers, private label providers and retailers can gain valuable time and a competitive edge by developing and executing a cohesive sustainability strategy across the enterprise, leveraging PLM. Download it now.   E-commerce Spotlight  Aurora aims to deliver online orders within 90 minutes Aurora, the fashion house behind Oasis, Karen Millen and Coast, has vowed to delivery online orders within 90 minutes in a move that reflects the increased willingness of high street retailers to cater to consumers. Aurora has been testing the delivery service in London for several months. The Telegraph (London) (04 Oct.)        Spotlight on Luxury Goods  Mulberry strikes deals to expand further into Asia-Pacific Luxury brand Mulberry has reached a couple of agreements that will expand its presence in Asia, particularly Japan, Australia and Vietnam. Mulberry has extended its contract with its partner in Southeast Asia, Club 21, that will include opening flagship stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore. The Independent (London) (05 Oct.)      Other News Burberry shares hit by concerns about Chinese market The Telegraph (London) (04 Oct.)        NRF News  NRF asks U.S. Congress to move swiftly on FTAs with South Korea, Colombia and Panama NRF applauded President Obama on legislation to implement three pending Free Trade Agreements sent to Congress this week, and urged lawmakers to quickly approve the measures. "These trade pacts will help break the logjam on job creation," NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. The legislation sent to Congress includes trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama. Read more.      Join NRF  |  NRF Events  |  FIRAE  |  STORES  |  Training and Certification   SmartQuote  The direct use of force is such a poor solution to any problem, it is generally employed only by small children and large nations." --David Friedman, American economist 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:  Susan W. Kim (202) 407-7877 Download Media Kit       Recent NRF Global SmartBrief Issues: Tuesday, 4 Oct 2011 Monday, 3 Oct 2011 Friday, 30 Sep 2011 Thursday, 29 Sep 2011 Wednesday, 28 Sep 2011     Lead Editor:  Liz DeHoff       Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005 USA     © 1999-2011 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information