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  | Global retail industry news |  |
| Global Industry Watch |  |  | | - Billabong to consider revised buyout bid
Billabong will consider US private-equity firm TPG Capital's revised buyout, a deal valued at 765.3 million Australian dollars. The new bid for the maker and retailer of surf and snow apparel leaves out a condition that would have precluded Billabong from proceeding with the planned sale of its Nixon watch and accessories brand. The Wall Street Journal (20 Feb.)      - Australia's neighborhood retail centers face several challenges
Neighborhood retail centers in Australia are experiencing stress from a number of different sources. Westfield Group posted a 38% increase in operating profits in 2012, putting pressure on smaller retailers, which cannot absorb large rent hikes if they want to stay competitive. One result is that many are leaving neighborhood shopping centers, unable to stay on top of the costs. The Age (Melbourne, Australia) (18 Feb.) - UK shops boost orders for plus-sized mannequins
Displaysense, one of the UK's largest supplier of store mannequins, saw a 16% rise in orders for size 12 and above during the past year. Orders rose well above 5,000 and the company sold out of larger models at one point, the company said. Sales of plus-sized apparel in the UK have grown 50% in the past five years, to £4bn in 2011. The Telegraph (London) (20 Feb.) - Walter Van Beirendonck to close Antwerp store
Renegade Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck will close WALTER-store, the Antwerp store he opened in 1998, after losing a rent dispute. Van Beirendonck, who heads the fashion department at Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts, gained fame in the 1980s as one of a group of Belgian designers known as the Antwerp Six. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (20 Feb.)  | RadioShack has a global presence and a variety of innovative products and services. With reasonable investment levels and hundreds of potential markets, a RadioShack franchise represents an exciting opportunity for you to associate with a powerful retail brand. Click here to learn more. |
 - Adidas to focus on fashion to win China's consumers
German sporting-goods maker Adidas will launch more product lines aimed at appealing to China's fashion-conscious consumers and increase its children's apparel offerings, in a push to overtake Nike to become the country's top sports-apparel brand. Nike operates 7,500 stores in China and Adidas has 6,700. The Wall Street Journal (20 Feb.)  | Learn How to Cut HR Costs Without Cutting Production
Entrepreneurial execs know that they need to follow the rules, but they may not realize which decisions will lead to the two vital components that help keep HR costs low. The following paper focuses on minimizing human capital expenses in four key areas. Download the white paper, An Executive’s Guide to Cutting HR Costs to learn more. |
 | E-commerce Spotlight | | | | - UK is fastest-growing market for eBay
EBay has seen double-digit growth among users in Britain, and the site was the most-visited in the UK in the first week of February, according to Hitwise. The site has been shifting away from its focus on used goods and collectibles toward partnering with retailers to sell new products. The Telegraph (London) (20 Feb.) - Fab.com launches in European countries
Fab.com recently acquired Berlin-based flash-sale site Casacanda and has launched designer home-goods selling site Fab.de in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The US-based online retailer plans to expand its presence in more European countries and says international sales will comprise 10% to 20% of its revenue this year. InternetRetailer.com (20 Feb.) | Spotlight on Grocery | | | | - Suppliers slow to sign with Costco Australia
Some of the biggest brands were slow to stock their product lines in Costco's Australia stores after the discount warehouse chain entered the market five years ago, but that's been changing in recent years, the company says. "We have got some pretty good positive relationships but we still don't have all the vendors we would like to deal with supplying us," said Costco Australia chief Patrick Noone. The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) (20 Feb.) - UK's premium, discount grocers do well in the downturn
The recession in Europe has created a divide in supermarket shopping in the UK, with wealthy consumers continuing to spend at premium chains and less-affluent shoppers trading down to lower-priced stores, according to Kantar Worldpanel. High-end grocer Waitrose and discounters ALDI and Lidl are seeing strong sales as UK consumers move away from mid-priced supermarkets, according to research from Kantar Worldpanel. The Guardian (London) (18 Feb.) | NRF News | | | | - Best strategies for retail IT management
Omni-channel retailing brings a litany of IT services to master. Retailers must try to stay a beat ahead of the ever-changing technology, user platforms and POS solutions -- all of which must run efficiently to secure consumer confidence and sales. In a March 1 STORES Knowledge Series webinar, Kaseya's ITSM Specialist Ray Barber will discuss best practices for overcoming today's IT challenges to decrease the impact downtime has on businesses. Read more.
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