| Global retail industry news |  |
- Wal-Mart to focus global efforts on existing markets
Wal-Mart plans to increase its presence in China, ramp up its offerings in Canada and focus on other international markets where it already operates rather than invest in entering new markets, the company said this week. China's recent slowdown won't hurt the retailer's expansion plans there, Wal-Mart Asia CEO Scott Price said. "In relative numbers, China's still the fastest-growing GDP in the world." Reuters (12 Apr.), The Wall Street Journal (13 Apr.)       | What Data Thieves Don’t Want You to Know:
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 - Mothercare to close 111 locations, expand online efforts
UK-based maternity and children's brand Mothercare will close 36 namesake stores and 75 Early Learning Centres, and reduce its store count to 200 in the next three years. The struggling retailer aims to boost profits and sales with a new e-commerce site, store closures and other cost-cutting measures and an emphasis on international expansion. Brand Republic (U.K.) (12 Apr.)  - Uniqlo parent predicts record profits
Shares of Japan's Fast Retailing soared Thursday after the company, which operates Uniqlo stores, raised its annual profit forecast and detailed growth plans. The fast-fashion retailer will diversify further beyond its home market with plans to open about 300 new stores each year and have about 2,000 stores in China and other Asian countries within a decade. Bloomberg (12 Apr.) - Private-label food, apparel boost sales at Aeon
Japan's Aeon reported record profits and strong sales growth for the 12-month period that ended in February, largely on demand related to post-earthquake reconstruction and higher sales of private-label Topvalu food and clothing at its supermarkets, big-box outlets and convenience stores. The Wall Street Journal (12 Apr.)  | How does your background check process stack up? A recent survey of small businesses shows that 45% of respondents reported discovering a person who was untruthful or misrepresented information. Dare to compare your process to the best practices of employment screening in this free small business spotlight report. |
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 - Report: China to become biggest e-commerce market by 2015
China's online retail sales are on track to triple to $360 billion by 2015, making it the largest global e-commerce market, according to a new report from Boston Consulting Group. "Companies cannot have a major presence in China without having an online presence, not only to generate sales but also to engage with customers where they spend so much time," the report said. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (12 Apr.)  | Interactive marketers are feeling the pressure from government to offer clear, transparent privacy regulations for consumers. This free whitepaper, discusses various legislation, such as the EU Cookie Directive, and outlines how marketers must comply while offering a positive and enriching consumer interaction via the new paradigms of consensual targeting. Get the free whitepaper here. |
 - Coke machine in Singapore uses hugs as currency
A Coca-Cola vending machine in Singapore has twisted the company's iconic logo to say "hug me" instead of "Coca-Cola." The machines use hugs as currency, and must be squeezed in a specific way to dispense the soft drinks. Forbes (11 Apr.)  | Leveraging Cloud Security to Weather Threatening Storms
Web attacks and retribution campaigns are on the rise, and they have become more frequent, more random and more extreme. This paper assesses the current cyber threat environment and discusses the use of distributed cloud services as an effective means to protect against evolving, modern-day IT threats. |
 | Spotlight on Fashion |  |  | | - Hugo Boss takes bigger steps in China
Upscale menswear brand Hugo Boss has had a presence in Hong Kong through franchising agreements and wholesaling deals since 1982, but it has been slower to open branded stores in mainland China's bigger cities. Now, the brand is playing catch-up with plans to open 20 stores, launch an online retail site and host a fashion show in Beijing next month. Bloomberg Businessweek (12 Apr.) - Tara Jarmon to add shops in Europe, US
French apparel brand Tara Jarmon plans to open stores in Madrid, Zurich, Munich, London and New York this year, adding to the 50 branded shops the label has opened since testing its first standalone boutiques two years ago. The brand has a presence in about 1,000 specialty and department stores in 62 countries. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (11 Apr.) | NRF News | | | | - Register by today to save $200 on NRF's Supply Chain Summit
The NRF Global Supply Chain Summit, May 6 to 8 in Atlanta, will feature presentations from senior supply chain executives from companies such as Sears Holdings Co., Crate & Barrel, Sterling Jewelers, Kohl's and Ralph Lauren, as well as strategic partners from US Customs and Border Protection, BNSF Railway Co. and more. Save $200 when you register by today. Learn more.
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