  | Global retail industry news |  |
- Kenyan retailers predicts increase in consumer spending
Nakumatt, the largest retail chain in Kenya, said the average cost of a basket of consumer goods is set to rise by $1.24, to $16.79, because the country's economic environment has improved. Consumers may also begin to purchase luxury goods, said Atul Shah, managing director at Nakumatt. Retailers are expecting Kenyans to buy electronics and consumable goods. Business Daily (Nairobi, Kenya) (14 Dec.)        | Drive company revenue by simplifying IT strategies.
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 - Wal-Mart shuts Moscow office as strategy changes
Wal-Mart is no longer interested in building an operation in Russia from the ground up, so it is closing its office in Moscow. The company remains open to the idea of acquisitions in Russia and has been linked to a number of grocery chains in the country. "Since there is no clear acquisition partner in the near term, there is not a business reason to continue our Moscow representative office," said Wal-Mart International head Doug McMillon. The Wall Street Journal (13 Dec.) , Reuters (13 Dec.) - Many UK retailers plan to raise prices with VAT increase
More than half the retailers and consumer goods manufacturers in the UK are planning to increase prices in 2011 as the value-added tax increases on Jan. 4, a KPMG survey found. "In today's price-sensitive market, any increases may well have a damaging effect on sales volumes," said Martin Scott, a partner at KPMG. "Any short-term boost to profitability may be offset if longer-term demand in the economy is dampened by pushing up inflation - and with economic forecasts predicting a slowdown in the new year, this could threaten an already precarious recovery." The Independent (London) (14 Dec.) - A look inside a John Lewis distribution centre
John Lewis is running a Christmas television campaign that is all about the holiday spirit. The company's warehouse 50 miles from London, however, is more about the hustle and bustle of the holidays. The Magna Park distribution centre is where John Lewis employees organise the products for shipment to its department stores and consumers who purchase goods online. Telegraph (London) (13 Dec.)  | Do People Trust Your Brand?
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 | E-commerce Spotlight |  | | | - Thousands of Australians create online Christmas wish lists
DealsDirect.com.au, an online retailer, said 15,000 Australians have set up online Christmas gift registries, similar to wedding-gift registries, on its site. CEO Michael Rosenbaum said the popularity of the registries was not surprising. "We had an inkling this development was really going to take off, and it really did. We had more than 4000 wish lists created on the site in the first week alone," he said. Inside Retailing Online (13 Dec.) | Spotlight on Grocery | | | | - Chile's Supermercados del Sur considers an IPO
Supermercados del Sur, the fourth-largest supermarket chain in Chile, is considering an initial public offering of shares, according to Raul Sotomayor, partner at the Latin American investment fund Southern Cross, which operates the chain. Supermarket sales in Chile have surged this year as the country quickly recovers from the economic downturn. Nasdaq.com/Dow Jones Newswires (13 Dec.) | NRF News | | | |  | - Attending Retail's BIG Show with colleagues?
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| SmartQuote | | | |  | Peak performers develop powerful mental images of the behavior that will lead to the desired results. They see in their mind's eye the result they want, and the actions leading to it."
--Charles A. Garfield,
American author  |
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