  | Global retail industry news |  |
- CFO: Lowe's eyes Rona for Canada expansion
The chief financial officer of US home improvement retailer Lowe's said the company would consider options to acquire Quebec-based Rona if the Canadian company put itself up for sale. Lowe's currently operates 31 stores in Canada and sees the potential to expand to 100, CFO Robert Hull said Tuesday. The Toronto Star/Reuters (03 Apr.), Reuters (03 Apr.)      - Retailers on Canada's border fear duty-free rule change
Canada's government will expand allowable duty-free limits this summer, letting residents who visit the US bring back $200 worth of goods duty-free compared to the current $50 and allowing visitors who stay 48 hours or more to take home up to $800 in untaxed goods. The changes have retailers in border towns including Abbotsford and Mission worried they'll lose more sales to lower-priced US merchants. Abbotsford/Mission Times (British Columbia) (03 Apr.)  | What Data Thieves Don’t Want You to Know:
How a multi-layered data security solution, including encryption and tokenization, protects data in transit, in use and at rest. When combined, these two technologies provide a powerful method for securing sensitive data wherever it exists. Get proof here. |
 | Retail in Europe |  |  | | - UK retail inflation rose in March on higher fuel prices
Higher oil prices that pushed up the cost of manufacturing and transporting goods resulted in a 1.5% increase in retail prices at UK shops last month compared to March 2011, the highest rise since December, according to the British Retail Consortium. "With inflationary pressure continuing in the food supply chain, we can expect supermarkets to keep a strong focus on promotional activity over the next few months," said Mike Watkins, senior manager of retail services at Nielsen. Bloomberg (03 Apr.)  - China now boasts world's highest grocery sales
Consumers in China now spend more on groceries than their counterparts in the US, a result of the country's growing population and strong economic growth leading to demand for more expensive foods, say researchers at IGD. China has become the world's largest grocery market, spending £607 billion on food shopping last year compared to £572 billion in the US. The Guardian (London) (03 Apr.) - Author: Flexibility is key in marketing to China's youth
The under-30 set in China has grown up as a generation of only children at the helm of vast, rapid economic development, and retailers and marketers need to tailor their messages to a very different mindset, says marketing expert and author Mary Bergstrom. "Consumption-wise, if you want to understand where China's going to go in the future, you need to understand the people who are really consuming and communicating in their communities." Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (03 Apr.)  | Data powers all your online channels and as a marketer you are involved with how this information is being used to reach customers. Federal regulations require protection of that consumer data to avoid potential risks and lawsuits. Watch these videos to learn how to create a comprehensive data privacy strategy. |
 - Pumpkin Patch to sell in Europe via Amazon
New Zealand-based children's apparel retailer Pumpkin Patch will start selling its wares on Amazon's sites in the UK, France and Germany. "These types of relationships are an important part of our international multichannel growth strategy as they allow us to enter markets that would be hard to enter on our own," said CEO Neil Cowie. Fox Business/Dow Jones Newswires (03 Apr.) - Daily deals give Italy's e-commerce a boost
Daily deals from companies including Groupon, Amazon and Groupalia helped spur double-digit online retail growth in Italy last year, executives say. Daily deals and flash-sale sites have proven the most popular with middle-income women between 20 and 40, according to Italian e-commerce consortium Netcomm. Internet Retailer (03 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. |
 | Technology Solutions | | | | - Startup Paycento looks to play in PayPal's space
A method of hassle-free paying through Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter is being tested in Belgium. Paycento is expected to spur sales of low-cost items such as single articles by publishers and song downloads. A Paycento account is linked to a user's Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn account and allows for payment with a single click. Reuters (02 Apr.) - Harrods launches tablet app for popular magazine
Harrods has created an iPad application for its widely circulated Harrods Magazine, which offers readers all of the print content plus digital features including video interviews with designers, fashion show coverage and a virtual makeup tester. Luxury Daily (03 Apr.) | Spotlight on Luxury Goods | | | | - Dunhill shifts expansion focus from East to West
London-based luxury menswear retailer Dunhill has opened its second store in the US and plans at least three more in the next year, expanding its growth plans to the West after years of focusing on building the brand in Asia. The company, which has slowed domestic expansion amid the economic uncertainty in Europe, says it is also continuing to grow in China, which accounts for 30% of total sales. CNBC (02 Apr.) - UK luxury retailers lag with Chinese tourists
British luxury brands are still popular with international consumers, but the retailers are struggling to attract tourists from China to their brick-and-mortar stores, according to a report from Walpole & Ledbury. "The visa regime in the UK means we get fewer shoppers than Paris or Milan," said Walpole deputy chairman Guy Salter. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (02 Apr.) | NRF News | | | | - When retailers will report monthly sales in 2012
NRF's 4-5-4 calendar serves as a voluntary guide for the retail industry and ensures sales comparability between years by dividing the year into months based on a 4 weeks/5 weeks/4 weeks format. The 4-5-4 calendar also establishes sales release dates, which have historically been on the first Thursday following the month's end. NRF has released calendars for 2012, 2013 and 2014. View the calendars.
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