| Global retail industry news |  | | |  | - Leahy reflects on his time at Tesco
Terry Leahy has spent decades at Tesco, leading the company as chief executive officer the past 14 years. In June, he surprised competitors, investors and others by announcing that he would leave the company in March. The long goodbye has given Tesco a smooth succession at a time when other large companies are undergoing somewhat disorderly changes. Leahy discusses the company he is about to leave, the industry and his future. "I really do like Tesco. I like the people, the company and the industry. It's a culture in which ordinary people work incredibly hard," he said. The Wall Street Journal (05 Oct.)      - Report: Canada's robust market is expected to attract US chains
Retail sales in Canada are predicted to increase 5% this year to reach $392 billion, according to Colliers International's 2010 Fall Retail Report. The robust Canadian market is expected to entice US retailers as they seek opportunities beyond their home market. "The positive outlook that things will turn around by year-end and in 2011 continues to generate a lot of interest from south of the border retailers," said Drew Keddy, an executive at Colliers International. Toronto Sun/QMI Agency (04 Oct.)  | On-Demand Web Conferencing and Collaboration-Anywhere. No need to scramble for conference rooms when you can instantly connect employees, customers or students online. Cisco WebEx supports 10 million subscribers each month with web applications specifically tailored to industry needs. Via computer or Smartphone, register for a Free 14-day trial with WebEx. |
 - Forever 21 to open stores across Europe
Forever 21, a US-based "fast fashion" retail giant, is opening its first stores in Europe -- specifically Birmingham and Dublin -- in November. Larry Meyer, chief financial officer at Forever 21, said the retailer is planning to launch stores in Spain, Austria, Belgium and possibly France. The company also plans to launch e-commerce sites in the UK and continental Europe. Financial Times (tiered subscription model) (04 Oct.)  | Unleashing the Next Wave of Innovation in Electronics: In many industries electronics fuel innovations. They enable the creation of a new class of smarter products that are instrumented, interconnected, and intelligent. With these innovations come many challenges. Download this webcast from IBM and learn how to address these complex challenges throughout the product development lifecycle. |
 - Reliance Retail plans to introduce Toys R Us to India
Reliance Retail, the largest private corporation in India, recently launched the nation's first Hamleys toy store. Now, the company is preparing to introduce Toys R Us. The companies are planning to form a joint venture. "Reliance is still working on the nitty-gritty of the joint venture and is expected to close it in the next few months," according to a senior official. The Economic Times (India) (05 Oct.)  | Reshaping Enterprise Workforce Management Software
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 | E-commerce Spotlight |  | | | - Source: Amazon reaches deal to purchase BuyVip
Amazon.com reportedly is planning to acquire BuyVip, a Spanish online retailer that offers overstock items from companies such as Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana at discount, for about €70 million, a source says. BuyVip acts as a broker between consumers and fashion brands but doesn't actually buy the stock. The Wall Street Journal (05 Oct.) | Spotlight on Grocery | | | | - Ahold names retailing veteran Boer as chief
Dick Boer has been named chief executive officer at Ahold, succeeding John Rishton who is moving on to lead Rolls-Royce. "While the leadership will change, the strategy remains the same," Rishton said. "Dick has been intimately involved with the Ahold strategy since leading the 2006 retail review, which we have successfully delivered, and the subsequent strategy development as an executive board member. This is a carefully planned succession, which is designed to continue to deliver our successful strategy." Supermarket News (04 Oct.) | NRF News | | | | - 5 ways to better connect with shoppers
According to Mitch Joel, author of "Six Pixels of Separation", people are changing the way they function online and now is the time for retailers to rethink the way they connect with consumers. Joel shares five points on concepts to consider when actively engaging online consumers in today's market. Read more.
| SmartQuote | | | |  | A true teacher defends his students against his own personal influences."
--Amos Bronson Alcott,
American teacher, writer and philosopher  |
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