| Global retail industry news |  | | |  | - CEO: M&S to spend millions to increase revenue
Marc Bolland, the new head of Marks & Spencer, said the UK retailer will spend as much as £900 million more over the next three years to bolster revenue. "We'll make the UK [business] more competitive but also lay the foundations for international and multichannel to become in three to five years' time an international multichannel retailer," Bolland said. Reuters (09 Nov.)      - South Africa's Pick n Pay to enter Mozambique by March
Pick n Pay has reached a master franchise agreement with Mozambique's Retail Masters that will allow the South African retail giant to open its first outlet in Mozambique early next year. Pick n Pay plans to add another three stores by the end of 2011. The move is part of Pick n Pay's broader expansion beyond South Africa's borders. Business Day (South Africa) (08 Nov.)  | What could be better than supporting and managing your BlackBerry smartphone deployment, for free? Nothing.
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 - Leclerc head vows to maintain low-price policy
Michel-Edouard Leclerc, chief executive officer at France's Les Centres E. Leclerc, said the company will continue with its low-price policy but also warned of concerns about inflation. "The most worrying element is that price inflation threatens consumer spending," Leclerc said. He said some brands have urged retailers to increase prices by as much as 19%. Leclerc called the proposals "outrageous." Reuters (08 Nov.) - Croatian retailers get a head start on the holiday season
Retailers across Croatia are putting up festive window displays and launching sales early this year in preparation for the crucial holiday season. Retailers are striving to realise sales totals similar to last year's. Retail sales in Croatia have increased in the past few months after 21 months of decline. CroatianTimes.com (08 Nov.)  | In any industry, operational excellence revolves around key business outcomes including productivity, cost control, and quality of service. For retailers, all of these outcomes are highly, if not entirely, dependent on the quality of the workforce and how it is managed. Find out what challenges retailers are facing, and what a workforce management solution can do for your bottom line. |
 | Retail in Asia |  | | | - Germany's Metro plans more urban outlets in Asia
Metro recently opened stores in the city centers of Tokyo and Shanghai. The German company plans to continue adding city-center outlets across Asia as it strives to be less dependent on its home market. Tino Zeiske, chief of Metro's Cash & Carry operation in China, said the urban stores are working out well. "Productivity per square meter and per employee is significantly higher than in our big stores," he said. Bloomberg (08 Nov.) - Indian official discusses opening up retail sector to FDI
Anand Sharma, trade minister for India, said the country has a positive mind-set about allowing foreign direct investment in its multibrand retail sector, but that the government must consider the concerns of independent merchants. "There are many who have their concerns, who feel that the small retailer would get hurt. And that sector ... supports close to 50 million jobs," Sharma said. The Economic Times (India)/Reuters (08 Nov.) - India's new malls force old shopping centres to adjust
Developers have built dozens of new shopping malls across India over the past few years, prompting older centres to make changes, such as leasing or selling space. Many older malls are struggling as competition increases, and some have closed. "Normally, whenever there's a big mall coming up, smaller malls and small retailers are impacted badly. Developers of first-generation and second-generation malls sell off space and have ... no control over which stores come and go. In the process, they lose footfalls," said Arvind Singhal, chairman of Technopak Advisors. LiveMint.com/The Wall Street Journal (India) (09 Nov.) - ASOS posts a 59% surge in first-half profit
Online fashion retailer ASOS reported a 120% increase in international sales and a 26% jump in UK sales. Nick Robertson, CEO at ASOS, said the company is optimistic about its outlook and that full-year results likely will meet market expectations. ASOS recently launched a website for the US market and continued its international expansion with sites in France and Germany. Telegraph (London) (08 Nov.)  | You're out of the office, meeting with clients and vendors, all while balancing work and life. Sometimes even a laptop just isn't practical. The RUN Powered by ADP® mobile payroll app helps you manage payroll anytime — quickly and easily — from any location. Choose ADP® and get a $300 Apple® Gift Card. |
 | Spotlight on Grocery | | | | - Wesfarmers CEO says Coles is showing "strong sales momentum"
Richard Goyder, chief executive officer at Wesfarmers, said the turnaround strategy at the company's Coles supermarket chain is working despite difficult conditions. "We continue to remain cautious towards potential negative factors, such as increasing interest rates and general economic uncertainty, which would place additional pressure on household budgets or consumer confidence. This is particularly so in the lead up to Christmas," he said. But he also said that Coles has "continued to show strong sales momentum". The Australian/Dow Jones Newswires (09 Nov.) | NRF News | | | | - Retail container traffic to be up 9% in November
Import cargo volume at the nation's major retail container ports is continuing to wind down as the year comes to an end but is nonetheless expected to be up 9% in November over the same month last year, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by NRF and Hackett Associates. "Retailers know shoppers still have the economy in mind, so they are being very mindful with inventory levels this year," NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. Read more.
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