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| Global retail industry news |  |
| Global Industry Watch |  |  | | - Wal-Mart Canada welcomes Target, CEO says
Wal-Mart Canada isn't worried about Target's planned arrival in the country next year, and aims to succeed by sticking to its lowest-price strategy, says CEO Shelley Broader. "It's freedom of choice for our customer. There's nothing like good competition to make you sharper and smarter and better at what you do." The Toronto Star (01 Mar.)      - Canada's food stores to raise prices in 2012
Food sellers in Canada including supermarket giant Loblaw and bakery George Weston Ltd. plan to test price increases on more products this year, despite expected price declines on several commodities. The chains say they're still catching up with last year's higher costs for ingredients including corn, cocoa and coffee. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (01 Mar.) | Retail in Europe | | | | - German retail sales dropped in January
Retail sales in Germany were down 1.6% in January according to preliminary data, despite higher consumer confidence and job security among German consumers. "We have to keep in mind that German retail sales are often revised and suffer from a great deal of volatility," wrote economist Annalisa Piazza. The Wall Street Journal (02 Mar.) - Q-and-A: Head of Central Department Store shares growth plans
 Yuwadee Chirathivat was named president of Thailand's Central Department Store in 1996 and since then has led the company her grandfather founded 65 years ago. In this interview, she talks about the company's China expansion plans, growing sales amid political turmoil and natural disasters and the role of women in business. Forbes (12 Mar.) - Marks & Spencer names new India CEO
Marks & Spencer has promoted executive Venu Nair to lead the London-based retailer's operations in India, replacing Martin Jones who will return to Europe. M&S operates 24 apparel and home-goods stores in India, in partnership with Reliance Industries. The Economic Times (India) (02 Mar.)  | Hiring exceptional talent is critical to the success of your business. Whether it’s the executive who offers visionary leadership, or the sales professional who won’t settle for less than 100%, a business needs great people to thrive. This guide provides best practices for securing the top talent you need to drive business results. |
 | E-commerce Spotlight | | | | - Report: Poland's e-commerce on track for fast growth
E-commerce sales in Poland, which have lagged behind more developed European countries, is on track to rise 24% this year compared with a 16.1% average increase for all of Europe, according to the Centre for Retail Research. Internet access in Poland is growing fast, and a number of new online retailers are launching to meet the growing demand, the report found. InternetRetailer.com (29 Feb.) | Spotlight on Fashion | | | | - Milan runways reveal darker looks
Fall fashions on display in Milan this week reflect a major shift from spring's frilly pastel to sleeker, darker looks for autumn. Designers including Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Bottega Veneta and Gucci unveiled autumn collections that were heavy on black and dark purple. The Guardian (London) (28 Feb.) - Tommy Bahama targets Asia for expansion
US men's and women's fashion retailer Tommy Bahama will open its first stores in Asia, starting with units in Macau and Singapore this year. A new Tokyo flagship that will include a restaurant is set to open in the Ginza district next year. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (29 Feb.) | NRF News | | | | - Best strategies for making your "invisible" Web content accessible
With 150,000 URLs added to the Internet each day, Web content is growing at a rate almost impossible to keep up with. So how can retailers get their communications to reach consumers through the increasing clutter of information? In a new white paper in the Shop.org library, BloomReach identifies ways online retailers can package their messages so that they are easy to find for the consumers who seek it. Download the white paper.
| SmartQuote | | | |  | Write the bad things that are done to you in sand, but write the good things that happen to you on a piece of marble."
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