All International articles – Page 230

  • News

    Mercadona to invest in new supermarkets

    2010-07-14T17:44:00Z

    Supermarket chain Mercadona will invest €51m (£42.8m) in the opening of between 17 and 20 new supermarkets in the Balearic Islands over the next five years, according to external relations director Juan Antonio German.Mercadona will open 10 stores in Mallorca, three in Menorca and another four in Ibiza. The company ...

  • News

    Metcash chairman to retire

    2010-07-14T17:42:00Z

    Metcash has announced that chairman Carlos dos Santos will retire following the company’s AGM in September. Dos Santos said it had been a “privilege’” to be with the grocery and liquor wholesaler through its success over the past 12 years.Metcash recently acquired Pick n Pay’s chain of Franklin stores in ...

  • News

    Clive Peeters takeover officially completed

    2010-07-14T17:40:00Z

    Electricals retailer Harvey Norman’s takeover of Clive Peeters was officially completed on July 8. It purchased 32 of the 38 Clive Peeters and Rick Hart stores and confirmed that staff from the New South Wales stores earmarked for closure would be interviewed for potential employment elsewhere in its network. It ...

  • News

    Fast Retailing sales up 23%

    2010-07-14T17:38:00Z

    Fast Retailing, owner of Uniqlo, reported a sales rise of 23% to ¥659.1bn (£4.94bn) for the first nine months of fiscal 2009/10. The fashion retailer reported a profit rise of 35% to ¥67.2bn (£503.4m) for the period, which ended May 31. Fast Retailing is forecasting sales of ¥815bn (£6.08bn) for ...

  • News

    Apple opens Shanghai flagship

    2010-07-14T17:36:00Z

    Consumer electronics giant Apple has unveiled its second flagship store in China. The store, which opened on July 10, is located near Shanghai’s famous Oriental Pearl Tower, in the city’s financial district.“We are thrilled to open the first of many new stores in China in this incredible location,” said Apple ...

  • News

    Makro plans 20 small-format stores

    2010-07-14T17:34:00Z

    Cash and carry chain Makro, owned by Metro Group, plans to have 20 stores of the small-sized Makro Punct concept in the mid-term. Four stores are due to open within this year, according to Makro Poland managing director Uwe Hölzer.The stores are focused on fresh food and a higher private-label ...

  • News

    Ahold and Schwarz face Czech monopoly probe

    2010-07-14T17:32:00Z

    Dutch retailer Ahold and Germany-based Schwarz Group are the subject of an investigation launched by the Czech anti-monopoly office UOHS into suspected abuse of market positions. UOHS said it was investigating whether the retailers abused their market power in the central European country, but gave no further details. Under Czech ...

  • Malcolm Walker
    Opinion

    The best of both worlds

    2010-07-09T00:00:00Z

    We could use some of the US’s ambition, but they can keep their food, says Malcolm Walker

  • Clinton Cards
    News

    Clinton Cards considers closing its Ireland stores

    2010-07-09T00:00:00Z

    Clinton Cards is mulling closing its underperforming Irish stores as the greetings card retailer issued a profit warning this week.

  • Harrison_Gilbert_cutout.jpg
    Analysis

    Time for US retailers to pursue top line growth

    2010-07-09T00:00:00Z

    After a year of cutting costs and lowering inventories, it’s time for retailers to think about growing the top line.

  • News

    LVMH to acquire 70% of Brazil’s Sack’s

    2010-07-07T16:09:00Z

    France-based luxury and specialty retail group LVMH is to acquire a 70% stake in Sack’s, a leading online retailer of fragrances, cosmetics and toiletries in Brazil.The operation will form part of the group’s beauty store operation, Sephora, and the acquisition will mark Sephora’s entry into the Brazilian market.Sephora is expected ...

  • News

    Aditya Birla opens 8th Hydrabad hypermarket

    2010-07-07T16:06:00Z

    Grocer Aditya Birla has opened its eighth hypermarket in Hyderabad, and taken the opportunity to reiterate its aggressive expansion and private-label strategies.Chief executive Thomas Varghese said that Aditya Birla intends to grow private-label sales to 30% across the FMCG, clothing and general merchandise categories. The group expects to be EBITDA ...

  • News

    Fast Retailing enters JV to bring Uniqlo to Malaysia

    2010-07-07T16:05:00Z

    Japanese fashion retailer Fast Retailing has established a joint venture in Malaysia to develop its Uniqlo chain in the southeast Asian nation.The partnership has targeted the end of 2010 for the opening of the country’s first Uniqlo store, but this could be brought forward to as early as this autumn.“We ...

  • News

    Australia’s Metcash acquires Franklins chain

    2010-07-07T16:03:00Z

    Grocer Metcash has agreed to acquire the 85-strong Franklins supermarket chain in New South Wales from South Africa-based Pick n Pay for about Aus$215m (£119m).Following the acquisition, Metcash is planning to sell the stores on to the independent IGA retailers, which it supplies as a wholesaler, with the potential ...

  • News

    Harvey Norman acquires rival Clive Peeters

    2010-07-07T16:01:00Z

    Electricals retailer Harvey Norman has announced that it has bought competitor Clive Peeters following its entry into voluntary administration after a difficult trading period.The company paid A$55m (£30.4m) for the 38 operating Clive Peeters and Rick Hart shops.The deal is expected to add between Aus$300 and Aus$400m (£166.1 and £221.5m) ...

  • News

    Amazon launches food offer in Germany

    2010-07-07T16:00:00Z

    Amazon has launched its online shop for groceries in the country, with 30,000 items, including vegetables, meat, fish and baked goods as part of the offer.The products are offered by Amazon and 60 partners with whom the retailer has teamed up. Delivery will remain the same as Amazon’s normal service ...

  • News

    Germany’s Woolworth emerges from insolvency

    2010-07-07T15:58:00Z

    Variety store operator Woolworth has formally emerged from insolvency, following its integration into the Tengelmann group. Of the formerly about 300-strong portfolio, which was reduced to 162 under administration, about 150 have now been transferred to the new owners.The group of owners consists of Tengelmann and HH Holding, the group ...

  • News

    Sligro set to take over Sanders

    2010-07-07T15:56:00Z

    Grocery wholesaler and retailer Sligro is about to take over regional supermarket operator Sanders. Sligro said it expects that an agreement will be reached on the acquisition of Sanvier, the operator of 22 Sanders supermarkets in the Twente region and a meat processing business. Both Sanders and Sligro are members ...

  • News

    Bed Bath & Beyond to spend £150m on IT and stores

    2010-07-07T15:54:00Z

    Bed Bath & Beyond has announced plans to spend $225m (£150m) on IT, new store openings and a store refresh initiative.The retailer plans to open about 55 to 60 stores across all of its concepts in fiscal 2010.Bed Bath & Beyond co-chairman Leonard Feinstein said: “We continue to work to ...

  • Hollister_NYC_5709.jpg
    News

    Hollister US flagship infested with bedbugs

    2010-07-02T10:35:00Z

    Hollister’s flagship store in New York has fallen victim to an infestation of bedbugs, leading to its closure on Wednesday.