All International articles – Page 253
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News
Costco opens first Australian store in Melbourne
US-based warehouse club Costco has opened the doors of its first Australian store.Located in Melbourne, the 155,000 sq ft store attracted more than 1,000 shoppers within the first hour of trading. The store features about 3,600 SKUs comprising groceries, electronics, clothing, DVDs, books and furnishings.Fresh food is predominantly sourced locally, ...
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Best Denki set for expansion in India and Middle East
Consumer electronics retailer Best Denki will team up with Indonesian construction company Bangun Persada Tata Makmur to open stores in India and the Middle East over the next three to five yearsThe retailer already has 45 overseas stores in eight countries outside Japan, including Singapore and Malaysia, and runs a ...
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Gap drop in profits better than feared
Clothing giant Gap experienced a better than feared 0.4% drop in second-quarter profits. Sales were down across all of the retailer’s divisions, contributing to a 7.3% decline in group net sales to $3.24bn (£2bn). Group like-for-like sales dropped 8%.The higher-end Banana Republic brand’s like-for-like sales fell 15%, while Gap and ...
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Carrefour to invest in greener stores in China
Carrefour is to invest a further Yn50m to Yn60m (£4m to £5m) in greener stores after saving Yn100m (£9m) last year, compared with 2005 – when it first started the energy-saving investments in stores.Carrefour China said: “All of the 139 Carrefour stores in China are in the process of implementing ...
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NewsColes provides early signs of a successful turnaround
The latest results from Australian conglomerate Wesfarmers suggest that Coles, Australia’s second-largest retailer which Wesfarmers acquired in 2007, is reaping the benefits from its turnaround strategy.
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NewsEuropean comeback to lift Kingfisher and Kesa
France and Germany’s emergence from recession is likely to benefit Kingfisher and Kesa, which both have big operations in the countries.
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Matahari continues to experience strong growth
Department store and grocery store operator Matahari, the largest local retailer, continues to experience strong growth. Sales were up 15.3% for the first six months to June 20 to reach IDR6 trillion (£359m).However, operating profits declined due to higher operational costs, such as wages. Sales were supported by the continuing ...
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Office Depot launches flagship store in Kuwait
Office Depot has launched a flagship store at The Avenues Mall, its first in Kuwait. The store covers 9,690 sq ft and offers about 5,000 products and services, including a photocopy, print and ship centre.The store has been opened in partnership with local retailer MH Alshaya and is expected to ...
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Home Depot’s sales plummet
DIY giant Home Depot’s sales plummeted 9.1% to $19.1bn (£11.7bn) during its second quarter. Like-for-like sales were down 8.5%.“Concerns about the housing market, rising unemployment and softness in the overall economy continue to pressure consumers,” said chairman and chief executive Frank Blake. “Our business performed well in a down market, ...
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News
Shopper’s Stop managing director moves to non-exec role
BS Nagesh, managing director at K Raheja-owned multi-format retailer Shopper’s Stop, is leaving his role and moving into a non-executive position as vice-chairman of the company.As part of a company wide succession planning process Shopper’s Stop chief executive Govind Shrikhande will take over managing director duties from Nagesh and become ...
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Media-Saturn to enter Siberia
Metro Group-owned consumer electronics retailer Media-Saturn, which has been operating in Russia since late 2006, will enter Siberia in the fourth quarter of this year.The retailer runs 15 Media Markt electronics superstores in Russia. At present, Metro Group operates only cash and carry stores in Siberia.
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News
Lidl slows expansion in Finland
According to Lidl managing director Antti Tiitola, the Schwarz Group-owned discount grocer has slowed its pace of expansion in Finland due to its increasing saturation in the market.The retailer now plans to open just two to five stores each year.Lidl has more than 130 stores in Finland, with an overall ...
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US fashion retailers struggle in second quarter
A number of clothing retailers have reported negative results in their second quarters, with only Urban Outfitters posting positive sales up against last year.Abercrombie & Fitch made a net loss of $26.7m (£16.3m) against a profit of $77.8m (£47.6m) during the same quarter last year, with total sales plummeting 23% ...
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First-half sales at Flamingo nosedive
First-half sales at electronics retailer Flamingo nosedived 45% to ROL187m (£38m).Chief executive Stefan Treiber explained the drop had been the result of a decline in the local market, but believed problems would not continue in the second half as costs had been cut, including reducing the number of employees from ...
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ICA’s Scandinavian net sales jump
Ahold-owned food retailer ICA’s Scandinavian net sales jumped 5.7% to Skr46.6bn (£3.7bn) for the first half of this year, although operating profit fell 7.7% to Skr484m (£67m). ICA is struggling in Norway, where despite increased sales, its operating loss widened.In the Baltics, net sales in local currency decreased 5.8%, mainly ...
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NewsChange Capital acquires German fashion retailer Hallhuber
Private equity firm Change Capital Partners has acquired German womenswear retailer Hallhuber in a €29m (£25m) deal.
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NewsAhold profits slump in second quarter on divestments
Dutch giant Ahold, operator of US grocery chains Stop & Shop and Giant, has suffered a 42% fall in second-quarter net profit to €195m (£163m).
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NewsWeak consumer confidence continues to hit US retail sales
There was little sign of improvement in consumer confidence in the US as many retailers reported second quarter results yesterday.
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NewsArgos prices 24% more expensive in Republic of Ireland
Argos has been criticised for charging its customers in the Republic of Ireland on average 24% more for its products than shoppers in the UK.
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NewsSurprise fall in US retail sales
US retail sales suffered an unexpected slip in July, when they fell by 0.1 per cent.