All International articles – Page 259

  • News

    Meijer to test a smaller format grocers in Chicago suburb

    2009-07-03T00:00:00Z

    Meijer is to test a smaller format grocery-focused shop in the Chicago suburb of Niles.The 102,000 sq ft shop is about half the size of most Meijer supercentres and will open in the first quarter of 2010. Alongside grocery, it will also have a pharmacy and some general merchandise. The ...

  • News

    Colruyt’s pre-tax profits rise

    2009-07-03T00:00:00Z

    Discount grocer Colruyt’s pre-tax profits rose 8 per cent to €549m (£467m) in the year to March 31, missing forecasts of €559m (£475m). Total sales increased 11.2 per cent to E6.3bn (£5.35bn), in line with forecasts.The retailer said: “Despite the economic crisis the Colruyt Group continues to invest in future ...

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    Gallery

    Store of the week: Esprit, Stockholm

    2009-07-03T00:00:00Z

    Trying to get shoppers into your store when you’re positioned on the third floor of a glass and steel tower block is probably a matter of having a very substantial shout. In the pedestrianised Drottninggattan area of Stockholm, fashion retailer Esprit has overcome this by making a feature of the ...

  • News

    Sobeys reveals net profit hike

    2009-07-03T00:00:00Z

    Grocer Sobeys has revealed a net profit hike of 21.1 per cent to C$226m (£118m) in the year to May 2.Like-for-like sales increased 5.2 per cent while total sales climbed 7.2 per cent to C$14.76bn (£7.7bn) as a result of new stores and extensions, as well as sales and ...

  • News

    Pre-tax profits rise at H&M

    2009-07-03T00:00:00Z

    Pre-tax profits at H&M rose 6 per cent to Skr5.78bn (£452.9m) in the second quarter to the end of May. Sales excluding VAT soared 23 per cent to Skr26.5bn (£2.1bn), an 8 per cent increase in local currencies and a decline of 2 per cent on a like-for-like basis.Gross margins ...

  • News

    Wesfarmers sells shops and supermarkets

    2009-07-03T00:00:00Z

    Wesfarmers has sold 45 of its Coles supermarkets and eight Liquorland shops to independent grocer FoodWorks.The deal will reduce Wesfarmers’ costs and allow it to invest in other Coles stores. FoodWorks, which now has 750 Australian stores, paid around Aus$35m (£17m).The shops sold generated a combined annual turnover of around ...

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    News

    Crabtree & Evelyn files for bankruptcy protection in the US

    2009-07-02T09:14:00Z

    The US arm of Crabtree & Evelyn has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

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    News

    Kmart cuts prices for the unemployed

    2009-07-02T08:52:00Z

    US retailer Kmart has launched a money-off programme for the jobless in its original home state of Michigan.

  • Primondo web
    News

    European Union approves state loan for Arcandor

    2009-07-01T08:56:00Z

    The European Union has given approval for the German state to loan insolvent retailer Arcandor €50m (£43m).

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    News

    Tesco refutes global trade union claims

    2009-07-01T08:47:00Z

    Tesco has refuted claims from an international trade union which criticised the grocer’s employment practices in some of its overseas markets.

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    News

    Mamas & Papas unveils Japanese expansion deal

    2009-06-26T09:02:00Z

    Maternity specialist Mamas & Papas is to launch in Japan after striking a distribution deal with local nursery goods group Pigeon Corporation.

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    News

    Abercrombie & Fitch axes Ruehl as it sticks to younger market

    2009-06-26T00:00:00Z

    The polished and sexy world of Abercrombie & Fitch hit a rather unsightly bump in its growth plans last week as it announced it was closing its high-end Ruehl brand.

  • News

    Schwarz Group fastest riser according to Planet Retail

    2009-06-26T00:00:00Z

    Discount grocers are continuing their march on the competition, with Lidl owner Schwarz Group being the fastest riser in Planet Retail’s Top 20 Grocery Retailers 2008.Schwarz jumped from ninth to fifth place last year as the global downturn continues to accelerate growth for discount chains.The research also revealed that the ...

  • News

    Petsmart appoints its president to chief executive role

    2009-06-26T00:00:00Z

    Pets products retailer Petsmart has appointed its president and chief operating officer Bob Moran to the role of chief executive.Moran replaces Phil Francis, who will remain chairman and relinquish day-to-day control of the retailer. Francis will take on the more advisory role of executive chairman.Petsmart, which operates around 1,100 stores ...

  • News

    Former Arcandor chief executive denies part in the group's downfall

    2009-06-26T00:00:00Z

    Former Arcandor chief executive Thomas Middelhoff has denied he played a part in the downfall of the retail and tourism group.Arcandor was forced into insolvency earlier this month after the state refused to grant it aid on the grounds that its problems pre-dated the recession.“I am convinced that we have ...

  • News

    Barnes & Noble scales back its expansion plans

    2009-06-26T00:00:00Z

    Bookseller Barnes & Noble has scaled back its expansion plans in the recession. America’s largest book chain by sales had planned to open 35 superstores this year, but now has only 15 in the pipeline. Most of these are replacing existing branches that have closed or are being relocated.Barnes & ...

  • News

    Retailers scale back expansion plans in China

    2009-06-26T00:00:00Z

    Retailers are scaling back or delaying expansion plans in China as investors express concern about over-expansion and demand falls among Chinese shoppers.Grocer China Resources is to cut back its openings to 200 rather than 300, and fashion retailer Giordano International has shut 14 stores in China in the first quarter ...

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    Gallery

    Recession hangover hits booze cruise retailers

    2009-06-26T00:00:00Z

    Calais is the home of the booze cruiser, but a falling pound, shrinking shopper budgets and fewer day trippers have made it challenging for UK retailers and others. John Ryan reports.

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    News

    Tesco brings touch of Britain to Fresh & Easy

    2009-06-26T00:00:00Z

    Tesco has introduced some classic British favourites such as Marmite and Heinz baked beans at selected Fresh & Easy stores in the US.

  • News

    Carrefour chief exec reportedly plots cost cutting drive

    2009-06-26T00:00:00Z

    Carrefour chief executive Lars Olofsson is plotting a major cost-cutting drive to save it €2bn (£1.7bn) by 2012, according to French press reports.The grocery giant will update its 500 key executives this week on the plan to make it a more “agile” business, able to grow more rapidly and gain ...