All articles by Planet Retail – Page 27
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News
Amazon reports strong sales results
Amazon reported better than expected results for the three months ended March 31. Sales rocketed 34% to $13.18bn (£8.1bn), driven by strong sales of Kindle products and digital media. Net income declined 35% to $130m (£80m) compared with $201m (£123m) in the same period last year as it invested in ...
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Target remodels 90 stores to include fresh food
Target has begun remodelling 90 stores across the US and aims to complete the programmed by the end of June.The remodels are the second of three phases this year, which include the addition of fresh food to its general merchandise stores.Almost 1,000 Target stores offer an expanded food layout at ...
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Clicks Group reports group turnover increase
Health and beauty retailer and wholesaler Clicks Group reported an increase in group turnover of 6.8% to ZAR7.7bn (£612m) for the first half of its financial year ended February 29. Clicks, the group’s drugstore chain, increased turnover by 9.6% and store numbers by 7.9% to 412. It also expanded its ...
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Aeon opens shopping centre aimed at senior citizens
Multi-format retailer Aeon has opened its first shopping centre aimed at senior citizens in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture.The venture is in response to the ageing trend in Japanese society. More than 30% of the population is 65 or older.The centre features a slower escalator speed, large signage, Aeon’s first directly run ...
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Dixy plans store growth in 2012
Dixy Group chief executive Ilya Yakubson has revealed plans for a secondary public offering of $300m (£185m) in the second half of 2013. He added that Dixy plans to open 250 to 300 new stores this year.Dixy Group’s revenue in the first quarter grew by 93.1% to RUB34.7bn (£727m) thanks ...
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Grocer Mercator to expand services
Grocer Mercator will expand its services to mobile, tourism and petrol stations. The retailer also announced further sales of properties.“It is not enough to offer some basic products to be different, everybody can do that,” said Mercator director of strategic finance and risk management Dean Cerin, adding that the retailer ...
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Walmart Canada launches premium private-label
Walmart Canada has launched a new premium private-label range called Our Finest.The line of 50 new products are all priced at CAD10 (£6.23) or less and include essential barbecue ingredients such as premium burgers and frankfurters, side salads, ice cream desserts and essentials such as ketchup, barbecue sauces and buns.Asda’s ...
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Apple posts quarterly revenue increase
Apple posted quarterly revenues of $39.2bn (£24.1bn) for the second quarter ended March 31, up from $24.7bn (£15.2bn) last year. Net profit for the period was $11.6bn (£7.1bn), almost double last year’s income of $6bn (£3.7bn). International sales accounted for 64% of revenue during the quarter. $4.4bn (£2.7bn) in revenue ...
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Pick n Pay posts sales increase
Pick n Pay increased sales by 8.1% to R55.3bn (£4.76bn) for the year to February 29, while profit fell 10.6% to R1.3bn (£112m). The retailer said that was the result of investment in transformation initiatives. They include the launch of its smart shopper loyalty programme, the sale of Franklins in ...
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Metro unifies structure of Makro cash-and-carry operations
Metro has unified the structure of its Makro cash-and-carry operations in Spain and Portugal. The change is part of a strategy to build synergies and improve competitiveness. Makro Portugal has not reached its performance targets over the past few years and is coming under additional pressure from a tough economic ...
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Walmart accused of cover up
Walmart has been accused of covering up allegations that its managers in Mexico used widespread bribery to secure its presence in the country and expand market share. Walmart vice-president of corporate communications David Tovar admitted that the retail giant was investigating the allegations but said: “We don’t have a full ...
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Walmart’s global ecommerce division to double hiring target in India
Walmart’s global ecommerce division is doubling its hiring target in India to 200 employees to revamp the retailer’s ecommerce platform. Over the last five months, @WalmartLabs – which operates under Walmart’s global ecommerce unit – has been building Indian operations with a focus on social and digital technology. Jeremy King, ...
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Woolworths’ results slow on deflation
Woolworths’ results slowed on deflation during its third quarter, growing 3.8% to AUS$14.1bn (£9.15bn). The retailers’ supermarket division experienced solid growth of 3.7% to AUS$12.2bn (£7.92bn), while the retailer’s non-food fascias had a mixed result. Consumer electronics fascia Dick Smith reported a 1.7% decline in sales to AUS$269m (£174.6m), although ...
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Amazon eyes expansion of global distribution network
Amazon is eyeing expansion of its global distribution network in Asia Pacific and is considering opening a local distribution centre in Australia.It is understood that company executives plan to visit Australia in the coming months to visit prospective sites. Opening a distribution centre in Australia would make sense for Amazon ...
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Lidl provides sales and regional managers with iPads
Discounter Lidl is providing sales and regional managers with iPads equipped with a proprietary app showing shelf layouts, new listings and de-listings and staff scheduling in stores.The app – known internally as ‘Lidl Mobile Office’ – is designed to free managers’ time and reduce paperwork and was designed for Lidl ...
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Toys R Us to launch transactional website in China
Toys R Us is to launch a transactional website in China. The retailer has signed an agreement with Fireswirl Technologies, which will provide online operations for its 60 stores in Greater China including its Taobao flagship store.At present, Toys R Us has a Chinese website providing product recommendations.
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Blokker reports group sales increase
Toy, home and garden retailer Blokker reported group sales steady at e2.7bn (£2.34bn) and up 3% in its domestic market in the year to January 28. Performance was driven by its home formats Xenos, Big Bazar and Cook & Co. Operating profit fell 20.9% to e167m (£144.8m) and net profit ...
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Auchan receives approval for Magyar acquisition
French retailer Auchan has received approval from the European Commission for the acquisition of Hungarian retailer Magyar Hipermarket. The takeover of the seven Cora hypermarkets was permitted as the commission said Auchan faces several strong competitors in the country. Auchan operates 12 hypermarkets in Hungary at present but expansion had ...
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Nordstrom purchases online clothing brand
Upmarket department store group Nordstrom has purchased Bonobos, an online brand that sells custom-fit men’s clothing, at a reported cost of $16.4m (£10.3m). In addition to the funding, Nordstrom will sell Bonobos clothing at some of its stores and on its website.The deal with Nordstrom marks the first time Bonobos ...
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Galeries Lafayette to revamp flagship store
Department store business Galeries Lafayette plans a E85m (£71.8m) investment at its flagship store on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris.The retailer intends to expand the space dedicated to luxury goods, leather products, jewellery and footwear. As part of the renovation, Louis Vuitton, Cartier and Chanel outlets will be located on two ...