All articles by Planet Retail – Page 28
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Walmart to focus on expanding existing operations
Walmart is to concentrate on expanding its operations in existing markets rather than entering new locations this year. However, the retailer is still looking at possibilities to enter new countries and acquire technology and other capabilities.Walmart highlighted it has no plans at present to enter Russia but said it would ...
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Cora plans click-and-collect service
Grocery retailer Louis Delhaize plans to launch a click-and-collect service for its Romanian hypermarket chain Cora. The new service will be called Cora Drive. The retailer already offers Cora Digital, a service that allows customers to pick up consumer electronics delivered from Cora hypermarkets to smaller stores in customers’ local ...
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Uniqlo stores to sweep China
Clothing giant Fast Retailing has revealed that its Uniqlo International division plans to accelerate the pace of new store openings in Greater China from 32 stores in 2011 to 80 in 2012. The first Uniqlo shop is scheduled to launch in the Philippines in June this year and the retailer ...
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Carrefor launches new loyalty programme
Carrefour has launched a new point-based loyalty programme in the United Arab Emirates called MyClub, an innovation within the hypermarket sector in the region.Members earn one point for every AED10 (£1.75) spent in the retailer’s stores, with extra points available on special offers. When 500 points are accumulated, a AED50 ...
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Target's Canadian plans under government review
General merchandise retailer Target’s plan to enter Canada is being reviewed by the government to decide if books and other cultural ranges have enough Canadian content.Target spokeswoman Lisa Gibson said that this analysis will concentrate on books, DVDs, music and magazines as the government is committed to making sure investments ...
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Intermarché given go-ahead for Altis takeover
Grocer Intermarché has received approval from competition authorities to take over 20 Altis stores operating under the Carrefour banner. Last year, Intermarché reached an agreement with Spanish grocer Eroski to acquire the Altis joint venture in southern France.Eroski had already purchased Carrefour’s 50% stake in Altis, which operated six Carrefour ...
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Bharti Walmart to establish online operations in India
Bharti Walmart is likely to set up an online operation in the country with the grocer reportedly looking to partner with domestic ecommerce companies. Online retailing is gaining ground in India with several companies such as Amazon’s Jungle.com coming to the market, an indirect entry owing to the current restrictions ...
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Seven & I Holdings posts 20% profit for year
Convenience store operator Seven & I Holdings has posted a 20% rise in operating profit to ¥292.1bn (£2.41bn) for the full year ended February 29, 2012. Net profit increased 16% to ¥129.8bn (£1.07bn), however net sales fell 11.4% to ¥4.01 trillion (£33.03bn) mainly due to a change in accounting methods ...
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Sears launches first purchasing app
Department store operator Sears Canada has launched its first app for both iPhone and Android devices. The app offers browsing and purchasing capabilities and is available in English or French. Exclusive promotions and daily deals are also on offer to shoppers using the application as well as a store locator ...
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Joe Fresh unveils flagship New York store
Joe Fresh, the clothing retailer owned by Canada-based grocer Loblaw, has launched its flagship clothing store on Fifth Avenue in New York. The opening comes after the retailer decided last year to roll out beyond its home market, unveiling five shops in New York and New Jersey. The flagship is ...
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Best Buy chief executive resigns
The chief executive of US electricals giant Best Buy has resigned after the retailer’s recent poor performance. Best Buy said it was a mutual decision for Brian Dunn to step down and it was “time for new leadership to address the challenges that face the company”. The retailer has struggled ...
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Michaels Stores seeks expansion
Arts and crafts retailer Michaels Stores aims to raise $500m (£320m) in an initial public offering.Using cash raised, the retailer sees the potential for 1,500 stores in North America, including new formats for smaller and urban markets. Michaels also said that it will specifically target Hispanic customers with classes in ...
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Aeon launches new tablet device
Aeon has launched a tablet device, jointly developed with domestic telecoms company NTT and electronics manufacturer Sharp. The device is designed to help families organise their daily activities, manage schedules and communicate as well as facilitate online shopping via Aeon’s net support service app. Aeon plans to equip the tablet ...
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Rewe acquires stores from Enka
German retailer Rewe has won approval from the Russian competition authorities to acquire 12 Citistores from Turkish group Enka. The shops, in the greater metropolitan area of Moscow, will be converted to the Billa supermarket format in the coming months. Rewe also plans to open around 10 new Billa stores ...
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Dunnes launches in-store bakery trials
Dunnes is to launch in-store bakery trials in six stores this month in response to initiatives by German discounter Schwarz Group Lidl. Should the trial prove successful Dunnes is expected to introduce bakeries to more shops.
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Auchan unveils new pricing strategy
Grocer Auchan has unveiled its new pricing strategy. The retailer is expanding its fruit and vegetables available for less than €1 from the current eight to 14 varieties. The €1 price point will also be applied on a broader range of products including meat, frozen food and organic products. The ...
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Japanese convenience store Lawson to expand in China
Convenience store operator Lawson has unveiled plans to step up its expansion in China. At present the retailer has 335 shops in the country and the intention is to have 10,000 by 2020. Lawson may consider an acquisition to rapidly increase its store network.Like other Japanese convenience store players, Lawson ...
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Pharmacy operator Nepstar reports sales growth
Pharmacy operator Nepstar’s sales grew 5.7% to Yn2.5bn (£248m) in the 2011 financial year. Like-for-like sales rose 8.7%year on year and net income soared 118% to Yn35.9m (£3.56m). The retailer said the sales rise was due to optimisation of the merchandise mix, diversification into non-pharmaceutical categories in the first half ...
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Auchan plans private-label increase
French retailer Auchan plans to increase sales of private-label in its Russian stores by 80% within two years. It also hopes to up its Russian stores from 1,700 to 3,000, said Auchan Russia board member Ludovic Holinier. In 2011, the retailer opened 12 stores in the country. The retailer recently ...
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Apple plans greater China investment
Apple plans to invest more in China, the retailer revealed following a visit by chief executive Tim Cook. China is Apple’s second-largest market after the US.However, it has just six stores open in the country, significantly fewer than the 25 projected for 2012 by former head of retail Ron Johnson ...