All articles by Planet Retail – Page 40
-
News
Builders Warehouse enters Botswana
Builders Warehouse, the DIY chain operated by Walmart-controlled South African retail and wholesale group Massmart, has entered Botswana, marking its first step outside its home market.Llewellyn Walters, chief executive of Massmart’s DIY holding Massbuild, said: “We look forward to bringing customers the best choice at the lowest possible prices, with ...
-
News
Japanese retailer Aeon plans expansion in Vietnam
Japanese retailer Aeon has stated its plans to expand its presence in Vietnam. Its first supermarket will be located in Ho Chi Minh City, and will be open by 2014. The company is scheduled to obtain an investment licence from the Vietnamese government. In Vietnam, Aeon operates its Aeon Credit ...
-
News
Lawson reports net profit fall
Convenience store operator Lawson has reported its financial results for the six months ended August 2011.Net profit fell 27% to ¥8.96bn (£68.6m) from ¥12.29bn (£90.6m) for the same period last year. The drop was due in part to losses related to new accounting standards. Operating profit experienced an 8% gain, ...
-
News
Electronics retailer Bic Camera posts net sales increase
Electronics retailer Bic Camera posted a 0.6% increase in net sales to ¥612.1bn (£4.7bn) for its financial year ended August 31. Operating profit for the period soared 35% to ¥19.9bn (£152.4m), while net profit rocketed 51.7% to ¥9bn (£68.9m).Bic Camera said sales of household appliances had benefited from the government’s ...
-
News
Gap announces plans to shut a fifth of its stores
Fashion retailer Gap has announced that it plans to shut more than a fifth of its Gap stores in North America over the next two years. The retailer recognised that it had expanded to such an extent that the US market became oversaturated with its stores. As a result, Gap ...
-
News
Lidl changes expansion criteria in Germany
Schwarz Group-owned discounter Lidl is changing the criteria for expansion in Germany, defining higher sales targets and a larger catchment area for new stores. The new measures foresee a minimum turnover per store of E5m (£4.4m), which is higher than the estimated average of E4.9m (£4.3m) for its existing network.To ...
-
News
Casino opens first Casino Shop in domestic market
The convenience arm of grocery retailer Casino has opened its first Casino Shop in its domestic market. The Casino Shop concept is typically less than 3,770 sq ft and offers 5,400 products, 1,500 more items compared with a Petit Casino. Casino Shop offers free home delivery and simultaneously acts as ...
-
News
Grocer Sobeys announces business realignment
Grocer Sobeys has announced a realignment that will see the creation of two business units, each led by a president of operations. The IGA operations business unit comprises the IGA and IGA Extra, Les Marchés Tradition, Marché Bonichoix and Rachelle-Béry banners in the province of Quebec, and will be led ...
-
News
Walmart de México opens first standalone pharmacy
Walmart de México has opened its first standalone pharmacy in the country, Planet Retail has learned. The opening is part of a trial project and the retailer has not revealed any further details about it. Walmart already operates a number of pharmacies in Mexico, generally located next to larger stores ...
-
News
Discount retailer Target launches limited-edition collection
Discount retailer Target is partnering with designer Josie Natori to launch its first limited-edition collection of lingerie and loungewear. The Josie Natori for Target range will appear in two seasonal instalments, the first of which will be available from the end of October in time for the Christmas season. The ...
-
News
Bernardo Caprotti steps down as chairman of Esselunga
Bernardo Caprotti, founder and owner of supermarket chain Esselunga, has stepped down as chairman. Caprotti made the announcement himself and said the move will help the private chain “have a proper management”. He said that he will retain “an operating role” in human resources at Esselunga.Caprotti will also retain his ...
-
News
Amazon announces launch of Kindle e-reader in France
Amazon has announced the launch of its Kindle e-reader in France. The Kindle is now available for pre-order with a price tag of E99 (£86) via Amazon.fr with delivery from October 14.Amazon’s Kindle e-book selection comprises 35,000 titles in French and includes 4,000 free classics and 28 L’Express bestsellers. French ...
-
News
Eckhard Cordes resigns from Metro
Eckhard Cordes, chief executive of retail group Metro, announced that he will be resigning from his post by October 31, 2012. He has lead Metro since 2007 and will be a member of the supervisory board until his successor is found.
-
News
Hugendubel bookstore chain launches company’s first e-reader
Publishing company Weltbild and its Hugendubel bookstore chain have launched the company’s first e-reader. The eBook Reader 3.0 sells for E60 (£52), compared with E99 (£86) for Amazon’s Kindle, and has a colour display and capacity to hold 2,000 books. The company offers more than 120,000 e-books for download.
-
News
Penny plans revision of store network
Rewe Group-owned discounter Penny has plans to revise its store network in Germany, forecasting the closure of 120 to 140 stores during the next year. According to reports, nearly half of the approximately 2,400 stores are currently in the red. As for the remaining network, Rewe Group reportedly wants to ...
-
News
Delhaize Group closes public offering of seven-year bonds
Delhaize Group has closed the public offering of seven-year bonds for a total amount of E400m (£347m). Delhaize Group president and chief executive Pierre-Olivier Beckers said:“This successful bond offering will help us fund the continued implementation of our New Game Plan strategy as well as re-finance existing debt recently acquired ...
-
News
Carrefour director Alain Fretellière to leave the group
Carrefour director of private label Reflets de France Alain Fretellière will leave the group at the end of the month. Fretellière, who also leads relationships with small and medium-sized enterprises, was a driving force behind the creation of Reflets de France, a range of French gastronomic products, which has enjoyed ...
-
News
Lidl implements ‘1 now & 1 later’ promotions
Schwarz Group’s discount store chain Lidl in the Netherlands has begun to implement ‘1 Nu & 1 Later’ (‘1 now & 1 later’) promotions. According to the retailer, it plans to reduce food waste at customers’ homes with these special offers. The products promoted in Lidl’s leaflets have a multi-buy ...
-
News
Walmart announces resignation of key executives
Walmart has announced the resignation of key executives from its online business. Eduardo Castro-Wright, vice-chairman of global sourcing operations, is to retire in July and Wan Ling Martello, vice-president of ecommerce, is to leave the company to take up a new position at Nestlé. The departures come amid a drive ...
-
News
Rite Aid plans introduction of iPad tablets to stores
Drugstore operator Rite Aid plans to introduce iPad tablets to 300 stores in 2012 following positive customer feedback. Rite Aid brought the iPads to 40 stores this year and they are being used by the chain’s Wellness Ambassadors – trained sales associates who provide customers with information on over-the-counter medications. ...