NRF Global SmartBrief

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20 February 2013

Global retail industry news

Global Industry Watch

H&M aims to make India its next global stop
Sweden-based Hennes & Mauritz is the latest global retailer with plans to apply to start opening stores in India, where new rules on investment by foreign retailers come as the country's middle class is growing. H&M is the world's second-largest apparel retailer. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (tiered subscription model)/Reuters (19 Feb.)

Retail in Europe

M&S to launch British clothing revival
Marks & Spencer aims to boost clothing sales with the launch of new UK collections under a three-year deal with the British Fashion Council. "This is the start of an exciting journey to put more emphasis on British design and talent," said CEO Marc Bolland. The Telegraph (London) (tiered subscription model) (19 Feb.)

More UK retail spending goes to grocers, study says
UK consumers now do 58% of their retail spending at supermarkets, up from 46% a decade ago, according to a study from the Payments Council. The report also found that cash spending fell to 30% from 43% as more consumers use debit cards to pay for grocery purchases. The Telegraph (London) (tiered subscription model) (19 Feb.)

Retail in Asia

Starbucks maps 5-year Asia growth strategy
Starbucks plans to grow to about 40,000 employees in the Asia-Pacific region in the next five years, a region where tea is traditional but coffee consumption is on the rise. The company currently employs about 19,500 people in the region, which doesn't include China, India or Japan. MarketWatch (18 Feb.)

Chinese New Year celebrations reflect shifting economy
More Chinese citizens celebrated the arrival of the Year of the Snake last week with trips abroad. Overseas bank card transactions rose 33% while the rate of domestic retail growth slowed to 14.7% from 16.7% last year. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)/DealBook blog (19 Feb.)

E-commerce Spotlight

Report: Asia to become top e-commerce market in 2013
China, India and Indonesia will see the biggest jump in e-commerce sales this year and help fuel the Asia-Pacific region past North America to become the world's biggest market for online retail in 2013, according to a report from eMarketer. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (19 Feb.)

Spotlight on Luxury Goods

Prada reports strong sales growth for 2012
Prada's global sales grew 29% last year, in spite of economic slowdowns in Europe and Asia, and the luxury brand has significantly reduced markdowns, the company said Tuesday. The retailer added 78 new stores last year and is continuing to open new locations in 2013. The Wall Street Journal (19 Feb.)

Longchamp campaign celebrates spring
High-end French luxury brand Longchamp has launched an upbeat video and out-of-home advertising campaign to celebrate the new handbag styles of spring. It's one of several luxury brands launching optimistic new social video campaign as the new season approaches, including Fendi and Louis Vuitton. Luxury Daily (15 Feb.)

NRF News

Understanding Amazon: Three steps to restore marketplace balance
While Amazon does not intend to be the online leader in low prices, the result of their price matching strategy is amplification of the lowest price in the online marketplace. In a white paper posted in the Shop.org library, Channel IQ identifies three ways retailers and manufacturers can effectively monitor, manage and respond to "price disruption" and stay competitive online. Download the white paper.

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--John Berryman,
American poet and scholar

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