| Global retail industry news |  |
| Global Industry Watch |  |  |
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- Dolce & Gabbana to open 1st store in Australia
Italian luxury brand Dolce & Gabbana will open its first Australian store, in a high-end retail district in Melbourne that already boasts 20-plus upscale brands including Chanel, Prada and Gucci. "The neighbouring tenants is one of the most crucial factors for these brands when identifying a suitable site," said CBRE executive director Max Cookes. The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
(12 Feb.)     
| Retail in Europe | | |
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| Retail in Asia | | |
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- Uniqlo targets Indonesia as next growth market
Japan-based Fast Retailing will open its first Uniqlo store in Indonesia this year and grow to 10 units there in the next three years, said executive vice president Naoki Otoma. "We see there are a lot of new young families in this country. That's a potential middle-class population explosion." Bloomberg Businessweek
(13 Feb.)
- KFC charts a growth course to India's smaller cities
KFC has had a presence in India since parent Yum! Brands entered the market in the early 1990s, focusing on building brand recognition in big towns. This year, the chain is going farther afield with plans to add stores in smaller cities and towns, as part of a plan to reach $1 billion in sales and 1,000 restaurants by 2015. The Wall Street Journal
(12 Feb.)
- Auntie Anne's franchisees faced high hurdles in China
Launching an Auntie Anne's Pretzel franchise in China proved daunting for Wharton MBAs Wen-Szu Lin and Joseph Sze, who detailed their four-year adventure in a new book. Governmental glitches and market misunderstandings led ultimately to the closure of the last store last year. "I think we made a faulty assumption in the very beginning that our Chinese heritage was in line with the cultural phenomenon that was happening here in China," said Sze. National Public Radio
(11 Feb.)
| E-commerce Spotlight | | |
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- Hut Group to team with magazines on e-commerce
Hut Group, an e-commerce site operator backed by former Marks & Spencer chief Sir Stuart Rose, has teamed with magazine publisher Hearst Magazines UK to create magazine branded online retail sites. Men's Health, Cosmopolitan and Elle are among the first sites set to launch this spring, with collections curated by the magazines' editors. The Independent (London)
(12 Feb.)
- Amazon, online retailers look for India to change rules
International online retailers are asking officials in India to change laws that currently prohibit their Indian sites from selling directly to consumers there. Among them is Amazon Vice President Paul Misener, who this week met with Trade Minister Anand Sharma. Amazon launched price comparison site Junglee in India last year, but consumers can't buy directly from the site. The Wall Street Journal
(12 Feb.)
| Spotlight on Luxury Goods | | |
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- Luxury brands see growing US demand
Wealthy Americans are spending on luxury again, and Chinese tourism is on the rise, driving brands including Hermes, L'Oreal and Burberry to make plans to invest in US markets, executives say. "The stronger economy and loosening of visa restrictions for the Chinese mean that business this year will benefit from both affluent locals and tourism," said consultant Milton Pedraza. The Wall Street Journal
(13 Feb.)
| NRF News | | |
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- When US retailers will report monthly sales in 2013
NRF's 4-5-4 calendar serves as a voluntary guide for the retail industry and ensures sales comparability between years by dividing the year into months based on a four-weeks/five-weeks/four-weeks format. The 4-5-4 calendar also establishes sales release dates, which have historically been on the first Thursday following the month's end. NRF has released calendars for 2013 through 2017. View the calendars.
| SmartQuote | | |
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 | Several excuses are always less convincing than one."
--Aldous Huxley,
British author
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