| Global retail industry news |  |
| Global Industry Watch |  |  |
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- UAE retail boom to drive rents higher
Commercial landlords in the United Arab Emirates are expected to raise rents this year amid robust retail growth, according to a survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. "Business activity generally seems to be increasing which will no doubt show positive influence on the real estate market over the coming months," said spokeswoman Elaine Jones. The National (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)
(21 Feb.)     
| Retail in Europe | | |
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- Spain's retailers reach out to the tourists
Spanish retailers including Mango and El Corte Ingles are looking to offset ongoing sales slumps amid 26% unemployment by appealing to the tourists that flock to the country's beaches, with ads in travel magazines, tourist discounts and bilingual store staffers. "Tourists were always important to us but they have become much more relevant since the crisis started," said Ignacio Sierra, chief corporate officer of fashion retailer Cortefiel. Bloomberg Businessweek
(20 Feb.)
| Retail in Asia | | |
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- China's toy, clothing factories see post-New Year labor shortage
In what's becoming an annual tradition, factories in China expect that many of the workers who left to celebrate the week-long Lunar New Year won't return to their posts, a problem that could lead to delays for toy and apparel sellers in the US and other countries. China's one-child rule has led to a steep drop in the population of young people who typically take the jobs, and more workers are eschewing toy and apparel factories for more lucrative jobs at electronics plants. The Wall Street Journal
(20 Feb.)
| Retail in Latin America | | |
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| Spotlight on Consumer Electronics | | |
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- Best Buy Canada president resigns after 24 years
Best Buy Canada's President Mike Pratt will leave the post at the company where he has worked for 24 years, reportedly to take a CEO post at a Bain Capital-owned company in the US. Bain owns or has investments in several large retail chains including Gymboree, Burlington Coat Factory, Michael's and Toys R Us, which last week announced that CEO Gerald Storch would step down. Financial Post (Canada)
(19 Feb.)
- NPD: Apple got 19.9% of US spending on consumer electronics
Apple took in 19.9% of all US spending on consumer electronics last year during a year when overall CE spending declined by 2% from 2011, according to The NPD Group. Apple and Samsung Electronics were the only vendors to pump up market share in 2012, with Samsung's share rising to 9.3% last year, compared with 7% the previous year, NPD said. The Register (U.K.)
(20 Feb.)
| NRF News | | |
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- A trip around the world of retail store trends
Shoppers aren’t one-size-fits-all, and the closer a retailer can get in matching their store to their consumer the better. WSL Strategic Retail CEO, Founder and Chief Shopper Wendy Liebmann took attendees at Retail’s BIG Show on a safari to explore what’s working on Main Street, including Burberry’s new London store based on their website, and how Walgreens’ new flagship store in Chicago caters to the “daily living” of the 21st century urbanite. Read more. Retail's BIG Blog
(16 Jan.)
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 | Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed."
--Maria Montessori,
Italian physician and educator
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