| Global retail industry news |  |
| Global Industry Watch |  |  |
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- Report explores the reasons for Canada's higher prices
Higher tariffs aren't the only reason Canadian consumers often pay more than their US counterparts for the same goods, according to a government report. Retailers say some manufacturers charge Canadian merchants up to 50% more for the same products because Canadians are used to paying more and because manufacturers use the revenue to subsidize the costs of operating offices in Canada and to compensate wholesalers and distributors who also face higher costs. The Province (Vancouver, British Columbia)
(06 Feb.)     
| Retail in Europe | | |
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- UK grocers aim to claim more lingerie buyers
Supermarket chain Sainsbury has added $35 satin lingerie sets to its shelves in time for Valentine's Day, and Wal-Mart's ASDA has been adding new styles and sizes to its collections as both chains aim to grab market share from leading undergarment seller Marks & Spencer, analysts say. "Supermarkets have given a lot of time, energy and space to clothing and it works very well for them, so they will be taking market share," said analyst Simon Irwin. Bloomberg
(06 Feb.)
| Retail in Asia | | |
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- Chocolate brands aim to sweeten sales in China
Retail sales in China have grown an average of 17% for the past five years, and sales of luxury goods are soaring, except when it comes to chocolate. Chinese consumers eat the equivalent of about two Snickers bars per year, a statistic confectioners including Godiva, Barry Callebaut and Ferrero Rocher aim to change by marketing chocolate in high-end gift sets that position the sweet as a luxury. AsiaOne News/Agence France-Presse
(07 Feb.)
| E-commerce Spotlight | | |
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- Baidu debuts shopping search engine
Baidu has launched a new shopping search site in partnership with several online retailers including 360buy.com, Yihaodian and Amazon China. The site won't include sites owned by Alibaba, including Taobao, which has been a chief rival for ad revenue. ZDNet (Asia)
(06 Feb.)
| Spotlight on Consumer Electronics | | |
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- Britain's music lovers bypass the high street
Nearly one-fifth of British music buyers only buy digital music, a boon for iTunes and Spotify at the expense of brick-and-mortar music shops, according to music industry trade group BPI. "There has rightly been a lot of focus in the past few weeks on high street music retail. That will continue – we must do all we can to serve music fans who love CDs and vinyl," said CEO Geoff Taylor. The Guardian (London)
(07 Feb.)
| Editor's Note | | |
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- Act now and save $400 on NRF's Global Supply Chain Summit
Registration is now open for the NRF Global Supply Chain Summit, 19-21 May in Dallas. The summit provides a unique environment for senior-level retail supply chain executives and logistics partners to network and learn about industry challenges and solutions, with the focus on omnichannel retailing, corporate social responsibility, and global trade management. To secure the advance registration rate and save $400, register by 1 March. Learn more or register.
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 | I am never bored anywhere: being bored is an insult to oneself."
--Jules Renard,
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