| Global retail industry news |  |
| Global Industry Watch |  |  |
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| Retail in Europe | | |
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Can Europe's music stores survive in a digital age?: HMV is the latest of Europe's music retailers to feel pain as consumers increasingly shift to digital music and media. Officials and consumers worry that the continent will lose both cultural traditions and revenue as music buyers shift more of their spending to largely US-based online sellers. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)
(20 Jan.)
    
- Report: UK retail crime's price tag jumps 15.6%
The cost of UK retail crime rose to £1.6 billion in 2012, with customer thefts accounting for 83% of the total and 1 in 20 stores reporting robberies, according to a survey from the British Retail Consortium. The report also found that retailers reported fewer crimes to the police, while spending 7% more to protect their employees, stock and customers. The Guardian (London)
(20 Jan.)
- CBI: UK visa rules hamper growth with China
UK businesses looking to expand their trade with China are often hampered by rules that make it difficult for Chinese citizens to obtain the visas they need, according to the CBI. "British businesses thinking about expanding in China will need to recruit someone [in China] who understands the product and that means getting them over to the UK for six months," said CBI employment director Neil Carberry. The Telegraph (London) (tiered subscription model)
(18 Jan.)
| Retail in Asia | | |
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- Reliance Industries may consolidate operations
India's Reliance Industries has reportedly petitioned the high court for approval to bring its eight companies together under its Reliance Fresh grocery chain, to eliminate administrative glitches and achieve increased efficiency. Reliance started as a single company, but in 2007 it divided the company into specialty retail operations focused in several areas including fashion, footwear and consumer electronics. The Economic Times (India)
(21 Jan.)
| E-commerce Spotlight | | |
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- China's small towns see big online shopping boost
Online payment service Alipay saw its user base in China's small cities rise 64% last year, as residents turned to the Web to find goods that weren't available in their local shops. "The demand has always been there, and online shopping has activated such demand for its convenience, fashion and cheaper prices," said Jiang Qiping, secretary-general at the Information Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. China Daily (Beijing)
(18 Jan.)
| Spotlight on Mass Merchandise | | |
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- High-end brands tout more "Made in America" labels
Luxury fashion retailers and brands are looking to make more of their goods at US factories, citing greater demand from customers concerned with both national loyalty and conditions in factories overseas. The decisions also make sense from a business perspective, as manufacturing in China gets more expensive and sourcing from American factories means a quicker turnaround. "There's something intangible and valuable. It's more about craftsmanship and authenticity than margin and profit," said Rag & Bone designer Marcus Wainwright. The Wall Street Journal
(18 Jan.)
- S. African farms mechanize amid higher wage demands
South African farm workers striking for higher minimum wages may actually be putting themselves out of jobs in the long term, as farms turn to machinery to do more of the work. The farms supply 11% of table grapes and pears worldwide, according to the US Agriculture Department, under contracts with retailers including ASDA in the UK. Bloomberg Businessweek
(18 Jan.)
| 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.)
| SmartQuote | | |
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 | Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."
--Abraham Lincoln,
16th U.S. president
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