Simon, Bobby and Robin Arora bought B&M, a discount retailer, in 2005 when it was still a loss making business with less than 20 struggling stores. Seven years on, the company has £1bn of sales, 290 stores and 2m customers a week. The brothers, led by ex-Barclays and 3i executive, Simon, have hired Rothschild to... Continue Reading →

MidEast investors sink $406m into London project An artist's impression of the Kings Reach project in London. UK-based private equity real estate company CIT Group has secured £250m ($406m) from a consortium of Middle East investors to kickstart its 30-storey Kings Reach Tower scheme in London. Work is now set to begin on the project,... Continue Reading →

Nike Inc. (NKE), the world’s largest sporting-goods company, declined after reporting future orders that trailed analysts’ estimates as demand sank in China. Nike fell 1.1 percent to $94.91 at the close in New York. The Beaverton, Oregon-based company’s shares have fallen 1.5 percent this year. - Nike the world’s largest sporting-goods company, reported future orders... Continue Reading →

Tesco has seen profits slump in its domestic market Tesco, the world’s third biggest retailer, has sealed a deal to open 19 of its fashion stores in Saudi Arabia as it looks to boost its overseas profits amid declining retail sales in the UK. The UK’s biggest retailer will debut its F&F stores in the... Continue Reading →

Swatch Group (UHR.VX) will have to work hard to achieve its goal of increasing sales this year to 8 billion Swiss francs ($8.50 billion) from last year's record high of 7 billion, its chief executive told Reuters on Thursday. Nick Hayek, chief executive of the world's largest watchmaker, cited slowing growth in China and the... Continue Reading →

British clothing brand Karen Millen has appointed Becky Bateman as retail director for the UK and Ireland and Pilar LaCave as retail director for Europe. Bateman, who joins the company in January, will lead the Karen Millen brand in domestic markets, while LaCave will head the international business in Europe from November. Prior to serving... Continue Reading →

Retailers have had a hard time of it over the last few years, and many continue to struggle. In the UK, as elsewhere, many retail names have disappeared from the high street. So, how are the world's biggest and best coping, and what are their prospects for the future? The big three The US's Wal-Mart... Continue Reading →

For the first six months of the year, Harley Davidson sold 132,991 motorcycles worldwide Motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson is planning to boost its dealerships in the Middle East, with Abu Dhabi and Algeria showrooms set to open next month and Tunisia, Libya, Iraq and Pakistan also on its radar, the head of the company’s Middle East... Continue Reading →

Shoe retailer Schuh is to launch a new concept for the brand, targeted solely at children, at Braehead in Glasgow and Lakeside in Thurrock. The two CSC centres are to be the UK’s first locations for Schuh Kids, a new concept children’s footwear spinoff to the company’s adult Schuh stores and the first expansion of... Continue Reading →

Esprit Holdings Ltd posted second-half profit that missed analyst forecasts and said a slowing Chinese economy and lingering euro zone problems continue to pose risks to its business, briefly sending its shares more than 8 percent lower. Esprit, which sells everything from bed sheets to jeans and generates three-quarters of its sales in Europe, has... Continue Reading →

--Acquisition of U.K. retailer Clinton again oppresses bottom line --Executives decline any discussion of going private proposal or future performance --Shares tread water after 17% surge Wednesday (Updates with details from conference call in paragraphs two through six) American Greetings Corp. AM -0.15% swung to a fiscal second-quarter loss as the greeting-card maker continued to... Continue Reading →

Need support for your new business ,or expanding your existing business contact us on info@retail360.co.uk Visit us http://www.retail360.co.uk or http://www.retail360.me or http://www.retail360.co.za Follow the latest retail news on our blog Retail Blog or on twitter @retail360_

Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) will open its first city-center stores in Sweden and Norway next year as the world’s largest coffee-shop operator works to boost sales in Europe. Starbucks will partner with Norway’s Umoe Restaurant Group AS to open the stores and will increase its locations in airports and train stations, the companies said in a... Continue Reading →

Since his Wall Street debut in December, upscale US fashion designer Michael Kors has seen profits soar and share value almost triple, proof of the luxury sector's resilience amid a torpid economy. The eponymous ready-to-wear brand, launched in 1981 and divided since 2004 into several lines, from the luxury "Michael Kors" to the more accessible... Continue Reading →

JJB is the latest high-profile retail failure in recession-hit Britain. Photograph: David Moir/Reuters Sports Direct is thrashing out the final details of a deal that will see it acquire 60 stores belonging to collapsed rival JJB Sports. The £30m deal will save more than 1,000 jobs at the Wigan-based chain but has taken longer than... Continue Reading →

Retail Industry Awards 2012 winners Sainsbury’s scooped five awards at last night’s Retail Industry Awards 2012, held at London’s five-star Grosvenor House hotel on Park Lane. The retailer took the Supermarket of the Year title for the second year in a row, along with awards for Fresh Flower Supermarket of the Year, Multiple Drinks Retailer... Continue Reading →

H&M had planned to launch its online shop this autumn, but said it needed more time to “adapt” for the US market. The Stockholm-based group reported flat pre-tax profits of 4.9bn crowns (£460m) in H&M’s third quarter, which runs from June to August, blaming bad weather conditions and a tough economic climate. Analysts had forecast... Continue Reading →

World’s largest bookseller Barnes & Noble(B&N) have signed partnership deals with Dixons Retail, which owns PC World and Currys; Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, three leading UK retailers. The move is a definite step in consolidating its presence in the UK. The UK retailers will now display and sell Barnes & Noble books. They will also offer... Continue Reading →

Dubai is planning to establish a crocodile park in the emirate as its latest tourism attraction, officials said on Tuesday. The Dubai Municipality said the crocodile park would be set up "in the near future", adding that it was studying similar parks in France, Tunisia and Belgium. Abdulla Rafia, assistant director general of Dubai Municipality... Continue Reading →

Kuwaiti retail giant M H Alshaya has agreed a partnership with a top US hospitality firm to bring a new restaurant brand to the region. Katsuya by Starck, which serves Japanese cuisines across eight outlets in the US, will open two locations in Kuwait and Dubai next year. The brand, managed by Los Angeles based... Continue Reading →

Dubai: Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline Group, on Monday inaugurated Jashanmal’ s largest luxury home store at The Dubai Mall . Covering over 15,000 square feet, the new luxury home store is located on Level 1 of the Star Atrium at... Continue Reading →

Luxury-goods makers early into China have long counted on consumers there to snap up $1,000 handbags and other pricey -- and profitable -- wares. Now, Chinese tastes are changing in ways that may hurt the brands that expanded most aggressively in the country. As more Louis Vuitton (MC) bags, Gucci wallets, and Omega watches flood... Continue Reading →

Need support for your new business ,or expanding your existing business contact us on info@retail360.co.uk Visit us http://www.retail360.co.uk or http://www.retail360.me or http://www.retail360.co.za Follow the latest retail news on our blog Retail Blog or on twitter @retail360_

Almost one in five shops are vacant in the North, according to a new study. New research published by commercial property agency Lisney, says the percentage of vacant shops in Northern Ireland has increased on 2011 to 19%, far ahead of 11% in the Republic and the UK average 11.4%. The study found that’unprecedented levels... Continue Reading →

Download the verdict full report here... UK Retail Futures 2013: Clothing & Footwear The clothing and footwear market faces fresh challenges, but there are still opportunities available... In 2009, the UK clothing and footwear will experience an unprecedented fall in retail expenditure. With consumer confidence low, unemployment rising and house prices falling, consumers will attempt... Continue Reading →

Family and friends farewell triplets Lillie, Willsher and Jackson Weekes at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul on June 8, 2012 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Getty Images) The Villaggio mall in Doha has partially reopened after a 115-day closure following a blaze which left 19 people dead. The section of the shopping mall that housed... Continue Reading →

Toy retail giant Hamleys is to open its first Welsh store at St David’s Following its acquisition by the French Ludendum Group, Hamleys has announced plans to open a flagship store in Wales, its fourth full-range store after London, Glasgow and Dublin. The new store, which is almost 13,000 sq ft in size and will... Continue Reading →

A new era for Kiddicare and Morrisons will begin this week when internet-focused Kiddicare opens the first of ten new superstores on Wednesday. The new store in Nottingham is part of a drive by grocery chain Morrisons to establish Kiddicare as the biggest baby retailer in Britain. It paid £70m to buy Kiddicare last year... Continue Reading →

Johannesburg – South African retailers will have to pull up their socks to compete with the international retailers streaming into shopping centres. With European retail markets looking less attractive because of the financial crisis, emerging markets’ retail sectors are in the sights of foreign retailers who want to expand their turnover and improve sales. These... Continue Reading →

A general view of 2-8a Rutland Gate on September 14, 2012 in London, England. The property was the former residence of Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, and is thought to be the most expensive home ever to go on the market in Britain valued at £300 Million GBP. (Getty Images)

The UK's Tesco and France's Carrefour are expected to follow Walmart's decision to enter the country. Price said Walmart does not have a "blueprint for India", saying that the company has not yet decided where to locate its stores or how many stores there will be. However, Walmart does have plans to expand its partnership... Continue Reading →

NEW YORK - It's still technically summer, but for some it's not too soon to think about what the kiddies will want for the holidays. Toys R Us has come out with its annual "hot toy" list that includes tablets for kids, fashion dolls in the likeness of boy-band sensation One Direction, and even retro... Continue Reading →

Fast-changing fashion ranges and a drive to win new customers online and in emerging markets helped Inditex, the world's biggest clothing retailer and owner of the Zara brand, to beat first-half profit forecasts on Wednesday. The Spanish retailer, which runs eight brands including upmarket Massimo Dutti, youth label Bershka and underwear store Oysho, said its... Continue Reading →

Construction of Mall of Egypt, the Cairo shopping mall which will include North Africa’s first manmade indoor ski resort, will start by the end of 2012, UAE-based developer Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) Properties announced on Thursday. The shopping mall, which will be built on 399,400 square metres of land outside Cairo, will have around 380... Continue Reading →

Need support for your new business ,or expanding your existing business contact us on info@retail360.co.uk Visit us http://www.retail360.co.uk or http://www.retail360.me or http://www.retail360.co.za Follow the latest retail news on our blog Retail Blog or on twitter @retail360_

Cie. Financiere Richemont SA (CFR), the maker of Chloe bags and Dunhill briefcases, agreed to buy Peter Millar LLC, a U.S. maker of luxury sportswear for an undisclosed amount. Richemont expects to complete the purchase in October, and it won’t have a “material” effect on profit in the year through March 2013, the Geneva-based company... Continue Reading →

J.C. Penney Co Inc's (JCP.N) new shops within stores are doing much better than other parts of its department stores, but it is "way too early to draw conclusions" as the retailer is still rolling out the strategy, Chief Executive Ron Johnson said. Comparable sales at the new shops within stores, including those selling IZOD... Continue Reading →

Alliance Boots Holdings Ltd. Chairman Stefano Pessina said the company plans to expand in China by buying into the biggest pharmaceutical company there in five years’ time and opening pharmacies in the Asian nation. While local laws restrict the company from taking outright control of a Chinese business, “it is very likely we will have... Continue Reading →

HOTEL group Hilton Worldwide will accelerate growth in Africa and already has 19 properties in the pipeline to add to its 33 hotels on the continent, CEO Chris Nassetta said on Thursday. "There are amazing growth opportunities in Africa — we will grow rapidly, there is exceptional opportunity to grow that base," Mr Nassetta said.... Continue Reading →

Possible protest over plans to axe hundreds of jobs Britain’s Carphone Warehouse is keeping tight lipped over why its managing director Matt Stringer is leaving after just two years in the job. According to The Times newspaper, Matt Stringer walked out in protest over a restructuring of the group that could result in hundreds of... Continue Reading →

Need support for your new business ,or expanding your existing business contact us on info@retail360.co.uk Visit us http://www.retail360.co.uk or http://www.retail360.me or http://www.retail360.co.za Follow the latest retail news on our blog Retail Blog or on twitter @retail360_

Co-operative Food has revealed that it is on target to launch more than 80 stores in 2012, and invest over £260m on expanding and developing its food store estate. The Co-operative is ramping up its activity and will launch, on average, more than two Food stores every week before the end of the year, as... Continue Reading →

Billionaire Philip Green, owner of the Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis fashion chains, called for the government to extend Sunday opening hours in December to help U.K. shops and meet the needs of consumers. “In the four weeks over Christmas, where people need a bit more time to do their Christmas shopping, they’re working all... Continue Reading →

Fast fashion retailer Primark has today opened a second store on London’s Oxford Street, one of its biggest stores in the UK. Following the opening of its Marble Arch store in 2007, the new82,400 sq ft flagship is located at the east end of Oxford Street and is spread over four trading floors. Opening ahead... Continue Reading →

Kingfisher, the owner of DIY chain B&Q, has announced that Euan Sutherland and Philippe Tible are to join its board as executive directors. The appointments will take effect on 1 October when Karen Witts, who was named as group finance director in July, joins the business and also takes a seat on the board. Sutherland... Continue Reading →

Need support for your new business ,or expanding your existing business contact us on info@retail360.co.uk Visit us http://www.retail360.co.uk or http://www.retail360.me or http://www.retail360.co.za Follow the latest retail news on our blog Retail Blog or on twitter @retail360_

Dubai: Choitrams is planning to open eight gourmet cafes to be attached to their supermarkets in UAE and Bahrain, the company’s director told Gulf News. “We see things turn around in the market and a lot of commercial and residential towers who require this offering. A lot of landlords aren’t just looking for run of... Continue Reading →

Johannesburg - Growth in South Africa’s retail sales slowed to 4.2% year-on-year in July compared with a revised 8.6% in June, Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday. On a monthly basis, sales were up by 0.1% in July and increased by 6.2% in the three months to July compared with the same period a year... Continue Reading →

Carlyle Group, the US private-equity firm in which Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Development Company owns a 7.5 percent stake, has acquired a minority stake a Turkish hosiery company, it was announced on Wednesday. Istanbul-based Penti, a hosiery manufacturer and retailer of women’s hosiery, lingerie and swimwear in Turkey, also has 11 outlets in Saudi Arabia, including... Continue Reading →

BBC's Yogita Limaye: ''The government faces a tough challenge to implement the policies'' Opposition parties and trade unions in India are joining in a day-long strike over the government's plan to open the retail sector to global supermarket chains and other reforms. Early reports said that opposition workers had blocked railway tracks in Uttar Pradesh... Continue Reading →