Japanese home and lifestyle retailer MUJI has announced plans to open its first stores in the Gulf region in 2013. The retailer, known for its non-branded products, designs, and clothing, has announced the opening of stores in several Middle East locations starting with Kuwait and Dubai. The shops will offer MUJI’s furniture and household items... Continue Reading →

More than 50 percent of a $190m Abu Dhabi shopping mall slated to open by the end of this year is leased to retailers, it was announced on Sunday. Deerfields Town Square Mall in Al Bahia, which is currently under construction, also has "numerous other retailers very close to leasing", officials said in a statement.... Continue Reading →

Esprit, which competes with Swedish clothing retailer Hennes & Mauritz AB and Spain's Inditex, has been hit by weak demand in the euro zone and launched a four-year turnaround plan to revive its brand in late 2011. But more than a year into its $2.3 billion restructuring drive, Esprit, which sells everything from bed sheets... Continue Reading →

Walvis Bay ' The refurbished Seagulls Shopping Centre at Walvis Bay has now been converted into Pick 'n Pay Shopping Centre that cost N$20 million. The opening ceremony was attended by new Walvis Bay Mayor Derek Klazen, who described the event as a major step in the right direction. 'Development of infrastructure is second on... Continue Reading →

The Afro-Portuguese restaurant chain Nando’s plans to expand in the UAE next year. The fast-food chain, which opened its first restaurant in the Emirates a decade ago, currently has 11 outlets in the country and aims to eventually double the number. It will open restaurants in Abu Dhabi city for the first time next year.... Continue Reading →

G-Star has a network of stores across the world totaling a huge 6000 boutiques globally. But this particular opening is particularly significant for the brand. Though the Dutch brand has stores in Shanghai, this city-centre address is the brand’s largest store to date. The store measures 8,000 square foot over two levels and carries both... Continue Reading →

MILAN - Diesel jeans brand founder Renzo Rosso is poised to take over Italy's Marni to relaunch the bohemian-chic fashion house on foreign markets, the company said. The all-Italian acquisition is a rare case in a luxury industry where most deals are made in France and Asia, and confirms Rosso as a dynamic fashion entrepreneur... Continue Reading →

More than 300 retailers have gone into administration this year, figures from the Insolvency Service show. Here, we look at some of the major high street players that collapsed in 2012. Comet Comet became the 29th major high street casualty of 2012 when it filed for administration in November. Number of stores 238 Number of... Continue Reading →

Superdry is upsizing from its existing unit to open a 9,570-sq ft store at Bluewater. The new store will open next spring. SuperGroup CEO Julian Dunkerton said: “Bluewater is continuously one of our best-performing locations in the world, so upsizing to create a flagship for the Superdry brand is long over-due. The new Bluewater store... Continue Reading →

Dubai's Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) is in talks with Egypt's Mansour Group, owned by billionaire Mohammed Mansour, to buy its supermarket business in a deal valued at $200-$300m, three sources aware of the discussions said. Mansour Group, also the largest distributor of General Motors cars in Egypt, is aiming to sell supermarket chain Metro and... Continue Reading →

Retail 360 wishes all our followers and readers a very merry Christmas

It has been a tumultuous year for the retail sector. The economic environment is not exactly thrilling, thousands have been laid off or are unemployed, costs are escalating, and people are tightening the purse strings. While big names, like JJB Sports and Comet bit the dust quite spectacularly in 2012, there were others who managed... Continue Reading →

Mr Darroch has been on the board of M&S for more than six years but is now understood to want to concentrate on his role at BSkyB. He will be replaced by another City heavyweight, Andy Halford, who is Vodafone’s chief financial officer. The Vodafone boss joins a collection of non-executive directors that includes Martha... Continue Reading →

Retailers across the country have said the weekend has been the busiest shopping period in five years. Mild weather, improved consumer confidence and an increase in shoppers travelling from Northern Ireland are said to be the reasons for the increase. Retail Excellence Ireland said December started slowly but that consumer confidence improved dramatically after the... Continue Reading →

Morrisons boss vents fury over government inflexibility on Sunday trading hours Dalton Philips, chief executive of Wm Morrison, told The Daily Telegraph businesses "would have gone bust" if they had behaved with the same intransigence as the Government displayed over Sunday opening hours. Morrisons along with other supermarket groups attempted to make the most of... Continue Reading →

Saudi jeweller to shine with $27m GCC expansion (Supplied image) Saudi Arabian jewellery firm L’Azurde is to invest SAR100m (US$27m) in expanding its network of retail outlets across the GCC, it announced on Thursday. The Riyadh-based diamond specialist said it will increase its number of stores in the Gulf from its current ten to 30... Continue Reading →

Andy Clarke, chief executive officer of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT)’s U.K. Asda chain, ratcheted up pressure on the government to repeat this year’s extension of Sunday opening hours during an eight-week period of the summer. Asda would “clearly support” such a move after stores were allowed to open for longer on Sundays around the London... Continue Reading →

J.C. Penney Co. (JCP) hired a former Abercrombie & Fitch Co. executive to help with its stores’ layout and design as Chief Executive Officer Ron Johnson continues to lure alumni of the teen retailer. Brandon Tonniges is a director of visual merchandising, Joey Thomas, a J.C. Penney spokesman, said in an e-mail. Tonniges was a... Continue Reading →

Emaar Properties, Dubai’s largest developer, has secured US$500m in financing from a consortium of banks to be used to fund an upcoming project in Turkey. The facility, signed with lenders including Standard Chartered, Emirates NBD and HSBC, will finance ‘Emaar Square’, the firm’s second mixed-use development in Turkey. The facility will be repaid over the... Continue Reading →

Kingfisher Plc (KGF)’s Chief Operating Officer Euan Sutherland, regarded by analysts as a possible successor to Chief Executive Officer Ian Cheshire, is leaving the U.K. retailer to run the Co-Operative Group Ltd. The departure of the 43-year-old, who joined the London- based company in 2008 as head of the B&Q home-improvement chain, “will be a... Continue Reading →

A petition to wind-up Dunnes Stores has been withdrawn at the Commercial Court, after the retail giant which employs 18,000 people, paid a €21.6m debt. The winding-up petition had been brought by insolvent construction company Holtglen Ltd. Holtglen had previously been granted a summary judgement for the sum of €20.4 million (amounting to €21.6m with... Continue Reading →

IBEC has published the results of its latest pay survey, which found that about four out of ten (39%) employers expect to increase basic pay in 2013 and nearly six out of ten (58%) will freeze pay rates. A further 3% of employers say they plan to reduce pay in the coming year. IBEC said... Continue Reading →

Luxup, the members-only club giving privileged access to the world's leading fashion and luxury brands, has opened in Hong Kong and Macau. As one of the world's most important fashion capitals, Hong Kong is Luxup's latest destination city, following successful launches in London and New York. Hong Kong and Macau mark the start of Luxup's... Continue Reading →

The 2008 global recession affected many retailers, causing hundreds of smaller shops and some national high street chains to go into administration. Here are some of the retailers that have been worst hit over the last five years. Comet The electrical retailer's 79-year history comes to an end today, as stores close for the last... Continue Reading →

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA (MC) said the head of its Bulgari unit will take charge of the Louis Vuitton fashion and accessories brand, replacing Jordi Constans who is leaving a month after taking the post because of illness. Michael Burke, who only moved to Bulgari from LVMH’s Fendi label in February, rejoins Vuitton,... Continue Reading →

STOCKHOLM - Revenue at world number two fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz rose 10 percent this year, lagging forecast growth at larger rival Inditex which is less exposed to the downturn in Europe. Sweden's H&M has the bulk of its business in the region, where a sovereign debt crisis and government austerity measures have dampened... Continue Reading →

Forever 21 is continuing on its European quest. The American retailer has just opened a second 27,000 square foot store in France and a sixth store in the United Kingdom, at the Lakeside shopping center. Already open in Barcelona, Vienna and Anvers, the Californian retailer doesn’t seem to be slowing down on its mission to... Continue Reading →

South Africa’s Woolworths will hold a 51 per cent stake in a joint venture it has formed with Kenya’s Deacons, giving it control in the operations of the new company. Deacons Kenya is set to take up a 49 per cent stake in the venture that formally ends the previous franchise arrangement where Woolworths only... Continue Reading →

Despite a tough retail climate, Agent Provocateur expanded sales by opening boutiques in cities such as Madrid, Rome and Amsterdam. Agent Provocateur, which is backed by private equity firm 3i, posted sales of £31.4m for the year to 26 March 2012, compared to £26.7m last year. The retailer added that trading over the eight months... Continue Reading →

Asda has opened its first stand-alone Click & Collect pick-up point which allows customers to order products online and have it delivered to the Asda unit at Greenpark. “Shoppers are on the move more than ever before – shopping from their mobiles, laptops, and tablets as well as in traditional stores. Our new Click &... Continue Reading →

28,000-sq ft letting at Land Securities’ Park House development River Island is to open its largest store in the capital after exchanging contracts on Park House, on London's Oxford Street. The British fashion brand has signed up for a 28,000 sq ft flagship arranged over ground, basement and first floors. River Island will take possession... Continue Reading →

The large number of people who have been given Kindles, iPads and other e-readers or tablets for Christmas in recent years has led to an online rush on Christmas Day as people fire up their gadgets and download content, such as music or e-books. Last year consumers spent £235 million online on Christmas Day, a... Continue Reading →

Intermix, which has been looking for a strategic partner since August, is currently in discussions with Gap Inc., Zee has learned. The specialty store hired investment banking firm The Sage Group to explore its options on how to fund an expansion plan. Khajak Keledjian, founder and chief executive officer of Intermix, said Thursday, “Intermix is... Continue Reading →

Meet Ghaouda, the camel destined for celebrity in the UAE Consumers in Dubai shopping for everything from SUVs and smart phones to sugar now have a guide about the best places to buy their goods. For the first time, an index of the most consumer-friendly retailers has been published by the Department of Economic Development... Continue Reading →

An interesting Forbes Report The e-commerce behemoth is coming, but that’s no longer news. Amazon is nearly 20 years old now, eBay just a year younger. What is news? The behemoth is arming itself. New tactics, new friends and a hefty war chest mean that the old defenses insulating traditional retailers are no longer enough.... Continue Reading →

Saudi Arabia’s HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has topped the Arabian Business Rich List for the ninth year in succession, with his current wealth now standing at US$25.9bn. The figure – verified by his private office – is a staggering US$4.6bn more than it was 12 months ago. A large part of the increase is... Continue Reading →

Starbucks details expansion plans for United States, China Starbucks said Wednesday that it plans to open more than 3,000 stores in North and South America over the next five years, half of those in the United States. Cliff Burrows, regional president of Seattle-based Starbucks’ (Nasdaq: SBUX) Americans and U.S. division, joined Chairman, President and CEO... Continue Reading →

Recent amendments to Saudi Arabia's Saudization jobs policy are likely to hit the margins of retailers operating in the Gulf kingdom, a new report has said. The outlook of the Saudi retail sector remains strong with macro as well as micro factors supporting growth, said NCB Capital. Volume expansion through opening stores, margin support from... Continue Reading →

A comprehensive listing of the Christmas sales' dates, including designer, high street and homewares. DESIGNERS AND BOUTIQUES A La Mode , Symons Street, SW3; 020 7730 7180 - 26th Dec, 50% off Adolfo Dominguez , Endell Street, WC2; 020 7836 5013 - Now on, 30% off Akris , Old Bond Street, W1; 020 7493 7322... Continue Reading →

Middle East shopping, Middle East retail, GCC retail The mood among Middle East retailers and local franchisees has been "overwhelmingly positive" in 2012, according to a new report by CB Richard Ellis. CBRE said most retailers in the region have reported increased sales turnover and the outlook for consumer demand appears to be "highly promising".... Continue Reading →

The high street retailer, which already operates in 39 countries, will open in Hong Kong in partnership with department store chain Lane Crawford. Expansion in the Far East has been earmarked a top priority for Topshop, which has opened 27 new stores in the region over the past year. "I am confident that the fashion-loving... Continue Reading →

Mike Ashley's sportswear empire jumped to a record profit today after a six-month period that saw a boost from the London Olympics and Paralympics and also saw rival JJB collapse into administration. Sports Direct said half-year revenues were up 22.5% to just over £1 billion amid strong growth in its 398 UK shops and branded... Continue Reading →

Earlier this week, we noted that this weekend's group of Apple retail store grand openings would be headlined by the company's Causeway Bay flagship location in Hong Kong. The store features three levels, with a 30-foot tall glass curtain wall making a significant impact on the shopping center. With the store set to open to... Continue Reading →

Starbucks Corp. (SBUX), the world’s largest coffee-shop chain, will more than double China staff to 30,000 by 2015 as part of its expansion in the world’s second-largest economy. “The Starbucks business here is in its infancy in terms of development and growth,” John Culver, head of Starbucks in China and Asia Pacific, said in an... Continue Reading →

ASOS plc (ASC.L) reported first-quarter total retail sales of 165.8 million pounds compared to 127.1 million pounds prior year, an increase of 30 percent. Total group revenues were 169.4 million pounds compared to 130.7 million pounds last year. UK retail sales were up 24 percent for the period. The company said its UK performance was... Continue Reading →

Inditex, the parent company of Zara, made an astonishing £1.3 billion in profits over the nine months to October 31. But, the 27 per cent rise was not the only significant advancement the company made. In the same time frame they have also opened 360 new stores in 54 different markets and created 6,598 new... Continue Reading →

LONDON - British retailer John Lewis Plc posted its highest ever total weekly sales from its online and physical stores due to a pre-Christmas shopping rush. The group recorded a total of 142 million pounds ($227.49 million) of sales in the week ending Saturday, 8 Dec., up 15 percent on the same period last year.... Continue Reading →

Middelburg Mall may be a newcomer to the South African retail scene, but it has already attracted over three-million shoppers since it opened in April this year, and retailers are reporting excellent trading densities across the board. With this level of success, it is little wonder that Middelburg Mall Centre Manager Mike Tammadge has a... Continue Reading →

Cork-based retail group Musgrave has acquired two Supervalu stores that had gone into receivership, securing almost 90 jobs. Musgrave, which controls the Supervalu brand, acquired premises in Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, and in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, from receivers who were appointed to the businesses last year. The Clonmel premises was previously controlled by a company part-owned... Continue Reading →