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_

Major retailers have been closing stores at an average of more than 600 a month over the past year, according to new research. That's ten times faster than in 2011. Latest Stories from Management Today City centres across the UK are becoming ghost towns as high street retailers close yet more outlets due to falling... Continue Reading →

Yousif Abdulghani, Managing Director, McDonald's Middle East and Africa. Consumers in the GCC are spending US$2m a day eating at fast food giant McDonald’s, as the company experiences record growth in the region. According to Yousif Abdulghani, managing director at McDonald’s Middle East Development Company, which oversees its Middle East and Africa franchises, the six... Continue Reading →

M&S plans new food outlet for retail park 8:10am Wednesday 27th February 2013 in News By Katie Bond REVAMP Mannington Retail Park IT’S not just a new store on the horizon for Swindon – it’s a Marks and Spencer Simply Food Store. If plans submitted to Swindon Council are given the go-ahead, the store could... Continue Reading →

Centra achieved growth of 1.6% in 2012. The retail chain owned by Musgrave opened 18 new stores last year and increased its 'food-to-go' sales by almost €5 million Feb 25 2013 Centra has announced that it recorded retail sales of €1.435 billion in 2012. The brand believes the performance underpins Centra's position as Ireland's number... Continue Reading →

EXCLUSIVE: UAE economy to grow 3.8% in 2013 - Sheikh Ahmed Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum. The economies of the UAE and Dubai, in particular, will continue to expand on the back of services, trade and tourism, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum has said. “All indications show that UAE and Dubai economy... Continue Reading →

Macy’s Inc. (M), the second-largest U.S. department-store chain, rose after forecasting annual profit that was higher than analysts’ estimates amid a surge in online sales. The shares advanced 2.8 percent to $39.59 at the close in New York. They’ve gained 1.5 percent this year, compared with a 6 percent gain for the Standard & Poor’s... Continue Reading →

Dixons Retail Plc (DXNS), the U.K.’s largest electronics retailer, said it has closed all of its Pixmania stores and reduced its online markets to 14 from 26 as it seeks to turn around the unprofitable unit. Pixmania has closed about 30 outlets, including stores in Spain, Portugal and Belgium last month and 10 shops in... Continue Reading →

Mike Ashley, Newcastle United football club owner, has sold 4% of his stake in the Sports Direct retailer for £100m. Mike Ashley sold 25 million shares, which means that the Newcastle United owner is left with a 64% majority stake in the Sports Direct retailer. The retailer was founded by Mike Ashley, with the Sports... Continue Reading →

FASHION retailer Penneys has continued to defy the economic slump, with sales at the business soaring 23pc in the past six months as the chain rolls out more stores in Europe. Headquartered in Dublin, Penneys trades as Primark in other countries. Its owner, UK-based Associated British Foods (ABF), said yesterday that sales at the chain... 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_

The Moo Shop, which features the full array of Moo products and accessories, reflects Moo's online presence but adds the physical interaction that is lacking from an online-only business. Moo.com founder and chief executive Richard Moross said: "We’ve built a big and successful business so far with retailing exclusively online. We’ve managed to engage lots... Continue Reading →

Supermarket group sheds 800 jobs at Harlow, 650 at Weybridge, 400 at Chesterfield and 150 at Magor – but will create 2,000 jobs at new Reading and Dagenham 'super hubs' Tesco says it will attempt to relocate workers to the new 'super hubs' in Reading and Dagenham. Photograph: Rui Vieira/PA Up to 2,000 jobs are... Continue Reading →

First Géant hypermarket set to open in Qatar Qatari retail group Al Meera has announced that its first Géant hypermarket will open on Sunday as part of an agreement signed with France's Casino in 2011. Al Meera Consumer Goods Company said the first hypermarket would open at Hyatt plaza in Doha. The opening follows an... Continue Reading →

Waitrose is to launch a drive-through 'click & collect' service as part of a multimillion pound investment. The first drive-through will open at Waitrose Cheltenham in March, followed by services in branches in Southend, Salisbury, Wolverhampton and Lincoln. The new service will enable shoppers who order groceries online to pick them up from a collection... Continue Reading →

Barnes & Noble Inc. (BKS) gained after Chairman Leonard Riggio said he will offer to buy the stores and website of the chain he founded more than 40 years ago as it struggles to navigate the rising popularity of digital books. Barnes & Noble jumped 9.3 percent to $14.76 at 10:28 a.m. in New York,... Continue Reading →

New John Lewis plan for Northern Ireland customers John Lewis has unveiled plans to allow customers to return and collect online shopping at a network of 5,000 local shops and petrol stations across the UK including Northern Ireland. It comes just weeks, after the firm withdrew plans for it plans for a store in Lisburn.... Continue Reading →

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the sovereign wealth fund that bought London’s Harrods department store in 2010 for US$2.22bn, has snapped up a second luxury property unit on Paris’s Champs-Elysées boulevard, according to reports in Europe. French private equity fund LBO France has sold a luxury housing complex on the Parisian shopping avenue and QIA is... Continue Reading →

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF) declined the most in six months after the teen retailer forecast a loss for the first quarter, citing concern about the weak economy’s impact on sales. The shares fell 7.4 percent to $45.41 at 12:37 p.m. in New York, the biggest intraday decline since Aug. 2, when the stock plunged... Continue Reading →

John Lewis has announced that it will give its customers the choice to return online purchases of clothes, shoes and fashion accessories for free via a network of over 5,000 local convenience stores, newsagents and petrol stations. The returns option will be offered in partnership with CollectPlus, the largest store-based parcel service in the UK,... Continue Reading →

A resurgence in demand for retail space in Dubai will “firmly” push up rents this year for the first time since mid-2008, according to a survey of 700 industry experts. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors’ (RICS) Global Commercial Property Survey found the gradual recovery in commercial real estate sentiment across the United Arab Emirates... Continue Reading →

John Lewis is to extend the reach of its online empire via a network of thousands of corner shops. The department store is joining the Collect+ scheme, which allows shoppers to pick up and return items bought on the internet at up to 5,000 independent retailers. John Lewis customers will be able to collect items... Continue Reading →

FASHION retailer Truworths on Wednesday reported a 19% rise in first-half profit but said it expected the credit environment to deteriorate owing to rising levels of consumer indebtedness. "This is likely to affect both the group’s delinquency and active account growth, as we will continue to apply strict credit granting and risk policies," CEO Michael... Continue Reading →

Iconix Brand Group, which acquired the Lee Cooper denim brand, beat Wall Street’s expectations for the fourth quarter by 3 cents, even though net income fell by 3.9 percent. Iconix acquired Lee Cooper for $72 million in cash, buying the denim brand from Sun Capital Partners affiliate Sun European Partners. The Lee Cooper brand, which... 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_

SHOPRITE will fight hard to maintain its "number one" position amid persisting intense price competition among South Africa’s major chains and pressures such as electricity and fuel price escalations, CEO Whitey Basson said on Tuesday. "Although we don’t foresee buoyant trading conditions, we expect to at least maintain the performance of the first half," he... Continue Reading →

Office Depot Inc. agreed to buy OfficeMax Inc. for $1.17 billion in a bid to revive a retailer that has been losing sales to online rivals and Staples Inc., the largest U.S. office-supplies chain. The combined company will generate revenue of almost $18 billion compared with $25 billion in sales last year for Staples. Office... Continue Reading →

A Dh2 billion (US$544 million) project to double the retail space at Dubai's oldest mall and add an entertainment centre featuring an indoor roller coaster and ice rink will be completed in the summer. The expansion of the Al Ghurair Centre in Deira, which opened in 1981, is expected to open during Ramadan. The mall... Continue Reading →

Declan Ronayne has left his role as managing director of the Dixons retail operation in Ireland. His departure comes after the UK group, which trades under the PC World and Currys brands in the UK and Ireland, decided to take the Irish business under its direct day-to-day control in a move that it hopes will... Continue Reading →

Development is underway at the V&A Waterfront for a new generation, flagship Pick n Pay store, expected to open in December 2013. The new store - at over 6 000m² - will be significantly larger than the current one - 2 600m² - and will offer vastly improved access to parking. “Enhancing and expanding our... Continue Reading →

Aurora Fashion is considering a spin off of its formalwear fashion brand Coast in preparation for a potential sale, it is understood. Coast, which has 41 standalone stores and over 150 concessions in the UK and a strong overseas presence, would follow womens fashion retailer Karen Millen which separated from the rest of the group... 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_

Sainsbury’s has announced that annual sales of its general merchandise range have reached £1bn for the first time. The retailer said the milestone follows its best ever Christmas when general merchandise sales grew by a third compared to the previous year. Sainsbury’s said its general merchandise range, which covers areas such as homeware, cookware and... Continue Reading →

BRITAIN’S battered retail sector gained no respite this week as the latest research showed vacancy rates remained stubbornly above 14 per cent last year as retailers continue to shut up shop across the country. The Local Data Company’s (LDC) latest report published today shows vacancy levels fell slightly from 14.3 per cent to 14.2 per... Continue Reading →

New York -- Ralph Lauren Corp. will debut its Denim & Supply retail banner in the United States, opening a store in New York City this spring, according to WWD.com. It will be the first freestanding U.S. location for the brand, which features affordable price points. Denim & Supply will be located at University Place... Continue Reading →

Accounts for the holding company of the Weston family, Wittington Investments, show it recorded a sharp rise in revenues and profits last year thanks to the success of its sugar business and Primark This prompted Wittington to pay out £82m in dividends, compared with £21m in 2011, the majority of which went to the Garfield... Continue Reading →

Please like and follow our Facebook page Retail360 http://www.facebook.com/pages/retail360 For the latest retail news

More high street shops shut, says British Retail Consortium 18 February 2013 Last updated at 11:29 The Welsh government said it was trying to improve conditions to "allow the private sector to grow" High street shop vacancy rates have risen to 17% in Wales while the UK saw a slight reduction. The figures also show... Continue Reading →

DUNNES Stores has launched a Supreme Court appeal in a legal row with UK fashion company Karen Millen over the protection of fashion designs. A five-judge court today reserved judgment in the case where Dunnes has appealed a High Court ruling against the Irish retail giant that it had breach EU regulations by copying a... Continue Reading →

1 Ferrari Despite making fewer cars than some of its rivals last year, Ferrari is the world's most powerful brand, according to Brand Finance. Higher profit margins and customer loyalty helped the luxury carmaker accelerate into top spot. 2 Google The online search giant is the second most powerful brand, according to Brand Finance. With... Continue Reading →

German clothier Gerry Weber International AG plans to open as many as 80 new stores, mainly in Europe, Turkey and the U.S., this year, Die Welt said in a pre-release, citing owner Gerry Weber. Sales growth this year will mainly come from the new openings, the newspaper cited Weber as saying. “We can’t detect a... Continue Reading →

PricewaterhouseCoopers, the administrators to Jessops, said that Mr Jones is among a “number of buyers” to have purchased assets from the retailer, including its remaining stock and intellectual property. Rob Hunt, joint administrator, said: “We can confirm that we have sold the brand and certain other assets to a number of buyers including entrepreneur Peter... Continue Reading →

Apple and Microsoft both have their own, dedicated retail stores. Can Google be far behind? If the rumors are true, the answer is "not at all," with the first Google stores due to open by the end of this year. Citing "an extremely reliable source," the gossipmongers at 9to5Google report that the Chocolate Factory is... Continue Reading →

Puma SE, Europe’s second-largest sporting-goods maker, shifted away from its goal to reach 4 billion euros ($5.35 billion) of revenue by 2015 and made improving profit a priority after earnings slid. Reaching the target within the timescale is no longer a priority, and it remains an “ambitious” aim, Chief Executive Officer Franz Koch said today... Continue Reading →

Online marketplace Ebay is to create 450 jobs in Ireland, it announced today. The jobs will be located at an operations centre in Dundalk, Co Louth. The total number currently employed by Ebay and its payments division Paypal in Ireland is 2,300. The latest jobs boost combined with a recent Paypal announcement will bring the... Continue Reading →

Johannesburg - Retailer Woolworths Holdings [JSE:WHL] reported a 21% rise in first-half profit chiefly as a result of contributions from its recent acquisition in Australia. Woolworths, which sells food and clothes, said headline earnings per share totalled 164.2 cents in the six months to end-December compared with 135.7 a year earlier. The results were boosted... Continue Reading →