The expansion plan includes a Dhs930 million extension for Mall of the Emirates, including a new Dhs100 million fashion district. The firm says the investment is aimed at helping Dubai’s vision of 20 million tourists a year by 2020. ​ UAE retail giant Majid Al Futtaim is to splash out Dhs3 billion on cinemas, supermarkets,... Continue Reading →

American Eagle, which has more than 1,000 stores in the US, has hired property agent Harper Dennis Hobbs to find a store in central London and met with key landlords last week. The retailer is the latest in a growing line of youth US fashion brands to target the UK. Hollister, Urban Outfitters, and Forever... Continue Reading →

Roots Canada has put down retail roots in Los Angeles with a new concept store that is destined to sprout elsewhere. Although the Toronto-based brand has an extensive network of 115 stores in its home country, it has yet to proliferate retail in the U.S., where the L.A. store on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in the... Continue Reading →

ALTHOUGH the number of South Africans shopping online decreased slightly in 2012, the majority were still "highly satisfied" with the experience. This is according to the latest MasterCard Online Shopping Survey released on Thursday. South Africa’s internet economy has steadily grown over the years, in part because of the surge in online shopping. It was... Continue Reading →

Subway has announced the opening of its first ever store within a Lidl supermarket. The store is situated just outside the busy seaside town of Cromer in Norfolk and is the first partnership of its kind for the German supermarket chain, with development in off high street locations one of its major strategic focuses. There... Continue Reading →

Coach Has A Risky Idea For Separating Itself From The Competition Wikimedia Commons Coach's management team has a crazy idea for separating itself from competitors like Tory Burch and Michael Kors. The brand could start selling insanely expensive handbags soon. Executives from the brand told Women's Wear Daily that it could start offering products that... Continue Reading →

It has been confirmed that Delphine Arnault, the eldest child of LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, will leave her position as deputy managing director of Dior to become second-in-command at the conglomerate's flagship brand Louis Vuitton Her appointment has been welcomed by Vuitton's chairman and CEO Michael Burke, who told WWD : "I am delighted to... Continue Reading →

Bob Geldof opened the HMV at 150 Oxford Street in 1984 and it remains the biggest music store in the world. Sports Direct is understood to have paid up to £5m to take on the lease to the 60,000 sq ft store after The Telegraph revealed in May that the retailer was eyeing the site.... Continue Reading →

Retailer recovery specialist Hilco has confirmed that at least 4 HMV stores in Ireland will re-open within 6 weeks following a reported investment of between €3.5m and €4m. Agreements with store landlords have been reached for 4 locations with a further 2 or 3 deals still pending. Hilco has also acquired Irish movie rental chain... Continue Reading →

Today, Apple has finally launched a version of its official online store for customers in Russia. The online store is similar in style to Apple’s online stores in other countries. Customers in Russia are now able to order iPhones, iPads, iPods, Macs, accessories, and more directly from Apple to their homes. Apple is celebrating the... Continue Reading →

Despite the volatile economy in Spain, Coach Inc. is gearing up to open its first flagship in Madrid this November. Located in Salamanca, a district likened to the Champs-Elysées in Paris or Fifth Avenue in New York, the new 3,000-square-foot store marks the brand’s second location in the city. Coach, which entered the Spanish market... Continue Reading →

Hunter has expanded its senior management team with a number of new appointments as it looks to build its brand. Ken Pratt has become the footwear brand’s chief financial officer, joining from Signet UK where he was also CFO, while Dan Lumb has been appointed as online director, having previously worked at Reiss as director... Continue Reading →

Plans have been revealed for a OR50m ($129m) extension to be built at Muscat's biggest retail destination. The new development will see 100 new retail outlets being added to Muscat Grand Mall, bringing new global brands to Oman for the first time. The extension will take the total number of stores to 250, officials have... Continue Reading →

Internacionale, ModelZone and Ark have filed a notice to appoint administrators, while Dwell, the furniture retailer, has confirmed Duff & Phelps as administrators. The administrations emerged just hours after retailers were due to pay rent for the next three months on Monday, the quarterly rent day. The retail failures are another setback for the high... Continue Reading →

Mixed use buildings go on sale in the heart of Business Bay Dubai: Dubai Properties Group, a member of Dubai Holding, has announced that two buildings in its Bay Square development located in Business Bay are complete and a further four are at the final stages of completion. The developer intends to release additional buildings... Continue Reading →

The Global Retail Development Index Global Retailers: Cautiously Aggressive or Aggressively Cautious? Retailers are taking a step back from rapid expansion strategies as they move into developing markets. download the full report here

Saudi Arabia has officially changed its weekend to Friday-Saturday from its current Thursday-Friday, following a royal decree issued by the country's ruler King Abdullah. According to the decree, the change will come into effect on June 29. The move will bring the Gulf's most populous country and world's largest oil exporter in line with the... Continue Reading →

Design: Peter Marino Architect Opening date: June 2013 Store size: 1,170 sq m Peter Marino has done it again. The New York-based Architect has embraced the inherent elegance, audacity and refinement of French luxury fashion brand Chanel with a timeless panache to create an exclusive, intimate and glamorous retail environment; this time on London's New... Continue Reading →

Design: Plajer & Franz Opening date: June 2013 Store size: 12,000 sq m Paris department store Galeries Lafayette has opened a fashion temple in Pacific Place, in the heart of Jakarta. Designed by Berlin-based Plajer & Franz, the 12,000 sq m store is spread over four floors and brings a touch of Parisian chic to... Continue Reading →

Canton, Mass. -- Dunkin’ Brands Group is giving its Dunkin’ Donuts stores a big makeover. The chain has been rolling out a “café-style” store redesign that includes a new, earth-toned palette, to make its locations resemble those of rival Starbucks, according to Bloomberg. Dunkin’ Donuts, which plans to double its current store total to 15,000,... Continue Reading →

The John Lewis Partnership has opened the doors to its first-ever 'Little Waitrose at John Lewis' shop today. The new shop within the John Lewis department store in Watford represents a £2 million investment by the retailer and has created 30 jobs in the local area. Building on the established Little Waitrose format, the 5,500... Continue Reading →

Furniture retailer Dwell has collapsed with the closure of 23 stores and the loss of 300 jobs after attempts to sell it failed. The Milton Keynes based firm said no deliveries will be made and customers with outstanding orders should contact their bank or credit card company. The firm has asked all staff to remain... Continue Reading →

International shoppers boost Ted Baker sales Shares in the company, founded by Ray Kelvin in Glasgow 25 years ago, surged by 16pc to an all-time high of £17 as investors digested the trading update for the 20 weeks to June 15. Ted Baker shares have now risen by 150pc since the start of 2012 as... Continue Reading →

The IMRG-Experian Hitwise Mobile Hot Shops List has revealed the UK’s top 10 mobile retailers by site traffic for the first time, with Amazon UK being as dominant in the mobile traffic space as they are over desktop visits. Between them, the Amazon UK (1st) and Amazon.com (3rd) sites accounted for over 10% of mobile... Continue Reading →

By A Staff Reporter — MUSCAT — Marking a milestone achievement in the retail and hospitality sector in Oman, Muscat Grand Mall announces plans for expansion of Muscat's popular retail destination, in a year from its inception. This expansion will be financed completely through an investment of over RO 50 million. The new development will... Continue Reading →

BlackBerry is set to launch the Middle East's first BlackBerry Retail Concept Store in the UAE, Emirates 24/7 reported. It will be located on level two of the Dubai Mall, close to the Dubai Metro Link. It will enable customers to see the latest models in live demonsrations, as well as to register in advance... Continue Reading →

Dubai: Bkam.com, a price comparison site, has officially launched its UAE platform on Tuesday. Launched in Egypt in 2012, the site provides consumers information on a product, including price, reviews, and retail locations. It offers a range of products, such as consumer electronics, cosmetics, clothes and accessories sourced from both online fashion brands and e-commerce... Continue Reading →

Cape Town - Woolworths Holdings [JSE:WHL] will cut its prices by up to 30% from August in a bid to gain market share in Africa, The EastAfrican reported. The firm's profits jumped by 70% after it dropped prices by 30% in Australia. Ian Moir, Woolworths Africa group chief executive was in Kenya to open its... Continue Reading →

EDCON, the unlisted owner of clothing chains Edgars and Jet, said on Friday that it had been granted the South African franchise rights for Dune, a UK-based fashion footwear and accessories brand. A standalone Dune store will open in Sandton City Shopping Centre in August, with store-in-store concepts opening in four Edgars branches during November.... Continue Reading →

Dubai seeks to become global fashion hub by 2020 The General Secretariat of the Executive Council of Dubai has signed an agreement with Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority (DTMFZA) to create and develop Dubai as a fashion hub. The Dubai Fashion 2020 strategic plan will support Dubai's and the wider region's design and... Continue Reading →

BABYSHOP, the region's premier fashion destination for children sets yet another milestone with the opening of its 30th and 31st stores in the Western Region at Al Emmam Al Bukhari Road, near Saudi German Hospital, Aziziyah Dist. Madinah and Flamingo Mall, Amir Majid Street (Al Sabeen Street), Jeddah respectively. Specializing in toys, fashion clothing, baby... Continue Reading →

Chocolate manufacturer and retailer, Thorntons, is trialing SmartPod retail technology to allow customers to purchase from its extended online range while in-store. Developed in partnership with retail technology firm One iota, the online ordering kiosk trial is taking place across three stores in Sheffield Meadowhall, Fargate and Derby Westfield. The solution will focus on converting... Continue Reading →

Dubai Duty Free tills rang up Dh2.7 billion in sales in the first five months of the year. The airport hopes to sustain the momentum by selling to about half of the people passing through the hub. And the number of passengers is expected to rise with the emirate's annual shopping festival, Dubai Summer Surprises,... Continue Reading →

OK Zimbabwe lifts profit 20% Picture: THINKSTOCK HARARE — OK Zimbabwe, which directly competes with TM Supermarkets, in which Pick n Pay has a 49% stake, has posted a 16.3% surge in revenue in the year to end-March, and declared a 40c dividend for the second-half period. This brings the final dividend for the full-year... Continue Reading →

UAE's MAG Group unveils plan for specialist mall UAE-based Moafaq Al Gaddah (MAG) Group has unveiled plans for a new specialist shopping mall to be built in Dubai called the Art Centre. The retail centre will specialise in indoor and outdoor building materials and requirements for housing and commercial sectors, including furniture, lighting, kitchens, floors,... Continue Reading →

Geant says UAE's first online grocery store launched French retail chain Géant has launched what it says is the UAE's first online hypermarket. It said Géant Online offered the opportunity to purchase both grocery items and consumer electronics via computer and mobile devices. Géant Online becomes the latest addition to the company's portfolio of brands... Continue Reading →

Angela Ahrendts, the chief executive of fashion label Burberry, has seen her annual take home pay drop by £10m, only days after being named as Britain's best paid boss. Ahrendts' £16.9m total pay package in 2012 saw her leapfrog to the top of the FTSE 100 pay league, but her 2013 pay dropped to £6.8m... Continue Reading →

Italian fashion house Versace is aiming to increase its sales in the Middle East by 50 percent, part of its goal to nearly double its global revenue and become a billion dollar company within the next five years, its CEO told Arabian Business. As evidence of the region becoming one of its target markets, the... Continue Reading →

Redmond, Wash. -- Microsoft Corp. on Thursday announced that it plans to open 500 “Windows Store” shops in 500 Best Buy stores across the country and in more than 100 Best Buy and Future Shop locations in Canada. The roll out will launch in late June, lasting through September. The in-store shops will sell exclusively... Continue Reading →

French retailer Galeries Lafayette has opened a 129,000-square-foot department store in Jakarta. Developed in partnership with Indonesian retail operator PT Mitra Adiperkasa TBK, the four-level flagship is located in the Pacific Mall in the Sudirman Central Business District. Its official debut is today following a soft opening on May 11. It brings to 64 the... Continue Reading →

Hilco Capital is buying DVD rental chain Xtravision out of receivership, giving the UK-based restructuring specialist a second high-profile presence in Irish retailing. Xtravision appointed Luke Charleton and Colin Farquharson of Ernst & Young as receivers to the business just over seven weeks ago after a downturn in rentals and a withdrawal of credit insurance... Continue Reading →

Leather sofa at Dwell. Photograph: Dwell Upmarket furniture store Dwell is on the brink of collapse, putting at least 350 jobs at risk. The 24-store retailer, which sells £300 designer coffee tables and £1,500 leather sofas, has hired advisers at Argyll Partners and accountants Duff & Phelps but has been unable to find a buyer.... Continue Reading →

MUMBAI: The total size of the business of selling retail goods on the internet, commonly known as e-tailing, is set to touch $76 billion mark by 2021 in the country, according to a study by Technopak. E-tailing, which is around 6% of the total e- commerce, is estimated to be around $0.6 billion in 2012,... Continue Reading →

Fashion and homewares specialist Cath Kidston is to open a new flagship store in London’s Piccadilly, it has been announced. Opening later this year, the 7,070 sq ft store will be fully operational within the brand’s 20th anniversary year and seeks to realise the “home of modern vintage” concept for which the retailer is renowned.... Continue Reading →

Amazon Just Made A Key Step To Dominate The Grocery Delivery Market Amazon is expanding grocery delivery service, AmazonFresh, to Los Angeles. The online retailer has offered the same-day service in its home city of Seattle since 2007 and is now breaking further into the historically difficult online grocery market, the Los Angeles Times reports.... Continue Reading →

FILM rental chain Xtra-vision has been sold to Hilco Capital for an undisclosed sum. Hilco, which recently acquired HMV in Ireland and the UK, will now take control of the chain’s business, its stock and headquarters in Dublin’s Tallaght. The company’s chief executive Paul McGowan said the business would be a “good fit" alongside HMV... Continue Reading →

Dubai has added a glitter-hem to its design, fashion and retail industry by announcing plans to establish a district dedicated to developing the emerging sector. His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced on Saturday that the “Dubai Design District” would be situated... Continue Reading →

First look inside the new Chanel flagship Chanel's new flagship store, designed by eccentric architect Peter Marino, opened for a press preview this morning on London's New Bond Street One of Peter Marino's greatest strengths lies in creating shops that feel like homes - albeit homes fit to grace the pages of Architectural Digest. His... Continue Reading →

The regional supermarket group EH Booth has appointed Paul Minett, formerly with Asda and Sainsbury, as retail director. He succeeds David Benson who has retired. Mr Minett takes responsibility for the day-to-day running of Booths’ 29 stores across the North West, including the seven Cumbrian branches in Penrith, Keswick, Kendal, Windermere, Ulverston, Kirkby Lonsdale and... Continue Reading →

By Graham Ruddick8:00PM BST 09 Jun 2013Comment Tony Page, most recently a director at cycling accessories retailer Wiggle, will replace Angela Spindler, who is joining catalogue fashion retailer N Brown. The Original Factory Shop has almost 200 stores in the UK but has significant expansion plans as it seeks to cash in on the popularity... Continue Reading →