All the best for 2015
Wishing all our readers and followers a Happy New Year
2014 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog. Here's an excerpt: The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 39,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 14 sold-out performances for that many... Continue Reading →
Shoppers spend nearly £3bn in Britain’s Boxing Day sales
Footfall on high streets is down but internet retailers see their best year ever The research by comparison website MoneySupermarket.com found shoppers were planning to spend £2.9bn on the first day of sales alone. Meanwhile market analysis firm Experian said yesterday was likely to be the "biggest and busiest ever" Boxing Day for online retailers,... Continue Reading →
Marka buys Retailcorp from Dubai World’s Istithmar for Dh220 million
has agreed to sell its retail unit to Marka for about Dh220 million as the conglomerate seeks to raise cash from asset disposals to repay lenders. Marka, the recently listed retail and hospitality group, said it agreed to acquire Retailcorp UAE, a unit of Istithmar World, which is a part of Dubai World. Marka expects... Continue Reading →
First Burberry Beauty Box opens in Asia –
First Burberry Beauty Box opens in Asia Burberry has chosen Seoul as the location for its first Burberry Beauty Box store in Asia. The design of the new store in Coex Mall draws inspiration from the Burberry Beauty Box flagship in London’s Covent Garden. Created under the design direction of chief creative and chief executive... Continue Reading →
Sainsbury’s and Waitrose cancel deliveries after website glitches
Sainsbury’s and Waitrose have become the latest stores to suffer website meltdowns, resulting in the cancellation of Christmas deliveries for customers. On Sunday night Sainsbury’s accidentally cancelled hundreds of online orders after a computer failure. Some customers were offered redelivery dates after Christmas. A significant problem at Waitrose.com – which staff told customers had resulted... Continue Reading →
Waitrose will be Circle Mall anchor tenant at Jumeirah Village
Nakheel says Waitrose will be Circle Mall anchor tenant Almost a third of shop space at Nakheel's new Circle Mall at Jumeirah Village in Dubai has been booked, less than two weeks after its launch, developer Nakheel announced on Monday. Around 130,000 square feet at the new retail and leisure destination is accounted for, with... Continue Reading →
Fossil to invest USD6.3m to open 25 outlets in India
US-based watchmaker Fossil will invest up to INR40 crore (INR400 million, USD6.3m) to open 25 retail outlets in India by 2017 as it aims to reposition itself from a watch brand to a fashion lifestyle brand. The company, known for its range of watches, will sell non-watch products such as leather bags for women and... Continue Reading →
Ikea opens biggest store in the world in South Korea — in pictures
Swedish furniture retailer Ikea has opened its biggest store in the world in South Korea’s southern city of Gwangmyeong, with the 131,550 square metre outlet hoping to attract millions of people with its inexpensive, self-assembly products. Ikea, now present in 43 countries with 365 stores, plans to grow its South Korean outlets to five by... Continue Reading →
Top 10 most valued African brands 2014
Top 10 most valued African brands 2014 In today’s hyper-connected world brand image is everything. In today’s hyper-connected world brand image is everything. You only have to consider the likes of Facebook, Tesla, Coca-Cola and Nike to recognise this. Without a strong image and trusted name, beating the competition is but a pipedream. African Business... Continue Reading →
Empire-builder Wiese heads for the High Street UK
NOT content with nailing down the largest takeover in South African corporate history, 71-year-old retail magnate Christo Wiese has now set his sights on expanding his empire in Britain’s retail market. Wiese has assembled a team of experts to build a new retail brand under Pepkor UK Retail Limited. It will be run by Andy... Continue Reading →
My-Wardrobe.com acquired by Net-a-Porter Group
My-Wardrobe.com acquired by Net-a-Porter Group After selling the last of it's remaining stock at 70 percent off earlier this week, struggling premium retailer My-Wardrobe.com has stop trading and sold off it's domain name to online giant Net-a-Porter Group. The website itself is no longer active and a message has been posted which reads: “We are... Continue Reading →
Cotton On taking off in rapid expansion plan
FASHION retailer Cotton On has stepped up its rapid expansion, opening 61 stores in 60 days. The Geelong-based group has launched new stores in eight countries, including 36 in Australia. Cotton On said the new shops were opened in response to market demand and supported by a new website launched in October. The roll out... Continue Reading →
It’s panic Saturday! High street shoppers set to spend £1.2BILLION in a single day in last-minute scramble for gifts
After the chaos of Black Friday and Manic Monday, shoppers are set to spend a staggering £2.1million every minute shops are open on 'Panic Saturday.' By closing time on Saturday, last minute shoppers will have spent a total of £1.2billion on last-minute gifts and groceries on the high street. The predictions would see sales on... Continue Reading →
My-Wardrobe.com ceases trading
If you've logged on to My-Wardobe.com in the past few weeks you'll have noticed mind-boggling discounts on current season designer stock. Escalating from a generous 30 per cent to a too-good-to-be-true 70 per cent off, the wheels have finally come off as today the luxury e-tail site ceased trading. Cannily, its digital rival Net-a-Porter.com, has... Continue Reading →
Tiger prepares to open seven more stores across the UK
Danish value retailer Tiger is preparing to open four new stores in the South of England and three elsewhere in the UK. Tiger prepares to open seven more stores across the UK The retailer is expanding in London and the South East with four new stores all signed and due to open in the first... Continue Reading →
American Apparel fires Dov Charney
fired its founder and chief executive officer Dov Charney, ending a six month period of uncertainty. Charney's tenure at the fashion label was awash with allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. On 18 June the board of American Apparel suspended Charney for allegedly misusing funds and helping to spread nude photographs of a former employee.... Continue Reading →
Apple suspends online sales in Russia amid currency turmoil
Apple suspends online sales in Russia amid currency turmoil "Extreme" swings in the value of the Russian Ruble have caused Apple to temporarily shutter its online store in the Eurasian nation, after a midnight interest rate hike sent the currency plunging nearly 20 percent. "Our online store in Russia is currently unavailable while we review... Continue Reading →
Louis Vuitton opens first European airport store at Heathrow T5
UK. Louis Vuitton has opened its first European airport store, and only its second worldwide, at London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5. As reported, the 301sq m store is part of a new luxury retail environment in expanded space at the terminal. The striking store houses a selection of the brand’s leather goods, women’s ready to... Continue Reading →
Lululemon expanding children’s brand
Dive Brief: After expanding its offerings to men, Lululemon Athletica has turned to expanding its brand for young children as its next market. Its Ivivva Athletica brand, first launched in 2009 in Canada, has seen Q3 sales grow 37% and Q2 sales grow 36% in the quarter, and will open 20 more stores this month.... Continue Reading →
World’s largest Apple store to open in Februaryin Dubai
Apple store planned for Dubai is expected to open in February next year, according to reports. Earlier this year, Apple confirmed plans to open a store in the region, which was underlined by a series of job listings for stores in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. 7Days newspaper reports that a source close to Apple’s... Continue Reading →
Harvey Nichols confirms plan for Doha store in 2017
Luxury retailer Harvey Nichols has confirmed plans to a new store in Doha, the capital of Qatar. The department store group said it has signed a licence agreement with Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Group to open an outlet in Doha Festival City. The 80,000 square feet store is scheduled to open in the first... Continue Reading →
Skechers to invest $30m opening 142 new stores in GCC
US sports shoe company will invest up to $30 million opening new stores across the GCC by 2018, according to the company president. Michael Greenberg, president of California-based Skechers, told Gulf News that the company will open an addition 142 stores in region, bringing the total of 180, in an expansion plan that will double... Continue Reading →
Halfords opens new concept store for Cycle Republic
Halfords has launched a new cycling-only concept store in central London under the name Cycle Republic. The retailer is reviving the brand after it closed the specialist shops five years ago. The new 4,000 square metre site in Euston Square aims to deliver convenience, premium editions and an extensive range of parts, accessories and clothing.... Continue Reading →
Woolworths opens second store in Ghana
Woolworths has opened a new store in Accra's upmarket West Hills Mall, the retailer's second store in Ghana. At 555sqm, the new store is large enough to meet growing Ghana's demand for Woolworths modern product offerings. The West Hills Mall store stocks a comprehensive range of men's, women's and children's clothing as well as beauty,... Continue Reading →
PetSmart sold to BC Partners in $8.7bn deal
UK investor BC Partners last night beat larger US rivals to clinch the world's biggest private equity takeover this year, striking a $8.7bn (£5.5bn) deal to land pet retailer PetSmart. BC, the former owner of big brand UK firms such as Foxtons and the defunct Phones4U, will pay $83 per share alongside a team of... Continue Reading →
Primark opens its first flagship store in the Netherlands
Primark opens its first flagship store in the Netherlands “Primark’s success has shown everyone that an Irish company can compete with the best brands in the world,” said John Neary, ambassador for Ireland for the Netherlands during the opening of its first flagship store in the Netherlands on Thursday morning. Located at Spui 50, in... Continue Reading →
Supreme Court sides with Amazon in warehouse worker pay case
In a unanimous vote, the Supreme Court Tuesday ruled that Amazon warehouse workers need not be paid for time spent in security checks. Workers had sued the temp agency contracted with Amazon, Integrity Staffing Solutions, saying they should be paid because the security checks were “integral and indispensable” to their work, the definition under the... Continue Reading →
Al Habtoor Group announces three new projects worth $547m
Dubai-based Al Habtoor Group has announced three new projects including a polo resort and club, a four-star hotel and a residential community, worth a total AED2bn ($547m). The Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club, worth $270m, will include a five-star hotel with 136 rooms and 162 bungalows, a polo club, a polo academy, a riding... Continue Reading →
Abercrombie CEO steps down
In a memo released Tuesday morning, Abercrombie & Fitch announced that CEO Michael Jeffries, who has been in the position since 1992, will retire effective immediately. In addition to the chief executive position, Jeffries will also retire from his spot on the retailer's board of directors. Abercrombie's Arthur Martinez, currently the non-executive chairman of the... Continue Reading →
Marks & Spencer Shares Slide Amid Delays to Online Deliveries
most in more than two months after the U.K.’s largest clothing retailer experienced delays delivering some customers’ online orders at the busiest time of the year. M&S today confirmed reports that its Castle Donington distribution center in central England is struggling to process a surge of online orders prompted by the Black Friday weekend. The... Continue Reading →
Dubai Shopping Festival set to begin in January
Dubai Shopping Festival's 20th edition will begin on January 1 and last till February 1, top official from Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) said on Sunday. This year the festival is held under the theme "A Journey of Celebrations" with a spectacular calendar of events that embraces DSF' key pillars of shopping, entertainment and... Continue Reading →
South Africa Retailers want Eskom to review move to weekend load-shedding
Eskom again implemented countrywide rotational load-shedding throughout SA on Sunday, as well as on Saturday. It has opted for weekend load-shedding so it can build up its reserves of water and diesel for the week ahead, on the grounds that this limits the disruption to manufacturing and other businesses. However, this approach does not favour... Continue Reading →
Mexx declared bankrupt
The court of Amsterdam declared Dutch fashion chain Mexx bankrupt on Thursday. Its shops, however, will remain open for the time being. The news comes shortly after the announcement of a new flagship store in Amsterdam and the reopening of the webshop for the holidays. Court-appointed trustee Frits Kemp blamed the poor economic conditions that... Continue Reading →
Ermenegildo Zegna opens first flagship store Singapore at Paragon
The first Ermenegildo Zegna store in Singapore is located within the Paragon mall and covers 342 sqm. The space features the full range of ‘Sartorial’ and ‘Upper Casual’ offering and also the Z ZEGNA debut collection, designed by Paul Surridge and Murray Scallon for an urban trendsetter, which is presented in its own dedicated area.... Continue Reading →
South African billionaire plans to launch major new fashion retailer in the UK
The South African billionaire Christo Wiese is planning an assault on the UK retail market and has built a collection of heavyweight figures from the industry to lead his plans. A new company called Pepkor UK Retail Limited, named after Mr Wiese’s holding group, has been registered at Companies House with a team of directors... Continue Reading →
Prince Alwaleed tops 2014 Arab Rich List with $28.1bn
click here to see the full list Abdulaziz Al Saud has topped the 2014 Arabian Business Rich List with a personal fortune of $28.1bn, in a new survey published by the magazine on Sunday. The prince, who chairs Kingdom Holding, saw his wealth slip from $31.2bn last year, following a 20 percent fall in the... Continue Reading →
Claire’s Stores Q3 disappoints
Chicago – Claire’s Stores Inc. had a disappointing third quarter, slightly increasing its net loss to $26.82 million from $25.47 million. A variety of expenses continued to outweigh Claire’s gross profit. Net sales totaled $350.7 million, down 2% from $356.94 million. The decrease was attributable to the effect of store closures, a consolidated 1.4% decrease... Continue Reading →
Abu Dhabi in talks to raise funds to build its largest ever mall
Abu Dhabi's Tourism Development & Investment Co (TDIC) is in the process of completing the financing to allow it to build the largest shopping mall in the emirate, it said on Monday. Abu Dhabi, seeking to capitalise on surging retail demand, has already opened two shopping malls in little more than a year as it... Continue Reading →
Zara opens flagship store on Shanghai’s Nanjing East Road
Retail In Asia Zara has opened a flagship store on Shanghai's busiest shopping street Nanjing East Road. The new store has a commercial space of more than 2,000 square metres spread over four floors and showcases Zara's new store image. The company said it will include all of Zara's collections – Woman, Man and Kids.... Continue Reading →
Bvlgari, Valentino, Hublot and Piaget open at Miami Design District
Miami Design District debuted its Palm Court, and the southern half of Paseo Ponti, the pedestrian street that will eventually go from 38th to 42nd streets. Several luxury stores have opened in time for Miami Art 2014. The court itself is spectacular, with a reproduction of R. Buckminster Fuller’s Fly’s Eye Dome serving as a... Continue Reading →
Canada Goose targets US market with NY office
Luxury outerwear and apparel brand Canada Goose is targeting the US market with the opening of its New York City office to house a dedicated sales team. The move is a reflection of the brand’s explosive growth in the US market, where revenues for the luxury brand have increased by more than 45 percent in... Continue Reading →
Famous Brands to open Debonairs Pizza outlet in Angola
Famous Brands to open Debonairs Pizza outlet in Angola Shoprite Angola will operate and manage the Debonairs Pizza brand in the country to complement Shoprite's existing Hungry Lion brand. The first Debonairs Pizza site will open in January 2015 in the city of Benguela, which is located about 540km from Angola's capital, Luanda. This opening... Continue Reading →
Sony’s Xperia Aquatech, world’s first underwater store, opens in Dubai — in pictures
The Japanese electronics giant Sony on Thursday opened Xperia Aquatech Store, the world’s first underwater store, at The World Islands off the coast of the Dubai.
Finisterre opens first London store
Finisterre opens first London store Surf brand Finisterre has opened its first London store at Seven Dials. As well as stocking the full Finisterre clothing range and surf goods from around the world, the 1,500 square foot store will include a standalone coffee shop serving Small Batch coffee from 8am each day. In addition, the... Continue Reading →
Burberry opens new flagship store in Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills flagship store. The new store on Rodeo Drive, created under the design direction of Christopher Bailey, showcases the brand’s physical and digital worlds through the Burberry Retail Theatre concept, where interior video walls and in-store digital screens showcase brand content and broadcast live events. Located over four floors, the new flagship is set... Continue Reading →
Prada opens men’s store in Frankfurt, Germany
Prada opened earlier this week its new men’s store in Germany, in the financial capital of Frankfurt. The new Prada men’s store which covers 1,000 sqm on two floors, is situated on the prestigious Goetheplatz. The store features the complete range of ready to wear and accessories, including “Made to Order” and “Made to Measure”... Continue Reading →
Hunter’s new global flagship will serve as model for future stores
London - Hunter, the British footwear and outdoor brand, opened its first global flagship, on London’s high-profile Regent Street. The 5,300-sq.-ft. store presents the retailer’s full collection, from its signature Wellington boots to outwear and accessories. “Our global flagship store delivers a retail concept that will form the basis of future retail opportunities in key... Continue Reading →
Mulberry expected to announce 1 million pound loss
heritage label, is predicted to report a hefty loss later this week when the company publishes its first-half year results. Analysts at Barclays are forecasting a one million pound loss in the premium label's first half year results, a speedy decline from the 7.2 million pound pre-tax profit Mulberry posted for the same period last... Continue Reading →
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