International Business

A British lifestyle brand will open its first store in the United States this summer.   The White Company will open a 3,000-sq.-ft. flagship in the Flatiron section of Manhattan. Described as the first international flagship of the brand, the store will stock a curated selection of lifestyle, homeware and fashion products. A selection of The Little White Company products featuring white baby clothes and nursery equipment will also be housed in the space.  

It’s a new day at Starbucks Corp.   Kevin Johnson officially took over as CEO of Starbucks on Monday, April 3. Outgoing CEO Howard Schultz continues on at the company as executive chairman, and will focus on the development of  Starbucks’ new formats, Reserve Roasteries and Starbucks Reserve,  and the company’s social impact initiatives.   

Excess inventory and markdowns took their toll on H&M’s first fiscal quarter.   For the period spanning December 1, 2016 - February 28, 2017, H&M’s first-quarter pretax profit fell 3.6% to 3.21 billion kronor ($362 million), compared with an average estimate of 3.03 billion kronor. H&M blamed the decline on lower than expected sales growth, as well as higher mark-downs.  

VF Corp.'s new strategy is focused on maintaining the company's longevity — even in a rapidly changing marketplace.

A stronger focus on product innovation and digital initiatives contributed to gains during Lululemon’s fourth quarter, but a slow start to the year impacted the company’s expectations for Q1 2017.  

Colliers International has announced the hiring of Wayne L. Kasbar as managing director in its Parsippany, New Jersey, office. He will focus on the retail sector.   Kasbar comes to Colliers from Silbert Realty & Management Company, where he oversaw the brokerage team covering New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Prior to that, he spent five years at Trammel Crow, now part of CBRE, leaving there as VP of brokerage services.  

Plummeting retail occupancy rates have Manhattan landlords in a generous mood.   According to a Bloomberg report, Manhattan landlords are offering their retail clients such giveaways as interior redesigns and moving expenses to keep storefronts from going dark.  

Adidas Group wants to kick off its expansion in China on the right foot.   The sportswear brand plans to bolster its retail sales network to 12,000 outlets in China by 2020, with much of the growth slated for smaller cities. However, the company also knows that conducting international trade within China can be difficult and complex due to challenges presented by huge import and export volume, and minimal advance notice of regulatory changes.