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International Business

  • Alibaba turns sights to brick-and-mortar

    Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is making a play for a department store and mall operator in China.   The company made a $2.6 billion bid for Intime Retail, with a plan to take it private, reported the New York Times. Alibaba already owns a 28% stake in the company, which operates 29 department stores and 17 shopping malls in China, mainly in first- and second-tier cities.  

  • Another department store retailer cuts sales outlook in wake of gloomy holiday

    Hudson's Bay Co. is the latest department store retailer to report weak holiday sales.   The Canadian retailer, whose banners include Hudson’s Bay, Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor, reported a 0.7% decrease in consolidated comparable sales in the nine-week holiday selling period that ended Dec. 31.  

  • Proposed Republican tax reforms would hit these retailers the hardest

    Apparel retailers might be in for tough going if proposed tax reforms pass.  

  • Report: Walmart Canada settles dispute with Visa

    A six-month battle between Walmart Canada and Visa has come to an end.   The retailer, which threatened to ban the card processor from all of its stores nationwide due to “unacceptably high” credit-card transaction fees, has ended its feud, and will resume accepting Visa cards at its more than 400 stores starting Friday, Jan. 6.  

  • Sam’s Club CEO stepping down

    The ranks of female retail CEOs is losing one of its highest-profile members.   Rosalind G. Brewer, 54, has told Walmart she plans to retire as executive VP, president and CEO of Sam’s Club, effective Feb. 1, 2017. She will be succeeded by company veteran John Furner, 42, who joined Walmart as an hourly associate in 1993, effective Feb. 1. The news was announced in a filing by the chain.  

  • Amazon’s Growing Transportation Network

    As Amazon expands across the globe, enhancing its logistics capabilities as well as adding to the list of perks for its Amazon Prime members, retailers and logistics providers are taking note.

    The pressure is on for retailers to not only meet customer expectations, but to also exceed them as differentiation in the retail industry becomes paramount. Amazon has raised the bar for expectations with offers such as same-day delivery and free shipping, and its influence is spreading as it becomes one of the world’s biggest retailers.

  • When it comes to overstoring, China’s the champ

    U.S. real estate developers and brokers coping with epic changes in the retail landscape can take some solace from the fact that, when it comes to overstoring, America’s got nothing on China.   A list of cities with the most shopping center space under construction from CBRE Research had Chinese cities occupying 11 of the top 12 spots, led by Chongqing with 39.8 million sq. ft. being built. Shenzhen (38.7 million) and Chengdu (37.6 million) weren’t far behind.  

  • Coach taps former Saks exec as new finance head

    Coach announced the appointment of Kevin G. Wills as CFO, effective no later than March 2017.   Wills joins the upscale specialty retailer from AlixPartners LLP, a global business advisory firm, where he has served as managing director and CFO since March 2014.    
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