International Business

New York -- Friends of Howard Schultz, the outspoken and politically progressive founder and CEO of Starbucks, are urging him to enter the Democratic race for President, according to a report by Fortune.

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Hangzhou, China – Alibaba is launching an omnichannel partnership with one of professional basketball’s biggest stars. Alibaba Holding Group Inc. and Kobe Inc., a newly formed company by NBA player Kobe Bryant, will collaborate with Chinese media company Sina to create a new social media platform.

Houston - When consumer demand for the latest trends surges, fashion retailers must move quickly to engage with shoppers and ensure they have the right product mix on the shelves. The fast-growing women’s accessory retailer Charming Charlie  has met widespread consumer demand with an upgrade to Oracle Retail Merchandising solutions to support both its immediate needs and its international expansion plans.
 

Fast fashion retailer Uniqlo is expanding its collection of Disney apparel and taking its partnership with Disney to a whole new level with a planned flagship store at Disney World.

The fast growing Japanese retailer will open a store in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., in the spring. It will be the retailer's first store in the southeastern U.S. Uniqlo already has 42 stores in the U.S. and plans to open more stores this year.

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New York -- The Association for Retail Environments is bullish on the future.

The organization is predicting good days ahead for the U.S. economy in general and retail construction in particular. According to A.R.E.’s economic advisors, all indicators show that the 2016 economy in the U.S. will grow faster than it did in 2015. And while economic growth will slow in the back half of 2015, it will not be negative.

Fast-fashion giant H&M is adding another set of initials to its aggressive expansion plans. 

London -- Fast-fashion giant H&M doesn’t let any grass grow under its feet.

H&M is expanding its higher-end, minimalist-styled brand, COS (short for Collection of Style). The retailer plans to open four stores in the United States in 2015, starting this fall, with two new markets on tap. COS is also expanding into Canada, with stores set to open in both Montreal and Toronto later this year.

Carrollton, Texas -- TGI Fridays is looking for a new chief executive.

The company announced that Nick Shepherd recently informed the Fridays’ board of his decision to step down as president and CEO, citing that he believes the time is right to pass the torch to a new leader to steer the 50-year-old brand through its next chapter of growth.

Shepherd will continue to actively lead the business through mid-October, and will be working closely with Fridays chairman of the board, John Antioco.

Boston – Massachusetts will have a tax holiday the weekend of Aug. 15-16, if the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) has anything to say about it. The ICSC has sent a letter to Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker asking him to sign the sales tax holiday legislation currently on his desk.

Dallas - 7-Eleven Inc. is taking its business to Vietnam.

The company has signed a master franchise agreement with Seven System Vietnam Co. Ltd. to develop and operate 7-Eleven stores in Vietnam, with the first stores expected to open in 2017. Seven Systems plans to construct 7-Eleven stores, convert existing locations to the 7-Eleven brand supported by enhanced infrastructure, and eventually franchise operations to local businesspeople.