Trading Partners

Lidl is coming out of the starting gate in the United States earlier than expected — and it isn’t going to waste any time ramping up its store base.   The discount grocer will open its first U.S. stores this summer, with plans to open up to 100 locations across the East Coast within a year, the Associated Press reported. The chain initially had said it planned to enter the U.S. market no later than 2018.    

These are tough times for outdoor/sporting goods retailers.   Gander Mountain is reportedly considering filing Chapter11 bankruptcy protection, according to Reuters.    Founded in 1960, Gander Mountain specializes in fishing, camping and hunting gear and accessories, and bills itself as “America’s firearms superstore.”   

Amid efforts to crack down on the sale of counterfeit goods, Alibaba is in a center of another related fight.   The Chinese e-commerce giant said Thursday, Feb. 9, that several intellectual property (IP) agencies were filing false complaints against vendors that continue to sell fake goods on its e-commerce platforms, said Fortune.   

Sears Holding Corp.’s chairman and CEO Eddie Lampert and the company's board settled a lawsuit alleging that the chief executive benefited from a spin-off deal.   The lawsuit was brought on behalf of Sears and against Lampert, other Sears directors and Seritage Growth Properties, the real estate investment trust established to acquire 235 of the struggling chain’s best stores, reported Reuters.  

Wal-Mart Stores keeps upping its investment in JD.com.   The discounter has increased its stake in the Chinese online company to 12.1%, (worth about $4.87 billion), from the 10.8% stake it had in October, and the 5.9% stake it had in June of last year, according to a report by Business Insider.  

More than 100 retailers and trade associations, including Walgreens Boot Alliance, Rite Aid, Walmart and Target, have joined the Americans for Affordable Products coalition in an effort to stop the Border Adjustment Tax, otherwise known as BAT, which is a component of the U.S. House Republican tax reform proposal.  

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is making a new strategic investment — one that will up the ante in the hyper-competitive e-commerce marketplace.  

Restoration Hardware has filed a lawsuit against Crate and Barrel, accusing the rival brand of stealing confidential information to gain a competitive edge.   Restoration Hardware claims Crate and Barrel implemented a similar strategy that features food and beverage services at certain gallery locations.