| Global retail industry news |  |
| Global Industry Watch |  |  |
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- John Lewis, Waitrose name 1st joint director
The John Lewis Partnership has named former Lloyds Banking Group director Paul de Laat as the first customer-insight director to work on co-branded efforts from the John Lewis and Waitrose retail brands. The retailers launched their first co-branded ad last week to promote a new joint store. MarketingWeek.co.uk (U.K) (free content)
(26 Nov.)     
 | Win the next generation of consumers
Winning the hearts and minds of Gen Z is paramount for brands. Fetch, the stickiest shopping app for Gen Z, offers a powerful platform for advertisers to connect authentically with the younger generation and create lifelong consumer relationships. With the ability to reward every purchase and a gamified user experience, Fetch delivers value and personalization at every consumer touchpoint. Explore the infographic to learn more. |
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| Retail in Asia | | |
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- China's culture influences Starbucks flavors, furnishings
Smaller kiosks don't work in China, where consumers want to sit and relax over afternoon coffee, a fact that's driving Starbucks to open bigger stores with comfy furnishings as part of its plan to more than double its presence there in the next three years. Starbucks will also add more Chinese-inspired items to the menu, as part of the localization efforts that are key to US retailers' success in Asia, experts say. The Wall Street Journal
(26 Nov.)
| Retail in Latin America | | |
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- Mexican agency finds no proof Wal-Mart paid bribes
Mexico's Federal Comptroller's Office closed the biggest part of its investigation into Wal-Mart de México y Centroamérica on Monday, saying the agency's probe launched in April found no evidence that the retailer paid bribes to Mexican officials to speed up the building of new stores. Two smaller investigations are still underway, the agency said. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required)
(26 Nov.)
| E-commerce Spotlight | | |
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- US, European law enforcement partner to fight fakes
Law enforcement agents from the US and Europe teamed up in advance of Cyber Monday to take down 132 websites selling counterfeit designer goods, the agencies said Monday. The sites were selling fakes from 41 brands including Burberry, Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Gucci; in the US, the operation was part of the larger Operation in Our Sites launched in 2010. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required)
(26 Nov.)
| Spotlight on Grocery | | |
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- Shopping data drives product development at Sainsbury's
A significant portion of today's UK grocery shoppers carefully consider quality and care about responsibility in business, and the least wealthy care the most, according to new research from Sainsbury's. The findings and other data gleaned from the chain's 22 million customers will be used to drive development of new products, the company says. Brand Republic (U.K.)
(22 Nov.)
- Loblaw owner's bakery business feels the pinch
Weston Foods' bakery business is innovating to keep up with changing customer tastes as bread sales decline, but the bigger problem for the bread giant may be that Canada's growing number of discount retailers don't want to buy from the company that also owns rival supermarket chain Loblaw, analysts say. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (tiered subscription model)
(26 Nov.)
- European chocolate gets even more exclusive
Several high-end chocolate-makers in Europe are adding bespoke services that allow customers to change the look, choose the ingredients and packaging, and tweak the flavor. Confiserie Spruengli has made pralines shaped like a racing car, and chocolatier Frederic Blondeel of Flanders will fill special requests but reserves the right to say no. The Wall Street Journal
(22 Nov.)
| NRF News | | |
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- Report: US and UK retailers lead in cross-channel development
Retailers in both mature and emerging markets are seeking the advantages of cross-channel retailing. But as technology keeps changing, which companies are doing the best at mastering a long-term strategy and surviving day-to-day? In an addition to the Shop.org white paper library, the Ebeltoft Group takes a look at cross-channel retailing in 17 countries, as well as the sectors with the best developed tactics. Download the white paper.
| SmartQuote | | |
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 | Every path hath a puddle."
--George Herbert,
Welsh-British poet, orator and priest
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